Unofficial 2014-15 Announcer Thread

[MChambers]

I enjoyed listening to Greg Anthony and Steve Smith this weekend. The play-by-play announcer (Bryan Anderson?) was okay.

The halftime clowns from Bleacher Report were awful, like listening to really bad sports radio live chat.

[Edouble]

I enjoyed listening to Greg Anthony and Steve Smith this weekend. The play-by-play announcer (Bryan Anderson?) was okay.

The halftime clowns from Bleacher Report were awful, like listening to really bad sports radio live chat.

I was amused by the clowns. I thought their "desk" was hilarious. It was the size of an end table.

Greg Anthony is consistently good. Steve Smith's comments about Quinn being known for his defense cost him some points with me.

[burnspbesq]

I want my main man Gus Johnson on any and every game possible. Why he started calling soccer games is beyond me, however he has recently stepped down as Fox Sports soccer lead play by play. So hopefully sooner or later CBS and everyone else will get their stuff together and get the man calling tourney games again.

Gotta disagree with you here. Gus' call of the 2013 FA Cup final was all kinds of awesome.

Elmore is bad, but there is actually someone who is even worse: Kara Lawson. If she is ever assigned to do a Duke game, just take me out back and shoot me.

Oh, and one other thing, ESPN: Quint Kessenich is a great analyst for lax, but as a sideline reporter for football or hockey, he makes me want to gargle with Drano.

[Henderson]

I enjoyed listening to Greg Anthony and Steve Smith this weekend. The play-by-play announcer (Bryan Anderson?) was okay.

+1.

Anderson was fine, which is about what you want from a play-by-play guy. I've always liked Greg Anthony. Smart guy; knows his stuff; communicates his knowledge well. My one quibble is that he often gets too verbal for words, meaning there is no play-by-play for some stretches. Others do it too, and it's mildly annoying. But Anthony generally is at least saying something interesting. I think play-by-play people (or producers) need to sit these guys down and explain that analysts analyze when (and only when) play-by-play announcers don't need the mike.

I don't think I'd seen Steve Smith do a game before, and he was solid. But I don't understand the point of having a second color commentator as TruTv did for these games. Maybe because Mystery Science Theater 3000 had three commentators, TruTv thinks it should to. I don't get it. Steve Smith didn't have much of a role. As noted, Anthony is not a reticent commentator whose space needs filling. And there is a game to be called by the play-by-play guy.

[Dukehky]

Doris Burke makes me want to throw my TV out the window. And I like her personally, I remember going to a Duke GT game where she was on the sideline and she had a deflated ball that Hewitt made the Jackets practice with and I clapped my hands and she tossed me the ball, and I remember asking her if I could keep it, and she said if she could give it to me, she would. So I definitely rooted for her when she got the promotion off the sideline. But I just don't think she provides very good insight into what is going on, and the way she does it just rubs me the wrong way. I also don't like her on women's games which makes me feel better about myself, because when I first realized I didn't like her I was afraid at some level it was because she was calling men's games, but I don't think that's the case.

I like Jay Williams on the desk, but not calling games, he does more anti-Duke stuff than Bilas does because he is closer to the program chronologically.

I loath Seth Greenberg, but at least he can complete sentences, which Digger was finding difficult to do last year. I also kind of like having someone to emphatically disagree with while watching GameDay, because the two Jays I just nod along with most of the time. I would love to get Jalen back on the desk with those two, but he has really shot up the NBA roster.

Mike Patrick is getting a little old and he was such a Vitale enabler, which is why Shulman is so fantastic.

When Vitale sticks to basketball, I find him bearable, but when he goes on his soliloquies about his SAT scores, I just focus really hard to see how profane Amile Jefferson gets by lip reading. BTW, Amile and Casey Sanders are the two players I have seen drop the F-Bomb the most on TV. Way to go Casey!!!

[Turk]

He is the best. But no soup for you: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...113-story.html

ESPN will not be using Knight to cover ACC games. Big Monday ACC crew will be Sean McDonough and Shane. Wednesday Night Hoops ACC games will be covered by Bob Wischusen and LaPhonso Ellis. Saturday Showcase ACC games will be Dave O'Brien and Doris Burke. Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas will cover Saturday Primetime for all conferences.

I went and dug up the link for the entire press release from the Mother Ship:

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-re...4-15-coverage/

Have not heard Shane do a game yet. (But it's not clear to me how this career move positions him for the primaries in 2020 or 2024...)

Also want to call your attention to PAC-12 games on Weds and Thurs nights. I want to throw out some love for my idol Bill Walton. His commentary is based on classic Wooden old-school basketball, with good anecdotes and the random Dead lyric thrown in. His love of the game and admiration of *true* student-athletes comes through on almost every broadcast.

How far out do they create announcing schedules? I tried poking around to see what was coming up and didn't have much luck. I guess there are so many games on now the schedule must be pretty fluid, compared to who is doing which NFL games.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I went and dug up the link for the entire press release from the Mother Ship:

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-re...4-15-coverage/

Have not heard Shane do a game yet. (But it's not clear to me how this career move positions him for the primaries in 2020 or 2024...)

Is it odd that the exact same thought went through my head? I was thinking that a position in the current administration would have been a good start.

[brevity]

Have not heard Shane do a game yet. (But it's not clear to me how this career move positions him for the primaries in 2020 or 2024...)

Is it odd that the exact same thought went through my head? I was thinking that a position in the current administration would have been a good start.

Given his political potential, I really question Shane Battier's current career direction into broadcasting. He doesn't have to go straight to President, but by now he should already be heading one of the following:

Department of Education, because he took so many opponents to school.
Department of Health and Human Services, because of all the clinics he's staged.
Department of Interior, because of his work in the paint.
Department of Agriculture, because they don't grow 'em like him anymore.
Department of Energy, because of the boost he provides off the bench.
Department of Labor, because he works so hard (though obviously not as hard as Tyler Hansbrough*).
Department of Defense, because.

* In an across-the-aisle, bipartisan move, Tyler Hansbrough would head the Department of Transportation.

[77devil]

I went and dug up the link for the entire press release from the Mother Ship:
http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-re...4-15-coverage/

Thanks for the link. I see a net positive. Digger has finally retired. Jalen Rose is off Gameday. It appears Mike Patrick and Len Elmore are off the ACC beat entirely, and Brad Daugherty is back as an analyst on some ACC games. Negatives: Jim Calhoun has joined ESPN. Didn't assess the studio changes as I almost never bother to listen to the drivel.

Have not heard Shane do a game yet. (But it's not clear to me how this career move positions him for the primaries in 2020 or 2024...)

Shane was not smooth at all and struggled as a sideline analyst during the Duke vs. MSU game. To succeed he will have to improve his delivery a lot.

Is it odd that the exact same thought went through my head? I was thinking that a position in the current administration would have been a good start.

Could not disagree more. Getting involved in a relatively unpopular, lame duck administration in its last two years would not be politically smart; and Shane is plenty smart.

[uh_no]

Thanks for the link. I see a net positive. Digger has finally retired. Jalen Rose is off Gameday. It appears Mike Patrick and Len Elmore are off the ACC beat entirely, and Brad Daugherty is back as an analyst on some ACC games. Negatives: Jim Calhoun has joined ESPN. Didn't assess the studio changes as I almost never bother to listen to the drivel.



Shane was not smooth at all and struggled as a sideline analyst during the Duke vs. MSU game. To succeed he will have to improve his delivery a lot.



Could not disagree more. Getting involved in a relatively unpopular, lame duck administration in its last two years would not be politically smart; and Shane is plenty smart.

if you can get past your hate, he's quite insightful...but then again I don't expect most people here to be rational when it comes to anything Uconn.

[mattman91]

Count me in the minority that LOVES Dickie V. I know he can be annoying, but the old guy is so passionate. How can you hate on a guy who is living his dream? I would act the same way if I were in his position.

Bob Knight? G.OA.T. So fun to listen to. Every time I watch a game he calls, I feel like I learn something new.

[77devil]

if you can get past your hate, he's quite insightful...but then again I don't expect most people here to be rational when it comes to anything Uconn.

A tad oversensitive, eh? I don't hate Jim Calhouun though I do believe he was an unethical head coach at UConn and ran a dirty program. Call me an idealist, but I don't think he should be rewarded with a microphone and a contract.

[Lid]

Digger has finally retired. ... It appears Mike Patrick and Len Elmore are off the ACC beat entirely, and Brad Daugherty is back as an analyst on some ACC games.

Win, win and win! I'm especially excited to hear Brad D again -- really enjoyed his approach and personality before.

[uh_no]

A tad oversensitive, eh? I don't hate Jim Calhouun though I do believe he was an unethical head coach at UConn and ran a dirty program. Call me an idealist, but I don't think he should be rewarded with a microphone and a contract.

Alright, so it is an ad hominem argument, and not one based on skill. That's completely fair, but perhaps i should have asked for your reasoning first. It's the same argument that keeps pete rose out of the hall, and lance armstrong out of most sports related gigs. I personally don't care, as I'd rather listen to good reasoning from a convict rather than the drivel that usually spouts out of commentator's mouths...give me people who understand the game more than at a basic level...Knight, Gruden (NFL)...tell me something i can't figure out on my own...so i can learn something about what i'm watching...I don't care if you're Michael the Archangel or Jack the Ripper...

I stand by my comment that there is by and large (and understandably) an anti uconn/calhoun bias here. This is evidenced by the fact that Jim Boeheim largely gets a pass, despite having similar APR issues, being involved in a major NCAA investigation relating to improper benefits for bball players, having players suspended, and the way he treats the media.

[brevity]

I stand by my comment that there is by and large (and understandably) an anti uconn/calhoun bias here. This is evidenced by the fact that Jim Boeheim largely gets a pass, despite having similar APR issues, being involved in a major NCAA investigation relating to improper benefits for bball players, having players suspended, and the way he treats the media.

I can't speak for everyone on DBR, but I imagine that we are okay with Jim Boeheim because Coach K is okay with Jim Boeheim. He's a bit of a whiner, but I don't have a very strong positive or negative opinion of him. Back when I started following Big East basketball he was just one of a handful of coaching characters. I would not consider myself much of a Syracuse fan, but I appreciated Boeheim's long struggle to win the NCAA Tournament, seemingly a ceiling to him until 2003.

In contrast, I started out a Jim Calhoun fan. He was funny and he came out of nowhere (Northeastern, but still). I rooted -- in the alternative -- for Connecticut in early 1990s, and was a little surprised that Calhoun couldn't get past the Elite Eight with Donyell Marshall or Ray Allen. Of course, he broke through at the worst possible time for Duke, and I was less enamored of him and his players by then. Things just got worse from there, with the scandals and the titles. And there was no struggle by then; it seemed like Jim Calhoun had a much easier time winning his second and third titles than Bob Knight or Coach K did.

Kevin Ollie seems fine, but I can't help but feel that Connecticut won the 2014 title because no one else, save maybe Kentucky, played like they wanted it.

[construe]

I was always a fan of Rick Majerus, RIP. He had the great insights of a really good Xs-Os coach, but would then throw in the craziest (and sometimes offensive) asides. I still laugh at the comment he made after the "requisite" Ashley Judd shot during a KY game...something about not having to stop now to pick up a magazine on the way home (ay carumba!). And how could we forget his insights on Marty's calves?

Anyway, he introduced me to the "180 player" concept and would often point out subtle adjustments other teams were making. I like ex-coaches for insights like that. I almost never learn anything from the other color commentators. Knight was good for a while, but I agree that it's clear he's just not a TV showman (good for him). Maybe Calhoun will pick up the slack

[Turk]

Could not disagree more. Getting involved in a relatively unpopular, lame duck administration in its last two years would not be politically smart; and Shane is plenty smart.

I beg to differ. The timing is perfect for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Expectations are low, with plenty of opportunities to make connections and good impressions. Think of it like a September call-up to the major league roster. Doesn't matter how good the team is - now you're in The Show.

[77devil]

Alright, so it is an ad hominem argument, and not one based on skill. That's completely fair, but perhaps i should have asked for your reasoning first. It's the same argument that keeps pete rose out of the hall, and lance armstrong out of most sports related gigs. I personally don't care, as I'd rather listen to good reasoning from a convict rather than the drivel that usually spouts out of commentator's mouths...give me people who understand the game more than at a basic level...Knight, Gruden (NFL)...tell me something i can't figure out on my own...so i can learn something about what i'm watching...I don't care if you're Michael the Archangel or Jack the Ripper...

There was nothing ad hominem about my statement-I was not making an argument. Calhoun's known misdeeds are well documented facts. Your entitled to your opinion about honesty and ethics. I simply don't share it. But your argument is a false premise that it's an either or situation. I'm sure there are plenty of good basketball analysts available who didn't cheat. I just don't agree that Calhoun's cheating doesn't matter.

[luburch]

The Good:
Bilas, Knight, Shulman, Greg Anthony, Dakich.

The Bad:
Burke, Vitale, Gus Johnson, Gottlieb. I don't think he's ever called a game, but Matt Jones is intolerable as well. And no, not the Matt Jones who is currently on the roster.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the first to come to mind.

[Edouble]

I beg to differ. The timing is perfect for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Expectations are low, with plenty of opportunities to make connections and good impressions. Think of it like a September call-up to the major league roster. Doesn't matter how good the team is - now you're in The Show.

Yes, plus there's a good chance that the current administration will be treated better in a historical context than they are currently being treated. Clinton's second term could also be described as a "relatively unpopular, lame duck administration", but today he's one of the faces of the party (as is Carter, who was unpopular at the end of his time in office, but is now well thought of).

I don't think there's a bad time to start making connections.