On Long Island, Neil Best notes Nets TV and radio play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle and Chris Carrino both insist that it is "business as usual no matter what the standings say." The Nets currently have the NBA's worst record at 9-36, but Eagle said, "It doesn't change the approach to the job. You still prepare the same way. You're still putting in the same amount of energy and enthusiasm." Carrino said, "You still remind yourself that this is fun; this is entertainment." He added, "We don’t sugarcoat it. I can’t tell a fan it’s good when it’s bad, or they’re not going to believe you when it’s good” (NEWSDAY, 1/27). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes the Nets' "strong" radio broadcasts are "again lost to minimal attention." The game calls by Carrino and analyst Tim Capstraw "remain free of silly 'score the basketball' talk" and make "genuine basketball fans feel wanted" (N.Y. POST, 1/27).
NO SPARK: NBC's Mike Tirico appeared on the latest podcast from SI's Richard Deitsch and talked about the struggles he had with ESPN's Tony Kornheiser during their three years sharing the "MNF" booth. Tirico said that the situation with Kornheiser was "doomed from the start." Tirico: "On-air, it was a challenge, and it has nothing to do with us as people. It had to do with the professional part of it. I did ‘PTI’ a couple of times with Tony, and it was in the lead-up to that, so we got to know each other a little bit. And that was a lot of fun. … On the air, it was very difficult because it was hard to do." He added, "I like Tony a lot. I love him on ‘PTI.’ It just was really hard within the body of a broadcast to do a talk show" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/27).
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Musburger is being praised for the impact he left
on viewers |
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Praise for retiring announcer Brent Musburger continues to roll in, and in Boston, Chad Finn writes Musburger, with his "Montana-born folksiness and his Northwestern broadcasting school polish ... emerged as the forefather to the likes of [ESPN's Chris] Berman in the role of energetic host who banters effortlessly with his studio panelists while making sure the show doesn’t go too far off the rails" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/27). ESPN’s Mike Wilbon said Musburger, "without swinging a bat or making a tackle or making a free throw at the end of a game, had enormous impact on people." Wilbon: "For a lot of us, it's a tough day to see Brent go anywhere, but we're proud to have followed in his footsteps to some degree” (“College Football Live,” ESPN, 1/26).
THE BUCK STOPS HERE: In Ft. Worth, Dwain Price noted former NBAer Greg Buckner is serving as the "pregame, halftime and postgame analyst" for Mavericks games on FS Southwest. Those who have "worked closely with Buckner during the past months or so are calling him 'a natural' who should have a long and prosperous career in broadcasting." Buckner’s "acute playing and coaching skills give him a huge advantage when it comes to analyzing games." He also "performs pregame, halftime and postgame duties every month for six" of the RSN's Pelicans games (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/25).
DARLING PARADE: In New Jersey, Bob Klapisch in a Q&A with Mets analyst Ron Darling asked, "Do you still feel like a member of the Mets’ family? Or are you strictly part of the media now?" Darling said, "I’m lucky enough that I’m wearing a lot of hats professionally. When I’m at the MLB Network, for instance, my perspective is more global, I’m covering the entire industry. But when I’m on SNY I’m still a former Met. I can speak to accomplishments that other announcers might not." He added, "I’m about as far from a homer as you will get" (Bergen RECORD, 1/27).
