People & Personalities: Writer Praises Jeff Van Gundy For Analysis

Writer Says Van Gundy Has Joined "Top Tier Of Game Analysts In Any Sport"

In Miami, Barry Jackson writes ESPN/ABC NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy "distinguishes himself with cutting candor, offbeat musings and sharp, reasoned analysis ... in a medium where so many game analysts are predictable and unoriginal." Van Gundy has joined the "top tier of game analysts in any sport, partly because he deactivated the filter between his brain and mouth -- the one that prevents many former coaches from saying anything controversial." Former NFL analyst John Madden was "this era's best at injecting offbeat musings," and Van Gundy "displays a similar knack." The disagreements between Van Gundy and analyst Mark Jackson "produce some of the most lively, amusing exchanges you'll hear in a broadcast booth," and play-by-play announcer Mike Breen "deftly moderates, while not allowing the broadcast to stray too far off course" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/15).

INTO THE WELLS: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand writes under the header, "New Baseball Analyst Wells Keeps It Clean, But Spirit Is Fiery." TBS analyst David Wells "can be pointed ... even without expletives." Wells said MLB players using steroids "don't care about the game, just themselves, and they're cheating the game." Wells: "I'm sure lots of organizations knew about it and turned away. Blame [MLB Commissioner Bud Selig] and owners" (USA TODAY, 5/15). In L.A., Mike Penner writes TBS hired Wells "in hope that he might become a baseball version" of TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley, "someone who speaks his mind and shoots from the hip." Wells: "I'm not a big reader, especially off a teleprompter. I just rather ad-lib, go out and say what's on my mind. I have been doing it for years and, I guess, why stop now? But I guess it's going to have to change a little bit. I'm going to have to grow up some time" (L.A. TIMES, 5/15).

NO REGRETS: Sirius XM host and former WFAN-AM host Chris Russo Wednesday said that while he "does not regret the move and enjoys many aspects of his new gig, he sometimes misses the impact of being on a local" radio station. Russo: "Baseball is so much more local. Those are the days where you definitely feel a little pang, like, 'Boy, [WFAN-AM host Mike Francesa] has got to be at Citi Field today, or Mike's got to be at Yankee Stadium.' ... That byplay between me and Mike, I miss that occasionally. I can't deny it. But overall, I don't have any regrets" (NEWSDAY, 5/15).