Commentary Comments

In what I'm sure is an attempt to build up some good-will with fans after this offseason's lockout, the NBA has been offering a free, extended look at their League Pass TV package, which allows you to see every game, every night. (For the NBA fans out there who are interested, the free look goes until January 8th.) It may only be a two-week preview for a 6-month season, but for as compressed as the season is going to be, that is a lot of free basketball. Personally, I've thoroughly enjoyed this (not enough to order it for the rest of the season but, you know, I appreciate the effort). What has been really interesting is the fact that for most games you can choose whether you want to hear the home or away announce team. It is always funny to hear two perspectives of the exact same play. However, it has brought to my attention that there are a lot of bad basketball announcers out there.

Granted, after growing up listening to Tommy Heinsohn and Mike Gorman call basketball games, I'm probably a little spoiled. So, as those two embark on their 31st year as a broadcasting team, I figured I would help the other announce teams around the league with a few tips. (And for those of you who might be new to this blog I am actually qualified to offer these tips. I won an Associated Press Award for my color commentary work. Sure, it was for football, the principles carry over.) Besides, it is not as though this is brain surgery.

-Pay Attention: This one seems rather basic, but in listening to some of these guys this week it should not be taken for granted. Just know the score, how much time is left, how many timeouts each team has left and who is on the floor. You will be amazed at how much easier your job is when you know what is going on.

-Know Everyone's Name: I'm not even going to go crazy and ask that they know the other team's roster, just their own. Again, this seems like something they'd already be aware of, but you'd be shocked at how many announcers aren't sure how to pronounce the names of the guys on the team. I know that there has been an influx of foreign-born players into the league the last decade, but these guys spend enough time together on charters and such that you'd think they would pick it up by accident. And if it is not working, at least they could take thirty seconds to come up with a nickname that they can give the guy. Once the fans start calling them by that nickname you don't have to worry what the player's name actually is.

-Bias, Not Homerism: There is a fine line between favoring one team over another and blatantly ignoring reality. The good announcers can pull this off, but when it is bad it is really bad. You see, Tommy Heinsohn might want the Celtics to win and he clearly roots for them. That is to be expected when someone has worked for an organization for 50 years. I would expect nothing less from any former player who is now in the broadcast booth. Besides, when you're doing the local broadcast the fans want to hear things with a hometown-bias. However, that doesn't mean you can ignore facts. When a member of the Celtics messes up, Heinsohn will call them on it and I would want any announcer to do that. If the broadcast is nothing but excuses and justifications, it takes on the feel of parents watching their kids play in a soccer game. No one wants to listen to that.

-Tell Me Something I Don't Know: Admittedly, if you read the first two suggestions, I'm aiming for the moon with this one. But, wouldn't it be nice if someone who played in the league for a long time (as color commentators often are) actually said something that wasn't obvious to people who didn't play the game beyond intramural leagues? Oh, the team that is down 3 with 2 seconds left, is going to have to draw up a play that gets someone a look at a three-pointer? Thank God you're here, cause I never would have known that otherwise. I'm not saying you have to break down every situation in amazing detail that would blow my mind, but if you're not speaking in anything beyond cliches then you aren't bringing anything to the broadcast.