Fans in Edmonton got their chance to do just that on Saturday, when CBC Gem, its online video site, presented a version of the Oilers-Avalanche game with no announcers. The entire game audio consisted solely of the sounds from the area, the ref's whistle, the grunts of the players, the crowd, etc. 

But not a second of analysis, commentary or play-by-play. 

Reaction to the quieter broadcast has been mixed, with many saying they appreciated the sounds of silence. 

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, there's a lot of talk during every sporting event. (The Jays telecasts on Sportsnet often seem particularly verbose.) On the other hand, the announce crew can fill in some blanks about what's going on on the field or the ice, with info viewers couldn't possibly know.

No word yet if they plan to repeat this experiment for other games in other markets. 

Would you choose this option if it was available to you? 

"Can we get this as a permanent option?": Fans left intrigued by commentary-free CBC Gem broadcast of Edmonton-Colorado game