Announcing props: Dino Gaudio [Archive]

OldPhiKap

11-19-2010, 10:42 PM

Duke79UNLV77

11-19-2010, 10:46 PM

I thought Dino was very solid, too. Good analysis. Talked about the game. Good knowledge of the players. Gave his opinion but didn't take the bait to Duke-hate.

Now, his partner ... was just clueless. There should have been a drinking game for him calling a player by the wrong name, saying the wrong thing happened, etc. It was like Harry Caray except he didn't sound drunk. I actually thought Dino was gracious in the way he corrected partner, too.

grossbus

11-19-2010, 10:46 PM

i was thinking the same thing. didn't force it. good insights.

cruxer

11-19-2010, 10:47 PM

Wow, I was just thinking this. Dino was excellent. That other guy otoh...... He mis-identified players on many occasions. I wonder if they didn't have spotters?

coldriver10

11-19-2010, 10:49 PM

He did well. Though they definitely weren't aware of the goings-on in Puerto Rico...

PADukeMom

11-19-2010, 10:51 PM

RoyalBlue08

11-19-2010, 10:51 PM

I thought Dino was good as well. In fact, I didn't know who it was doing color at first and was impressed with this "random guy" on ESPN3. I think he has a shot to move up the pecking order of color guys at ESPN if he wants to stick with this.

DukeGirl4ever

11-19-2010, 10:52 PM

Curious as to everyone's thoughts. I thought Dino did a very good job tonight describing the mechanics of several aspects of the game (such as the importance of the second pass against the press) and the experience of coaching in the conference. I was very pleasantly impressed by his call of the game.

Thoughts?

I, too, was impressed by some of the aspects he discussed. At times, I was a bit perturbed by what seemed to be some critiquing of Duke. For example, he kept wanting to disagree with Duke's #1 rank and felt MSU should be there. They're both fantastic teams...and this early in the season, I feel ranks mean nothing. I just couldn't tell if he truly felt that way or if it was because he was an opposing coach for several years. If he truly feels that way, then I completely understand. Like others said, he didn't get in to the Duke hate, but I thought a few times he was going to...

But, I've got blue-tinted glasses on so that may be the reason I thought some of his comments were a bit critical.

Also, at the half he said Duke needs to work it in the paint more in the 2nd half and not shoot the 3 so much...but in the same breath he talked about the # of foul shots Duke took because they attack the basket. Contradictory comments at face value but he should have further gone in to that analysis (Duke gets more 3's because they know how to break down the defense while attacking and kicking).

Now I'm being critical! :p
But in all seriousness, I thought he did a pretty decent job.

CameronBornAndBred

11-19-2010, 10:56 PM

At first I thought he was doing ok, but my opinion went downhill fast and never came back up. Honestly some of the stuff he was struggling to say made me long for Len Elmore, and that takes a lot. Maybe it was his first gig, but there is a reason they had him on the 3 and not a regular channel. Knowledgeable of the game, but he seemed to be without research and reference; he was just spewing flat out wrong "facts". That being said..I'm pulling for him, I think he got shafted at Wake and should be on the court. Maybe he will get the hang of it by seasons end or be back where he should be..coaching.

roywhite

11-19-2010, 11:00 PM

dukeblue1206

11-19-2010, 11:12 PM

I thought he did good. He seemed to have knowledge on Duke like knowing the only transfers that Duke has taken in and their coming in recruiting class. Talking of Chris Spatola as well. He wasn't great but ESPN has regulars on air who are much worse. The play by play guy was terrible though. My wife gets a kick out of how I correct on air guys all the time with all the errors they make and this guy gave me plenty of material.

Namtilal

11-19-2010, 11:35 PM

I don't think they had the full support crew for the ESPN3-only production. Not just the camera crew, but also no skilled producer to feed them timely information. For a first attempt without proper support, Dino did quite well.

ajgoodfella7

11-19-2010, 11:39 PM

Dino did a nice job. He's got the Western PA/Ohio Valley accent, which can be a little grating (I was born in Pittsburgh and know it well).

What an operation ESPN has assembled; I don't know how many games they covered today between ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN-U, and ESPN3, but it might be a dozen or more. The logistics are formidable.

I was noticing Dino's Pittsburgh accent all night as well, and it is kind of hard to listen to. But I thought he did a good job overall. What was up with that other guy? He called Dre - Josh Hairston like 3 times in a row, called Seth - Dell Curry, and reversed the MPs names like 5 times. I was laughing to myself in the 2nd half tonight.

Lord Ash

11-20-2010, 12:31 AM

I thought he did a nice job for a new guy, and as a Duke fan it was fun to hear some stuff from a former ACC coach. Also, he had a few moments where his coaching background, I felt, really shown through.

SCMatt33

11-20-2010, 12:44 AM

I was noticing Dino's Pittsburgh accent all night as well, and it is kind of hard to listen to. But I thought he did a good job overall. What was up with that other guy? He called Dre - Josh Hairston like 3 times in a row, called Seth - Dell Curry, and reversed the MPs names like 5 times. I was laughing to myself in the 2nd half tonight.

Not that it's any good, but the Dre/Josh thing probably was a cross-up on his player sheet. I'd guess that those two are right next to each other on the player sheet as 15 and 20 are consecutive numbers on the team. Since neither one is a big star (yet), he didn't realize he was reading the wrong name for #20. I wouldn't kill the guy over the Dell Curry remark as he did catch himself immediately, and he is far from the first to mix up Mason and Miles (just wait 'til next year).

That being said, there is a reason this guy is calling games online. Even if all of those mistakes had a reason and were plausible, someone getting paid to do this should do better. Maybe getting paired with that play by play guy is like ESPN hazing for analysts.

ajgoodfella7

11-20-2010, 12:47 AM

Not that it's any good, but the Dre/Josh thing probably was a cross-up on his player sheet. I'd guess that those two are right next to each other on the player sheet as 15 and 20 are consecutive numbers on the team. Since neither one is a big star (yet), he didn't realize he was reading the wrong name for #20. I wouldn't kill the guy over the Dell Curry remark as he did catch himself immediately, and he is far from the first to mix up Mason and Miles (just wait 'til next year).

That being said, there is a reason this guy is calling games online. Even if all of those mistakes had a reason and were plausible, someone getting paid to do this should do better. Maybe getting paired with that play by play guy is like ESPN hazing for analysts.

Yeah, I agree with you I was just being a little picky. I don't really care who calls the games as long as I get to watch them. I'm just happy ESPN focuses in on college athletics as much as they do right now.

davekay1971

11-20-2010, 07:42 AM

What was up with that other guy? He called Dre - Josh Hairston like 3 times in a row, called Seth - Dell Curry, and reversed the MPs names like 5 times. I was laughing to myself in the 2nd half tonight.

If Mason sticks around, that announcer will have a migraine trying to do a Duke game next year. "Rebound by Miles...wait...Marsh...wait...which one's the middle one again?"

whereinthehellami

11-20-2010, 08:06 AM

I liked Dino alot. I missed the mention of his name to begin with and was thinking that the announcer was adding alot to the broadcast. It made sense when I finally heard his name. I loved the bit about recruiting Kelly, a subtle inside story, that only a coach in the ACC could tell.

wilko

11-20-2010, 08:07 AM

I think Dino looked good compared to the Stooge he was paired with...

I didnt find him offensive, distracting or irrtating, but I'm not sure he added much either.
"He was better than I feared he would be" -might be closer to the truth for me. Time will tell.

As his coaching accumen has taken him off the bench and into broadcasting he might be closer to Salieri than Mozart.

He aint no Bob Knight, is what Im saying....

OldPhiKap

11-20-2010, 08:46 AM

He aint no Bob Knight, is what Im saying....

No one is.

I think a better comparison is to some other color commentators. Compare Gino (discussing the mechanics of defending an inbound play, or recruiting, or coaching a team as a visitor in Cameron) to, say, Dickie V ("DID YOU SEE THAT EAST OREGON STATE GAME LAST NIGHT?!? THAT BOBBY McCANTS IS A SLAM BAM JAM BALD DOME BINGO BANGER BABY!!!").

A color guy who gives insight to the game is a wonderful thing, and I thought Gaudio brought that in an understated way.

DevilHorns

11-20-2010, 08:59 AM

He was pleasant to listen to and I was surprised that he didn't really take any underhanded jabs or jokes at Duke. Not the best commentator out there at this point... but give him a little slack, he just started.

wilko

11-20-2010, 09:20 AM

DID YOU SEE THAT EAST OREGON STATE GAME LAST NIGHT?!? THAT BOBBY McCANTS IS A SLAM BAM JAM BALD DOME BINGO BANGER BABY!!!"

A color guy who gives insight to the game is a wonderful thing, and I thought Gaudio brought that in an understated way.

NO, not the one eyed master of frothing hyperble..
If I went too far in one direction, perhaps you went to far in the other....

I'm not saying Dino was bad..
I just have different expectations from the talking heads.. I dont expect them to educate me on the nuances of the game. They are just background noise to me 90+% of the time anyway..

I find the attempt at impartiality to be fraudulent in most, cases so why bother?
For most Coaches in the broadcast box, theres a reason they arent on the sidelines so HOW useful is what they say..?

My personal tates.. I'd much rather hear the game from the viewpoint of 2 (very funny) fans sniping, bickering and feuding during the course of the game.. but thats just me.

My expectations and needs just arent that high...

Lord Ash

11-20-2010, 09:27 AM

NO, not the one eyed master of frothing hyperble..
If I went too far in one direction, perhaps you went to far in the other....

I'm not saying Dino was bad..
I just have different expectations from the talking heads.. I dont expect them to educate me on the nuances of the game. They are just background noise to me 90+% of the time anyway..

I find the attempt at impartiality to be fraudulent in most, cases so why bother?
For most Coaches in the broadcast box, theres a reason they arent on the sidelines so HOW useful is what they say..?

My personal tates.. I'd much rather hear the game from the viewpoint of 2 (very funny) fans sniping, bickering and feuding during the course of the game.. but thats just me.

My expectations and needs just arent that high...

Oh, definitely different. I WANT to be educated in the nuances in the game, in the things I might miss, and it doesn't matter if a coach is no longer a coach at a major program like Wake; he has FORGOTTEN more about basketball than you and I combined will EVER know. Don't let "Oh well he was a coach but now is a broadcaster" make you think that almost EVERY coach who has done that has a WEALTH of interesting basketball knowledge to impart.

OldPhiKap

11-20-2010, 09:38 AM

I'm probably in LA's camp, Wilco, but there's no one way to enjoy a game. (And, yes, I was certainly over the top on my Dickie V). I found Gaudio's insight on how coaches talk to refs, for example, to be very interesting. And he didn't take the bait about K working the refs more than others; he was very diplomatic. He had some good insight (to my basic understanding, at least) of the mechanics of attacking the press and several in-bounds play. All without making himself the center of attention.

I'm not saying he's the best thing since sliced bread. I was pleasantly impressed and hope to hear him again in the future. I'll take him over Len Elmore or, for me, Dickie V.

As to your original post -- we probably agree that it would be GREAT if we could get Knight to call all of our games because he balances insight, humor, and a compelling dose of unpredicability.

wilko

11-20-2010, 10:35 AM

Oh, definitely different. I WANT to be educated in the nuances in the game, in the things I might miss, and it doesn't matter if a coach is no longer a coach at a major program like Wake; he has FORGOTTEN more about basketball than you and I combined will EVER know. Don't let "Oh well he was a coach but now is a broadcaster" make you think that almost EVERY coach who has done that has a WEALTH of interesting basketball knowledge to impart.

I hear ya. And you are right to a point.
However, Its not as if I am on the opposing sideline coching against him. In that case I would absolutely give him his Due as a coach. So I dont mean it to sound as if I think he is without worth as a human being or anything...

To a certain extent I just want to be entertained... (DV just hasnt evolved ... what once worked is now stale.)

I know lots of folks hate him.. but I like Bill Walton when he does the occasional college game. He isnt afraid to say something... I remember one game where his fellow talking head cohort tossed him lob along the lines of "Look at so and so's great skill at whatever it was.." and Waltons' reply was along the lines of "yeah, hes OK for a GUARD", with a flavorble amout of affected distain that said... "if I were still playing I'd have him for lunch.." An actual opinion with personal bias based on experience. I found it entertaining and refreshing..

I think it would be great to see him paired with Knight for a game.

wilko

11-20-2010, 10:44 AM

I found Gaudio's insight on how coaches talk to refs, for example, to be very interesting. And he didn't take the bait about K working the refs more than others; he was very diplomatic. He had some good insight (to my basic understanding, at least) of the mechanics of attacking the press and several in-bounds play. All without making himself the center of attention.

Perhaps he will grow on me more in the future. He wasnt offensive.. but I didnt think he set the world on fire either...

I'll take him over Len Elmore or, for me, Dickie V.
DV def needs new material. Hes become a carcature of himself to a certain extent. Kinda like a band that has only a handful of songs you know... you feel gyped if they dont play all the songs you know when you pay to see them in person. If DV changed it up at this point you'd think he was ill or got kicked int he head by a horse or something.. it would be strange to say the least..

Elmore used to tick me off... I'm not sure if he said things for shock appeal or that was how he genuinely felt. I think he has gotten better.... or perhaps I've just gotten used to him.

As to your original post -- we probably agree that it would be GREAT if we could get Knight to call all of our games because he balances insight, humor, and a compelling dose of unpredicability.

Yes it would... :-)