ABC A New Low In Broadcasting!

tj

I will let the results speak. There is def some truth to what you say about the celts fans being up and down or just plain down this year. It has not gone the way we thought it would and we are i think as a group trying to figure it out.

I have been guilty of it myself. Several times.

That 37 year old player is playing pretty well. The celtics bench is imho pretty deep with a lot of options...but you dont have to see it that way you have a right to your opinion.

If you wish to engage in the kind of talk you seem to be initiating the Lakers have barely beaten two terrible teams in a row ...and have not got very many signature wins against the best teams this year. They do poorly against the elite. And in fact the only huge wins I can think of came against Atlanta, One against Denver and couple against Dallas. Cleve beat you twice once badly at home and Orlando beat you in their gym.

You guys won these games that mattered last year.

jeb65 wrote:tj

I will let the results speak. There is def some truth to what you say about the celts fans being up and down or just plain down this year. It has not gone the way we thought it would and we are i think as a group trying to figure it out.

I have been guilty of it myself. Several times.

That 37 year old player is playing pretty well. The celtics bench is imho pretty deep with a lot of options...but you dont have to see it that way you have a right to your opinion.

If you wish to engage in the kind of talk you seem to be initiating the Lakers have barely beaten two terrible teams in a row ...and have not got very many signature wins against the best teams this year. They do poorly against the elite. And in fact the only huge wins I can think of came against Atlanta, One against Denver and couple against Dallas. Cleve beat you twice once badly at home and Orlando beat you in their gym.

You guys won these games that mattered last year.

jeb,

I agree with you completely about the Lakers. They have not played well against the top tier teams and they are very lucky to have about 10-15 very close wins against weaker teams.
I have been disappointed in their lack of intensity all year and I think they feel they can turn it on when the playoffs start.
I believe they can. But their lack of speed in the point guard poistion might be their downfall even if they step up their intensity.

Ha Ha - I think he has much too much pride for that. Let's not make him out to be a charity case. Ray is a class act, period.

tjmakz wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

NESportsfan12 wrote:

tjmakz wrote:It is funny that a Celtics fan complains about ABC's announcers praise of LeBron.
Heinsohn is the worst homer in professional sports.
Cedric Cornrows is pretty bad too.

Heinsohn is almost impossible to listen to. To him, no Celtics player ever committed a foul.

Yeah, but Heinsohn is a Celtics broadcaster. The bias of the team-specific broadcasters doesn't bother me one iota. The ABC crew of Jeff Van-Gundy and the other two clowns is supposed to be unbiased, but all they ever do is suck Lebron's... nevermind...

Listen, I could be mistaken, but that seems like an important distinction.

nesportsfan,

EXACTLY!!

Heinsohn's a Celtic broadcaster. Walt Frazier is a Knicks broadcaster. Mychal Thompson is a Lakers broadcaster. Expecting hometown broadcasters to be right down the middle of the road is unrealistic.

ABC should be more impartial, since they're not hired to service any one franchise territory and their hometown fans like those other guys are.

bob
Cedric Cornrows?

ABC announcers are usually fair to both teams. Just because they say something that you don't like about your team, that does not make them impartial.
If they said Boston will lose in the first round of the playoffs, that would be wrong.
I don't think they said anything out of line against the Celtics.

TJ-- I think the original point of the thread was to discuss whether or not this is the case. The issue of whether or not the ABC announcers are fair to both teams is clearly contentious, since you are saying that they are, and the original poster here is saying that they aren't.

To refocus the thread, perhaps we should pose this in the form of a question, rather than as a statement (or a complaint/grievance): Are the national broadcasters (ABC is just one example) impartial? Do they have an obligation to be?

These seem (to me) to be the questions that matter in the original context of this discussion. Perhaps we can make the discussion less accusatory and explore the issue respectfully, as I feel this thread is not only drifting far off topic but that it is also becoming a breeding ground for hostility.

Getting back to the essence of the thread, I have seen the commentators speak of Lebron James when he is on the bench, all the while completely neglecting the game action in favor of making several inane comparisons between him and other NBA greats. I have seen them talk about Lebron when the Cavs aren't even playing in the game they are broadcasting.

Don't get me wrong-- I have utmost respect for this man's game, but in MY OPINION (I emphasize this, because that is all I am trying to convey) Jeff Van Gundy's job is not to drool over number 23, it is to represent the game action, and offer insight to listeners. At times, and I by no means imply that this happens all the time, nor do I believe that it is only Van Gundy that is at fault, the latter is neglected for the former.

That's all I'm saying.

tj

The Lakes are talented and battle tested. They will probably be right there and come out of the west. The celts are talented and battle tested too. Their road will be harder but not impossible. we are all hoping here that they can slowly turn up the intensity as they move closer to the playoffs. I dont see a dominat team it's pretty much there for 6 or 7 teams to take. Right now to me the cavs look the best but they are again peaking early.

After the late Johnny Most, I most prefer to have Mike & Tommy call the Celtic games I watch on League Pass. It's like inviting 2 of your closest friends over for Beer & Pretzels. You put your slippers on and you're right at home, yet courtside too! Walt Frazier is fun doing Knick games. He now is making his vocabulary as flashy as his wardrobe was in the 70's. He must have gotten a well rounded English program at Southern Illinois, or maybe he just browses the Funk & Wagnals, or Webster's Dictionary! When watching CAVS games on League Pass Austin Carr is priceless. It's a hoot to hear him praise Lebron after a thunderous dunk. "And the King Puts the Hammer Down," Carr will Cry.-MD!

MD

I agree with everything.........except Austin Carr!

After the first dunk and Carr wets his pants the sound must go down (like the hammer)

beat

It's Hammer-time without the M.C. or Fred Williamson!-Can't Touch This!-MD. (LOL)

md

I worked on that mc hammer video back in the day!

hope Ray stays.

Tommy and Mike sometimes say "Nice play" or "Nice pass" when the opponent does something noteworthy. i NEVER hear any other home-town announcers do that. that's what i grew up with, C's fans knowledgeable enough about the game to compliment an opposing team on a good basketball play.

Van Gundy and Jackson really are THE worst tandem doing games today at any level. their constant sidebar chit-chat and awful off-game "repartee" are part of what make them unlistenable, and their bias is just the icing on the cake.

maybe it's just me, but i like to hear Hubie. calls what he sees, and explains without excessive wordiness an insider's look at the basketball game he's watching - and he plainly knows what he's talking about. it's not about the personalities (at least not much) - it's all about The Game, a game he respects.

Michael

bp

AGREE 100%

Hubie is the BEST National NBA announcer period.

beat

cool. when i'm seein eye to eye with you, it gives me a better chance of bein right !

NE,

Thanks for trying to re-focus this thread. No question it needs it!

As you point out 112288's original point was to state he felt ABC's national broadcast team was fawning over particular players or teams and not showing a good professional approach.

My feeling is that the national broadcast teams at ABC, TNT and ESPN are usually impartial and, of course, have a high degree of knowledge. We are talking about mostly former coaches and players here. People just get rubbed the wrong way when broadcasters say something less than flattering, yet often true, about their team. We all want to hear only positives.

What they do seem to do, and it gets annoying, is fawn over certain star players. I don't think it's anything new, and I don't think it's resricted to basketball. But I agree with 112288 that if I hear much more about how great LeBron and Kobe are, even if they are, I'm going to need more Tums.

The thing is they used to do it with Kareem, Jordan, West, Bird, Magic, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Willie Mays, Yaz...should I keep going?

Regards

NYCelt

Come on Unitas?
Did they even announce games then?

Your not that old................are you?

beat

Beat & NY: Chuck Thompson used to do away Colt games and he (with good reason) didn't miss a chance to sing Johnny U's praises! Back to the NBA. Brent Musberger was particularly memorable on 2 specific occasions. 1. '75 Final: Bullets & Warriors-Rick Barry splits Riodan and Hays with a step through 2 handed up & under. Brent, " Wow Oscar did you see that? Oscar, " Brent, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW." Brent, "HEy Big O that was a 4 WOW-ER."-2. '77 Finals Sixers & Blazers: Brent liked to refer to Walton as the Mountain Man which ruffled Bill's feathers. After the Blazers put the Sixers away in 6 games in the post game celebration Walton lashed out at Musberger for the Mountain Man reference. When it was jointly announce Walton had just received a substatial raise from Portland, Brent chimed in, O.K., Now What do you have to say about that, Dollar Bill." This was hilarious, but infuriated Walton to no end.

MD

I remember when Brent was a 2 bit writer for SPORT magazine, beleive he did a piece called View Point East (West or some direction)

Never been a big fan of his. Always seemed a bit of a front runner.


beat

beat wrote:bp

AGREE 100%

Hubie is the BEST National NBA announcer period.

beat

Hubie Brown has forgotten more about basketball than most people have learned.

bob

bob

Hubie seems so prepared for every broadcast unlike many of his counterparts. (some of which can't even pronounce the names right)
He must spent a lot of time getting ready but he seems so in the flow, so ready to respond to any aspect of the game that is happening in front of our eyes and not about some other non basketball issue.

And he does this with no ranting, over praising, and in a matter of fact sort of way. Doesn't talk over our heads but rather like he is sitting right next to you. And certainly not afraid to call it as he sees it and if there is a bonehead move by anyone oficials, coaches and players he will point it out without making a BIG issue of it.

Guy is a gem and I wish he'd do all the ABC TNT and ESPN games.

beat

beat wrote:bob

Hubie seems so prepared for every broadcast unlike many of his counterparts. (some of which can't even pronounce the names right)
He must spent a lot of time getting ready but he seems so in the flow, so ready to respond to any aspect of the game that is happening in front of our eyes and not about some other non basketball issue.

And he does this with no ranting, over praising, and in a matter of fact sort of way. Doesn't talk over our heads but rather like he is sitting right next to you. And certainly not afraid to call it as he sees it and if there is a bonehead move by anyone oficials, coaches and players he will point it out without making a BIG issue of it.

Guy is a gem and I wish he'd do all the ABC TNT and ESPN games.

beat

couldn't agree more. so not all the national broadcasters are boobs with an agenda. van gundy paired with jackson is subtraction by addition - i think they feed off each other in a way that diminishes what either one might do with a different partner. (but van gundy would drive me nuts no matter WHO he was paired with.)

too bad there's only one Hubie and not enough of him to go around. he observes without bias and teaches without preaching. love the guy.

Michael

beat wrote:NYCelt

Come on Unitas?
Did they even announce games then?

Your not that old................are you?

beat

Well sonny, we used to huddle by the telegraph machine by candle light to listen to the play-by-play...

beat wrote:bob

Hubie seems so prepared for every broadcast unlike many of his counterparts. (some of which can't even pronounce the names right)
He must spent a lot of time getting ready but he seems so in the flow, so ready to respond to any aspect of the game that is happening in front of our eyes and not about some other non basketball issue.

And he does this with no ranting, over praising, and in a matter of fact sort of way. Doesn't talk over our heads but rather like he is sitting right next to you. And certainly not afraid to call it as he sees it and if there is a bonehead move by anyone oficials, coaches and players he will point it out without making a BIG issue of it.

Guy is a gem and I wish he'd do all the ABC TNT and ESPN games.

beat

beat,

what I love about Hubie is that he breaks down the xs-and-os, so you can understand the impact of offensive and defensive plays and rotations and he does it without losing anybody.

bob

/

hubie rules. The best in the biz...