Annual Announcer Kvetch Thread, 2022-23

[Southgate0809]

Have to agree with Saratoga on this one. It didn't upset me too much last night because his off-topic nonsense was about raising money for cancer research and you can't be mad about that, but normally it's about who he went to dinner with, his Mount Rushmore, or his books and it really takes away from the game.

You definitely hear some repetitive things. But it isn't usually about how great UNC is, like Bilas' story about Michael Jordan hitting his head on the backboard that I've heard a million times.

[kmspeaks]

You definitely hear some repetitive things. But it isn't usually about how great UNC is, like Bilas' story about Michael Jordan hitting his head on the backboard that I've heard a million times.

Oh I'm not a fan of Bilas either. He treats every game like an opportunity to prove he's the smartest man in the room and could be a better coach, ref, commissioner, you name it. I would be the happiest sports viewer in the world if the ESPN app had a broadcast with no announcers, just the crowd/PA like they do for some college football games.

[SouthernDukie]

Have to agree with Saratoga on this one. It didn't upset me too much last night because his off-topic nonsense was about raising money for cancer research and you can't be mad about that, but normally it's about who he went to dinner with, his Mount Rushmore, or his books and it really takes away from the game.

And yet I'll still take that over anything Bilas has to say every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[Southgate0809]

If anyone has the initiative to start an online petition to let Vitale call the Duke-UNC game in Cameron this year, I'd sign it.

[duke79]

Dickie V is no doubt a good person but I find it almost unbearable to listen to him. He doesn't really cover what is happening and his self promotion is tedious.

And yet I'll still take that over anything Bilas has to say every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

If anyone has the initiative to start an online petition to let Vitale call the Duke-UNC game in Cameron this year, I'd sign it.

I love Dickie V and, no doubt, he is a good person and I don't doubt his enthusiasm for college basketball, college BB players and (most importantly) DUKE BUT his "Don't sell past date" is now years old. Frankly, he IS tedious and annoying to listen to for the entire game (I'm not criticizing his fund raising appeals on air for cancer research). IMHO, it's a toss-up between who is worse - Dickie V or Jay B - and for opposite reasons. One barely talks about the actual game being played or provides any real insight and the other one has to try to prove how smart and knowledgeable he is by delving into too much minutiae about every "play" that takes place during the game. Again, IMHO, Malcolm Huckaby is the best color commentator on the ACCN and maybe in all of college basketball broadcasting. Again, IMHO, he provides just enough insight and analysis without being obnoxious (see Jay B) or overbearing. I look forward to the games that is he working on.
PS: I agree that, given his long broadcasting career AND his love for both Duke and Carolina, Dickie V SHOULD be one of the announcers for the Duke/Carolina game in Cameron. I'm not sure how many more years DV will have in the broadcast booth.

[roywhite]

I believe branching off occasionally from a given thread topic is a well established EK Board practice.

In that spirit, I note that I've grown quite weary of the Allstate Insurance Mayhem guy and his commercials. Enough already, Allstate.

[gumbomoop]

I find Cory A, Dickie V, and Jay B all insufferable. Yes, I’ll give Vitale a pass last night, for obvious reasons.

This ...

I would be the happiest sports viewer in the world if the ESPN app had a broadcast with no announcers, just the crowd/PA like they do for some college football games.

... is an intriguing idea, though unlikely to be offered.

So we’re back to recommending our favorites, or maybe our acceptables.

IMHO, Malcolm Huckaby is the best color commentator on the ACCN and maybe in all of college basketball broadcasting. Again, IMHO, he provides just enough insight and analysis without being obnoxious (see Jay B) or overbearing. I look forward to the games that is he working on.

I, too, like Huckaby. Not as much, just yet, as my favorites, Bonner and Gminski, but he’s more than merely tolerable. I also like Robbie Hummel a lot, but guess he does mostly Big14, and I just don’t watch those teams much. I also like Jon Crispin, who may do a few ACC games.

Randolph Childress, maybe. Still so new, and he has a very informal, players’-eye viewpoint, I think. Maybe he’s now an ACCN regular? We get him this Sat, MD-EShore.

Irritating (to me) that Bonner gets very few Duke games.

[kako]

I find Cory A, Dickie V, and Jay B all insufferable. Yes, I’ll give Vitale a pass last night, for obvious reasons.

This ...



... is an intriguing idea, though unlikely to be offered.

So we’re back to recommending our favorites, or maybe our acceptables.



I, too, like Huckaby. Not as much, just yet, as my favorites, Bonner and Gminski, but he’s more than merely tolerable. I also like Robbie Hummel a lot, but guess he does mostly Big14, and I just don’t watch those teams much. I also like Jon Crispin, who may do a few ACC games.

Randolph Childress, maybe. Still so new, and he has a very informal, players’-eye viewpoint, I think. Maybe he’s now an ACCN regular? We get him this Sat, MD-EShore.

Irritating (to me) that Bonner gets very few Duke games.

I think Spanarkel does a great job in the tourney games. Enjoy his pairing with Ian Eagle one last time this year. But if you want pure X's and O's, I think Hubie Brown may be the best.

9F

[heyman25]

I think Spanarkel does a great job in the tourney games. Enjoy his pairing with Ian Eagle one last time this year. But if you want pure X's and O's, I think Hubie Brown may be the best.

9F

Ditto. My sentiments exactly! Dan Shulman is a good solid play by play broadcaster. He is paired with the insufferable Jay Bilas.

[gumbomoop]

I think Spanarkel does a great job in the tourney games. Enjoy his pairing with Ian Eagle one last time this year.

Agree with you and heyman25 and undoubtedly others here on Spanarkel. Is he doing NCAAT one last time with Eagle in ‘23? Sure hope he gets a new play-by-play partner going forward.

[duke79]

I find Cory A, Dickie V, and Jay B all insufferable. Yes, I’ll give Vitale a pass last night, for obvious reasons.

This ...



... is an intriguing idea, though unlikely to be offered.

So we’re back to recommending our favorites, or maybe our acceptables.



I, too, like Huckaby. Not as much, just yet, as my favorites, Bonner and Gminski, but he’s more than merely tolerable. I also like Robbie Hummel a lot, but guess he does mostly Big14, and I just don’t watch those teams much. I also like Jon Crispin, who may do a few ACC games.

Randolph Childress, maybe. Still so new, and he has a very informal, players’-eye viewpoint, I think. Maybe he’s now an ACCN regular? We get him this Sat, MD-EShore.

Irritating (to me) that Bonner gets very few Duke games.

I think Spanarkel does a great job in the tourney games. Enjoy his pairing with Ian Eagle one last time this year. But if you want pure X's and O's, I think Hubie Brown may be the best.

9F

I like both G-man and Sparnarkel too - both very good game analysts (although a little hard to take Jim's New Jersey accent for an entire game). As a total aside, I still think Jim's jersey should have been retired. It would be hard to over estimate what he meant to Duke BB in the late 70's and I don't think there is any way Duke would have gone the championship game in '78 without his leadership on the court.

[Matches]

.

In that spirit, I note that I've grown quite weary of the Allstate Insurance Mayhem guy and his commercials. Enough already, Allstate.

Never! I love that dude. He was great as The Vulture on Brooklyn-99 too. I call down a pox on Doug and his emu, though, as well as that damn Geico lizard.

[sagegrouse]

Never! I love that dude. He was great as The Vulture on Brooklyn-99 too. I call down a pox on Doug and his emu, though, as well as that damn Geico lizard.

Love that gecko.

[devilirium]

I love Dickie V and, no doubt, he is a good person and I don't doubt his enthusiasm for college basketball, college BB players and (most importantly) DUKE BUT his "Don't sell past date" is now years old. Frankly, he IS tedious and annoying to listen to for the entire game (I'm not criticizing his fund raising appeals on air for cancer research). IMHO, it's a toss-up between who is worse - Dickie V or Jay B - and for opposite reasons. One barely talks about the actual game being played or provides any real insight and the other one has to try to prove how smart and knowledgeable he is by delving into too much minutiae about every "play" that takes place during the game. Again, IMHO, Malcolm Huckaby is the best color commentator on the ACCN and maybe in all of college basketball broadcasting. Again, IMHO, he provides just enough insight and analysis without being obnoxious (see Jay B) or overbearing. I look forward to the games that is he working on.
PS: I agree that, given his long broadcasting career AND his love for both Duke and Carolina, Dickie V SHOULD be one of the announcers for the Duke/Carolina game in Cameron. I'm not sure how many more years DV will have in the broadcast booth.

Yeah, Dickie V reminds me of the garden variety tour guide , who while likeable, tells the same jokes and utters the same banal observations about everything other than the game. It's tedious--a bit like trying to understand Lee Corso every now and then. I am extremely happy for him and his family that he defeated cancer and his efforts to continue raising money for research--and that should be where his focus should be 100%.

[devilirium]

I find Cory A, Dickie V, and Jay B all insufferable. Yes, I’ll give Vitale a pass last night, for obvious reasons.

This ...



... is an intriguing idea, though unlikely to be offered.

So we’re back to recommending our favorites, or maybe our acceptables.



I, too, like Huckaby. Not as much, just yet, as my favorites, Bonner and Gminski, but he’s more than merely tolerable. I also like Robbie Hummel a lot, but guess he does mostly Big14, and I just don’t watch those teams much. I also like Jon Crispin, who may do a few ACC games.

Randolph Childress, maybe. Still so new, and he has a very informal, players’-eye viewpoint, I think. Maybe he’s now an ACCN regular? We get him this Sat, MD-EShore.

Irritating (to me) that Bonner gets very few Duke games.

I like Childress, but his tone gives off the air that he rather be somewhere else than calling hoops.

[budwom]

Eagle is very good but I'm concerned about a guy who can't pronounce his own first name.

[gumbomoop]

I like Childress, but his tone gives off the air that he rather be somewhere else than calling hoops.

Ha, yeah, Childress’s tone is ... different. Intriguing new guy, to me. He doesn’t try to offer a smoothed-down, earnest professionalism. Sort of shoots from the hip-lip, but low-key.

I think he still works for Wake, but no longer on the coaching staff. Maybe fundraising.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I believe branching off occasionally from a given thread topic is a well established EK Board practice.

In that spirit, I note that I've grown quite weary of the Allstate Insurance Mayhem guy and his commercials. Enough already, Allstate.

I agree completely and have been searching for a venue to share that opinion so thank you for doing so. He is a miserable human being and if I was in the market he would make me not use Allstate. Most insurance ads are funny or heartwarming (maybe some people think he is funny?). He is the opposite.

I also like Huckabee a lot. Knowledgable without beating you over the head with his brilliance. Good sense of humor without shtick.

Bilas is overexposed. He is on too much and we as Duke fans particularly see this. He would be better off slowing down his schedule.

[TruBlu]

You definitely hear some repetitive things. But it isn't usually about how great UNC is, like Bilas' story about Michael Jordan hitting his head on the backboard that I've heard a million times.

Or Bilas repeatedly touting that Marcus Paige (I think it was him)actually read a book - in the middle of the investigation of unc’s big academic/athletic cheating scandal.

[Old School]

PS: I agree that, given his long broadcasting career AND his love for both Duke and Carolina, Dickie V SHOULD be one of the announcers for the Duke/Carolina game in Cameron. I'm not sure how many more years DV will have in the broadcast booth.

.
Vitale said earlier this season that he plans on calling games for 17 more seasons. (He wants to do it until he is 100.)