Did any of you hear what Al Michaels said when they we're doing the bit about Kobe going and talking to his wife & daughter? He said something like "and a child will led them", which I guess was before he figured out the Lakers were about to lose. One the dumbest things I've ever heard someone say during a game.
dude they were so boring and bias! it just makes you even more thankful to have calvin and bill as our commenators.
After that horrible lane violation call, I was glad that Al pointed out the fact that Shaq constantly steps over the line before the ball gets to the rim. IMO, the refs should just let shaq do it, and at the same time never call the defensive team for a lane violation. To keep calling the violations is a complete joke. Talk about one sided.
Al Michaels is the gold standard in announcing games for football but this is his first forray into calling basketball games. In football, he can lay back and not be quite as enthusiastic but he'll need to be a bit more animated for the NBA. I LOVE his insight into the games and his way of putting things, but he'll definitely need a little work on his game calling. I think Doc Rivers is an EXCELLENT compliment to Michaels.
I thought the commentators of Doc and Al Michael was awesome. I love their insights, unlike stupid Walton who makes so many stupid comments in the game that don't make sense.
You guys do remember that it was Michaels' voice that blared out, "Do you believe in miracles... YES!" for the 1980 US Hockey team. Hockey requires just about the same level of enthusiasm for basketball... and then some. (to match the intensity on the ice, and the constant action). Michaels IS the gold-standard for football, and if you guys remember his baseball days, you'd realize he might have even been better at that. I do remember another legendary baseball announcer, Bob Costas, making his attempt to call basketball games, and I do remember saying how "awful" he sounded, trying to incorporate all his baseball story-telling into basketball. He eventually found the happy medium, and I bet you Michaels will find those hockey roots deep within 30 years of brodcasting experience, and become a great great b-ball announcer for (hopefully) years to come. God knows ABC needs SOMETHING to make their mark on NBA television... CBS had Lakers/Celtics, NBC came in when Jordan's dynasty was begnning (and the NBA became GIGANTIC), and ABC is currently getting the shaft in terms of the state of NBA teams.
[off topic] Did anyone hear what Al Michaels said during MNF about the earthquake in California on Monday? When it happened, he was on an Bay Area radio station doing an interview, and he said "What this is, we're having an earthquake", which was what he said 14 years earlier during the World Series earthquake. Freaky coincidence. [/off topic]
Poor Al, He was at the San Fran Quake for the WS in the late 80's and on Monday he was in Oakland for the MNF game and felt the Quake up there too. Al did a fine job to me, the bit about vanessa and the kid seemed to be like they were trying to build up Kobe as the Lakers savior. Doc was not bad save the comment about Moochie being a good basketball player. (Maybe he saw the Indy 3 OT game, who knows)
I enjoyed the Michaels / Rivers duo. They were so much better than having to listen to Walton and who ever else. I didn't think they were biased at all. The only thing that was said that really gets tired is what every non-Houston announcer says about Yao. He can't understand English. I think they should do their homework because Yao seems to understand and speak English fairly fluently. With the exception of that I think they were outstanding.
It is his first foray into the NBA, but he has done plenty of basketball. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2003-10-27-bonus-michaels_x.htm
I'm glad I'm not the only one that liked the commentators. No loudmouth Walton, or Tom Tolbert. I'm glad they kept him behind the desk at the halftime show and kept his ugly mug off the screen with as few appearances on screen as possible. I know it's an entertainment business but I really do get sick of players getting blown out of proportion because of analysts like Stephen A. Smith, Sean Elliot, Bill Walton, and Tom Tolbert. Greg Anthony, Al Michaels, Doc Rivers all do an excellent in offering their analysis even if it is a bit repetitive sometimes (i.e Greg Anthony's "without question" comments. He's cut back and he's actually insightful and worth listening to now.) They call the game well without having to shout at the top of their lungs everytime a player from the hype machine makes a bucket. At the same time those loudmouths are entertaining when they eat crow after making outrageous remarks. (i.e Barkley kissing a donkeys ass, people calling Yao a bust, even in the championship days when the hype machine was rolling in for Shaq and predicting him to demolish Hakeem.)
This is the first NBA game I've watched on ABC and I was completely unimpressed. Michaela and Rivers were fair, no more. The camerawork was far worse than NBC's (or CBS's for college hoops), and the audio was so bad that half the time I couldn't hear them over the crowd. I felt like I was on the tenth row and they were a few seats in front of me, and I could ususally hear them but not always. A very amateurish production, I thought. The dumbest comment was when one of them, commenting on a very quick Shaq spin move, said it was raw size (strength) and said he was domintating Yao because he had 40-50 pounds on him.
That's my man. The audio was indeed terrible, even with the TV all the way up. The camerawork could have been better (seemed like they only had two camera, one at halfcourt, one on Michaels and Rivers). At least they don't have that vomit cam like NBC. It's sad when Doc Rivers and Al Michaels are the best that ABC can do. It wasn't as hyped and ego-filled (like any NBC broadcast), but it was sure boring. This is the first time in a while where I shut off the volume and turned on the delayed (yet quite exceptional) internet broadcast. Michaels still thought he was watching football: 'And Francis just intercepted that pass.'
uhhh? not at all. Michaels was great, especially for the first time. Doc Rivers is the one who kept making the football references, trying to joke with Michaels. I don't think I ever heard Michaels reference a football term once without Rivers starting it first. The thing I was impressed with was how rivers was so easy-going in his conversations of his firing. He even joked about, I'm surprised he wasn't bitter. "Houston's high in a half came against.... well sorry for saying this Doc, but the Magic" "That's why I'm not the coach anymore"
I think the duo did a very good job. I enjoyed the game and Doc's insights. I especially enjoyed his comments on Cato. How is game doesn't really translate into a very good Box Score. But, the NBA has taken notice of Cato. After last nights game, I am pretty positive the contenders in the league that are looking to defend Shaq are or will be calling the Rockets for Cato's services. I for one would have never guessed how succesful this guy would be with JVG. I really thought he would be in JVG's dog house before the end of training camp. This is coming from the guy that told you guys how hard Cato was working out at the gym before the start of last season. BRAVO TO CATO AND THE REST OF THE TEAM FOR PLAYING THEIR ARSE OFF LAST NIGHT!
I used to like them, but they have become rather annoying lately. Lately I have been turning 610 on and listening to Gene Peterson, he's awesome. Al Micheals and Doc Rivers were ok, I think he is better at Football though. They got kind of annoying b/c they kept repeating the same fact for the entire first half: the fact that the ROckets are a very low scoring team. Seemed like they repeated it 10-20 times the first half.
I didn't care much about what he was saying in his commentary so I didn't mind. However, the thing that really gets me is when he calls our players by the wrong names.
