In case you were still listening to anything Jay Bilas says....

[uh_no]

....I take great pride in pointing out that Jay Bilas' predictions for the first round of the tournament were beaten by....

....pretty much everyone.

http://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2019/en/entry?entryID=24028799&fbclid=IwAR21pHzBfbEGGAgqY-lFjtFs6daryW52KI6P8H25xiq6tAuq7C99NVuMYAE

7%. That's horribly atrociously. bad. If you picked all 1 seeds and then coin flipped the rest of the games, you would have done as well as jay bilas.

[arnie]

...I take great pride in pointing out that Jay Bilas' predictions for the first round of the tournament were beaten by...

...pretty much everyone.

http://fantasy.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2019/en/entry?entryID=24028799&fbclid=IwAR21pHzBfbEGGAgqY-lFjtFs6daryW52KI6P8H25xiq6tAuq7C99NVuMYAE

7%. That's horribly atrociously. bad. If you picked all 1 seeds and then coin flipped the rest of the games, you would have done as well as jay bilas.

Not the smartest man in the bracket picking room?

[OldPhiKap]

Not the smartest man in the bracket picking room?

No, he was right. It’s just that the results are wrong.

[arnie]

No, he was right. It’s just that the results are wrong.

Good point, the NCAA committee rigged the results against his bracket.😈

[CameronBornAndBred]

His last pick being wrong is the only one I care about.

[mattyoung18]

I'm ok with Bilas retiring early.His jokes are just not that funny.

[NSDukeFan]

I'm ok with Bilas retiring early.His jokes are just not that funny.

Have you ever heard the one where he wasn’t as good as Johnny Dawkins or coach K got angry at him for something or he doesn’t have much hair?

[devildeac]

Have you ever heard the one where he wasn’t as good as Johnny Dawkins or coach K got angry at him for something or he doesn’t have much hair?

The ncaa has no jurisdiction about his hair.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

No, he was right. It’s just that the results are wrong.

...this ^^^ :cool:

[mattyoung18]

I'm afraid to say Jay's corny jokes are going to be around a while.He will be taking over for Dickie V as most annoying basketball announcer.When he finds out hes an annoying announcer he will make a joke about it.And now I fell I'll for making a long Bilas post.🤢

[Saratoga2]

I'm afraid to say Jay's corny jokes are going to be around a while.He will be taking over for Dickie V as most annoying basketball announcer.When he finds out hes an annoying announcer he will make a joke about it.And now I fell I'll for making a long Bilas post.🤢

The only place the two of them shine is on their bald heads.

[wavedukefan70s]

I'm mixed about bilas.i have came to the conclusion that hes like a referee. Some of his calls I'm not going to like .some I am.but all will be forgiven if just one time .he says I come in peace on a duke broadcast. That would definitely deserve a reset for him.

[uh_no]

I'm mixed about bilas.i have came to the conclusion that hes like a referee. Some of his calls I'm not going to like .some I am.but all will be forgiven if just one time .he says I come in peace on a duke broadcast. That would definitely deserve a reset for him.

i don't mind the fact that he's wrong sometimes, or even were he consciously or subconsciously being anti-duke. It's the fact that he's so full of himself to the degree that he treats other people like trash.

[Indoor66]

IMO, he pontificates rather than commenting.

[JStuart]

IMO, he pontificates rather than commenting.

This may not be the best thread to comment in, but I have been delighted that Jay isn't 'pontificating' for CBS.
Bad enough to have to listen to two former unc'ers, Kenny Smith (totally useless pontification, with a capital P, as well) and Brendan Haywood (actually pretty benign).
Have been impressed with Chris Webber today...let's trade him for Smith.

[devildeac]

This may not be the best thread to comment in, but I have been delighted that Jay isn't 'pontificating' for CBS.
Bad enough to have to listen to two former unc'ers, Kenny Smith (totally useless pontification, with a capital P, as well) and Brendan Haywood (actually pretty benign).
Have been impressed with Chris Webber today...let's trade him for Smith.

Whoa, time out there, bro'...

[JStuart]

Whoa, time out there, bro'...

Can't spork you for that, but will give virtual sporks for a fine reference! Did you read the book he co-authored with Stephen Hawking? 'A Brief History of Time-Outs?'

[Acymetric]

IMO, he pontificates rather than commenting.

Yeah, the thing about Jay is that frequently I wish he would shut up even when I agree with him.

[WiJoe]

No, he was right. It’s just that the results are wrong.

ha. classic. great one. somebody spork OPK

[WiJoe]

He will be taking over for Dickie V as most annoying basketball announcer.

He already has

[uh_no]

He already has

dicky V can be just as wrong, and just as annoying....but at least he's not holier-than-thou. He loves the fans, and loves the game, and always has the time of day for other opinions, even when he disagrees.

[OldPhiKap]

FWIW, Bilas has us as the best team in the tourney; UNC 2, and UVA 3 (Zags 4).

Others of note, VT 15th and Sparty 5.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26358767/sweet-16-edition

[uh_no]

FWIW, Bilas has us as the best team in the tourney;

welp, so much for that. it's over. guess we can try again next year.

[budwom]

FWIW, Bilas has us as the best team in the tourney; UNC 2, and UVA 3 (Zags 4).

Others of note, VT 15th and Sparty 5.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26358767/sweet-16-edition

Marvelous, since he picked unc to win it all in his bracket...covering a few bases, Jay?

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Marvelous, since he picked unc to win it all in his bracket...covering a few bases, Jay?

It's the ESPN way......a lot of these guys hedge their bets on the various shows.......it's really quite comical. And pathetic.

[RPS]

In case you were still listening to anything Jay Bilas says...
I don't get this viewpoint at all. I think Jay is the most consistently insightful college basketball analyst and among the fairest.

On the NBA side, I love Hubie Brown and Doris Burke.

[Truth&Justise]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

Does he say stuff I disagree with? Sure. He seems loath to contradict the refs in game even when they're clearly wrong, he shoehorns in his views on the NCAA, and recently he's engaged in too much self-promotion for his "94-feet" segment.

But I simply do not understand the glee with which so many on this board rush to skewer him, to the point we can have this thread celebrating the fact that his bracket--like most of ours--is not that great, and that it should be a given that none of us should be "listening to anything Jay Bilas says." What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

Bilas is a member of the family. He has a good relationship with Coach K, comes back to advise the current players on how to deal with the media, and even appeared in this recent promo video for the Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3nFJ-quBE). It's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

[OldPhiKap]

I don't get this viewpoint at all. I think Jay is the most consistently insightful college basketball analyst and among the fairest.



I am not on the Jay hate wagon either, and am generally glad when I see that he is calling a game.

I know I'm in the minority, so "don't @ me" as my kids say.

[uh_no]

I don't get this viewpoint at all. I think Jay is the most consistently insightful college basketball analyst and among the fairest.



I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insightsIt's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

For my part, it's because Jay Bilas is an arrogant jerk. This comes across in every interaction I've had with him, it comes across with how he deals with his colleagues (see: the segment he had with lunardi that ended up with lunardi nearly ripping his headset off at the end), it comes across with how he treats calls, NCAA rules, and anything else he disagrees with. He cannot fathom that there might be alternate viewpoints, or that his might not ultimately prove correct.

How many times does he double down on things he said previously despite replay evidence showing it's clearly not right? Or say something like "well, he was fouled before, so it's still wrong" or "well the rule is wrong and should be changed"


I only speak the truth. If you don't like it, you can get your own show.


Combine all this with how he prattles about nonsense on air, and is often at least superficially appears to not give Duke it's due, I, and many here, have no love for him. IMO, his insights are only when you compare him with the low bar that the rest of the ESPN ilk set. God I miss the days when Bob Knight would do games...there was some real insight...though I'm sure Jay Bilas would have the gall to try to put Bob in his place should he disagree. Even Jim Calhoun when he did a few games was extremely insightful.

So no, the actually points Jay makes aren't that bad...it's all the baggage that comes with it...so I'm more than happy to point out when Jay gets his come-uppance by being so thoroughly and hilariously wrong.

[killerleft]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

Does he say stuff I disagree with? Sure. He seems loath to contradict the refs in game even when they're clearly wrong, he shoehorns in his views on the NCAA, and recently he's engaged in too much self-promotion for his "94-feet" segment.

But I simply do not understand the glee with which so many on this board rush to skewer him, to the point we can have this thread celebrating the fact that his bracket--like most of ours--is not that great, and that it should be a given that none of us should be "listening to anything Jay Bilas says." What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

Bilas is a member of the family. He has a good relationship with Coach K, comes back to advise the current players on how to deal with the media, and even appeared in this recent promo video for the Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3nFJ-quBE). It's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

Bilas bugs me with the bending over backward to make very sure he's seen as objective thing (and he is very MUCH a Duke man). But he's probably rated as excellent by many sports fans. What Bilas did most for Duke was as a player. He reinvented himself physically to become our center, and succeeded well enough to help make us the best team in the country in 1986. His Duke legacy is secure. Did I say he bugs me sometimes?

[Phredd3]

I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

I completely agree with that attention-grabbing list, but my personal favorite is Dan Bonner, precisely because everything Dan does is saying, "Look at this game." The vast majority of the other color commentators are, for significant portions of the time, saying, "Look at me." I tuned in for the game, thanks. The commentary is just enhancement. Dan respects that, and if he isn't picked up by some major network after the demise of Raycom, the execs are making a major mistake. It was great to listen to him in the first couple rounds of this tourney, and I hope it bodes well for later on.

[sagegrouse]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

Does he say stuff I disagree with? Sure. He seems loath to contradict the refs in game even when they're clearly wrong, he shoehorns in his views on the NCAA, and recently he's engaged in too much self-promotion for his "94-feet" segment.

But I simply do not understand the glee with which so many on this board rush to skewer him, to the point we can have this thread celebrating the fact that his bracket--like most of ours--is not that great, and that it should be a given that none of us should be "listening to anything Jay Bilas says." What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

Bilas is a member of the family. He has a good relationship with Coach K, comes back to advise the current players on how to deal with the media, and even appeared in this recent promo video for the Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3nFJ-quBE). It's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

Co-sign. In fact, it borders on "self-hating" and is unworthy of the Board. Of course, it helps to have Bilas hating crammed into just one thread.

[ncexnyc]

You can keep Bilas, I'll take the GMan everyday of the week.

[uh_no]

Co-sign. In fact, it borders on "self-hating" and is unworthy of the Board. Of course, it helps to have Bilas hating crammed into just one thread.

For me, Jay lost that protection he attempted character assassination on Grayson Allen. You can have thought his suspension was too short without acting like Jay did.

[brevity]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

Does he say stuff I disagree with? Sure. He seems loath to contradict the refs in game even when they're clearly wrong, he shoehorns in his views on the NCAA, and recently he's engaged in too much self-promotion for his "94-feet" segment.

But I simply do not understand the glee with which so many on this board rush to skewer him, to the point we can have this thread celebrating the fact that his bracket--like most of ours--is not that great, and that it should be a given that none of us should be "listening to anything Jay Bilas says." What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

Bilas is a member of the family. He has a good relationship with Coach K, comes back to advise the current players on how to deal with the media, and even appeared in this recent promo video for the Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3nFJ-quBE). It's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

Sporks given for making me look up and learn the word "apostasy".

We discuss Jay Bilas a lot here. More than is necessary, and frankly more than he deserves. He's just one guy. I don't think I've said much about him for a couple of years, and I hope the following is enough for a couple of years more.

I'm in the middle on this. Unlike the most vocal of DBR, I don't feel personally betrayed by him or question his ultimate loyalty. And unlike you, I cannot offer him my support. He USED to be well-prepared; early Jay Bilas was almost refreshing in his capacity to bring intelligence and professionalism to a job mostly occupied by automatons and walking catchphrases, for an employer who mostly hired automatons and walking catchphrases. It was like one of our guys slipped through the cracks.

I don't know when he changed -- I imagined an increased schedule as Dick Vitale slowed down -- but he has become less prepared on air and willing to coast on his ability to form (or more likely already have) an opinion on the few subjects ESPN is interested in promoting. In the studio, or at the NBA Draft, he sees the other guys at the table and knows he'll have a contrarian opinion. At games, he has become an extension of his Twitter personality: desperately trying to be cool, willing to take on all comers.

Early dislike on DBR arose when he would come across as neutral, and almost clinical, on a Duke issue. Some people here wanted him to be pro-Duke, the way that the late Stuart Scott was unabashedly pro-Carolina. Frankly, I found that position to be ridiculous; by training, he is a Duke player, but also a lawyer, so he should come across as neutral. But at some point he decided (or ESPN decided) that it wasn't enough, and now it seems like he voluntarily goes out of his professional way to take a pro-Carolina stance. For... entertainment? To keep viewers guessing? I don't know, but it has become impossible to put much stock in his opinion.

There was a seemingly unguarded moment last week -- so far not discussed on DBR -- where Jay Bilas relaxed a little in the studio, perhaps motivated by his CBGB T-shirt, and railed openly against the Selection Committee for pairing Louisville and Minnesota in the first round. His lawyer tendencies and blowhard tendencies aligned, and he characterized the move as intentional and wrong -- wrong to Richard Pitino, Chris Mack, and the players of both teams, who had to field questions about a conflict (1) in which they were not involved; (2) subject to an ongoing lawsuit; and (3) antithetical to the enjoyment of playing in the NCAA Tournament. In a week of constant pre-tournament and pointless personal bracket analysis, it was an awkward but interesting digression.

A final note on the UNC scandal: I regard his lack of outrage as part of being a company man, but again, a person of the legal profession should have said a lot less, and yet he has volunteered more, for reasons unknown. There was a delicate moment in time where it looked like ESPN could not escape reporting on the scandal, finally landing on their Bottom Line ticker. And then, of all people, a Duke person -- not Jay Bilas -- pushed it aside. I will never forgive that person for doing that.

[elvis14]

I'll take Dickie V with his excited rambling all day over Jay Bilas. Here's the issues I know if with Bilas:



He's anti-Duke on the air (even though in his real life he's not, he is #TheBrotherhood)
He's pro-UNC in a big big way. You can be watching Oregon play Washington and Jay will find time to tell everyone how much he loves this and that about the Cheaters (note Dickie V does this for both Duke and UNCheat).
He went to an expensive school on scholarship to play NCAA hoops and had made his living for years off of NCAA hoops. The rails against the NCAA every chance he gets (except that he didn't call them out when they used a technicality to ignore decades of cheating at UNCheat). Any time he gets a chance to throw the NCAA the bus the takes it. Over and over again, beating a dead horse. Even though he's right sometimes, it just get old especially from a guy who has benefitted so much from NCAA hoops. I do enjoy telling him to knock it off a few times a week on twitter.
Multiple reports of him just not being nice to people
Although he'll occasionally tell the truth about a bad call that doesn't favor Duke, like many announcers if there's a call that goes our way that shouldn't he'll not just mention it, he'll ask for replay.
He's can be condescending (not one of my favorite traits in anyone).


Does he know the game? Sure. Does he make valid points? Sure. Is he to be ignored? Sure. I've heard some people say they turn off the sound watching a game (mostly when they complain about Dickie V) but I'm not going to let a guy like Bilas take away from my game time experience so I mostly just ignore him as he blathers on...

[OldPhiKap]

For me, Jay lost that protection he attempted character assassination on Grayson Allen. You can have thought his suspension was too short without acting like Jay did.

I do not recall the specifics of what Jay said, and I don't want to re-litigate the whole Grayson thing. I will say that my views on Grayson's actions are a lot harsher than the majority of this board was at the time though, and I personally did not disagree with some of those calling for a much longer suspension than he got. (If a UNC player did those same things, I would want him kicked out of basketball for Pete's sake).

Over the top personal criticism of a player -- whether from a broadcaster or a poster on this board -- really bugs me and is off-putting. When a person does some egregious act or pattern of acts, though, I recognize that others may view the transgression more harshly than I do. That's fair game IMO, and I don't take that difference of opinion as a personal affront.

As always, JMHO which only has value to me. Not trying to change anyone's opinion.

[Reddevil]

Just compare the football version of College GameDay to the basketball version. I thoroughly enjoy the football crew because they don't take themselves too seriously and keep it fun. The basketball crew is constantly trying to outsmart each other and Bilas is the most guilty of this. Not fun. Sports is an escape. I don't need to agree with you, but entertain me. Be humble - even self-deprecating. Even when Bilas makes fun of himself it comes across as "I can say this, but you are not qualified."

To be fair, he has a strong legacy in Duke basketball lore. I am pulling for him. I want to like his performance, but he makes it hard too often.

[hood7]

If Jay had just made ONE more correct prediction in each of the games he missed, he'd be perfect.

[JStuart]

You can keep Bilas, I'll take the GMan everyday of the week.

I'll second this motion every day of the week.

[BLPOG]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.
<snip>
What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

I don't (anymore) comment about Bilas here because I think it's just beating a dead horse. I largely agree with brevity's comments. I'd say that he went from being a neutral commentator and strong analyst to someone more focused on self-promotion. I don't think he is the most "well-prepared, well-informed" guy out there (although we so have few that fit that description...). Listen to him mock advanced analytics sometimes. He's not being informed; he's being a clown who doesn't want to do prep or understand a new side of the game and thinks he can distract from it with his inflated sense of his own charisma.

That's my assessment of his work, but it isn't why I dislike him. I dislike him because of his comments about the academic scandal over in chappaheeya. He made statements at the time that were not just judgments with which I disagreed, but verifiably untrue. That's incredibly unethical behavior, it reflects badly on the university, and a lot of folks here aren't about to forget about it.

[BLPOG]

You can keep Bilas, I'll take the GMan everyday of the week.


I'll second this motion every day of the week.

and twice on Sundays

[Wander]

Just compare the football version of College GameDay to the basketball version. I thoroughly enjoy the football crew because they don't take themselves too seriously and keep it fun.

Seconded. And on a similar note, NCAA tournament time reminds me how superior Charles Barkley is to the vast majority of the ESPN basketball announcers.

[throatybeard]

I don't (anymore) comment about Bilas here because I think it's just beating a dead horse. I largely agree with brevity's comments. I'd say that he went from being a neutral commentator and strong analyst to someone more focused on self-promotion.


Agree about the dead horse; the horse was already dead as of Thanksgiving 2005 when the original handy pocket reference made its debut.


2b) Jay Bilas is a traitor for not talking us up enough. His whole discourse is a secret code of cracks on our players and program.


Whether he's changed since 2005, I don't remember, or care.

[JStuart]

Seconded. And on a similar note, NCAA tournament time reminds me how superior Charles Barkley is to the vast majority of the ESPN basketball announcers.

And how much worse Kenny Smith is than just about everyone else. Why does he continue to show up, unless it is to play off on Chuck B.?

[Jeffrey]

You can keep Bilas, I'll take the GMan everyday of the week.

I'll take Grant with Nantz and Raftery.

[throatybeard]

And how much worse Kenny Smith is than just about everyone else.


Two standard deviations.

[wsb3]

For my part, it's because Jay Bilas is an arrogant jerk.

^^^^^^ This

[budwom]

And how much worse Kenny Smith is than just about everyone else. Why does he continue to show up, unless it is to play off on Chuck B.?

Most of the time Kenny is incoherent...he can hardly formulate a sentence which makes sense. As such he may be a great representative the school he attended.

[Kfanarmy]

I don't (anymore) comment about Bilas here because I think it's just beating a dead horse. I largely agree with brevity's comments. I'd say that he went from being a neutral commentator and strong analyst to someone more focused on self-promotion. I don't think he is the most "well-prepared, well-informed" guy out there (although we so have few that fit that description...). Listen to him mock advanced analytics sometimes. He's not being informed; he's being a clown who doesn't want to do prep or understand a new side of the game and thinks he can distract from it with his inflated sense of his own charisma.

That's my assessment of his work, but it isn't why I dislike him. I dislike him because of his comments about the academic scandal over in chappaheeya. He made statements at the time that were not just judgments with which I disagreed, but verifiably untrue. That's incredibly unethical behavior, it reflects badly on the university, and a lot of folks here aren't about to forget about it.

He strikes me as a person who has sold every bit of himself and his EGO still lets him believe he is somehow "better than." I suspect his lack of criticizing UNC during the whole cheating scandal and his ongoing on air love affair have a lot more to do with their cash cow status than anything else. He is arrogant to the point where video evidence of his misstatements in color commentary don't deter him from repeating them. For me his ego oozes from the screen and speakers.

[Acymetric]

For my part, it's because Jay Bilas is an arrogant jerk. This comes across in every interaction I've had with him, it comes across with how he deals with his colleagues (see: the segment he had with lunardi that ended up with lunardi nearly ripping his headset off at the end), it comes across with how he treats calls, NCAA rules, and anything else he disagrees with. He cannot fathom that there might be alternate viewpoints, or that his might not ultimately prove correct.

How many times does he double down on things he said previously despite replay evidence showing it's clearly not right? Or say something like "well, he was fouled before, so it's still wrong" or "well the rule is wrong and should be changed"




Combine all this with how he prattles about nonsense on air, and is often at least superficially appears to not give Duke it's due, I, and many here, have no love for him. IMO, his insights are only when you compare him with the low bar that the rest of the ESPN ilk set. God I miss the days when Bob Knight would do games...there was some real insight...though I'm sure Jay Bilas would have the gall to try to put Bob in his place should he disagree. Even Jim Calhoun when he did a few games was extremely insightful.

So no, the actually points Jay makes aren't that bad...it's all the baggage that comes with it...so I'm more than happy to point out when Jay gets his come-uppance by being so thoroughly and hilariously wrong.

This is where I land. When Jay is purely talking basketball strategy, or sharing stories of his experiences in basketball (purely for storytelling, without an agenda) he is quite good and it is enjoyable/insightful. When he talks about anything else (bad calls, anything to do with the NCAA, etc.) he is really hard to listen to even when I think he's right. Strident might be a good word.

I don't get bothered by the theoretical anti-Duke bias that some get worked up over. That part is somewhat overblown.

In other words, I have no problems with Bilas the former Duke player...I just don't like Bilas the TV personality.

[throatybeard]

Remember the old days, when Bilas would occasionally drop in on the DBR boards?

Can't see why he'd want to now. This is a pretty hostile environment towards him.

[rsvman]

Interestingly, there is a thread over at IC where they complain that Jay is an obvious Duke homer and clearly biased against them. Lol.
Although in the thread there are (amazingly enough) semi-rational posters who say that they notice him saying positive things about their team a lot.
I think being a commentator and pleasing everybody is obviously difficult.

For me he is usually only mildly annoying. I wish he would get off the Duke gets all the calls bandwagon, and I wish he would stop praising UNC all the time, and he strikes me as moderately egocentric.

[uh_no]

Interestingly, there is a thread over at IC where they complain that Jay is an obvious Duke homer and clearly biased against them. Lol.
Although in the thread there are (amazingly enough) semi-rational posters who say that they notice him saying positive things about their team a lot.
I think being a commentator and pleasing everybody is obviously difficult.

For me he is usually only mildly annoying. I wish he would get off the Duke gets all the calls bandwagon, and I wish he would stop praising UNC all the time, and he strikes me as moderately egocentric.

look, i'm not gonna lie....coby white's hair is pretty good.

[RPS]

Interestingly, there is a thread over at IC where they complain that Jay is an obvious Duke homer and clearly biased against them. Lol.
I think the criticism there (and here) has more to do with confirmation bias than with Jay.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I'll take Grant with Nantz and Raftery.

In the.... man-to-man!

I'm a huge Raftery fan (fellow Jersey guy) and hope he sticks around as long as possible. He is the opposite of so many of the other top guys - he doesn't take himself seriously at all. Grant has worked really hard and gotten a lot better over time. And I generally like Nantz - I love how the Capital One ads humanize him.

The bottom line for me with Bilas is that he suffers from overexposure. He is on so much now that it is too much. Same thing that happened with Vitale. Bilas is a smart guy and knows a lot about the game. ESPN preps him really well (he isn't coming up with all of those points on his own - ESPN gives their announcers great cheat sheets - some just choose to use them more than others). Some of his jokes and efforts to be self-depracating were original at first, but he is on so much that they have grown really stale. He has started to become a caricature of himself.

At times he comes across as smug and patronizing, and I am a fellow Duke alum, so I can only imagine how bad this sounds to the many people in America who think that all Dukies are smug and patronizing. He also seems to have started making more absolute statements - Kenny Williams must be all-ACC defensive team, so-and-so is the best at XYZ in America, etc. I really don't enjoy those.

[Indoor66]

Sporks given for making me look up and learn the word "apostasy".

We discuss Jay Bilas a lot here. More than is necessary, and frankly more than he deserves. He's just one guy. I don't think I've said much about him for a couple of years, and I hope the following is enough for a couple of years more.

I'm in the middle on this. Unlike the most vocal of DBR, I don't feel personally betrayed by him or question his ultimate loyalty. And unlike you, I cannot offer him my support. He USED to be well-prepared; early Jay Bilas was almost refreshing in his capacity to bring intelligence and professionalism to a job mostly occupied by automatons and walking catchphrases, for an employer who mostly hired automatons and walking catchphrases. It was like one of our guys slipped through the cracks.

I don't know when he changed -- I imagined an increased schedule as Dick Vitale slowed down -- but he has become less prepared on air and willing to coast on his ability to form (or more likely already have) an opinion on the few subjects ESPN is interested in promoting. In the studio, or at the NBA Draft, he sees the other guys at the table and knows he'll have a contrarian opinion. At games, he has become an extension of his Twitter personality: desperately trying to be cool, willing to take on all comers.

Early dislike on DBR arose when he would come across as neutral, and almost clinical, on a Duke issue. Some people here wanted him to be pro-Duke, the way that the late Stuart Scott was unabashedly pro-Carolina. Frankly, I found that position to be ridiculous; by training, he is a Duke player, but also a lawyer, so he should come across as neutral. But at some point he decided (or ESPN decided) that it wasn't enough, and now it seems like he voluntarily goes out of his professional way to take a pro-Carolina stance. For... entertainment? To keep viewers guessing? I don't know, but it has become impossible to put much stock in his opinion.

There was a seemingly unguarded moment last week -- so far not discussed on DBR -- where Jay Bilas relaxed a little in the studio, perhaps motivated by his CBGB T-shirt, and railed openly against the Selection Committee for pairing Louisville and Minnesota in the first round. His lawyer tendencies and blowhard tendencies aligned, and he characterized the move as intentional and wrong -- wrong to Richard Pitino, Chris Mack, and the players of both teams, who had to field questions about a conflict (1) in which they were not involved; (2) subject to an ongoing lawsuit; and (3) antithetical to the enjoyment of playing in the NCAA Tournament. In a week of constant pre-tournament and pointless personal bracket analysis, it was an awkward but interesting digression.

A final note on the UNC scandal: I regard his lack of outrage as part of being a company man, but again, a person of the legal profession should have said a lot less, and yet he has volunteered more, for reasons unknown. There was a delicate moment in time where it looked like ESPN could not escape reporting on the scandal, finally landing on their Bottom Line ticker. And then, of all people, a Duke person -- not Jay Bilas -- pushed it aside. I will never forgive that person for doing that.

I don't dislike Jay,only his commentary. IMO, he needs to learn that sometimes, less is more.

[OldPhiKap]

Seth Greenberg is my favorite commentator.

When he comes on, that lets me know that it is half time and it reminds me to go get another beer.

[TruBlu]

Seth Greenberg is my favorite commentator.

When he comes on, that lets me know that it is half time and it reminds me to go get another beer.

There’s something good in everyone... just less good in certain people.

[OldPhiKap]

There’s something good in everyone... just less good in certain people.

Some say the glass is half-full, some say the glass is half-empty.

I say, the glass is refillable.

[uh_no]

Some say the glass is half-full, some say the glass is half-empty.

I say, the glass is refillable.

"I'd like another"

"what are you drinking"

"whatever you pour in the glass"

[wsb3]

Seth Greenberg is my favorite commentator.

When he comes on, that lets me know that it is half time and it reminds me to go get another beer.

Can't spork you OPK

[kako]

I personally think Bilas is not the worst analyst at ESPN. I know that's not saying much. His insights can be good sometimes. He has a sense of humor. His grammar is reasonable. He's a better analyst than Dakich and a smarter studio talking head than Greenberg. That's about as far as I go.

Yes, he pimps UNC far too often for my taste. Of course, beyond saying that Crook's Corner's shrimp and grits are excellent, any other praise for Chapel Hill is likely too much for me.

But ESPN seems to push its analysts to be stars and have personas. Look at idiots like Dick Vitale, Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless (when he was at ESPN), etc. Obviously, the network encourages them to be larger than life. Bilas is probably drinking from the same glass. Is that his fault? Yes, but then again he is getting a fat paycheck in the process.

I do think he perpetuates Duke hate with his attitude of "I'm smarter than you". And I do hate the 94 Feet segment, especially when they play that instead of showing the actual game.

Finally, and I posted this before - I remember Bilas and Alarie eating in the Rat once in the Bryan Center when they were at Duke. After they finished, they got up and left their trays and garbage at the table. I guess they expected "someone else" to clean up after them. Pretty entitled, and I've always held that against them.

9F

[AtlDuke72]

He already has

You must not have listened to Bill Walton

[CameronBornAndBred]

9251

gthc

[wsb3]

I had a sinking feeling that the CHEATS were going to win it all. I even picked them in my bracket. A reverse karma kind of thing. But every now & then it would pop into my mind that Jay Bilas picked them & he is never right about anything. Glad to forfeit the bracket money for the greater good.

[alteran]

No, he was right. It’s just that the results are wrong.

So, like usual for Jay.

[alteran]

I've never understood why so many here seem to hate Bilas. For my money, he's the most well-prepared, well-informed color commentator currently working. He attempts to give actual insights, and unlike some of the guys brought in for March he's actually watched these teams play, multiple times, and knows their tendencies. I'd much, much rather have him call a Duke game than Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, or any of the other well-known college color commentators.

Does he say stuff I disagree with? Sure. He seems loath to contradict the refs in game even when they're clearly wrong, he shoehorns in his views on the NCAA, and recently he's engaged in too much self-promotion for his "94-feet" segment.

But I simply do not understand the glee with which so many on this board rush to skewer him, to the point we can have this thread celebrating the fact that his bracket--like most of ours--is not that great, and that it should be a given that none of us should be "listening to anything Jay Bilas says." What was his crime? My guess is it's because he's had the gall to sometimes flout the pro-Duke line (most notably with regards to the UNC academic scandal) that so many feel the need to punish him for his apostasy.

Bilas is a member of the family. He has a good relationship with Coach K, comes back to advise the current players on how to deal with the media, and even appeared in this recent promo video for the Brotherhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3nFJ-quBE). It's high time we stopped treating Bilas like a heretic.

You seem to be watching an entirely different Jay Bilas.

I’m watching the one that constantly questions 50/50 calls that goes Duke’s way but rarely does the reverse, twisted himself into a pretzel complaining about the NCAA exploiting athletes and then provided nonstop cover for UNC doing way, way worse to athletes, and who constantly pontificates and broadcasts “94 feet with Jay Bilas” over the freaking game I’m watching, for goodness’ sake.

I’d probably like the Jay Bilas you’re describing. Would love to see him some time.

[Troublemaker]

This was a good hot take by Jay. Even if you ultimately disagree, Sr Grant Hill was amazing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y7K4fRsGCw