in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

UrsaMajor said:

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in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

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Agreed. However, last night's Walton telecast indicates that he is fighting hard to regain the top spot. Watched him for a few minutes on the Duck/Buffs game ahead of ours.

He starts with Colorado's McKinley Wright - transitions to President McKinley - which reminds him of Mount McKinley - which takes him to it being renamed as Mt Denali - to there are also mountains in Colorado - to "Oh yeah and there's a basketball game going on".

BeachedBear said:

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UrsaMajor said:

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in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

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Agreed. However, last night's Walton telecast indicates that he is fighting hard to regain the top spot. Watched him for a few minutes on the Duck/Buffs game ahead of ours.

He starts with Colorado's McKinley Wright - transitions to President McKinley - which reminds him of Mount McKinley - which takes him to it being renamed as Mt Denali - to there are also mountains in Colorado - to "Oh yeah and there's a basketball game going on".

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Both were horrible last night. The Walton thing has gotten SO old and I don't like him when on espn. Roxy is a better pair with him for some reason.

UrsaMajor said:

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in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

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Marques Johnson Redux....and Walton's force feeding of his unadulterated horsesh@it crosses the line into bullyism to the point where I wish Jules Winnfield was his play by play broadcast partner and would point a gun at Bill's head and say:

"Say Jerry Garcia again. SAY JERRY GARCIA again! And I dare you, I double dare you motherf@ucker!! Say Jerry Garcia one more time."

BeachedBear said:

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UrsaMajor said:

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in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

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Agreed. However, last night's Walton telecast indicates that he is fighting hard to regain the top spot. Watched him for a few minutes on the Duck/Buffs game ahead of ours.

He starts with Colorado's McKinley Wright - transitions to President McKinley - which reminds him of Mount McKinley - which takes him to it being renamed as Mt Denali - to there are also mountains in Colorado - to "Oh yeah and there's a basketball game going on".

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I wonder if Walton ever does game prep? If he does, it probably includes reading some James Joyce.

There's an old political saying." You get what you deserve." Why is broadcasting any different? No one should be forced to be paired with Walton. Cruel & unusual punishment comes to mind. Walton is a textbook example of what happens to children when they don't get proper parental supervision. Walton would be turned down for a cameo appearance on a three stooges skit because most sober people have some standards, however, minimal.

UrsaMajor said:

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SFCityBear said:

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BeachedBear said:

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UrsaMajor said:

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in my list of all-time horrible color commentators.

Adrian Branch was worse than fingernails on a blackboard last night. He wouldn't shut up EVER during play. Every other phrase was "young man" (Adrian, we get it that you are old). His yelling at players to do this or do that during play was beyond annoying. His diversions (guess what: I don't give an f when your son's birthday is) were stupid. And his voice was the most annoying I've ever heard.

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Agreed. However, last night's Walton telecast indicates that he is fighting hard to regain the top spot. Watched him for a few minutes on the Duck/Buffs game ahead of ours.

He starts with Colorado's McKinley Wright - transitions to President McKinley - which reminds him of Mount McKinley - which takes him to it being renamed as Mt Denali - to there are also mountains in Colorado - to "Oh yeah and there's a basketball game going on".

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I wonder if Walton ever does game prep? If he does, it probably includes reading some James Joyce.

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I suspect his game prep is more chemical than literary.

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At least he is likely on uppers. On downers, he'd lose the entire audience.

I like Walton. Just not for his in depth game wisdom.

it's a game. basketball is for entertainment.

I see him once or twice a season (I don't watch home games on TV)

When Walton does a game, the "entertainment" he provides is no longer basketball related.

HoopDreams said:

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I like Walton. Just not for his in depth game wisdom.

it's a game. basketball is for entertainment.

I see him once or twice a season (I don't watch home games on TV)

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That's it! Walton is the secret weapon to get fans to go to games so they don't have to watch his schtick on TV! Dave Pasch is the real Walton victim, having ro fit his game commentary around his "partner's" inanities.

59bear said:

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HoopDreams said:

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I like Walton. Just not for his in depth game wisdom.

it's a game. basketball is for entertainment.

I see him once or twice a season (I don't watch home games on TV)

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That's it! Walton is the secret weapon to get fans to go to games so they don't have to watch his schtick on TV! Dave Pasch is the real Walton victim, having ro fit his game commentary around his "partner's" inanities.

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I wish they would pair him with someone like Bobby Knight (I know Knight no longer broadcasts) who would just say, "Shut up and watch the game, Bill!"

Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

sonofabear51 said:

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Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

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Pretty sad commentary on the state of college basketball when buffoonery upstages the game.

sonofabear51 said:

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Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

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I honestly wonder if "it sells." I know ESPN is a big company but do they really research whether Walton adds to viewer ratings?

If I am interested enough to watch a game that Walton is doing, I have reached the point where I have to mute the volume. If others are doing so I would think this is ultimately going to hurt advertising revenues. Does anyone else mute Walton like I do?

RedlessWardrobe said:

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sonofabear51 said:

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Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

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I honestly wonder if "it sells." I know ESPN is a big company but do they really research whether Walton adds to viewer ratings?

If I am interested enough to watch a game that Walton is doing, I have reached the point where I have to mute the volume. If others are doing so I would think this is ultimately going to hurt advertising revenues. Does anyone else mute Walton like I do?

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Not only do I not mute Walton, I'm much more likely to watch another conference game if he's doing it.

RedlessWardrobe said:

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sonofabear51 said:

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Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

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I honestly wonder if "it sells." I know ESPN is a big company but do they really research whether Walton adds to viewer ratings?

If I am interested enough to watch a game that Walton is doing, I have reached the point where I have to mute the volume. If others are doing so I would think this is ultimately going to hurt advertising revenues. Does anyone else mute Walton like I do?

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Yes. But mostly i do not watch games he is announcing, unless its a Cal away game

RedlessWardrobe said:

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sonofabear51 said:

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Listening to Walton with Pasch now doing the $c/ucla broadcast. He is crazy. But, I guess it sells. He just smeared peanut butter all over the tv camera.

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I honestly wonder if "it sells." I know ESPN is a big company but do they really research whether Walton adds to viewer ratings?

If I am interested enough to watch a game that Walton is doing, I have reached the point where I have to mute the volume. If others are doing so I would think this is ultimately going to hurt advertising revenues. Does anyone else mute Walton like I do?

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I certainly do although I'll turn the sound back on to catch an explanation of some situations that are not intelligible from the video alone.

APT43Bear said:

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I don't usually pay much attention to commentary whenever I have PAC-12 related games on TV in the background. However, I do find myself paying attention with Bill Walton's "commentary." I know it's not basketball related 90% of the time but I find it entertaining. I feel like I'll miss him when he's no longer able to do what he does.

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You can make a colorable argument that he is no longer able to do what he does now.

That was funny ... and probably accurate.

APT43Bear said:

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I don't usually pay much attention to commentary whenever I have PAC-12 related games on TV in the background. However, I do find myself paying attention with Bill Walton's "commentary." I know it's not basketball related 90% of the time but I find it entertaining. I feel like I'll miss him when he's no longer able to do what he does.

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For me Walton's commentary is not entertaining, its distracting and at times annoying. I look forward to the day he is no longer doing the games.

My reason for watching basketball is to enjoy the game, and if the commentators can add any insight to the game itself then they are doing their job.

Am in agreement with Redless Wardrobe.

The TV guys should be focused on basketball and hopefully make the game more interesting with their insights.

Walton does not respect the game.

RedlessWardrobe said:

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APT43Bear said:

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I don't usually pay much attention to commentary whenever I have PAC-12 related games on TV in the background. However, I do find myself paying attention with Bill Walton's "commentary." I know it's not basketball related 90% of the time but I find it entertaining. I feel like I'll miss him when he's no longer able to do what he does.

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For me Walton's commentary is not entertaining, its distracting and at times annoying. I look forward to the day he is no longer doing the games.

My reason for watching basketball is to enjoy the game, and if the commentators can add any insight to the game itself then they are doing their job.

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I get where you're coming from. Just saying, though it seems I'm definitely in the minority here, there are some people that derive enjoyment from the games he is a broadcaster. Watching basketball is entertaining and enjoyable enough, and I personally don't find him distracting. Though his ramblings are random and incoherent at times (and admittedly, getting "worse and worse"), I do enjoy some of his storytelling of times gone-by.

APT43Bear said:

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RedlessWardrobe said:

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APT43Bear said:

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I don't usually pay much attention to commentary whenever I have PAC-12 related games on TV in the background. However, I do find myself paying attention with Bill Walton's "commentary." I know it's not basketball related 90% of the time but I find it entertaining. I feel like I'll miss him when he's no longer able to do what he does.

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For me Walton's commentary is not entertaining, its distracting and at times annoying. I look forward to the day he is no longer doing the games.

My reason for watching basketball is to enjoy the game, and if the commentators can add any insight to the game itself then they are doing their job.

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I get where you're coming from. Just saying, though it seems I'm definitely in the minority here, there are some people that derive enjoyment from the games he is a broadcaster. Watching basketball is entertaining and enjoyable enough, and I personally don't find him distracting. Though his ramblings are random and incoherent at times (and admittedly, getting "worse and worse"), I do enjoy some of his storytelling of times gone-by.

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I agree that some of his stories are enjoyable, his shtick has become beyond awful. Do you love it when they cut away from the game to show him throwing popcorn at his partner? Or smearing peanut butter on the camera lens?

Big Dog said:

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I'm a fan of anyone who sings praises for Cal, and since Walton obviously loves Berkeley, let Bill be Bill.

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Agree. He is obviously having a good time & enjoying himself. I am often amused by his stream of consciousness ramblings, and you have to agree that Walton does speak highly of Cal.

I say pair Walton with Joe Starkey. While you'd never know what is actually happening during the game from listening to them, the crazy stuff they'd come up with would be highly entertaining. At least to me it would. (I realize that to many on this board, such a pairing would be the stuff of nightmares).

This sounds like a great idea for a weekly sitcom.

Bear19 said:

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Big Dog said:

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I'm a fan of anyone who sings praises for Cal, and since Walton obviously loves Berkeley, let Bill be Bill.

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Agree. He is obviously having a good time & enjoying himself. I am often amused by his stream of consciousness ramblings, and you have to agree that Walton does speak highly of Cal.

I say pair Walton with Joe Starkey. While you'd never know what is actually happening during the game from listening to them, the crazy stuff they'd come up with would be highly entertaining. At least to me it would. (I realize that to many on this board, such a pairing would be the stuff of nightmares).

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Walton and Starkey are under an employment discrimination statute nuclear umbrella or they both would have been forcibly dragged out and firmly kicked in the hindquarters head first into the dustbin of history.

Doesn't respect the game? He gave his body for the game. Despite his feet failing him forcing him to retire, he had a year of recovery after major back surgery that put him on his stomach 23 hours a day. Bill is living life to the fullest

AlphaBear said:

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Doesn't respect the game? He gave his body for the game. Despite his feet failing him forcing him to retire, he had a year of recovery after major back surgery that put him on his stomach 23 hours a day. Bill is living life to the fullest

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Sold it would be more accurate. Walton got paid a lot of money (admittedly, less than he might have had he stayed healthy) to endure his path of pain so it was less altruistic than you suggest. I don't begrudge him what he earned on the court, I just wish he'd fade away quietly into retirement and not foul the waters of my enjoyment of college basketball with his endless inanities.

I'm not trying to start a war on either topic but I wonder how well opinions on Walton's announcing correlate with opinions on politics.

stu: Very astute observation.

stu said:

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I'm not trying to start a war on either topic but I wonder how well opinions on Walton's announcing correlate with opinions on politics.

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What's your hypothesis?

More like guess since I'm too old to remember who has posted what. I'd say positive correlation.