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Matt Bullard out as Rockets TV Analyst

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by J.R., Jun 2, 2021.

  1. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

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    This is just 100% incorrect - the Rockets PICK their announcers - they just work for AT&T.

    DD
     
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  2. Sep11ie

    Sep11ie Member

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    You are all really reaching now. Bull was awful.
     
  3. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
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    Really? Players seem to love and play hard for Stephen Silas.

    Looks like the beginnings of some good culture to me.
     
  4. count_dough-ku

    count_dough-ku Contributing Member

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    Well, let's just see who they replace him with. And(if the information is available to the public) what his replacement is making vs what Bull was being paid.

    For the record, I liked him as a commentator. Now that was partly because he had good chemistry with Bill Worrell who's retiring, so maybe Tilman is just starting over with an entirely new broadcast team. But if we find out this is due to cost cutting, I officially give up on this franchise. If you're so cheap or strapped for cash that you have to nickel and dime with the broadcasters, you'll never pay money to field a competitive team.
     
  5. eman

    eman Contributing Member

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    I enjoyed listening to Bull, even the corn-pone stuff.

    I've been dismayed by every personnel move the Rockets have made during Ferntit's tenure. So much losing, on and off the court.
     
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  6. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

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    The Rockets will be good again someday, but never forget that Tilman did everything he could to effectively end one of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise. He chose not to try to win with one of the best players and GM's the team will ever have.

    Never forget
     
  7. The Cat

    The Cat Contributing Member

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    This is absolutely not true, for the record. It WAS partially true in the days of CSN Houston, but unfortunately that went into bankruptcy and did not work out. AT&T is a separate entity that makes its own decisions and has its own ownership structure. Here's a quote from the Astros' former president of business operations that illustrates the change well:

    We don't have ownership in the network, so it was up to AT&T. We're glad they were able to get it done. (Chronicle link)

    With that said, is there some gray area and nuance to it? Yes. AT&T doesn't want its relationship with the Rockets/Astros to be combative. So if one of the teams used a lot of their political capital (if you will) to push back against a broadcasting decision, could they change it? Probably.

    IMO, it's safe to say that the Rockets didn't object to the Bullard decision to the extent needed to change it. However, I feel extremely confident in saying that they did not make the call themselves.
     
    #147 The Cat, Jun 3, 2021
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
  8. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    Well I think i speak on behalf of the American people when i say --- thanks for fixing it with this post
     
  9. The Cat

    The Cat Contributing Member

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    Related sidebar, it's worth noting that the Rockets do have more control of their radio network. As some of you may remember, during that brief period in 2018 when Adam Clanton got let go by 790 (before being re-hired), he still appeared on the Rockets' radio broadcasts (which, ironically enough, run on 790 in Houston). It's a confusing structure to follow, for sure.

    Anyway, long story short: The radio guys are getting checks from the Rockets, whereas the TV broadcasters are paid by AT&T SW.
     
    #149 The Cat, Jun 3, 2021
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
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  10. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    Do you have any inkling of what happened with Clyde by the way? He sort of just stepped away?
     
  11. fchowd0311

    fchowd0311 Contributing Member

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    That's amazing. Here I am thinking my comments on a basketball forum don't have any value to the planet but here I am changing the world. Thanks.
     
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  12. fchowd0311

    fchowd0311 Contributing Member

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    I feel like he is only available when the Rockets are contending and relevant.
     
  13. dobro1229

    dobro1229 Contributing Member

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    Once again ... ATT drops coverage
     
  14. dobro1229

    dobro1229 Contributing Member

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    Appreciate your thoughts but I 100% disagree. I’m sure there are producers at the network who might technically own the process from an HR perspective, and it’s their name signed off on the discharge paperwork, but there’s just no way that that a sports franchise wouldn’t have heavy say so in who is essentially the voice and a face of the team as the lead analyst. There’s just no way they would go rouge on this unless there was something like a sexual assault or other major behavioral conduct issue. Even then, I’m sure the team at the highest levels would be consulted.

    You’re quote from the Astros seems like someone from the Astros trying to free themselves from accountability for a personal decision that could be perceived as unpopular.

    Again... I think who they pick as a replacement will be telling in understanding the decision.

    At this point I’m also sort of expecting that Ackerman will be let go as well unfortunately. At this point there seems to be a clear initiative to clean house and establish a new brand. That brand so far sucks. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and the first impression of Tillman’s Rockets so far seems to be sacrificing valuable draft picks to save money, and then cleaning house from your MVP to your GM to your Broadcaster while the team ranks hard.

    Tillman will have a chance soon to prove himself but the key is he will be doing so without the goodwill of the legacy of the past helping him. He’s 100% on his own with the judgement of where the next era of Rockets basketball goes. Tillman hasn’t earned himself any credibility to believe him if he tries to say that Bill and Bull getting kicked out had nothing to do with him. I don’t buy that for one second...

    ... respectfully.
     
  15. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    I’ll always admire Bull, and Bill, for how they put up with Clyde, who I loved as a player going back to his UH days, but absolutely sucked as a broadcaster. In my opinion, it was astonishing how Clyde, just by being there, lowered the quality of our Rockets broadcast. He ruined any synergy Bill and Bull might have developed given the chance. Just the way he would repeat what Bill had just said, as if it came fully formed straight out of his overmatched brain, was irritating as hell.

    I think that was shown just this past season, when the pair were doing games. Bill had slowed down a lot, and Bull always had a long learning curve as a broadcaster that still continued, but I enjoyed the job they did together. It was refreshing. I don’t know what Clyde is doing now, besides working on his golf game, but good lord, was it ever great that he wasn’t mucking up watching the Rocks.

    I’ll miss Bill and Bull. I miss the glory days of Bill and Murph far more, of course. Heck, I even miss Les Alexander. Never cared for him as the owner of our team, but Fertitta makes the man look pretty damn good. That’s quite an accomplishment by our ******* of an owner. I’ll add, with all due respect to @The Cat, that I don’t doubt for a second that Ferntits wanted Bull gone and made sure to put in his two cents when it mattered. In my opinion.
     
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  16. ElPigto

    ElPigto Member
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    I wasn't necessarily a fan of Bull, but I didn't dislike him either. Honestly, the majority of the time, the announcers are just background noise to me. So whoever they put on next, I really don't care all that much.
     
  17. Bobbythegreat

    Bobbythegreat Member
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    My guess would be that AT&T will be looking to inject some diversity into the play by play. With Worrell retired and Bullard's contract up, it's their first real chance to pick the people they want and I don't think Bull checks enough boxes to latch on to him long term.

    A company like AT&T will know what the demographics of basketball fans look like, and they don't look like Bullard. To a certain type of person, that kind of thing has become vitally important over the past few years.

    I expect the people they bring in to reflect that. It's just a calculated business move.....and let's give it a chance, it could end up being a positive.
     
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  18. Pistol Pete

    Pistol Pete Contributing Member
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    Only if his contract has expired......
     
  19. The Cat

    The Cat Contributing Member

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    Few points. First off, I used the Reid Ryan quote because it's on the record, but you can ask people off-the-record and they'll tell you more (and at much greater length). Second, Bill Worrell wasn't kicked out, he's 77 years old. He's been planning to walk away for years. Also, not sure where the Tilman angle would come from with Worrell — Tilman loves him. Their UH connection is deep.

    Finally, you're significantly overstating the bond between professional teams and RSNs. They don't want a combative relationship, no. However, teams do not call the shots, and the relationship is not always chummy. Remember all the controversy in 2020 about why the NBA couldn't just go straight to the playoffs, following the COVID hiatus? Here's why:

    What they would love to do is to get to 70 games. And the reason is it’s 70 is a key number is because that is what the deliverable is to the regional sports networks. They are promised 70 games. ... Getting to 70 would be helpful in retaining revenue because they wouldn’t have to refund some to the local TV.

    Translation: The RSNs were ready to hold teams' feet to the fire, and it got ugly behind the scenes. They are not always in lockstep. Unless they are specifically owned by the team (which in this case, they aren't), the RSNs exist to make themselves money. They are their own corporate entity focused on maximizing profit. Their relationships with the team are a means to an end — they sell advertising, subscriptions, etc. based on having these live games and events. The broadcasters they choose are part of what they sell.

    Again, is there some overlap? Of course, they don't want to piss off the team too much because that could play a role in the next round of negotiations. But it's similar to deals that national networks have with national partners. When Turner makes a new hire, it isn't being made by Adam Silver, even though the games that the new broadcaster will work are solely due to NBA choosing to partner with Turner. The network executives are making these decisions within certain parameters (i.e. the content source being okay with it), but by and large, it's their call.

    P.S. The relationships generally work well because in many cases, the interest of the network and team coincide. You're absolutely right, for example, that the Rockets wouldn't want just anyone being the lead TV broadcaster or analyst. But AT&T has a similar incentive, since their primary audience is Houston fans, and hiring someone who isn't well liked in the Rockets' community would be viewed negatively by their viewers. It's not something that requires a lot of hand-holding. They can certainly veto if there's something they really don't like, for whatever reason, but most teams don't have a super active role.
     
    #159 The Cat, Jun 3, 2021
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
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  20. evilhomer

    evilhomer Member

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    As long as Drexler isn't brought back it's all good.
     
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