Jimmy Dykes [Archive]

Jumbo

11-13-2007, 12:12 AM

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed his analysis tonight. There's so much announcer-bashing around here during the season, and I happen to think Jimmy is one of the best out there. He really knows the game, he does his homework on the team he's covering and he clearly enjoys what he's doing without going heavy on the schtick. In short, he's excellent at his job, and while it seems like he isn't assigned to many ACC games, maybe we'll get him a few more times before conference play starts.

Troublemaker

11-13-2007, 12:25 AM

Word. I first noticed him about two years ago when he did a similar game involving Duke (vs some mid-major) and thought it was so refreshing that he actually talked to the coaches beforehand, absorbed what they were trying to accomplish, and offered insightful analysis during the game as to whether goals were being reached. He knows the game very well and he talks about the game during the game. Very cool and rare of him. Apparently he's going to Maui so let's hope he does the Duke games over there.

cajundevil74

11-13-2007, 12:51 AM

He was pretty good. I think the best color announcer for any sport I care about (football and basketball) is Gary Danielson. Watch an SEC football game. He is great. I wish there was an equivalent for basketball.

Scoring Point

11-13-2007, 08:49 AM

It has taken me awhile to get used to Dykes, but I would agree that he is excellent on both football and hoops.

Also agree on Danielson, though I have always liked Tim Brant on college football. The worst for FB have to be the crew for ESPNU; I don't know their names, but they are absolutely awful.

freedevil

11-13-2007, 08:56 AM

I just like the positive announcers - not the overly positive ones obsessed with their own shtick (Vitale, etc.), but the glass-half-full type announcers. Dykes is definitely an appropriately positive announcer.

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 08:59 AM

I was wondering if Dykes lives in the Duke area. He talked about being at the game Friday night and the times that he's spent with the team and talked with Coach K. I know this could be that he's just doing his job and scouting a team he's going to cover, but I was wondering if he lived near the university, which made it easier for him to cover the team with a little more depth?

Devilsfan

11-13-2007, 09:35 AM

Our alum and former player is pretty good too. So is, I might add Bob Harris.

gw67

11-13-2007, 09:44 AM

Cameron

11-13-2007, 09:50 AM

I also enjoy Jimmy Dykes very much. Great announcer all-around. I remember him doing the JJ 40-point game versus Virginia, in Cameron, with Mike Patrick a couple of years ago, and he was fantastic. Dykes, Patrick, Tim Brando and Mike Giminski (FSN Sunday telecasts) are definitely my favorite guys to handle the Blue Devils.

I'm just glad Mr. "O-fense" went back to coaching:)

wilson

11-13-2007, 10:44 AM

I'm just glad Mr. "O-fense" went back to coaching:)

Ditto on Dykes (I mentioned as much in the postgame thread).

Gotta say though, I differ with this take on Majerus. His funny talking aside (and I actually always found that quirkily charming), I think he was one of the best color men out there during the couple of seasons he did TV work. I was always excited to find him working one of our games (especially since it meant no "I want to punch this schmuck in the" Dickie V).

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 11:03 AM

Gotta say though, I differ with this take on Majerus. His funny talking aside (and I actually always found that quirkily charming), I think he was one of the best color men out there during the couple of seasons he did TV work. I was always excited to find him working one of our games (especially since it meant no "I want to punch this schmuck in the" Dickie V).

I guess people have different opinions on commentators and analysts just like any other performer or reporter. I always had a hard time listening to Majerus because of his difficulty in correctly pronouncing a player's name. After the third time I heard him say "Potzoos" for Pocius, I couldn't listen anymore. I might have no merit in this discussion though since I'm a Dick Vitale fan.

-jk

11-13-2007, 11:12 AM

Insert my obligatory "I miss Lefty's announcing days. He really explained the game well, and was funny, too." comment.

-jk

Jumbo

11-13-2007, 11:21 AM

After the third time I heard him say "Potzoos" for Pocius, I couldn't listen anymore.

Uh, he was pronouncing it correctly...

_Gary

11-13-2007, 11:29 AM

Jumbo

11-13-2007, 11:36 AM

Since I'm one of the guys that gets upset with certain commentators, I should weigh in here when I appreciate the announcing in a game. And last night was very good. Definitely liked Dykes style. And lo and behold, he didn't once harp on Duke getting away with a foul or a travel or what have you. It was very refreshing and I hope ESPN assigns him to more of our games.

Well, he did sort of mention that the charge Scheyer drew on the break might not have been the best call. And he was right -- it was a terrible call. I loved Scheyer's effort, but it should have been an and-one, not a charge on the NMSU guy.

_Gary

11-13-2007, 11:37 AM

Well, he did sort of mention that the charge Scheyer drew on the break might not have been the best call. And he was right -- it was a terrible call. I loved Scheyer's effort, but it should have been an and-one, not a charge on the NMSU guy.

You're right on that one, Jumbo. But he didn't harp on it. He mentioned it was probably a bad call and then moved on. With some of the other guys those type of things are driven into the ground.

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 11:50 AM

Uh, he was pronouncing it correctly...

I've never met Marty, or anyone in the Pocius family, so I don't know for certain how they pronounce their name but Wikipedia's got it pronounced as "Poat-Soos", which is how I've heard other announcers say the name. Whenever I heard Majerus say his name it sounded like "pot" combined with "zeus". Might be a nitpicky reason for not really liking Majerus, but it's just my opinion.

I wish I did as much research for my classes as I do on last names for the basketball team.

TillyGalore

11-13-2007, 12:10 PM

While I agree with everyone that the announcing last night was great - no Duke bashing. :)

As someone noted in the thread about the game Dykes mentioned he didn't think Duke should be ranked #10? Was wondering what everyone else thought about that. I'm not saying whether or not we deserve it - I kind of like being ranked lower than proving everyone wrong then being ranked high and falling, but that's just me - am just looking for everyone else's thoughts.

dukediv2013

11-13-2007, 12:12 PM

Jimmy Dykes said that GP is the best scoring PG that Duke has ever had... did he forget about Jason Williams?

Jumbo

11-13-2007, 12:17 PM

I've never met Marty, or anyone in the Pocius family, so I don't know for certain how they pronounce their name but Wikipedia's got it pronounced as "Poat-Soos", which is how I've heard other announcers say the name. Whenever I heard Majerus say his name it sounded like "pot" combined with "zeus". Might be a nitpicky reason for not really liking Majerus, but it's just my opinion.

I wish I did as much research for my classes as I do on last names for the basketball team.

Yeah, Wiki has it right (from what I understand), but I always thought that was how Majerus pronounced it, too.

mapei

11-13-2007, 12:17 PM

As someone noted in the thread about the game Dykes mentioned he didn't think Duke should be ranked #10? Was wondering what everyone else thought about that. I'm not saying whether or not we deserve it - I kind of like being ranked lower than proving everyone wrong then being ranked high and falling, but that's just me - am just looking for everyone else's thoughts.

I'm not intimately familiar with all the other teams, but I'd say #10 sounds a little high until we earn it. We're coming off a year that ended badly and, while we have heralded freshmen, they are unproven against top-10-type competition.

TillyGalore

11-13-2007, 12:27 PM

I'm not intimately familiar with all the other teams, but I'd say #10 sounds a little high until we earn it. We're coming off a year that ended badly and, while we have heralded freshmen, they are unproven against top-10-type competition.

I think you're spot on!

ArtVandelay

11-13-2007, 12:32 PM

I will also say that I found myself saying "shut up!" to the commentators slightly less frequently than usual. Sadly, his competition is not that stiff. The only time that comes to mind is when he was going on and on about the color suits that they wear. Personally, I have always had a soft-sort for Rafferty. I like the Bilas-Rafferty twin color combo - Rafferty's goofiness offsets Bilas' cerebral but sort of boring approach.

Also, Dykes seemed to be oddly concerned about players taking their 3 pointers from a few steps beyond the arc so they can step into their shots. Like his point about Duke's spacing was that the benefit is that it gives our shooters more room to step into their 3 pointers. The conventional wisdom is that shooting from far away strecthes the defense and benefits the rest of the offense - he seemed to be thinking about it in the opposite direction, which struck me as strange. But I digress.

cajundevil74

11-13-2007, 12:51 PM

How does anyone know what a top 10 team is at this point in the season. I thought that was an odd comment. Occasionally he'll say stuff like that. For instance, his comment that Paulus is a good perimeter point guard and that penetrating is not his game or something that he is comfortable with. Then on the next two times down the court Paulus scored layups in a set offense.

bradjenk

11-13-2007, 12:54 PM

I also agree. Solid job by both announcers. Of course it was refreshing for an ESPN broadcast in Cameron. Maybe it's just me but last year we seemed to always have Mike "Duke got away with one" Patrick and Len "athleticism" Elmore for the ESPN games.

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 12:58 PM

I remember Dykes saying something about how the three freshman play harder than Josh McRoberts played while he was at Duke. He clearly stated that it was simply his opinion, but I wondered what made him say that. I know people have different opinions on McRoberts being back this year and whether or not it's good for the team, but I found it surprising that Dykes would come out and compare Josh's effort to that of this year's freshman.

Cameron

11-13-2007, 01:16 PM

Jimmy Dykes said that GP is the best scoring PG that Duke has ever had

Actually, he said Paulus was Duke's best "shooting" point guard ever. And he was still incorrect. Bobby Hurley and Jason Williams were both better.

I found it surprising that Dykes would come out and compare Josh's effort to that of this year's freshman.

Josh didn't deserve any mention on national television period. That's where Dykes went wrong. His observation was correct, though, IMO.

ArkieDukie

11-13-2007, 01:23 PM

Jumbo,

I also like Dykes. I had some work in Kansas City 3-4 years ago and, while there, I watched some bball in the evening. Dykes was doing Big 12 games. He was excellent and apparently, ESPN has picked him up the last couple of years. He was a reserve guard at Arkansas and I got the impression that he still lived in that part of the country.

gw67

You are correct on both counts: he played for the Hogs and still lives in the Fayetteville area. He got his start as color commentator for the Arkansas Razorback Sports Network (ARSN) - in fact, he and Joe Kleine were both members of the broadcast team for a while. Jimmy is definitely one of the least annoying basketball commentators. (As an aside, rumor is that Broyles got rid of Kleine from the broadcast team because he was a bit too honest about the team's weaknesses. It's a bit unfortunate; he was also quite good.)

DukeDude

11-13-2007, 01:41 PM

Maybe it's just me but last year we seemed to always have Mike "Duke got away with one" Patrick and Len "athleticism" Elmore for the ESPN games.

I hope to never hear that announcing team again.

Cameron

11-13-2007, 02:34 PM

I hope to never hear that announcing team again.

Mike Patrick almost always has nothing but praises for Duke University and its players. I love him. Elmore certainly sucks, yes, but Patrick is one of the all-time greats. I couldn't imagine the ACC Tournament without him. He's a legend.

"Duhon from a miiiillllleeeee out. Got it!"

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 02:53 PM

Does anyone know if Mike Tirico has covered men's basketball games? If so, has he ever covered a game in Cameron? I would enjoy hearing his play by play for a big Duke game sometime.

Cameron

11-13-2007, 03:32 PM

^^God I hope not. Not only do I not like his voice, but it would make our games sound like a meaningless Nets-Kings Friday contest.

And, no, he's never done a game in Cameron to my knowledge.

ArnieMc

11-13-2007, 04:34 PM

Mike Patrick almost always has nothing but praises for Duke University and its players. I love him. Elmore certainly sucks, yes, but Patrick is one of the all-time greats. I couldn't imagine the ACC Tournament without him. He's a legend.

"Duhon from a miiiillllleeeee out. Got it!"

Mike will always be one of my favorites - just from the comment he made to Brad during the 8-20 season:

Brad: "Coach K is such a great coach. He could pick up 5 young men on a street corner in downtown Durham and in 2 or 3 months turn them into a basketball team."

Mike: "He could probably do the same thing in downtown Chapel Hill."

Brad: "Man, that's cold!"

TillyGalore

11-13-2007, 04:36 PM

Mike will always be one of my favorites - just from the comment he made to Brad during the 8-20 season:

Brad: "Coach K is such a great coach. He could pick up 5 young men on a street corner in downtown Durham and in 2 or 3 months turn them into a basketball team."

Mike: "He could probably do the same thing in downtown Chapel Hill."

Brad: "Man, that's cold!"

I don't remember that, but I love it!!!

captmojo

11-13-2007, 09:56 PM

I'd like to see the ACC pick up Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel. These two really know the game.

ugadevil

11-13-2007, 11:34 PM

Yeah, Wiki has it right (from what I understand), but I always thought that was how Majerus pronounced it, too.

Oh well, maybe my southern accent is too strong and I expect more emphasis on the vowels. I blame my upbringing.

dukediv2013

11-14-2007, 12:01 AM

Mike Patrick is the John Madden of College Basketball... he is annoying! Duke should just have Bob Harris and John Roth do radio and TV broadcasts at the same time. Bob is the best play-by-play announcer I have ever heard and they stick to the game being played, not games all over the country. I usually turn my TV on mute and listen to the radio!

Go Duke!

Cameron

11-14-2007, 12:24 AM

To each his own, I guess, but I LOVE Mike Patrick. Like I said, the ACC Tournament just wouldn't feel right without Patrick making the call in the title game. Just wouldn't. I love Bob Harris, though, and try to pick up at least two or three of his radiocasts a year, when I'm not watching the game nationally.

I still play Duke's 2001 National Championship CD all the time. In fact, I think I'm going to let it serenade me to sleep right now! Nothing better than listening to that blast over your Panasonic 5 channel (I guess Bose might be) while you dream of Duke greatness:)

Night Duke Nation.

chris13

11-14-2007, 07:23 AM

Patrick is good for basketball, but going from Ron Franklin to Mike Patrick on ESPN college football has been like going from Ella Fitzgerald to Britney Spears.

ugadevil

11-14-2007, 12:08 PM

To each his own, I guess, but I LOVE Mike Patrick. Like I said, the ACC Tournament just wouldn't feel right without Patrick making the call in the title game.

You take Patrick. I'll take Tirico. I really could care less who covers the game if I could ever just get in to the stadium myself.

I like how Mike Patrick uses the same phrase for nearly every game he does, whether it's ACC Basketball or SEC Football. "Just another lousy night in the ACC (for basketball) SEC (for football)"

Ironic that someone would compare Mike Patrick to Britney Spears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZUB3eJOTos

throatybeard

11-14-2007, 08:07 PM

Scoring Point

11-15-2007, 08:07 AM

Something that's interesting to me is that I almost never even notice who's doing a FB game, but so many of the BB game announcers are considered ultra-grating by one party of another. You don't hear many of these convos, even at FB school's boards, about FB announcers. Why this is I have no idea.

Agreed. My guess is that it reflects the seemingly much more prevalent tendency for announcers to be something of a sideshow in college hoops, injecting as much "personality" as they can into their broadcasts. This dates back at least to the Enberg-Packer-McGuire team at NBC in the late 70s, and was obviously advanced to an extreme by the likes of Dickie V.

To me, college FB announcers tend to be less obtrusive as a rule, which seems a bit ironic considering they are on the air much longer and have siginificantly more time to fill between action in games. Just think about how much more restrained the great Keith Jackson was relative to even one of the lesser college hoops offenders - Raftery, for example.

Cameron

11-15-2007, 09:48 AM

I love Raftery. He's a Big East icon. What would a Monday night Syracuse game be without "And they go, mantoman!" or my personal favorite, when Raftery is forced away from his trademark call, "And they go! Zone." Makes me chuckle every time. The guy is a land mark.

And anyone who has ever seen Above The Rim has to love the ending: Warren G's legendary "Regulators'" serenading the background, Kyle Watson hitting the game winning three for Georgetown, and Bill Raftery calling the action. Great movie, by the way, if anyone here has never seen it. Highly recommened.