2015-2016 Announcer Thread

[bedeviled]

Mere minutes into the UNC game, UNC fans were already railing against some flavorful announcing by Dan Dakich.
Maybe it's because of dialogue like this:
Bob: Joel James pulls the string
Dan: He just can't shoot.
Bob: [chuckle]
Dan: There's just no other way to say it

Some other examples:
"North Carolina's just a mess there defensively"
"North Carolina players...toughness has ALWAYS been a question"
Meeks = lazy

[budwom]

Then he started crapping on Duke's football team.

[Indoor66]

Then he started crapping on Duke's football team.

Frankly, we haven't earned anyone's praise lately.

[captmojo]

Doris does know and understand the game but the non-stop voicing has got to cease.

In early season, all announcers are guilty of this violation. It goes so far that you find yourself asking questions like, "Who...what...what the hell was that call? Shut up with the additional stuff that you can share as a 'bumper story', and tell us about the call that was just made, please. The game's still going on!"

Anyway, at least most of the stories are related to the teams or the game we're looking at. Bill Walton might just tell us an unconnected Grateful Dead story, or something about bike riding in Latvia.

[Dev11]

Anyway, at least most of the stories are related to the teams or the game we're looking at. Bill Walton might just tell us an unconnected Grateful Dead story, or something about bike riding in Latvia.

If you encounter a Bill Walton game, just tell yourself that you're listening to a fun flashback podcast while watching basketball. If you wanted commentary, switch to something else.

[NSDukeFan]

Imported from UK-Duke thread --



No, you are not alone in this. I could use about 1/3 fewer game-flow observations from Bilas. [I harbor the nagging suspicion that this board might be able to handle comfortably the disappointment of 1/3 fewer posts from me, too, so...]

I guess Bilas has risen to the top of ESPN's college bball experts. As such they presumably encourage him to spout prolifically; and he doesn't seem to need much encouragement. IMO, he's dangerously deep into role-playing the role of playing Jay Bilas on the tele, and the interwebs, too. He's plenty insightful, but his overconfidence is only partially leavened by the pattern of charming self-criticism. [Again, I know about this stuff. See above.]

More Dan Bonner. His goofy smile looks genuine to me. How else explain it?

I enjoy the self-deprecating humour and feel he knows the game well. I don't agree with some of his views but have generally enjoyed listening to him.

[Olympic Fan]

Just before the State-LSU game, I was watching the studio show and a discussion between Duke's Jason Williams and the terrible Seth Greenberg (as bad a commentator as he was a coach).

They were talking about the growth of social media and the growing proliferation of embarrassing tweets by athletes after tough losses.

Williams made the comment that were he a coach, he wouldn't ban social media, but he would hold his players accountable for anything they posted.

Which I thought was a fair and reasonable position.

Greenberg went off, screaming "What about free speech?" "If you punish kids for posting the wrong thing, then you are trampling on free speech."

Sigh ...

Jason tried to explain that holding someone accountable for their speech is not the same thing as prohibiting speech ... if fact, its the essense of free speech. You are free to say anything, but you must face the consequences of your speech. The First Amendment right to free speech only protects you from the government preventing you from saying anything you want ... not from having to deal with the consequences of your speech.

I don't know why I get so upset listening to that idiot. You'd think I'd learn by now. But unlike Bill Walton (also an idiot commentator, but endlessly amusing), Greenberg's stupidity gets under my skin.

PS I know people who know Walton and insist that he's a very intelligent man. That may be so, but he's a lunatic on the air -- like a once brilliant student who has burned out his brain with too much dope. In fact, listening to Walton rhapsodize on air about Maui Wowie yesterday, I think that may explain his surrealistic commentary.

[oldnavy]

Imported from UK-Duke thread --



No, you are not alone in this. I could use about 1/3 fewer game-flow observations from Bilas. [I harbor the nagging suspicion that this board might be able to handle comfortably the disappointment of 1/3 fewer posts from me, too, so...]

I guess Bilas has risen to the top of ESPN's college bball experts. As such they presumably encourage him to spout prolifically; and he doesn't seem to need much encouragement. IMO, he's dangerously deep into role-playing the role of playing Jay Bilas on the tele, and the interwebs, too. He's plenty insightful, but his overconfidence is only partially leavened by the pattern of charming self-criticism. [Again, I know about this stuff. See above.]

More Dan Bonner. His goofy smile looks genuine to me. How else explain it?

That he is a sociopath? That he is really is the Joker but without the creepy make up???

I don't particularly like any announcers but Bonner is one that I dislike much less than some of the others.... if that makes any sense.

[oldnavy]

Just before the State-LSU game, I was watching the studio show and a discussion between Duke's Jason Williams and the terrible Seth Greenberg (as bad a commentator as he was a coach).

They were talking about the growth of social media and the growing proliferation of embarrassing tweets by athletes after tough losses.

Williams made the comment that were he a coach, he wouldn't ban social media, but he would hold his players accountable for anything they posted.

Which I thought was a fair and reasonable position.

Greenberg went off, screaming "What about free speech?" "If you punish kids for posting the wrong thing, then you are trampling on free speech."

Sigh ...

Jason tried to explain that holding someone accountable for their speech is not the same thing as prohibiting speech ... if fact, its the essense of free speech. You are free to say anything, but you must face the consequences of your speech. The First Amendment right to free speech only protects you from the government preventing you from saying anything you want ... not from having to deal with the consequences of your speech.

I don't know why I get so upset listening to that idiot. You'd think I'd learn by now. But unlike Bill Walton (also an idiot commentator, but endlessly amusing), Greenberg's stupidity gets under my skin.

PS I know people who know Walton and insist that he's a very intelligent man. That may be so, but he's a lunatic on the air -- like a once brilliant student who has burned out his brain with too much dope. In fact, listening to Walton rhapsodize on air about Maui Wowie yesterday, I think that may explain his surrealistic commentary.

Watching Walton is like watching that Bob Dylan, IBM commercial.... you can tell that the grey cells have seen their better days!

[budwom]

channel surfing last night, I briefly found myself on an ESPN channel wherein some announcer was discussing the upcoming game with "the top ranked Tarheels."
Always a good idea to suck up to your boss.

[Billy Dat]

I was impressed with Kara Lawson doing color from the Legends Classic in Brooklyn the past few days.

[captmojo]

Lawson did a fantastic job, explaining some strategy along with a description of the play before her.
I'd like to see more of her doing men's games. At least, the ones not involving Tennessee.
As for her viewpoint on the women's game, it seems a little biased to me.

[OldPhiKap]

Listening to Bill Walton in the Indiana-UNLV game, enjoying it. No brilliant insight, but fun to listen to.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

channel surfing last night, I briefly found myself on an ESPN channel wherein some announcer was discussing the upcoming game with "the top ranked Tarheels."
Always a good idea to suck up to your boss.

The funny thing is how many holes call it DSPN. They must continuously and conveniently forget who runs the show.

[MChambers]

Am greatly enjoying listening to Cory Alexander. Very calm and reasonable announcer.

[weezie]

He's OK by me, very respectful of K and not a lazy announcer.

[norduck]

He's OK by me, very respectful of K and not a lazy announcer.

Kinda got a snide remark in at the end of 1st half by remarking,Yale trails their safety at the half. Not for sure which announcer made the comment though.

[Des Esseintes]

Kinda got a snide remark in at the end of 1st half by remarking,Yale trails their safety at the half. Not for sure which announcer made the comment though.

I heard that too. It was the studio host opposite Dino Gaudio. Can't remember his name, though.

[sagegrouse]

Kinda got a snide remark in at the end of 1st half by remarking,Yale trails their safety at the half. Not for sure which announcer made the comment though.

Going into the second half, the studio host said, "Yale trails its 'safety school' by two points."

[OldPhiKap]

Going into the second half, the studio host said, "Yale trails its 'safety school' by two points."

Meh. Mildly funny. Not gonna hate for that.

I mean, to be fair, it probably took the guy all week to come up with it.