I know Walton loves Yao and he does seem a little overenthusiastic about the Mingster, but Tolbert is clearly trying to knock Yao down during the game. Jeez... defending Shaq's controversial racial/racist comments, picking on Yao's lack of rebounds, etc. Holy crap... someone get that bald idiot off the air!
Tolbert is a colossal tool. I mean it wasn't bad that he said that Amare Stoudemire should be Rookie of the Year, but that he said, "It wouldn't bother me if Yao was voted Rookie of the Year." Like who in the f*ck cares what Tom Tolbert thinks?? Huh?? Then I laughed my ass off when Walton reminded Tolbert that the Rockets weren't that good last season, implying that Yao has had an impact on them being better just like Stoudemire has for Phoenix.
They both stink. They're NBC alum, what do you expect. Tolbert was good as a studio guy, he ain't a color commentator. Walton is the biggest ass in the world. He will say anything for attention. Most of you think he's funny. Whatever he says is negative. He doesn't know basketball, he knows how to be a pessimist. They should not be on television. Mike Tirico, on the other hand, is fantastic. You know he can't stand either of the guys.
"This is a stunning start" - After Yao blocked 3 shots from ONeal and scored 4 points. "He's calling for the ball. He's just going right at the league's Most Valuable Player (Shaq)." - At the time Yao scored for 6 points. "These are the worst two shots in a quarter by Eddie Griffin in the entire Rockets history" - Mocking Griffin for his poor performance.
These two guys Tolbert and Walton should not be put together to give comments on ESPN. It's so terrible. I can see they hate and debate each other from Yao's talent, ROY, to Shaq's racial remark. I mean... it's obvious from the TV. If there were no 3rd guy last night... men... we will keep hearing their b****ing towards each other.
Walton is a very insightful analyst. He is pro-Ming, but he was critical of the Rocket's play, too much isolation, not enough motion, poor shot selection, "horrible" passes," not enough from Posey, Griffin, and Taylor, silly turnovers, and so on. Obviously, Frances and Mobley had career nights, but Walton was looking at the long haul. I thought it was was a great game, but not a great team game. The win still counts. We still have work to do, unless Frances and Mobley play like that every night.
"When does Yao just get up and check himself in? The game is in the balance!" - Walton, with 10 minutes left in regulation and the Rockets up by 2 points.
Was anyone else watching ESPN and when Tolbert and Walton went on way too long about the Shaq comments, you had to switch to the local coverage? I did and was sorry I wasted a lot of time with ESPN.
That was funny. I was almost in tears when he made that Eddie Griffin comment. I think he also made a comment about James Posey. No offense to any of the guys but I found that funny.
Tom Tolbert is a GOON He was a goon as a player and he is a goon as an announcer. I'd liketo think that Tom was being "paid" by ESPN to be Walton's foil. i.e. to play the devil's advocate against Yao. But he either did a really good acting job or instead truly believes what he says. If it's the latter case I lump him with many other ANALYSTS who are, quite frankly, grandstanders. The most they can do is rave about how great player S is, A PROVEN PLAYER, mind you, and how Player Y is sub-par relative to Player S. I hate that kind of reasoning. There is no insight, no intelligence, no reason to any of those comments. How peoples' resolve the whole issue about this "racial" slur thing is equally, if not MORE impt than the event itself. Why? b/c the event is PAST and the FUTURE doesn't need angry people flaring and flailing by NOT taking the "higher road." Long before tipoff, the big men had already resolved it. The greater answer had already been found in both Yao AND Shaq. Yao extended the olive branch and Shaq, IMO, has humbly realized the error in his ways. The resolution comes in the "greater understanding" that we get from realizing common insensitivities. Walton is correct in saying something to the effect of, "in this time, there is no place for such talk." Analysts like Tolbert should take a clue and realize that Shaq himself obviously felt wrong enough to apologize. End of Story. Notwithstanding these facts, Tom Tolbert shows every bit of his education, or lack thereof, and intelligence by rehashing the subject and defending Shaq on national TV. It's one thing to take the "high road" and say, "it was wrong on Shaq, the people have a right to be mad, but let's not overreact, and let's grow from this." But does Tolbert say this? No! He is so bent on defending his opinion (which he indeed has a right to), that he exposes his own ignorance and NEGATIVE biases. Back when he was a player, he was, AT BEST, a system player - i.e. the system of the day. Judging from last nite's comments, I'm beginning to think that he's still living in the late 70s, early 80s where the socio-system of the day didn't really account for racial insensitivies. The world IS different today and to peacefully coexist, it behooves us to mature as a society. Tolbert can't even compare to Walton. Walton, who I believe is much older than Tolbert, is so much wiser. Every column, every sportscast I've seen of Walton's that touches upon race and religion is deep in contemporary wisdom. Yao, Shaq, Walton, they all took the high road. Tolbert? Well, let's just say, he's got as much wisdom as he does hair. theSAGE
My favorite Walton comment was this one: "If I'm Yao, I'm checking myself back into the game now." He said that in the 4th when Yao was sitting down (what seemed like an eternity). The great thing about Walton is that he says things out loud that I am thinking...hehe.
If only the commentary was as good as the game. I hope I never hear anyone bad mouth Bill Worrell and Calvin Murphy ever again. The only thing as great as the game was Calvin's suit by the way. WOW..............
At least ESPN decided to put Walton on the broadcast. Can you imagine if ONLY Tolbert the Tool was doing the commentary last night with his constant put downs of Yao? I probably would have probably punched out the TV and missed the end of an incredible game. He was also critical of Yao on another broadcast and it is obvious he has something against the rookie. I hope ESPN NEVER puts "Tooltime" on a Rockets game again.
