RebKell's Junkie Boards

[ArtBest23]

be as critical about a program as they were about Tenn last night?

And I'm distinguishing here between criticism of what's happening on the court in the game being called (which is certainly appropriate) from criticism of a program, recruiting, coaching hot seat, etc. How much is too much?

Let's face it, these people aren't "journalists" . They aren't thoroughly researching a story, there's no effort at completeness, balance, or objectivity, there's no editorial oversight before their comments hit the airwaves. More often than not they're shilling for the home team or conference or their favorite. What happens when they go the other direction with a team?

So is it appropriate for them to start talking about Tenn whiffing on their recruiting targets and having an empty class? Is it ok to say people are calling for Warlick to be fired? Is that and should it be the job of game announcers? Is it more appropriate during studio segments or on Sportscenter?

I thought they might have crossed the line last night. I guess I might be less troubled if I had any trust at all in the fairness or objectivity of the individuals or their network, but I don't. Yet those kind of comments can affect recruiting and be self fulfilling. I wasn't comfortable with it.

[myrtle]

I see your point. I guess I thought they were just voicing what most of the rest of us have been thinking/saying. But you're right that there are probably a lot of people watching that didn't know all that stuff. They did start out saying they thought the calling for Warlick's head was unfair or premature or something to that effect....but then went through all the reason's it might not be.

I'm not sure I see the difference between it being said on-site or in the studio. Yes, I guess it could effect recruiting, though I would think that any recruit (and their parents) would be doing their own research before committing to any program. (Is that expecting too much? hmm maybe). All the ESPN folks of course do slobber all over UConn. But really what media is truly objective? If you look at almost any news, it has a slant. Fair? Probably not. But at least the stuff about UT was mostly pretty factual.

I would say in general that the commentators at the women's games, much more than during the men's games, get totally off track and gossip about just about anything, even to the point of practically ignoring the game in front of them....and this does annoy me.

Kind of a rambling non-answer, answer I guess but it's how I feel about the whole situation.

_________________
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[summertime blues]

I agree, I get very annoyed when they talk about anything BUT the game in front of them. I also get annoyed when an announcer is overly partial to one team or another (talking to YOU, Lobo and Antonelli especially). And I admit to being a Tennessee fan, but jeez, guys, you REALLY overdid it last night! I was not happy with my team, I thought they were flat and I wondered WTF was wrong with them in that nobody but Graves and DD played with any kind of enthusiasm, but announcers are supposed to call games, not eviscerate and dissect programs on air!

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[ArtBest23]

As you say, " All the ESPN folks of course do slobber all over UConn. " I guess I don't think they should be "taking sides", in this case between UConn and Tenn. And I have this gnawing feeling that Doris Burke making Tennessee look bad is just a purposeful part of her incessant campaign to help out UConn and make them look good.

I distinguish the studio because, probably erroneously, I feel that studio stories are more fully prepared and vetted than Doris blabbering unsupervised on air.

But hey, I'm no Tennessee fan, and they were actually the opponent to my school last night, but even I felt uncomfortable where they were treading.

Evidently Dawn Staley criticized it on Twitter (I haven't looked at her tweets, I was just told about it)

[summertime blues]

I don't follow Dawn, but good for her. I'm glad someone did. And I have to admit that I have never liked Doris Burke, but she was really over the top last night.

The studio people are much more careful. I admire their general even-handedness, especially Kara Lawson, who although she is what we call a VFL (Vol for Life), always manages to maintain a neutral presence on air.

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[myrtle]

Doris always pontificates. Even when it's about something mundane, it sounds like she is God speaking.

_________________
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[kool-aide]

You know it is bad when ArtBest23 & summertime blues agree.

imo, Doris is a good announcer when and only when she sticks to talking Xs & Ox and actual play on the court. The rest of the time, nope. Just talk about actual basketball, Doris.

[Kailapea]

Dawn's post basically said...

<I'm one that stays in my lane but to listen to the commentators speak about Tenn and its recruiting class is disturbing. #notcool #SEC>

_________________
Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles.

[summertime blues]

Good for Dawn.

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[Durantula]

I think Dawn Staley was mad because these commentators don't always know the backstory with recruiting. Holly and Dawn were recruiting the same kid and both lost out on her becuse another school offered a scholarship when other similar programs didn't. So I think that is why Dawn is sticking up with her, when she didn't do something some may see as unethical and because of it she lost out on a recruit.

Also I believe Tennessee could have signed someone, but if you don't think they will help your team why sign them? Coaches get killed either way, if a kid transfers they blame it on a coach, so if Holly recruits a girl who can't play at Tenn's level and ends up transferring, they ask why did you recruit her. The McCune kid going to WVU, Tenn could have gotten her, she used to be ranked quite high but did drop after her junior year.

[summertime blues]

[linkster]

This was an ESPN marquee game that was supposed to be a battle between final four contenders. What was ESPN supposed to handle it? They had told us all in the preseason that Tenn was on the brink of a return to the top of wcbb and instead people are suggesting they may not even make the tournament. That had to be addressed and I thought it was done honestly.

I thought some of the problem is that the media was totally over the top in praise of Tenn before the season started. No one on this board had any problem with the media offering their Pollyanna analysis and opinions of the LV's prospects. To all those who say the announcers went overboard last night I ask how? What exactly did any of them say that was unfactual? I heard nothing that hasn't been said a hundred times recently on every message board I read. And it followed articles on the ESPN site that say the same. Holly brought a lot of this on herself with the handling of the physical condition DD and MR during last year. I keep up with wcbb news on line and before the WUG tryouts I was under the impression that both Russell and DeShields had been practicing with the team the entire 14/15 season and that both were 100% ready to go. I understand privacy issues but this wasn't simply withholding information, it was putting out false information or allowing false information to be published. If fans weren't given reasons to expect greatness for the LV's this season their current situation wouldn't be seen as so unexpected.

As far as sticking to announcing the game, anyone who has had to put up with Doris for one game knows that you never get told who committed the foul or who entered and left the game. And yeah, Doris does refer to UConn often. But I haven't yet met a UConn fan who enjoys her broadcasts.

[FS02]

I feel like they think that WBB gets talked about so little on the air that they have to do double duty and cover the big picture, as well as what is happening in the game at hand. They assume that most of the audience is ignorant about what is going on. I notice the same tendency in broadcasts of other women's sports as well, so maybe the network is actually telling them to do that.

_________________
@dtmears2

[pilight]

[Skyfan22]

Omg, this is ridiculous. Let's be thankful for any fucking information we get. Wasn't it Lobo who informed us of Big Syl's refusal to play last year? It created a shit storm on these boats last year. We are all begging for information and for some ridiculous reason we now want to censor them. Isn't Doris Burke commenting on men's game now because she seems to have that bit of info or insight that many don't.

I am a tenn fan, or I should say I am trying to quit Tennessee, but finding it difficult. So I guess I kinda support them, but now it is kind of fun to watch the wreckage. I tune in to ESPN once a day now hoping to see some big news. Maybe it takes Lobo and Doris to push it over the top.

[kool-aide]

The headline or tag line that the announcers used of "Is it the Decline of UT" was irresponsible given how highly the current players on that team were/are ranked coming out of high school and the potential/skill they have. Nor do I think in-game announcers should be ignoring the play on the court to rattle on and on about whether UT will get other highly ranked players in the future or whether Holly is going to be fired. Media talk about a coach maybe getting fired is super helpful for recruiting.

Dawn Staley was right to call out the announcers. She might have been doing it for the good of the game. Or in enlightened self interest. Or both. Doesn't matter to me why she tweeted that. I'm just glad she did.

[ClayK]

So, a marketing question: Is it better to tamp down a controversy or blow it up?

Regardless of whether Burke was out of line, does this kind of conversation help or hurt the women's game overall?

_________________
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[PRballer]

[Howee]

[Nixtreefan]

Hey if you don't like the heat get out of the kitchen. Why shouldn't she talk about it, jeez some of you crap on people and teams all the time but I guess you think it is ok if it is just on a message board, at least she is saying it and owning it. You need to watch the mens game and really listen to how people give their opinions.

[newkid]

[summertime blues]

[Speebs56]

I am curious about comments regarding "calling the game." I can't recall a time in recent years when anyone called a game. They may note when someone scores, or when they highlight a particular play, but the old game calling that allowed you to visualize a game by listening to the call has been gone for years. Now everyone is a commentator, regardless of what they are "officially" called - color commentator or game caller.

And as a fan of UCONN I can't abide Doris anymore either. But she's not quite as bad as Carolyn Peck, who cannot even get the players names right much of the time. I hear some of the obvious statements made by many on broadcasts and think "they actually PAY you for this??"

[ClayK]

I think the idea now is that viewers can see the game, and are sophisticated enough to grasp the basic facts by watching the screen.

But there is a fine line between telling people too much and not telling them enough ...

_________________
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[linkster]