Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
Why do you all hate him so much? Is it for anything he did before, say, 1990? I have no particular opinion about him as an announcer, but mostly feel bad for him as a player. Someone called him the best player ever from the ankles up (this was pre-MJ, and I don't want to get into that), and he comes across pretty well in Halberstam's book about the '78 Blazers.
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I might classify him as the greatest college player ever. At the very least he's up there. I'm not denying that he was incredibly talented.
So, yez. I guess it is all about his announcing. I've never heard such horseshit spewn all over the microphone (and therefore in my ears) from anyone (Larry Merchant comes close). The guy should know the ins and outs of basketball as well as anyone else. Yet he comes across as a maniacal, egotistical, moron who thinks it's necessary to remind us every chance he gets about how different the game was when he was playing. Or how he never complained about any call. Or about how unskilled the players were compared to him. Etc.
The fact is, he adds NOTHING to a game. In fact, he takes away from it. He tries to take controversial stands on the most insignificant things. And he's almost always flat out wrong.
Walton: "Webber has no inside game. He couldn't hold his own against any of the premier big men."
Any other announcer: "But he has 36 points and 14 boards against San Antonio and they've been throwing Duncan
and Robinson at him all night."
Walton: "That may be. But it's a soft 36. I just don't think he has what it takes. I would have scored 36 while making an
impact on the game. Blah, blah, blah."
The guy is a cancer to basketball. I'd rather listen to Magic Johnson and Eric Dickerson do every game, together, for the rest of my life than listen to one Walton game commentary.
TM
