Bill Simmons on ESPNU- Round 2
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I actually have a secret tape of the game coming from a far off land (it's actually from AA operative Emily at Miami of Ohio), so I'll be able to break the whole thing down. From the few people that were watching last night it appears that he held his own, and didn't cry over the Pats loss.
Here are some highlights from SportsBizDaily....
ESPN.com's Bill Simmons provided color commentary alongside play-by-play announcer Rob Stone for ESPNU's broadcast of the St. Mary's College-Univ. of San Diego men's basketball game. Simmons continually remarked on the size of the crowd at Jenny Craig Arena in San Diego: "It's great to be here and watch a basketball game in front of at least seventy-five, eighty people." Simmons even presented a list of ways to get more fans out to the games. One was a suggestion that the team change their name: "I don't like the nickname Toreros. I think it's too hard to say. I would change it to the 'San Diego Zoo.'" Other highlights included the two interviewing a fan at the press booth because he was decked out in licensed apparel from Simmons' hometown team, the Celtics, as well as Simmons opening the game with his best Bill Raftery impression: "San Diego starting out ... IN THE MAN-TO-MAN"Now the Raftery impression was probably pretty funny, but the San Diego Zoo??? I don't get it. Either way I should have some fun reviewing the tape, and I'll try to get it up on YouTube soon.
8 Comments:
I watched the first few minutes, and it wasn't bad or great. I have to give him props for calling out the students for not showing up - it had all the atmosphere of a North Dakota Parochial league game.
You're on (semi-)national TV, folks!
Cool stuff AA... like everyone else in the world I don't have ESPNU so I look forward to your review... and easy extrapolator, that's my home state you're bashing there!
Actually, I went to a Parochial high school in ND (though it was in Class A, the highest league) and we actually had some pretty good crowds and pretty good turnouts, especially for a school with about 375 total students.
Jesus he got to do it with Stoner. That's like throwing me and my buddy in a booth and we sit there and try to be professional but still crack inside jokes most of the time.
After all the announcer complaining/analysis he's done over the years (censored or otherwise), if he wasn't even slightly above average when talking about his favorite sport then it was just a waste of time.
I tell ya, what ARE the odds that I will pick an outrageous comparison (ND parochial league?) and actually get called on it?
Pretty good. Yep, happens pretty much once a week.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm from Kansas, so you can beat on me as well.
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I can't wait to steal it.