Unofficial 2019-2020 Announcer Thread

[golfinesquire]

Well you're gonna have to agree to disagree with pretty much the entire board. Bilas does call out refs, but when an apparent bad call helps Duke, he goes on and on and on and on and on about it...when it goes against Duke, he mentions it once, then onto the next thing. This is blatant and quantifiable. And it's not that he's just not a homer - he is WAAAY off the charts in the other direction. Again, quantifable.

Or the people who go on ad nauseam about Bilas's weak points. They salt the dig.

[SouthernDukie]

Well you're gonna have to agree to disagree with pretty much the entire board. Bilas does call out refs, but when an apparent bad call helps Duke, he goes on and on and on and on and on about it...when it goes against Duke, he mentions it once, then onto the next thing. This is blatant and quantifiable. And it's not that he's just not a homer - he is WAAAY off the charts in the other direction. Again, quantifable.

THIS! In triplicate! Jay is good for multiple rants against calls that go Duke's way every single game. It's utterly ridiculous and it does help foster the "Duke gets all the calls" nonsense because most casual viewers just take in what they hear. Jay is apparently blind to this major fault in his commentating. Surely people have brought it up to him. Yet he persists in it year after year. And it is a Duke thing, not a Jay does this with all calls and all teams all the time thing.

[uh_no]

Well you're gonna have to agree to disagree with pretty much the entire board. Bilas does call out refs, but when an apparent bad call helps Duke, he goes on and on and on and on and on about it...when it goes against Duke, he mentions it once, then onto the next thing. This is blatant and quantifiable. And it's not that he's just not a homer - he is WAAAY off the charts in the other direction. Again, quantifable.

the thing that gets me is the degree to which he rips them. you point out a missed call...but going on and on about how the reffing is unacceptable, etc. Well Jay, why don't you get out there and show-em how it's done. It's armchair criticism.

It's even worse when the replay shows he's wrong and he doesn't back off, instead saying the rule should be changed.

Look, I get we all rant at refs, especially during the game...but for a commentator to be so hyperbolic in his criticism of a single missed call in a game, while not admitting when he gets it wrong himself is insufferable.


The missed goaltend was the epitome of this. It was super close in real time, and where the ref was running trying to catch up to the play, I can see how it would have been tough to see if it hit the board or the hand first. I thought it probably was, but the camera had a better angle...and wasn't entirely certain until they showed the replay. Jay could have said he thought they missed the call and moved on...but instead he's spewing vitriol about how unacceptable the refs are to have missed that. And then he's calling the clear make-up call another blown call and using it to pile on about the sub-par quality of the reffing.

[OldPhiKap]

I'm fine with both Bilas and Vitale. In truth, as long as it is not Len Elmore I'm fine.

I frankly don't see how Seth keeps his job in the studio. He was not a good or notable coach; he does not bring a lot of insight; and as best I can tell his only skill is to talk loudly. I don't say that as a snide joke -- I really do not see how he stays employed in that role. Is he really the best ex-coach available?

[golfinesquire]

the thing that gets me is the degree to which he rips them. you point out a missed call...but going on and on about how the reffing is unacceptable, etc. Well Jay, why don't you get out there and show-em how it's done. It's armchair criticism.

It's even worse when the replay shows he's wrong and he doesn't back off, instead saying the rule should be changed.

Look, I get we all rant at refs, especially during the game...but for a commentator to be so hyperbolic in his criticism of a single missed call in a game, while not admitting when he gets it wrong himself is insufferable.


The missed goaltend was the epitome of this. It was super close in real time, and where the ref was running trying to catch up to the play, I can see how it would have been tough to see if it hit the board or the hand first. I thought it probably was, but the camera had a better angle...and wasn't entirely certain until they showed the replay. Jay could have said he thought they missed the call and moved on...but instead he's spewing vitriol about how unacceptable the refs are to have missed that. And then he's calling the clear make-up call another blown call and using it to pile on about the sub-par quality of the reffing.

Well, I saw that as goal tending before Bilas called it and from the comfort of my couch. And quite frankly after that horrible call on the MSU guard who fell down when Tre was going to the goal, the refs deserved a good bit of ripping.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I'm fine with both Bilas and Vitale. In truth, as long as it is not Len Elmore I'm fine.

I frankly don't see how Seth keeps his job in the studio. He was not a good or notable coach; he does not bring a lot of insight; and as best I can tell his only skill is to talk loudly. I don't say that as a snide joke -- I really do not see how he stays employed in that role. Is he really the best ex-coach available?

Well, you’re talking about a network that just recently made Stephen A Smith its highest paid “sportscaster” paying him nearly $8M per year! What?!?!

Sooooo... does it REALLy surprise you?

[OldPhiKap]

Well, you’re talking about a network that just recently made Stephen A Smith its highest paid “sportscaster” paying him nearly $8M per year! What?!?!

Sooooo... does it REALLy surprise you?

You raise a valid point. With SAS, at least, he has apparently built up a sizeable following that likes him after a decade of radio shows, print columns, and solo-or-paired shows. I don't care for him at all but respect that (apparently a lot of) others disagree.

What's Seth's constituency?

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I can't stomach Vitale's irrelevant banter. I don't quite understand the Bilas hate. And I agree with his NCAA rants.

Again, I am in the minority I guess.
.

I think the main issue with most people and his NCAA rant is that he is making what, mid six figures, maybe seven figures, all because he played for scholarship for Coach K. IOW Bilas is STILL BEING PAID for his play at Duke, because he's nowhere near ESPN without it. And of course all of this is under the NCAA...I think it's the blatant hypocrisy and lack of self awareness on his part that bugs people. That and the fact that his NCAA rants are simply devoid of facts that are inconvenient to his case. I mean he's either not as smart as advertised or not above fudging the facts to fit his argument.

I will not defend the administration of the NCAA, they've been awful for years. I will defend, to a small degree, the "model" that has paid for a whole lot of field hockey and baseball and tennis and swimming and track and field and womens BB and so on for decades. Is it broken now with some of the stuff going on? Yes, because it's become a victim of its own success. But Jay's arguments are whiny, ironic, and not accurate.

[arnie]

I really do not get the anti-Bilas sentiment on this board. I thought he did a nice job last night discussing what both teams did well and what they did badly. I also thought it was completely appropriate to call out the refs the way he did. All announcers do it and it is probably one of the easier ways to fill air time, which they all are supposed to do. I appreciate that Bilas is a complete professional and not just a homer and I have never felt that he went way overboard the other way as some have said. I know people were upset with him when he talked about why the NCAA was not going to wade into the UNC cheating mess, but he made really good points about why the NCAA would want to stay out of that minefield and his analysis was spot on. I will admit I have a fond spot for Jay. He was a freshman at Duke my second year at law school there and he played his heart out, really maximizing his skills as an undersized big man.

Wow, I guess this Board is great since people can air completely opposite perspectives. I find his style absurdly arrogant, unprofessional and would never want to be in the same room with him. You, OTOH, adore him and find him spot on. In the end, none of this matters to the success of Duke Basketball.

[Bob Green]

Well, you’re talking about a network that just recently made Stephen A Smith its highest paid “sportscaster” paying him nearly $8M per year! What?!?!

Life is too short to waste one precious second listening to Stephen A. Smith.

[golfinesquire]

Wow, I guess this Board is great since people can air completely opposite perspectives. I find his style absurdly arrogant, unprofessional and would never want to be in the same room with him. You, OTOH, adore him and find him spot on. In the end, none of this matters to the success of Duke Basketball.

It would be even better if, in airing different perspectives, people refrained from making obnoxious comments about the people with whom they disagree.

[golfinesquire]

Life is too short to waste one precious second listening to Stephen A. Smith.

Aside from his basic abrasiveness, it really bothers me that a guy who gets paid a lot of money to act as a talking head consistently makes grammatical/vocabulary errors. Is it so hard to say "have gone" rather than "have went?"

[rasputin]

Dickie still bothers me, but not to the extent he once did. Maybe he's gotten a little bit tired, but in my view he has toned down the schtick some. He has been talking about the game more lately than he did, say, 7 years ago.

Elmore: Yeech. He's always wrong, and he always hates Duke.

Bilas: He doesn't bother me as much as he does many of you, except when he is fawning over uNC. Barf.

[MChambers]

I can't listen to Bilas anymore. He just goes on and on about officiating, but only on the calls that bug him. It's too bad. I used to like him, but he grew tiresome years ago.

Vitale is awful, worse than Bilas, but better than Elmore.

[Pghdukie]

I'll listen to Bilas, Vitale, Scholman but some of these ACCN crews should go back to doing local high school games.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I think the main issue with most people and his NCAA rant is that he is making what, mid six figures, maybe seven figures, all because he played for scholarship for Coach K. IOW Bilas is STILL BEING PAID for his play at Duke, because he's nowhere near ESPN without it. And of course all of this is under the NCAA...I think it's the blatant hypocrisy and lack of self awareness on his part that bugs people. That and the fact that his NCAA rants are simply devoid of facts that are inconvenient to his case. I mean he's either not as smart as advertised or not above fudging the facts to fit his argument.

I will not defend the administration of the NCAA, they've been awful for years. I will defend, to a small degree, the "model" that has paid for a whole lot of field hockey and baseball and tennis and swimming and track and field and womens BB and so on for decades. Is it broken now with some of the stuff going on? Yes, because it's become a victim of its own success. But Jay's arguments are whiny, ironic, and not accurate.

All great points.

Yet, I agree with his NCAA rants.

[SouthernDukie]

I can't listen to Bilas anymore. He just goes on and on about officiating, but only on the calls that bug him.

And the vast majority of the time, just by sheer coincidence [], the calls he goes on and on about somehow involve Duke being the beneficiary. It's just so one-sided I find it absolutely absurd. If he was consistent and harped on calls that both benefited and went against Duke with equal tenacity I'd find it a bit more tolerable. But the bias from Bilas is just too much when he calls Duke games. I'd much rather hear Dickie V call our games than Jay.

[ChillinDuke]

Chris Spatola is my own personal happy place. And it's not because he's K's son-in-law. His balance of actually calling the game, insight into X's and O's, levity, and intellect is second to none. He's fantastic. Every time.

- Chillin

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Chris Spatola is my own personal happy place. And it's not because he's K's son-in-law. His balance of actually calling the game, insight into X's and O's, levity, and intellect is second to none. He's fantastic. Every time.

- Chillin

Agreed.

I’ll also note that I really enjoyed listening to Bobby Knight a few years back. He was always offering really insightful commentary about the actual game being played in front of him.

[golfinesquire]

I think the main issue with most people and his NCAA rant is that he is making what, mid six figures, maybe seven figures, all because he played for scholarship for Coach K. IOW Bilas is STILL BEING PAID for his play at Duke, because he's nowhere near ESPN without it. And of course all of this is under the NCAA...I think it's the blatant hypocrisy and lack of self awareness on his part that bugs people. That and the fact that his NCAA rants are simply devoid of facts that are inconvenient to his case. I mean he's either not as smart as advertised or not above fudging the facts to fit his argument.

I will not defend the administration of the NCAA, they've been awful for years. I will defend, to a small degree, the "model" that has paid for a whole lot of field hockey and baseball and tennis and swimming and track and field and womens BB and so on for decades. Is it broken now with some of the stuff going on? Yes, because it's become a victim of its own success. But Jay's arguments are whiny, ironic, and not accurate.

Sure Jay leveraged his college experience to get a job. Isnt that what a lot of people do? But he graduated over 30 years ago and along the way had to stand on his own merit. Also I don’t see why he should not criticize the NCAA. Aside from the fact that the issues are different now than in 1984, he is not employed by the NCAA. His paycheck is signed by a completely different entity and if they want him to give his thoughts on ways to improve the system,or to call out the hypocracy then that is what he should do.