OT: I will almost never complain about women's commentators

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Ok, we all gripe about the commentators on women's games.

I don't watch men's games, particularly, but checked in on the Arizona game yesterday.

OMG - Bill Walton. With Dave Pasch that does some women's games. I felt sorry for him.

Walton was presenting him with certificates to admit him (Pasch) to the new Arizona athlete academic center and later on a check into the game was presenting him with plastic advertising cups with straws.

In between there was a feature of Walton visiting the new center - he spun into the wall and apparently bled on it. This was either before or after he was hiding behind a tree.

OMG. All I can say.

 

[BigBird]

Yeah, The Walton / Paasch duo is different from most of the talent out there. In fact, "out there" would be a good description. My objection to on-air talent is proportional to the extent that they make the broadcast about themselves, rather than about the players or the game in front of them. When an analyst verbally leaves the game action to make a larger point about the sport itself, I can be patient with that. But Walton goes off into the deep, dark woods of irrelevance to inject thoughts that are connected to nothing in particular. But they have built an audience for their brand of madness. When the audience tires of the act, the act will vanish.

 

[Plebe]

Haha. I know that Walton drives many people crazy, but I'll go ahead and be that guy who admits that I'm a fan of his goofball tangents about every topic under the sun. And some topics beyond the sun as well

I think that he and Pasch make a classic straight-man/funny-man comedy duo. The way they razz each other is awesome.

The voice I absolutely can't stand in men's basketball is Bill Rafferty's with all his sputtering incomprehensible utterances. And he's the one CBS puts on all the big tournament games in March and April.

 

[BigBird]

The voice I absolutely can't stand in men's basketball is Bill Rafferty's with all his sputtering incomprehensible utterances. And he's the one CBS puts on all the big tournament games in March and April.

Ever heard Jim Calhoun? Plenty of knowledge, but inept at vocally/verbally communicating it.

 

[Plebe]

Ever heard Jim Calhoun? Plenty of knowledge, but inept at vocally/verbally communicating it.

True. I'm not a big fan of his commentating either ... but I find him less grating than Rafferty.

 

[chuck.r]

Walton & Rafferty will have to go a long ways to annoy me the way Dick Vitale did (and occasionally still does, when he guest appears).

 

[ballhawk]

I'm with chuck.r. Dick Vitale is the most irritating announcer I have ever heard. He constantly talks about other teams and coaches and ignores the game he's announcing. For great announcing just think Marty Glickman.

 

[Alydar]

Haha. I know that Walton drives many people crazy, but I'll go ahead and be that guy who admits that I'm a fan of his goofball tangents about every topic under the sun. And some topics beyond the sun as well

I think that he and Pasch make a classic straight-man/funny-man comedy duo. The way they razz each other is awesome.

The voice I absolutely can't stand in men's basketball is Bill Rafferty's with all his sputtering incomprehensible utterances. And he's the one CBS puts on all the big tournament games in March and April.

Several years ago Walton did a UConn game. He is a unique character and I love listening to him. His play-by-play partner hardly got a word in but I found him refreshing. None of the usual cliches or the fawning on players/coaches.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Rafferty loves UConn Men, as does Len Elmore and Clarke Kellogg

Kevin Harlan is the best ever