An analysis of Gus Johnson-less end-of-game broadcasts

The first day of March Madness came and went, and for a good portion of the day, every game ended in dramatic fashion. The moments that embody pure drama are the ones that usually stay freshest in our memories the longest. For that to happen, the scenes needed to narrated with the drama and energy of a 12-car pile up.

Since we spent the early parts of the week breaking down the best "Gus Johnson Moments" in college basketball history, we decided to break down the quality of the end-of-game-calls from Thursday's action. Because after all, you guys clearly didn't come here looking for a statistical breakdown of Louisville's sub-par offensive efficiency rating.


(Rating system: 1-5 in terms of "ONIONS" where 1 is "Boom goes the dynamite" and 5 is "SEND IT IN JEROME")

No. 8 Butler 60, No. 9 Old Dominion 58 - Tim Brando/Mike Gminski



First off, we have to remember that all of these calls would be infinitely better if Gus Johnson was on the mic. Nonetheless, Brando did a quality job on this one. True, the catch-phrase was clearly manufactured and prefabricated, but the execution was spot on. Not a bad way to start March Madness.

Rating: 3.5 Onions


No. 13 Morehead State 62, No. 4 Louisville 61 - Vern Lundquist/Bill Raftery



With Raftery on the mic, you were all but guaranteed to get a good call, and that's exactly what happened. The soundtrack to unbridled chaos that he provides makes any end-of-game situation classic. When you add in the bewilderment that Vern Lundquist expresses when Mike Marra hoists up the final shot, this clip becomes an instant-classic. Best call of the day, bar-none.

Rating: 4.5 Onions


No. 7 Temple 66, No. 10 Penn State 64 - Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner/Reggie Miller



The ending to this game was pretty awesome. But the call was pretty plain. Kevin Harlan did a good job on Talor Battle's 25-footer, but his delivery of the final play was somewhat-unimpressive. It wasn't set up well and, while he did express excitement in his voice, it was certainly nothing special. But thank god Reggie Miller didn't try to chime in. This call would have gone from bad to worse.

Rating: 3 Onions


No. 4 Kentucky 59, No. 13 Princeton 57 - Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel



This was nearly as unimpressive as Harlan's call. Yes, the description of Knight's lay-up was nice, but nobody says "With the runner" quite like Gus Johnson. But listen to when Princeton takes their final shot, Eagle's tone of voice is almost somber. There is no place for "somber" in March Madness.


Raing: 2 Onions

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Yo, you heard the new T-Pain joint featuring ... Jim Nantz?

Not really sure what to say about this video. Genius? Hilarious? Someone has way too much time on their hands?

Regardless, it is absolutely worth the watch.

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Announcing Schedules Released, Gus Johnson is Already Yelling

Not sure how many of you out there actually care, but the NCAA released the announcing schedules for the first round of the NCAA tournament.





Gus Johnson gets West Virginia-Dayton and BC-USC in the first round, and then hopefully West Virginia-Kansas and BC-Michigan State in the second round. I really hope he calls some exciting games, because what is March without Gus going nuts (you wanna get ready for March Madness, then watch those clips. You'll be ready)? Continue reading...

Digger Phelps Sure Can Dance

This is making its rounds on the intrawebs this morning (h/t Rush the Court via Bruins Nation via Deadspin):



As if I didn't hate Digger enough. For a man his age, he does have some decent moves. Continue reading...

Little Diddy About Billy and Jeannine...

I bet you thought this story had no more legs. I mean, we've written about it here and here.

Ryan Parker managed to keep this one going, as he wrote a little diddy about Billy and Jeannine.



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Billy Gillispie loves sideline interviews

Remember two weeks ago when we posted the video of Billy Gillispie being interviewed by ESPN sideline reporter Jeanine Edwards? Edwards asked him a question about how Ole Miss was shutting down Jodie Meeks, Gillispie responded by telling Edwards that she asked "a stupid question". Watch:



Well last night, during the Kentucky-Florida game, Edwards once again interviewed the coach before halftime. It didn't go to well this time either.



Gillispie's disdain for Edwards is palpable during this interview. He says he can't hear her on the first question, then totally disregards her what she asks and goes off on his own tangent. I'm not sure why Gillispie would dislike Edwards, but I do find it funny that Edwards is clearly trying really hard to impress Gillispie with her question.

To be honest, I think the whole idea of halftime interviews are kind of dumb. The interviewer is much more likely to catch an attitude from the coach than they are to get a straight answer. And rarely, if ever, does the coach say something insightful or something of substance.

Does a national TV audience really need to see someone that has that job because they are nice on the eyes (not because of their knowledge of the sport) try to have an intelligent conversation with the some of the game's greatest minds? I sure don't.

While we are on the subjectn did anyone see what Holly Rowe was wearing during the Mizzou-Kansas game? I'll try to dig up a picture (not finding it right now)n but she had on a leather jacket. Really? Was she doing sideline for Orange County Choppers? It was Big Monday on ESPN. Do it up a little bit, Holly. Continue reading...

Doug Gottlieb and Ed Hightower are not popular in Big XII country

I think Doug Gottlieb is a prick. He's smug. He's pompous. He has it out (I was watching that same broadcast, and I remember thinking the exact same thing) for the Big East because he got booted from Notre Dame for stealing credit cards.

But I respect Gottlieb. For starters, he knows his stuff. There may not be a more knowledgeable and eloquent college basketball analyst at the worldwide leader (personally, I think it is Jay Bilas, but Gottlieb is number two on my list). He also stands behind everything he says, especially when he believes he is right (99.9% of the time, he does). This exchange is the perfect example. During the Kansas-Nebraska game on Wednesday night, Cookie Miller got into a bit of a tussle with Mario Little. Take a look:



Gottlieb is very critical of Miller, saying he is "acting like a punk". Miller's family was none-too-happy about it, as they emailed Sports-by-Brooks asking for an apology from Gottlieb. I doubt they will ever get one, as Gottlieb reportedly said

He absolutely was acting like a punk. Go back and watch the tape if you guys want, but he was acting like a punk

on his Omaha radio show.

I agree with Miller's father and Nebraska coach Doc Sadler that Gottlieb may have gone a bit over the line in calling Miller a punk. But the bottom line is that the kid was acting like a punk. After the whistle was blown, Miller reached over Little and tried to rip the ball away from him. I don't really judge the kid for it. He clearly got caught up in the emotion of the game and carried it a little too far. But the fact of the matter is that Miller started the whole fracas.

One of the reasons that I respect Gottlieb as an announcer and an analyst is that he is not afraid to say something that may upset the coaches or the players he is covering. This isn't the first time he has gotten into trouble for things he has said on air. He gets paid to give the public his opinion and analysis of the games he is watching, and he does that. Whether or not you agree with him is a different story.

Another reason I like Gottlieb - he's pretty fun. While doing some research for this post, I came across this little diddy from Deadspin. Here is an exchange from an ESPN Chat he did a few years ago:

Mike Indiana: How did your mediocre basketball career prepare you for a mediocre broadcasting career?
Doug Gottlieb: (4:04 PM ET ) So your mediocre life can prepare you for a mediocre afterlife...and by the way, which one of us works for ESPN... hey and next time...when I you say 30 minutes or less....get here on time with my pizza.
John (Notre Dame): Doug, I lost my credit card, where were you last night?
SportsNation Doug Gottlieb: (4:27 PM ET ) Ask your mom.
Johns Mom (Notre Dame): GOTTLIEB I KNOW YOU STOLE MY SON'S CREDIT CARD!
SportsNation Doug Gottlieb: (4:34 PM ET ) Ten years ago I made a mistake...and payed for it...18 years ago YOU WERE your parents mistake and they are still paying for it.

I'm sure he received some sort of punishment for that, but you have to admit, it is pretty funny.



You know Ed Hightower. You've seen him before. He is the ref with the Fresh Prince style flat top. He has worked 12 Final Fours in his days moolighting as a ref (his day job is a superintendent the Edwardsville, Illinois school district), including last year's final when Kansas beat Memphis.

Hightower has also developed a reputation for his over-the-top theatrics when making a call. The fine folks over at Phog.net put together a thread taking this picture of Hightower and, well, see for yourself. Here is a link to the full thread (Deadspin put together a gallery of all the pictures). Continue reading...

Friday Lay-up Lines

Only one game of significance tonight as Marquette (20-2, 9-0) puts their undefeated Big East record on the line as they travel to South Florida (7-14, 2-7) to take on the Bulls.

Since there isn't much on the schedule to talk about, we'll give you these two clips of college basketball announcers at their finest. The first is Mike Patrick, who you may remember for this legendary question during an Alabama-Auburn football game. Apparently, he isn't a fan of Barry Bonds:



After the jump, find out why Eric Devendorf ... smells deuces?



I don't consider myself sexist. I actually think Doris Burke is extremely knowledgeable about the game of basketball (and if you read this blog, then you know Dana O'Neil is probably my favorite writer). But watching this clip only confirms why women have had and always will have trouble entering this profession.

I mean seriously, you are announcing a college basketball game. I'm guessing three quarters of the audience watching on TV are males in the 15-35 range. I'm also going to guess that 99% of those males in the 15-35 range are aware of what the saying "dropping a deuce" means. So why, in the name of the good lord, would you ever think it a good idea to say somebody "smells deuces", and mean it as a compliment? Continue reading...

Gus Johnson Remix

If you read this blog, then you know how much we enjoy Gus Johnson as an announcer. The guy is awesome. And here is an awesome youtube video of Johnson's greatest calls.

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Bob Knight as a Color guy?

It looks like those rumors of Bobby Knight returning to the sidelines won't be coming to fruition, at least for this season. After experimenting with Knight as an in-studio analyst at the end of last season, the Worldwide Leader has decided to put Knight in the booth this year. He will be paired up with Brent Musberger for Thursday night games and Dan Shulman for various non-conference games during the week.

I'm not sure how this will work out for ESPN. On the one hand, there may not be anyone in the world that knows his x's and o's better than Knight. But at times last year, Knight seemed bored on-air and gave off this vibe that talking about basketball on TV was below him. It didn't seem like he enjoyed what he was doing, although I'm sure a large part of that is just Bob Knight being surly old Bob Knight (I'm sure Dickie V's ass-kissing only helped the situation). And how long do you think it would be until he dropped an F-bomb live on the air?

But as I said before, there may not be anyone that knows the game better than Knight, even if he is a bit inexperienced on air. ESPN is pairing him with two of the best and most experienced play-by-play guys out there in Shulman and Musberger. Do you think the WWL has the stones to assign Knight to an Indiana game?

So other interesting news and notes:

Chris Broussard caught up with Brandon Jennings in Rome. It looks like the young fella is doing pretty good for himself. I've been saying it from the beginning - this was a great decision by Jennings.

The LA Times and New York Times both had interesting pieces on how the new three-point line is effecting college hoopers. Will we end up being right? Continue reading...

Dick Vitale is a Hall of Famer

Some people like him. Some people can't stand him. But the one thing that you can't argue is that Dick Vitale has left his mark on college basketball, from each "Dipsy-Doo Dunkaroo" to every "Awesome Baby, with a capital A!". Sure, he was never the greatest coach (but how many people can name the top 10 winningest coaches of all-time? I can probably get, like, six tops) or the greatest player, but has there ever been a more recognizable announcer in college basketball (or any sport for that matter)?

Seriously, has there ever been a college basketball announcer that is more well known than Dickie V, especially with casual fans? Love him or hate him, he has been as much a face (or voice) of college basketball as anyone since the 90's. It has gotten to the point where, if he is working a game, fans will come out with their bald wigs on and their "PTPer" signs. What other announcer has ever gotten that kind of treatment, regardless of who is playing.

Isn't that what the Hall of Fame is all about? It is more than just a place where you can hang the plaques of the guys a group of writers think were the best ever. The Hall of Fame (and this goes for any sport) is supposed to be a museum - a place someone can go to learn about the history of the game, the athletes and people that played, and everyone that was involved with it.

How can you tell the story of college basketball without mentioning Dick Vitale?

The one thing that most people hate the most about Dickie V (other than the Duke bias) is that he rants and raves and yells his usual Dickie-babble when he gets excited. Well, I think that is his best attribute, and what makes him the best at what he does. Don't get me wrong. When he starts spouting that verbal diarrhea, I sometimes want to throw the remote at the TV.

But all of it is legitimate. He is not faking it. He actually gets that excited about a great play. He really is that emotional when talking about Jim Valvano, his close friend that died of cancer. He truly enjoys and loves the game that college basketball so much, and he is not afraid to wear those emotions on his sleeve. 

And regardless of how much you hate him, you have to admire him for that.

Congratulations Dickie V. At least one person thinks you deserved it.

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He's Finally Gone!!

CBS has finally come to their senses and dropped Billy Packer as their lead college basketball analyst, meaning that for the first time in 27 years, someone other than the pompous curmudgeon will be calling the Final Four. Reportedly, CBS is moving Clark Kellogg from the studio to team him with Jim Nantz as the lead color commentator, and are trying to work out a deal with Greg Anthony to have him replace Kellogg.

Personally, I cannot be any happier that someone else will be announcing the Final Four in 2009 (although, I'm sure CBS will air some type of remembrance to him that will make me want to vomit). I despise Billy Packer, as does about 95% of the world. He is an surly, senile old man that has completely lost touch with the game and actually hates everyone. He thinks he is much more important to basketball (and to every game he covers) than he actually is. But what I hate the most about him is that he doesn't seem to care about the game he is watching (because he is not a sports fan?).

When I watch a game, I want the announcers to be as into the game as I am (I wrote about this here in March). I love college basketball. Every game, especially when conference plays starts up, is so important, and everyone, from the fans watching in the arena or on tv to the players to the coaches, brings so much energy to the game. Why not have an announcer that does the same thing? When something happens that makes me jump up, or say "What a move!! How did he do that?", I want to feel like the announcer is just as impressed. When a fan base, a viewing audience, and the players have so much passion and emotion for a game, why shouldn't the announcers?

Guys like Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery (and if you can get past the "dipsy-doos", Dick Vitale) do this incredibly well. Billy Packer never did. Every time I watched a game that he was calling, he gave me the feeling that he thought he was too good for the game - that he had seen everything before and regardless of what happened, he was such a college basketball institution nothing could impress him. Packer was so negative that, at one point or another, every fan could have (correctly) believed that he hated their team.

So, as a farewell, here are some of the best and most notorious Billy Packer moments (or at least the ones that made youtube).

This is my personal favorite:

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Stephen A. Smith talking sense?

Anyone reading this post will most likely know who Stephen A. Smith is - the brash screamer that covers NBA and College basketball for ESPN. For the most part, it seems like Stephen A. is generally disliked. Once you get past the yelling and some of the nonsensical babble, he actually has a very interesting perspective on certain issues. Where most sports writers view certain issues, especially those dealing with race and class, with an elitist, holier-than-thou attitude, SAS looks at these issues from the athletes or the kids perspective - when he writes, he writes from the point of view of the people involved.

Yes, there are times where he comes off sounding ignorant and flat out idiotic, and the fact that he believes volume makes him correct makes me want to slap him. But he still has a very interesting point of view. He wrote a column for espn.com looking at OJ Mayo and the money that he was given before and while attending USC.

As I wrote yesterday, I completely agree with Stephen A. here. First of all, if the rules are followed correctly, everyone in college sports is getting paid - from the coaches, to the sponsors, to the schools, to the agents, to the merchandise vendors, even the writers. Everyone EXCEPT for the people actually responsible for generating the revenue - the athletes themselves. I know that they are supposed to be compensated with a scholarship and an education, but you think an education is what they want? Does an education put cash in their pockets?

For every other profession, when you are in college you can get an internship, or something along those lines, that will pay you and help train you for your future. With sports, you can't. It's not like Darren Collison can say "I'm going back to school, but I'm interning with the LA Lakers this summer". Sure, he can go work out with them, but he's won't be making any money off of it, whereas talented summer interns for law firms and financial brokerages get paid. Why can't a college athlete make money off of their talents?

The bottom line is that these guys are going to school to be trained, educated, and prepared for their future profession - the NBA, NFL, MLB, whatever it is. It's the same for regular students. If you're a finance major, are you going to take a biology class? And if you do, are you going to really pay any attention to it? I'm not saying that these athletes should be allowed to major in basketball or that they shouldn't be educated in anything else, but sooner or later people need to realize that for some folks, sports IS THEIR JOB. It's how they are going to put food on the table. It's what is going to keep a roof over their head.

The NCAA will never be able to combat the runners for agents, because these kids are always going to be seen as a meal ticket for someone. So why not allow it? They deserve to make something off of all the revenue they create, right? What if they said that an athlete could get paid a certain amount, maybe a couple hundred a week, have them file formal tax returns, get the government involved, the whole nine yards. The problem with the current system is that once the player's leave school, the only punishment that can be handed down is the forfeiture of all that season's games (see Chris Webber or Marcus Camby). If the government gets involved and taxes need to be filed, wouldn't increase the incentive not to take extra money? You would either be caught when you filed the returns or would have to lie on them, which (believe it or not) is actually a crime.

I don't know, maybe that wouldn't do anything. It was just a thought. But my point is, does it really matter if OJ Mayo makes a few thousand off his basketball ability while still an "amateur". He's going to be making millions off it in a few months anyway. Continue reading...

Announcers And How They Can Make Or Break A Game

Georgetown knocked off Marquette 70-68 in OT today in what was one of the most exciting games I've watched this year. It had everything you could ask for. High stakes - Georgetown remained atop the Big East standings with the win, while Marquette dropped to two games behind UConn and Notre Dame for the all-important fourth spot and the first round bye in the Big East Tournament. A great Georgetown comeback from 11 points down. Great defense and some incredible plays offensively. Outstanding energy, effort and determination from both sides. Thrilling finishes to both regulation and overtime. A great crowd that was loud and into the game from the tip.

But what made this game stand out in my mind was the masterful job Gus Johnson did as the play-by-play announcer. To be honest, I don't think Johnson or his partner today, Clark Kellogg, know all that much about college basketball. I watched the game by myself this afternoon, but the job done by this crew really made me feel like I was watching it with a bunch of people that truly love the game as much as I do. Whenever the suspense and excitement would build, these two conveyed those same sentiments perfectly. Everytime something happened that made me say "What a freakin' play" or "How did he hit that shot?", I got the sense from these two that they were saying the same thing. When a game has as much energy and excitement as this one did, watching it becomes so much more entertaining and enjoyable when it feels like the announcers don't have the attitude that I'm better than you, that I am too good to get excited for a great play, but rather seem like they are just as much a fan of the sport as the viewer. And it is not just Gus Johnson that can announce a game like that - Bill Raftery does a great job as well, and despite all the 'dipsy-doo's' and 'diaper dandies', Dick Vitale does the same thing.

In my mind, collegiate sports, specifically in basketball and football, you need an announcer that can energize the television audience. As opposed to the NBA, each and every game played at this level has so much passion - not just from the players, but from the fans at the games. Where else, except maybe European soccer, do you see fans on their feet for the entire game screaming their heads off? Where else do you see players giving as much effort as they do on a college basketball court? Where else do you see a regular season loss, which usually doesn't carry all that much weight, have such a devastating effect, and a win give such a euphoric feeling? When a fan base, a viewing audience, and all of the players have such enthusiam for the game being played, why shouldn't the broadcasters?

I'm sick of guys like Jim Nantz, or Brent Musberger, or the devil Billy Packer, whose time has obviously passed them by. They suck the air out of big moments in games. Look at these two examples, both go ahead shots late in the game in equally important games from last year's NCAA tournament, and tell me which announcer you think does a better job.

Gus Johnson and Dan Bonner doing Ron Lewis' three to send the game into OT in the second round.

Billy Packer and Jim Nantz on Jeff Green's game-winning jumper against Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16.

"We're going to overtime in Lexington. HAHAAA. College Basketball. CBS. THIS is March Madness." Says it all right there. Continue reading...