Unofficial 2019-2020 Announcer Thread

[hudlow]

Bilas' history of going overboard to avoid being perceived as a "homer" would make me very reluctant to hire him as an attorney.

[Edouble]

Seriously, does Bilas get some sort of bonus every time he vocalizes that "Duke is running their horn set".

[HereBeforeCoachK]

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.

Sue there is nothing wrong with what he did, and you totally missed the point. The point is the lack of self awareness...the lack of his understanding of the irony...that this big bad business of NCAA basketball is making him rich - and all because he was "exploited" as a student. We should all be so lucky to be so exploited.

I leverage my experiences and contacts all the time...in the four businesses I run...but I don't lose sight of what it is I'm leveraging and I don't make a career of criticizing the who/ the what, those leverage points are. I hope you can see the vast difference.

You admitted you had a long held soft spot for him. It's still very soft. It's hardened over the years for some of us, who also remember Bilas as a frosh on that team that became great a few years later.

[Son of Mojo]

I guess it was about 10 years ago. I was a bit more active on commenting on the page but I got to where I didn't do it as much because I got called out. I was called out by a few people for voicing my displeasure for bilas and calling him a unc shill due to his going overboard bestowing praise upon them constantly yet seemingly cutting down Duke (then it was much more subtle but as time has gone by, most of us here have seen it being much more overt). It was to the point the man himself came on here defending his position as a broadcaster and saying who he objectively felt were better squads for his picks. That's fair if that is/was his belief. But, again, 10 years or so later now I think it's safe to say it's so bad many of us can't take it. I had to mute the tv last night. I got on here and was writing during the game like I used to to vent a bit. bilas has no issue going overboard with calls that may favor Duke (during a game typically calls will favor both teams, we should all know that but obviously we've seen exceptions), but may nothing ever benefit Duke or call out things the opposition is obviously getting by with (last night's constant moving screens by MSU that weren't called out when I did listen irked me badly). He has the ability to objectively call a game--we've heard it. But to not acknowledge that he goes overboard with calls that may benefit Duke is disingenuous. I don't know if it's in the Packer or Elmore realm yet, but it's teetering on the edge. It certainly isn't helped watching his shoot around interview with anthony DURING A DUKE GAME. Will we see Tre, Carey, or any other Duke player interviewed in a similar manner during tonight's unc game? Possibly, but I highly doubt it.

[weezie]

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 Uncle FesterSeth 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?

See, now it reads with more clarity. Thank you Dear OPK.

[OldPhiKap]

See, now it reads with more clarity. Thank you Dear OPK.

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[golfinesquire]

Sue there is nothing wrong with what he did, and you totally missed the point. The point is the lack of self awareness...the lack of his understanding of the irony...that this big bad business of NCAA basketball is making him rich - and all because he was "exploited" as a student. We should all be so lucky to be so exploited.

I leverage my experiences and contacts all the time...in the four businesses I run...but I don't lose sight of what it is I'm leveraging and I don't make a career of criticizing the who/ the what, those leverage points are. I hope you can see the vast difference.

You admitted you had a long held soft spot for him. It's still very soft. It's hardened over the years for some of us, who also remember Bilas as a frosh on that team that became great a few years later.

I didn’t miss your point, I disagreed with it. But this debate is probably past its expiration date and we have an ACC game coming up. Go Duke!

[DU82]

Interrupting the Bilas Bashing, just watched the women’s loss to Nebraska on the B1G network. Typically, you get a bunch of homers on these broadcasts (especially on ACCNX), but I found Brenda Van Lengen, the color analyst, to be excellent. She talked mostly about the game, and provided a lot of good insight that’s sadly missing from most other games. While a B1G announcer, I thought she was even handed not bilased, I mean biased.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I wish Raftery did Duke games. He is knowledgable. I'm sure his shtick rubs some people the wrong way but he announces like a guy you are sitting next to at a bar, having a good time. He doesn't take himself too seriously.

Bilas is suffering from over-exposure. It is the same thing that happened to Vitale. He has become a cliche of himself. I think he is a genuinely good guy, and he knows a ton about basketball. But ESPN picks their favorites and has them on constantly.

Stephen A Smith is an embarrassment. There are plenty of people in America who enjoy him. I find him to be abrasive, obnoxious, and he has opinions for the sake of having opinions. Way back when he was actually a talented writer, but he has sold out, and is getting paid very well for doing so. He is symptomatic of the dumbing down and hot-taking of America.

[du_bb1]

I know it is not a popular stance on this site, but I like Bilas, think he does a good job, very knowledgeable and breaks plays down to the basics.
May go a bit overboard to not be a duke shill, but that is ok. Skewer me as you will.

Dakich, Elmore and Vitale need to go far away.

[arnie]

I wish Raftery did Duke games. He is knowledgable. I'm sure his shtick rubs some people the wrong way but he announces like a guy you are sitting next to at a bar, having a good time. He doesn't take himself too seriously.

Bilas is suffering from over-exposure. It is the same thing that happened to Vitale. He has become a cliche of himself. I think he is a genuinely good guy, and he knows a ton about basketball. But ESPN picks their favorites and has them on constantly.

Stephen A Smith is an embarrassment. There are plenty of people in America who enjoy him. I find him to be abrasive, obnoxious, and he has opinions for the sake of having opinions. Way back when he was actually a talented writer, but he has sold out, and is getting paid very well for doing so. He is symptomatic of the dumbing down and hot-taking of America.

Agree on Raftery, I like his shtick and he’s both humorous and somewhat humble. I know he’s a bit boring, but I’ve always enjoyed games announced by Dan Bonner. Again, he’s not of the Packer/Bilas/Elmore mold.

[OldPhiKap]

I know it is not a popular stance on this site, but I like Bilas, think he does a good job, very knowledgeable and breaks plays down to the basics.
May go a bit overboard to not be a duke shill, but that is ok. Skewer me as you will.

I agree with this FWIW.

[uh_no]

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.

contrast his call when they missed the duke goaltend yesterday vs when they missed the UNC one tonight....night and day.

[duke4ever19]

I guess it was about 10 years ago. I was a bit more active on commenting on the page but I got to where I didn't do it as much because I got called out. I was called out by a few people for voicing my displeasure for bilas and calling him a unc shill due to his going overboard bestowing praise upon them constantly yet seemingly cutting down Duke (then it was much more subtle but as time has gone by, most of us here have seen it being much more overt). It was to the point the man himself came on here defending his position as a broadcaster and saying who he objectively felt were better squads for his picks. That's fair if that is/was his belief. But, again, 10 years or so later now I think it's safe to say it's so bad many of us can't take it. I had to mute the tv last night. I got on here and was writing during the game like I used to to vent a bit. bilas has no issue going overboard with calls that may favor Duke (during a game typically calls will favor both teams, we should all know that but obviously we've seen exceptions), but may nothing ever benefit Duke or call out things the opposition is obviously getting by with (last night's constant moving screens by MSU that weren't called out when I did listen irked me badly). He has the ability to objectively call a game--we've heard it. But to not acknowledge that he goes overboard with calls that may benefit Duke is disingenuous. I don't know if it's in the Packer or Elmore realm yet, but it's teetering on the edge. It certainly isn't helped watching his shoot around interview with anthony DURING A DUKE GAME. Will we see Tre, Carey, or any other Duke player interviewed in a similar manner during tonight's unc game? Possibly, but I highly doubt it.

Wait . . . Bilas made a DBR account to defend the way he calls games? How did I miss this??

[Son of Mojo]

Wait . . . Bilas made a DBR account to defend the way he calls games? How did I miss this??

Apparently he was known to come on the site periodically. The mods used to acknowledge that it was him.

[KandG]

I know it is not a popular stance on this site, but I like Bilas, think he does a good job, very knowledgeable and breaks plays down to the basics.
May go a bit overboard to not be a duke shill, but that is ok. Skewer me as you will.

Dakich, Elmore and Vitale need to go far away.

Agree with this.

One thing I've learned from studying announcing teams in all sports (but especially announcing crews for all the NBA teams) is that fans, no matter how fair they feel themselves to be, have a hard time hearing too much criticism or even attempted impartial observations about their team. And fans of teams with a long track record of achievement (Duke, KY, Lakers, Celtics etc) have an especially paranoid mindset because of the attention and animosity their programs/franchises receive. And it's totally understandable... if slightly unhinged on occasion.

I thought Bilas was fine the other night calling the MSU game, actually thought he was quite good. He does overdo certain talking points and someone rightly pointed out that he's overexposed like some of ESPN's other broadcasters, so he's going to wear on people just by being himself. But I've never doubted for a second that he loves Duke but mostly strives to call the games fairly. Yes, he plays along with his employer's desire to gin up controversy when it presents itself, but that's not unique to him or even ESPN.

[Saratoga2]

I know it is not a popular stance on this site, but I like Bilas, think he does a good job, very knowledgeable and breaks plays down to the basics.
May go a bit overboard to not be a duke shill, but that is ok. Skewer me as you will.

Dakich, Elmore and Vitale need to go far away.

I believe Bilas is Biased against Duke for a calculated reason. He knows that a preponderance of fans tend to be anti-Duke so to appeal to them and keep the money rolling in, he goes out of his way to be a Duke critic. No doubt he knows the game and is no dummy, but he knows his audience.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I believe Bilas is Biased against Duke for a calculated reason. He knows that a preponderance of fans tend to be anti-Duke so to appeal to them and keep the money rolling in, he goes out of his way to be a Duke critic. No doubt he knows the game and is no dummy, but he knows his audience.

That may be true, but dadgummit do NOT EXPECT ME TO RESPECT THAT. If you have to lie to do your job, what's the point? And FTR, Scott Van Pelt is totally the other way, and he's ten X bigger than Bilas will ever be. And I realize that Maryland doesn't carry quite the same national disdain as Duke does...Duke carries more than any team ever IMO...but Van Pelt proves there is a way to do it, to be a homer, and still have respect.

What Bilas is doing is FEEDING THE ANTI DUKE narrative and making it worse..."see see...Bilas is a Duke, and even HE knows Duke gets all the calls..." To me, this kind of slippery calculation in media is nauseating. Common, but nauseating.

People here slam Stephen A, and I can understand that, but Stephen A never slinks to such a low level. I'm glad you pointed out the calculus Bilas probably uses...and as I thought about it and typed...it p*ssed me off even more.

I've been very involved with some major political media shows and personalities...and I can tell you there are phonies who have a schtick, and there are those who are just themselves. You can make money at both. And the ones who have a schtick simply cannot believe that anyone does it by being themselves. But some do. And it's only those I respect.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

That may be true, but dadgummit do NOT EXPECT ME TO RESPECT THAT. If you have to lie to do your job, what's the point? And FTR, Scott Van Pelt is totally the other way, and he's ten X bigger than Bilas will ever be. And I realize that Maryland doesn't carry quite the same national disdain as Duke does...Duke carries more than any team ever IMO...but Van Pelt proves there is a way to do it, to be a homer, and still have respect.

What Bilas is doing is FEEDING THE ANTI DUKE narrative and making it worse..."see see...Bilas is a Duke, and even HE knows Duke gets all the calls..." To me, this kind of slippery calculation in media is nauseating. Common, but nauseating.

People here slam Stephen A, and I can understand that, but Stephen A never slinks to such a low level. I'm glad you pointed out the calculus Bilas probably uses...and as I thought about it and typed...it p*ssed me off even more.

I've been very involved with some major political media shows and personalities...and I can tell you there are phonies who have a schtick, and there are those who are just themselves. You can make money at both. And the ones who have a schtick simply cannot believe that anyone does it by being themselves. But some do. And it's only those I respect.

I'm sorry if you disagree with someone's perspective, but I (not a moderator) would suggest that you reconsider not "respecting" someone else's views on this board, regardless of what they are. We're all Duke fans, and this is a self-selecting group here on this board. We hold ourselves to a higher standard than political radio and television shows. We even attempt to be welcoming of rival fans (within reason - RIP Wheat).

[Stray Gator]

I'm sorry if you disagree with someone's perspective, but I (not a moderator) would suggest that you reconsider not "respecting" someone else's views on this board, regardless of what they are. We're all Duke fans, and this is a self-selecting group here on this board. We hold ourselves to a higher standard than political radio and television shows. We even attempt to be welcoming of rival fans (within reason - RIP Wheat).

It seems apparent to me that the portion of HBCK's message stating "do not expect me to respect that" was directed at Jay Bilas, not at the poster -- a point made clear by the immediately succeeding sentences, stating that "if you have to lie to do your job" and drawing a comparison to another ESPN announcer, Scott Van Pelt.