Bone on with KJR's Mitch in the Morning
I haven't listened to it yet, so I don't know if there's much new in there. I did hear a brief clip on my way to work this morning about Bone saying they would try to identify the kids who want a college town atmosphere to recruit -- sound familiar? -- and that he didn't think he and Romar would tangle on the recruiting trail too often because of that. Interesting.
over 2 years ago
Jeff Nusser
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Basketball seems like a million years away right now....
I hope the baseball team puts a whoopin on the pups. The dream is to make it to Omaha. Friday is the first step in that direction. I am so grateful we have such a competitive team.
Football’s right around the corner after that with freshmen reporting for Summer classes and unofficial workouts. Stanford visits Pullman 9/5. I don’t know if I’m looking forward to the season or not. Being the optimist I am, I believe Alex Brink when he told me we’ll be more competitive this season.
Basketball season will be a treat. So much is unknown but I don’t think we’ve had more reason to be as excited about an incoming class and new coaching staff.
Go Cougs!!!
I'm looking forward to football season
If for no other reason than it will give me something to watch! I would love it if some of these baseball games were on TV … perhaps FSN or FCS will pick up the regionals. Here’s to hoping.
The Oregon State series
should have been on FSN. Friday and Sunday looked like great games on game tracker. Instead, a repeat of Jay Buhner “In his own words” was on FSN. I mean, I like Buhner a lot but c’mon!
It's going to seem like a long wait....
Between Cougar baseball and the start of football season.
The M’s just aren’t getting it done. I will watch them anyway, but the viewing experience isn’t as good as when they are competing for a playoff spot. It seems so far fetched to even consider that a possibility.
NBA Playoffs?
Nobody is interested in that? That’ll at least get you into the middle of June without having to watch the M’s get worse and worse. And you know it’s gonna be Kobe vs. LeBron for the title…Stern won’t have it any other way!
I hear ya about Stern....
The NBA doesn’t really do much for me anymore. I’d rather watch the M’s get their butts kicked than watch an NBA game, even if it’s the finals. I’m just not a fan of that league for a number of reasons. I might watch part of a game but never a whole one anymore.
It all started with Wally Walker getting rid of George Karl. When he signed Jim McIlvaine to that stupid contract I knew they weren’t interested in winning any longer. I tried for years to overcome his ineptitude, but him and Howard Schultz’s sale to Clay Bennett put me over the top. Stern showed his true colors. I don’t watch the NBA nor will you ever again see me buy anything at Starbucks. I won’t support either enterprise.
Nice!
I understand where you’re coming from and support your boycott!
I grew up a Sonics fan, but now that I’m living in Vancouver and because my wife grew up a big fan, I’ve been infected with a mild case of Blazer Mania. Well, that and it’s the only major game in town around here. As a result, I’ve gotten back into the NBA even though the Sonics were flat-out stolen from Seattle and David Stern is a true horse’s arse. If a franchise ever comes back to Seattle, I will proudly return to being a Sonics fan, if anything because of the great memories I have of Gary, Shawn, Detlef, Nate, Rickey, The Brick, etc. and watching the Supes with my Dad.
I also understand your gripe about the league…I certainly prefer the college game. However, the up-and coming players in the league (LeBron, Wade, Roy, Paul, Howard, Rondo, Rose, etc.) are really starting to play a style similar to that of the 80’s, with great ball movement, less isolation and more free-flowing offenses that don’t just rely on one player to pound the ball while everyone else stands around, then watch said player either drive and get fouled or put up a fade away jumper…I’m not gonna mention any names (cough Jordan cough). On top of that, the players I listed all seem to be team-first guys that truly care about winning more than their personal stats.
I think the NBA is getting back to doing things the right way, finally figuring out that fans don’t want to see a bunch of overpaid whiners and gangstas playing organized street ball or games of one-on-one while 8 guys stand around. Plus, it’s pretty amazing to watch the best athletes in the world (which is what I think NBA players are) do the things they do. Now, if they could just get better officiating…
by '03CouveCoug on May 21, 2009 9:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Hate the NBA
I find it a bit more palatable in the playoffs, and I’ll watch LeBron James just because he is such a freak of nature that I’m consistently in awe of what he’s able to do, but I can’t watch it much. The season’s too long, the playoffs too drawn out, the ends of close games interminable … but at least they play hard virtually every trip down the floor from tip to buzzer in the playoffs, and that makes it at least marginally watchable this time of year.
More watchable than the M's
I like baseball, but watching the M’s the last few years is like watching grass grow. Especially when Felix is pitching…just like back in the day when Freddy Garcia was pitching. I think Venezuelan pitchers must be taught to take 3 minutes between pitches. Good golly, how many times can you go to the resin bag, adjust your jock and rub down the ball?!?
Fair enough that you don’t care for the NBA, and I agree that the season is a grind, but there are teams that play hard every night. I watched nearly every Blazer game this season, and I can’t think of a single game where they mailed it in. Plus, like I said in my earlier post, hard to argue that NBA players aren’t the best athletes on the planet, which makes the NBA watchable by itself, especially in the playoffs.
by '03CouveCoug on May 21, 2009 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions
It's not so much that there are games where they mail it in
It’s that there are parts of games where they mail it in. And when I say “they,” I know I’m making a gross overgeneralization. But one of the things I love most about college sports is the passion, even if it’s sometimes misplaced. I don’t see that passion real often in the NBA, and that’s a downer for me. Here are the two ways I would improve the NBA if I was commissioner:
1) Shorten the regular season to 60 games. THEN you’d see passion every night, as much of the margin for error would be cut out. No more mailing it in on the second of a back-to-back.
2) Lengthen the shot clock to 30 seconds. One of my biggest problems with the NBA is the forced nature of the offense. Twenty four seconds is enough time to try one set. If that doesn’t work, whoever’s got the ball in their hands has to put it on the floor and put up a shot. Great for forcing the action, but not good for good basketball. The 24-second time frame is arbitrary and was decided at a time when the game was very different; I contend that lengthening the clock would actually encourage more sound basketball and more creativity of sets on the offensive end, thereby resulting in a more pleasing product.
Of course, the NBA would never consider either of these options. The first takes money out of everyone’s pocket, and the second has the potential to slow the game down. But I can dream.
by Jeff Nusser on May 21, 2009 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
You're right
On both of your points. There is a pretty good liklihood that both of your ideas would actually improve the game, but you’re also right that it’ll never happen because both would likely decrease revenue. As for the lack of passion, I guess that I choose to look at that situation as the pros knowing that it’s a long season and that they must pick and choose their moments in order to maximize their benefit to the team.
Another thing I would like to see the NBA (and the NFL for that matter) change is the playoff format. I think it should be a seeded tournament by record of the top 8 teams from each conference. That way, a team wouldn’t be able to benefit from playing in a lousy conference. It would make series that much more competitive, thus creating a lot more excitement for the playoffs. If two teams from the same conference end up meeting in the Finals, so be it.
by '03CouveCoug on May 21, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions
You, too, are right
it’s a long season and that they must pick and choose their moments in order to maximize their benefit to the team.
A lot of people think I’m ripping on NBA players when I say they lack passion. I’m really not. I think the length of the season necessitates their approach, in most cases, which is why I would shorten the season.
Exactly
However, as you already pointed out, the owners would never go for it!
And, to be completely truthful, there are plenty of players in the NBA that lack passion. How many guys work their tails off to get the fat daddy contract, then as soon as the ink has dried, proceed to coast for the next 3 years? LOTS of them! Then, they come into another contract year, play their butts off and get another fat deal. Only the truly motivated and passionate ones bust their butts (Like LeBron, Kobe, D Wade, Tim Duncan, etc.) AFTER they’ve gotten paid. Those are the players that win titles. For every one of those, there are three Zach Randolphs, Tim Thomases, Eddy Currys, Vince Carters (I could go on) that sign the max contract and proceed to get fat and lazy.
That also turns a lot of people off from the NBA. Guaranteed contracts makes a player’s true colors shine through, and unfortunately, a lot of them are not motivated by winning.
by '03CouveCoug on May 21, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Getting rid of those contracts made a world of difference in the NFL
Here’s to hoping the NBA does something similar. Baseball works nicely because guys are under club control for their first six years, so they have no choice but to play hard. But the NBA would never go to a baseball system because the players would never allow it.
One more reason to dislike the NBA
The game experience. The constant music drowns out the fans. That damn “everybody clap your hands,” make me want to cut my hands off, and now the MARINERS use it. The music carries over to the television viewing experience as well. I wish they would just turn it off.
I never really liked the old tagline.
CougCenter
by Craig Powers on May 21, 2009 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions
They play for the fat deal....
Not for the love of the game.
The last time I went to a Blazer game, I had ringing in my ears for a whole week. I don’t think all of that noise is really necessary.
As much as that is probably true....
Can you blame them? I know I go to work every day to get paid, not because I love my job. Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do, but that’s not what gets me out of bed in the morning. I don’t know why so many people feel the need to be critical of professional players who don’t play for the “love of the game.” Should we expect players to play for free?
I don’t mean to jump down your throat, SW because you make a lot of great points on this blog all the time (and this is a great discussion by the way), but I think that we should all remember that for every NBA player, playing (and practicing, and lifting/training, and eating right, etc.) is a job. I certainly know that I’m not absolutely pumped to go to work EVERY day, so why should I expect the same from them? I know, I know, they’re getting paid millions of dollars to play a game, but it is simply human nature to not be excited to work all the time. That’s what makes the truly great players exceptional…their tireless work ethic. Well, that and a lot of natural ability!
I guess that the bottom line for me is that I can appreciate the NBA for the amazing plays, the second-to-none athletes and the incredible skill that it takes to be a part of it. I can forgive some of the off nights and less than 100% effort on occasion as a result.
by '03CouveCoug on May 22, 2009 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Please check one of your previous posts in this thread....
That starts ‘Exactly’
I was actually agreeing with a point you had made.
I know that...
Perhaps I should clarify. I don’t expect any player to play for “the love of the game.” I do however, expect players to earn the millions they’re paid. I have no problem with players playing for a fat contract, but I expect them to earn it when they get one. Winning is a part of that. As I mentioned in my “exactly” post, it’s why I truly enjoy watching the LeBron’s, Kobe’s and D Wade’s of the NBA, because they’re earning their paychecks.
Do they take some games off? Of course. As I said when I responed to one of Nuss’s comments, I undertand that in order for players like them to maximize their benefit to the team, sometimes they have to pick and choose their moments.
The only point I was trying to make is that players play for money, just like we all work for money. Apologies for the confusion.
by '03CouveCoug on May 22, 2009 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions
Possibly standardize the game a bit more.....
For example, shot clocks are different in hs, college, international and NBA. So are the three point lines and length of games (quarter vs half). There are a few others too. Basketball is an international game now, much like soccer.
All of these subtle differences make them totally different games.
With the M's, I'm so tuned into the story lines....
It’s like watching a soap opera. I can totally focus on all of it. In fact, I know what the announcers are going to say before they say it. It goes beyond that, it’s personal, it’s like I’m part of it because I have such a long history with them.
I don’t really care about the NBA much. I’ll catch a local Blazer game once in a while because I like to watch Brandon Roy. It’s a pretty superficial interest on my part. They are great athletes, I certainly give you that. That underhand flick of Lebron’s from mid-court and beyond is special.
I grew up listening to Bob Blackburn....
And I still remember vividly the game where Downtown Freddie Brown torched Golden State for 58. During the two years they played the Washington Bullets in the finals, that was a fun time to be a Sonics’ fan. I have a lot of good memories from that era. I liked the George Karl era too with Payton and Kemp.
There’s too much hype now. It’s more WWE than basketball. That part turns me off. They don’t honor the game anymore. Way too much traveling and palming that gets overlooked and it a superstar league with how they call the fouls.
I wish they’d standardize the game along the lines of the international game they play in the Olympics. I love watching that stuff, the style of that game, more passing and great shooting. I love watching the NBA guys actually having to play as a team under a college coach to have a chance at gold. I’ll get up in the middle of the night to watch that stuff.
Yeah, that's true
The NBA is a superstar driven league. Unfortunately, Jordan in all his greatness changed the way the NBA markets its game, promoting the players rather than the teams. And you’re right when you say that the stars get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the officials. However, when I wrote that Stern would make sure that it’s Kobe vs. LeBron in the Finals, I was writing it tongue-in-cheek. I get tired of all of the conspiracy theorists that think the outcome of the playoffs is pre-determined. Let’s all remember that the San Antonio Spurs have won 4 titles in this decade…and if the NBA was only interested in getting the biggest markets the furthest in the playoffs, Orlando and Denver wouldn’t be competing for the conference title.
As for the style of play, I have to say that I think that it is MUCH improved over the NBA of the 90’s, which was basically a street fight on hardwood, courtesy of the Bulls, Knicks and Heat (thanks, Pat Riley!) There is now much more ball movement and the shooting has improved. Plus, with the amazing point guards coming up and the change in the hand-checking rules, there is a lot more penetration into the lane that either leads to layups and dunks, or open looks on a kick-out. But, I’m sure I won’t convince anyone to give the NBA a second chance with this drivel!
Lastly, I loved listening to Kevin Calabro call Supes games…he was so entertaining, descriptive and creative! He made the games more fun. I’m always happy to hear his voice when he calls the occasional game for ESPN…although he’s never as boisterous on the World-Wide Leader as he was calling Sonics games!
by '03CouveCoug on May 21, 2009 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Don't know if you ever got to listen to Bob Blackburn....
but I’d take him in a heartbeat over Calabro, and Calabro’s no slouch. I just like the way Blackburn did things. I grew up with radio, that’s about all we ever got. Very little Sonics on TV when I first started listening to them. Blackburn was a family friend, so to speak.
Never heard Blackburn
But my Dad loved him. My Dad like KC, too, but he really had an affinity for Blackburn…probably because it brought back fond memories of Sikma, Brown, DJ and Watts.
Bob Blackburn was a very professional announcer....
He was as much the identity of the Sonics as anyone in the organization. Bob Blackburn was the Sonics. His interviews were top drawer and he did all the superstars. Wilt, Jerry, Oscar, you name it, they all got interviewed by Bob. His pre and post game shows were always must-listen-to stuff. Can’t say enough about the man.
He was awesome
But I was pretty young when Calabro took over, and I love his style. Can’t say I feel the same about his talk show yet … but I suppose he’ll settle into a groove. At least I hope. Talk show hosts should get a memo when they get their first gig — the more you use the word “I,” the less fun it is to listen to you.
I feel the same way about Niehaus
And of course, Robertson as you do about Blackburn. It’ll be a sad, sad day for me when either of those guys retire.
Dave is the best
His voice just signals summer to me. It will never get old, no matter how many routine popups he misreads. I think what makes him special is that he’s not afraid to call it like he sees it. He’s a dying breed in that regard — I can only stand so much of Rizzs’ and Sims’ cheerleading.
As for BobRob … he’s definitely lost a step, but still entertaining. I think it’s harder in football when you start to slip than baseball. And while we’re on the subject, I’ll probably get run off my own site for saying this, but Bob Rondeau is one of the best around. Good storyteller, incredible sense of the moment, but really unexpectedly fair. I can actually listen to Husky broadcasts because of him. He’s very, very good.
I agree with you 100% about Rondeau....
He enhances the listening experience. I’d listen to that guy no matter what sport he was broadcasting. He is perfect for radio. What he says is worth listening too. Like Blackburn, he’s not flashy and it’s almost like he’s talking to you personally.
Good radio announcers are ones that you just want to drop everything you are doing while listening.
You're right
Rondeau is very good, and doesn’t let any bias get in the way of calling something the way he sees it. He’s very good at calling quick action, very descriptive and not afraid to be critical of refs, coaching decisions or the players decisions, whether its the opposition or the Huskies. Everything one could ask for in a broadcaster.
by '03CouveCoug on May 22, 2009 8:35 AM PDT up reply actions
This is why I love this place
Smart readers. A lot of other places, I would have gotten “WHAT? YOU LIKE A HUSKY? THAT’S JUST BLASPHEMY!!?!?! SDL:KFJA{POU” Here, we can appreciate quality — even if it comes in purple.
Robertson's right up there with the best of them too....
Niehaus is good too. There’s room for all of them at the top of my list. For baseball play-by-play on TV Dizzy Dean was my all time favorite. That guy was simply brilliant, informative and funny as heck. Since St. Louis was my favorite team as a kid, Harry Caray holds a special place in my heart too. My first hero was Stan Musual. They don’t make em like him anymore. Mickey Mantle and Willie May were a close second.
There were a lot of great players from that era.
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