The Ultimate Homer

We all read the Comments from the Other Side about how much of a homer Tommy is.  Well, the truth is they have no idea what a real homer sounds like.

I used to turn the sound off the TV and listen to Johnny.  They were two completely different games but I didn't care.  Johnny had me jumping on the furniture.

For those board members who are too young to have listened to Johnny you're in for a treat.
























bob



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Your home town announcers are SUPPOSED to be biased and seeing things the way of your team. In the case of Tommy, while he does wear green tinted glasses - he also is one of the few commentators on the air now that callt he game that is in front of them.

Scal and nearly every local color guy I see when I watch League Pass, spends most of the game talking about BS not related to the play at hand. This is who he played for at AAU, this is what his season averages are, those are cool shoes. Tommy on the other hand WATCHES THE GAME and often wants to focus on what we are seeing. He took an extra step, that was a clean strip, his hands were straight up but he fouled with his lower body.

Most young fans are used to 2 hours of star talk - and Tommy doesnt give that to them, so they dont know how to take it. When he finally hangs it up, he will leave a big void in the Boston Celtics lexicon.

mrkleen09 wrote:Your home town announcers are SUPPOSED to be biased and seeing things the way of your team.  In the case of Tommy, while he does wear green tinted glasses - he also is one of the few commentators on the air now that callt he game that is in front of them.

Scal and nearly every local color guy I see when I watch League Pass, spends most of the game talking about BS not related to the play at hand.  This is who he played for at AAU, this is what his season averages are, those are cool shoes.  Tommy on the other hand WATCHES THE GAME and often wants to focus on what we are seeing.  He took an extra step, that was a clean strip, his hands were straight up but he fouled with his lower body.

Most young fans are used to 2 hours of star talk - and Tommy doesnt give that to them, so they dont know how to take it.  When he finally hangs it up, he will leave a big void in the Boston Celtics lexicon.  

mrkleen

Gobbled up just about every word that Most ever uttered as being the Gospel - but that was the days way before extensive TV coverage. But now with slow motion review and instant replay I prefer to rely on my own interpretations of the game. Your right - Tommy is great at the technical aspect of the game - I just don't need his constant homerism of the game - and that goes for all HOMETOWN announcers throughout the NBA.

swish

Back in the 60's when Boston did not get a lot of TV time i would listen to Johnny on the radio. His raspy voice would fill the room and then I would hear my mom say "turn that down"

dboss

swish wrote: mrkleen

 Gobbled up just about every word that Most ever uttered as being the Gospel - but that was the days way before extensive TV coverage.  But now with slow motion review and instant replay I prefer to rely on my own interpretations of the game. Your right - Tommy is great at the technical aspect of the game - I just don't need his constant homerism of the game - and that goes for all HOMETOWN announcers throughout the NBA.

swish

I watch every game and because my son cant get enough, I often watch most games multiple times - and I rarely disagree with Tommy and his interpretation of what I am seeing. I think he is overly hyperbolic on certain calls and is not one to admit when the replay proves his initial call wrong. But I almost universally agree with his point of view on the NBA officials being biased towards stars, extremely inconsistent, and wanting too often to be the stars of the show.

Tommy knows more about basketball than likely anyone alive and his love for the sport cannot be questioned. He loves his Celtics beyond all others, but I think most of what I hear during a broadcast is insightful and colorful comments. And when he roots for the home team, I am all for it. Homerism is why I loathe when the games are on TNT or ESPN vs NBCSN. Give me Jonny Most and Tommy until their last breath.

Television, what was that? I sat in the middle of my bed with a transistor radio listening to Johnny Most describe play by play. I envisioned the play in my head. He taught me basketball and I fell in love with the game.

Homer, sure. So wasn't Chick Hearn. Why is he in the HOF and Johnny isn't. At the beginning at the playoffs this year they showed plays from old games. Who's voice was on the clip?
Johnny Most! It is a shame he has not be inducted into the HOF. Sam and I were working on this when he passed.
I have sent several letters, as have certain friends, to no avail.
The longer it goes, the less the chance. I know Tommy Heinsohn was working on this also.

There is nothing like listening to a home based announcer. Even Sean Grande is good, but I have to say no one touches Johnny!

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Television, what was that?  I sat in the middle of my bed with a transistor radio listening to Johnny Most describe play by play. I envisioned the play in my head. He taught me basketball and I fell in love with the game.

Homer, sure. So wasn't Chick Hearn.  Why is he in the HOF and Johnny isn't. At the beginning at the playoffs this year they showed plays from old games. Who's voice was on the clip?
Johnny Most!  It is a shame he has not be inducted into the HOF.  Sam and I were working on this when he passed.
I have sent several letters, as have certain friends, to no avail.
The longer it goes, the less the chance. I know Tommy Heinsohn was working on this also.

There is nothing like listening to a home based announcer. Even Sean Grande is good, but I have to say no one touches Johnny!

Did the same thing.  WBZ 103 was a clear channel station that carried the games in the 60's +.  Usually the signal was good but once in a while after I got my license I'd drive around till I found a spot that Johnny's raspy voice would pierce the static of AM radio.  A few times that would put me behind our little church in the parking lot.  Fitting I suppose as those days divine intervention seemed to always grace the C's.

In 1975-76 season I went to almost all of the Buffalo Braves home games on my college press pass.  Got to go into the locker rooms after the games and the press room before.  And it was in that press room I sat down and had a talk with Johnny Most.  

To sum it up it was one of my most memorable 10 minutes of my life at that time.  He smoked about 4 cigarettes during that time. They were a bit unusual in that they were short. He called them his "minutes ". As he only had a minute to smoke one during a time out.  I told him about listening to him for years.  He spoke about his fondest memories of doing these games for the Celtics.

He may not be in the HOF.  That's for others to ultimately decide, but for a young kid growing up listening to his favorite team...... he was the best there was.   Remember when he had his leg amputated and he did games in his wheelchair.  Guess his love for the Celtics exceeded most everything else.

And it wasn't till after he passed away I found out he was a highly decorated WW2 hero too.


Certainly one of a kind.


beat

Tommy is a great homer, but he does mix in a lot of basketball analysis that is quite good from where i sit.

Johnny Most was the all time homer and I am glad that he was our homer.

Bob, thanks for posting the reruns of Most. Classic and beautiful at the same time for these old ears.