Celtics Broadcasts Will Have A Little Less Awesomeness This Season
Saturday, September 22, 2007
(posted by OMDQ)
For years now, the best part of watching Celtics games on television has been color commentator Tommy Heinsohn. A former player and coach for the team, Heinsohn is without a doubt the biggest homer I have ever heard call a game. His specialty is complaining about discrepancies in the officiating - in his eyes, no Celtic has ever committed a foul, and any referee who suggests otherwise obviously needs an eye exam. And the passion with which he calls the games, even at 73 years old...just once, I want him paired up with Gus Johnson for a tightly contested NBA Finals game involving the Celtics. Just once. The world would never be the same.
In other words, Tommy Heinsohn is gloriously awesome. He's my favorite announcer ever, in any sport (Joe Castiglione is a very close second).
Unfortunately, we are nearing the beginning of the end of the Heinsohn Era on Celtics television broadcasts. It was announced on Friday that due to his wife's health, Heinsohn will only do short road trips, an arrangement that will rob Celtics fans of his presence for at least 13 games in the 2007-08 season. He will be replaced by Donny Marshall.
My absolute favorite quote in that abovce link came from Mike Gorman, Heinsohn's longtime broadcast partner:
"Tommy likes to talk about the whys of, as the analyst, and I like to talk about the whats...It's very rare that I would step on his bailiwick, and vice versa."Well, thank goodness for that. I'd hate for anyone to sustain a serious bailiwick injury. You don't just bounce back from those.
(For the record, "bailiwick" is "a person's specific area of interest, skill, or authority." Obviously, Mike Gorman is smart and uses big, scary words to demonstrate that fact.)
Hopefully all is well with Mrs. Heinsohn and Tommy can continue to impart his wisdom ("THEY'RE GONNA CALL THAT A HARD FOUL?!") through studio appearances on the pre- and post-game shows.
Photo: Boston.com
7 Comments:
You hate to see this, especially now that the Celtics are poised to contend. Heinsohn's homerific enthusiasm singlehandedly justifies the cost of NBA League Pass.
Amen Jason. I get the League Pass every year and watch like 80% of the Celts' games just because of him.
He usually does miss some games here and there, especially on long trips. This is nothing new, only this time it's announced.
As a gift to Tommy, and by extension, all of us, the Celtics should re-sign Walter McCarty out of retirement. He'll probably fit under the cap.
As long as we don't have to listen to Greg Dinkerson, I'm ok with it. I can easily just turn down the volume during the three or four times Dink blathers from courtside, but a whole game would be torture.
Gorman and Heinsohn are the best team of broadcasters in sports. I've enjoyed them for many years. Tommy is, as you so rightly point out, awesome.
I lived in Mass in high school and used to suffer through his broadcasts when he was teamed up with Bob Cousy. It didn't help that the team's hopes were pinned on Eric Montross and Dee Brown. Heinsohn and Cousy were frequently upset.