I've only watched basketball sporadically over the years, but now I'm following Cal and UCLA men's and women's basketball. The first couple of times I watched a game with Bill Walton providing the commentary I thought the shtick was kind of different, maybe refreshing. I was surprised at how intelligently he could speak on so many topics, the vast majority being unrelated to basketball. But after I saw him lick peanut butter off a camera lens during the UCLA/USC game I think I've had my fill. I'm starting to feel that he's doing the listening audience a disservice by not providing more basketball commentary given all his experience and his ability to deliver in an entertaining way.

What's your take on this guy? Do you like his style or do you mute the audio when he's on the air?

I think Walton as a MBB announcer is a great example of balance (or imbalance).

First, let me state that I think it would be awesome to spend some time with Bill talking about all things. I love his enthusiasm for life and willingness to expand into many facets of the universe.

Second, I also think he has a tremendous mind for both Basketball and the college experience.

Having said that, when watching a basketball broadcast, I need to have some balance from the announcers (not too bland/cliche - but not too over-the-top. Also some intuition and knowledge without getting too far away from the game).

When Walton started announcing, he was balanced and different. He quickly became one of my favorite announcers. However, that didn't last long and it got out of balance (too over-the-top and away from the game). Whether that was just Bill or producers pushing it - it turned out poorly, IMHO.

Now to make things worse. Bill seems to be phoning it in more (and prepping less) and relying even more on shtick (that isn't even funny).

He needs to step away, quickly - as he has become a caricature of himself.

BeachedBear said:

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I think Walton as a MBB announcer is a great example of balance (or imbalance).

First, let me state that I think it would be awesome to spend some time with Bill talking about all things. I love his enthusiasm for life and willingness to expand into many facets of the universe.

Second, I also think he has a tremendous mind for both Basketball and the college experience.

Having said that, when watching a basketball broadcast, I need to have some balance from the announcers (not too bland/cliche - but not too over-the-top. Also some intuition and knowledge without getting too far away from the game).

When Walton started announcing, he was balanced and different. He quickly became one of my favorite announcers. However, that didn't last long and it got out of balance (too over-the-top and away from the game). Whether that was just Bill or producers pushing it - it turned out poorly, IMHO.

Now to make things worse. Bill seems to be phoning it in more (and prepping less) and relying even more on shtick (that isn't even funny).

He needs to step away, quickly - as he has become a caricature of himself.

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Good points. In watching the UCLA/USC game, it almost seemed like he and his broadcast partner were bored with the game; like they wished they were someplace else. The non-basketball banter occupied too much of the broadcast, and it became something akin to an Abbott and Costello routine, with the straight man pretending to reign in the clown. I can't believe this goes over that well in the ratings, but I must be wrong because it dominated the broadcast, especially in the fourth quarter, and must be going on for some time.

I would love to see Walton paired with Mike Montgomery. We would either experience the best of both worlds or they would totally cancel each other out and it would be like a collision of matter and anti-matter resulting in the end of all things.

That being said, I like Walton and have fun watching when he is doing his thing.

I first heard Walton a few years ago, maybe even five or more. I thought he was great. I'm only mildly knowledgeable about the game and his insights, which were pretty frequent back then, added a lot to my enjoyment of the game.

Now I can't abide his broadcasts. His shtick with his usual partner has escalated and got more and more intrusive and he rarely has anything interesting to say about the game. I have the feeling that his banter with his partner is increasingly scripted.

Interestingly, the one or two times I've heard him teamed with Roxy he's been much better. Roxy has a naturally gracious was of steering him back to the game.

Very entertaining, often over the top broad spectrum commentary. I appreciate his "analysis" and I'm often amused by his color commentary. No more popcorn, please.

BeachedBear said:

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I think Walton as a MBB announcer is a great example of balance (or imbalance).

First, let me state that I think it would be awesome to spend some time with Bill talking about all things. I love his enthusiasm for life and willingness to expand into many facets of the universe.

Second, I also think he has a tremendous mind for both Basketball and the college experience.

Having said that, when watching a basketball broadcast, I need to have some balance from the announcers (not too bland/cliche - but not too over-the-top. Also some intuition and knowledge without getting too far away from the game).

When Walton started announcing, he was balanced and different. He quickly became one of my favorite announcers. However, that didn't last long and it got out of balance (too over-the-top and away from the game). Whether that was just Bill or producers pushing it - it turned out poorly, IMHO.

Now to make things worse. Bill seems to be phoning it in more (and prepping less) and relying even more on shtick (that isn't even funny).

He needs to step away, quickly - as he has become a caricature of himself.

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You mirror my thoughts about Walton. And the way I sum up Walton these days is the way you did -- he has become a caricature of himself.

Yep, it is out of balance. Dave Pasch used to play along, but things are so out of balance now that Dave is clearly disgusted and wants Walton to rein it in. I'd be happy to share a Top Dog with Bill. Not so happy to listen to his broadcasts these days.

One of the annoying things to me about announcers that get carried away with non-game drivel is that they miss telling us the reason for a turnover call. "Yes, I saw that the ball was turned over, but why?"

LudwigsFountain said:

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I first heard Walton a few years ago, maybe even five or more. I thought he was great. I'm only mildly knowledgeable about the game and his insights, which were pretty frequent back then, added a lot to my enjoyment of the game.

Now I can't abide his broadcasts. His shtick with his usual partner has escalated and got more and more intrusive and he rarely has anything interesting to say about the game. I have the feeling that his banter with his partner is increasingly scripted.

Interestingly, the one or two times I've heard him teamed with Roxy he's been much better. Roxy has a naturally gracious was of steering him back to the game.

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bbfollower said:

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One of the annoying things to me about announcers that get carried away with non-game drivel is that they miss telling us the reason for a turnover call. "Yes, I saw that the ball was turned over, but why?"

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That's the whole issue with going off script. You run the risk of missing the nuance of the game which cheats the viewer out of your expertise. Most announcers know how to quickly get back on track when on a tangent, and the best announcers can remember where they were on the tangent and pick up where they left off when the opportunity permits, but most importantly, they keep the game front and center.

Like many others in broadcasting, their shtick initially is different and refreshing. Then, it gets old. Examples are Vitale, Radnich, and Stephen A. I can always tune out, but Walton's partners like Pasch are prisoners and must submit to Walton's insults. intended or not.

roqmoq said:

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Like many others in broadcasting, their shtick initially is different and refreshing. Then, it gets old. Examples are Vitale, Radnich, and Stephen A. I can always tune out, but Walton's partners like Pasch are prisoners and must submit to Walton's insults. intended or not.

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+1. Hi, roqmoq!

Bill displays attributes of a bully.

dear Cal82: Walton has 'never been " a caricature of himself." He presents as a philosopher of the universe. In truth, his persona has always been shtick masquerading as erudition. He's been saying/doing the same hippie/wonderful universe/hallucinatory gibberish since the age of thirteen. If he weren't a basketball legend, his family ( and a few others) would have called 911 with a view toward mandatory 72 hour observation and possible treatment. If he were sober, he might not be able to spell cat if you spotted him the c and the t.
A monkey dressed in a business suit, is still, after all, a monkey. Put another way, there are only so many times you can put lipstick on a pig--sooner or later, you run out of lipstick.
beached Bear: "Phoned it in"? Please!!!!!He's been "phoning it in" so long he wouldn't know authenticity if he tripped over it.