I find Smith and all the rest of the talking heads on ESPN entertaining. I think some of you guys take them too seriously.
Quite Frankly, thats just 30 minutes to an hour more of my time doing better things than watching television.
They have to be somewhat entertaining. I see no difference in them and a guy like Calvin Murphy. A lot of people on this site love Calvin for the same reasons they hate the ESPN guys. They're loud and obnoxious, but people watch.
Calvin is loud and funny and knows basketball (he also twirls batton, break dances, and is a hall of famer). Steven A Smith, Greg Anthony, Tim Legler and the ESPN crew all just suck. They're not entertaining, imo. But, it's just my opinion. They yell and they're observatioins are simplistic and many times wrong. If you can't be knowledgeable, at least be entertaining (cause that what TNT is with Chuck, Magic, Kenny, and EJ). I mean seriously, how can anyone choose the ESPN guys over the TNT guys? The TNT guys are funnier and now much more about hoops, and have much more credentials. The Chuckster is loud and obnoxious, but also funny.
I have never heard anything insightful from the TNT crew. Just because Barkley and Magic have had great careers, it doesn't translate into analysis. Barkley's whole analysis of the NBA is everyone outside of Shaq, Duncan, and Garnett sucks. Anyway, I was referring to all the talking heads on ESPN, all their shows, PTI, Around the Horn, Cold Pizza, I here complaints about them all the time.
I freakin' love all the talking head shows on ESPN... except for "Rome is Burning." I really wish that guy would just quietly go away.
Barkley on Kendrick Perkins missing a late free throw in the playoffs (when Paul Pierce got ejected on a foul call and couldn't shoot so Rick Carlisle chose Perkins) : "He was so tight, you couldn't stick a pin up ass" How is that not insightful? I didn't say they were great (the only analysis on tv is a weekly show on NBAtv, i forgot the name, but they break down nbdl players, show film, analyze their footwork and positioning), but at least TNT is entertaining...just my opinion. Besides, the TNT show is the one all the NBA players watch. Just from the playoffs, you could tell the players know everything Chuck and Magic and Kenny say..it's like always on in the locker room. Even coach Eddie Jordan of the Wizzards watched during half time of his own game and basically said Chuck is wrong about his criticism and then Chuck said kiss my ass. Come on. Now way ESPN can top that.
He is watching the halftime report to figure out what adjustments he has to make for the second half? If only all the coaches were as smart as he was, they could get swept too.
Even more a reason for me not to watch ESPN. I already don't watch it because of his previous amount of airtime.... Now this just sealed the deal.
The funny thing is before he was on ESPN, SAS was the NBA voice on TBDSSP on FOX. He hardly ever got loud and screamed like he does now. He occasionally got loud with Tom Arnold, but nothing like he does now. As soon as he got to ESPN, he immediately had this hard-ass mentality and when he opens his mouth automatically gets louder and louder as he goes, until you have to turn the volume down on the television. Its funny because you can definitely tell (or maybe its just me) that Greg Anthony gets really annoyed with SAS when they are on the set. Many times I've seen GA roll his eyes and the camera pans away from him as SAS starts his loud rant. As for Legler, he lost all credibility with me when he started complaining and calling out players for not playing defense. All Legler did was stand behind the three-point line and shoot and played matador on the defensive end.
Sean Salisbury has mentioned that SAS' real life persona is NOTHING like his TV character. In real life, he is very quiet, subdued, and even shy. People hardly notice when he's in a room. But as soon as a camera or mic is in front of him, he does a complete 180 and startles the hell outta everyone.
