Cal may not be for everyone, but for some of us, there is nothing that compares. Cal needs to do a better job of targeting the Bill Walton's.

caltagjohnson said:

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Walton, the fruitcake, is a great endorsement.

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you're calling one of the greatest players of all time a fruitcake?

yes...

He's our (honorary) fruitcake.

helltopay1 said:

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yes...

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Ok, why don't you walk up to him after he's called one of our games and tell him that

dear hoop------he doesn't call games---he just rants like a fruitcake --he's there for comic relief--anyone think he's funny??

I like him for the occasional game as a change of pace. He's not going to give much deep basketball knowledge (although he knows basketball better than you or me) but he's kinda like sitting next to a funny friend at a game or a party.

I understand he's not for everyone but for him to be on ESPN then it's more than me who is entertained by him.

helltopay1 said:

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dear hoop------he doesn't call games---he just rants like a fruitcake --he's there for comic relief--anyone think he's funny??

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at least Walton is consistent: when he was at UCLA, he never studied. He never studies for the games for which he is assigned. Saying "Please" 639 times during the game does not qualify as being prepared. It merely suggests he has a limited vocabulary. His tee-shirts also suggest he has a limited wardrobe. His superiors also suggest they have a limited appreciation for the intelligence of the audience. If I had one word of advice for his superiors, I would say, "please."

Hoop---in addition, if you think Walton is funny, you may be confusing humor with drug-induced banality. Please!

Golden bear pirates say grrrrrrrrrrr arrrrrrr

Don't speak unless you know what you are talking about. You don't know half the **** Bill has been through in the last 10 years

rkt88edmo said:

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Golden bear pirates say grrrrrrrrrrr arrrrrrr

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whedonesque do too..



[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCLPHSVtvmU][/url]

how many BI posters even know Whedon lolololol

rkt88edmo said:

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how many BI posters even know Whedon lolololol

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i do, do, do do do.

doctor horrible: emmy/hugo/streamy/peoples-choice winning 42 min 3/part short, family done during the 2008 writers strike.

for bonus credit scored a knitted Firefly-Jayne knit cap from a carolinas crafter.

under appreciated JW flicks: Much Ado About Nothing, Cabin In The Woods, In Your Eyes.

hollywood downside: so famous he forget where to sleep, losing Kai and the little kids.

JB was a Chieftain said:

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Don't speak unless you know what you are talking about. You don't know half the **** Bill has been through in the last 10 years

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It's been an interesting trip filled with highlights and pain along the trail to greatness as player, person, and broadcaster.

"Toss us some more talking points and butter the popcorn, Bill ... volcanoes in the cascades, the fur trade that followed the L&C Trail, sturgeon fishing below Oregon Falls ... the Trailblazers"

Best to him. I look forward to Walton's game coverage and commentary in 2020 (?) and beyond ...

...but, hey! I'm not a fan of the Dead !

rkt88edmo said:

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how many BI posters even know Whedon lolololol

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> it's not a new or particularly interesting statement to make that there's not all that much of a difference between sports fans and "nerd" fans. One wears their favorite team jerseys while the other wears t-shirts with their favorite media characters; one cosplays and the other paints themselves up in team colors; and so on. This is even more the case with the immense commercial rise of nerds in the last two decades: San Diego Comic Con and DragonCon (and all the other immense media conventions) fill up hotels and restaurants as effectively as a Super Bowl and have just as many celebrities showing up to be part of the proceedings, albeit different celebrities. And in these COVID times, both groups are feeling the same uncertainty of wondering when, if ever, they are going to gather again in their tens of thousands to celebrate their thing. The similarities are enough that to also note that there is these days a non-trivial overlap between sports fans and nerds -- that people are entirely comfortable expressing their love for both the Cubs and Firefly -- seems anticlimactic.

swiped from today's blog by a former president of the sf writer's association, john scalzi:
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2020/05/13/reader-request-week-2020-5-me-and-sports

rkt88edmo said:

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how many BI posters even know Whedon lolololol

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swiped from today's blog by a former president of the sf writer's association, john scalzi:
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2020/05/13/reader-request-week-2020-5-me-and-sports

> it's not a new or particularly interesting statement to make that there's not all that much of a difference between sports fans and "nerd" fans. One wears their favorite team jerseys while the other wears t-shirts with their favorite media characters; one cosplays and the other paints themselves up in team colors; and so on. This is even more the case with the immense commercial rise of nerds in the last two decades: San Diego Comic Con and DragonCon (and all the other immense media conventions) fill up hotels and restaurants as effectively as a Super Bowl and have just as many celebrities showing up to be part of the proceedings, albeit different celebrities. And in these COVID times, both groups are feeling the same uncertainty of wondering when, if ever, they are going to gather again in their tens of thousands to celebrate their thing.

> The similarities are enough that to also note that there is these days a non-trivial overlap between sports fans and nerds -- that people are entirely comfortable expressing their love for both the Cubs and Firefly -- seems anticlimactic.

The Big Bafoon. If he liked Cal so much, why did he go to ucla? The enemy, no way to sugar coat it. I turn off the sound if he is doing a Cal away game and turn the tv off if I happen to see him doing something else.

HoopDreams said:

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HearstMining said:

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HoopDreams said:

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I like him for the occasional game as a change of pace. He's not going to give much deep basketball knowledge (although he knows basketball better than you or me) but he's kinda like sitting next to a funny friend at a game or a party.

I understand he's not for everyone but for him to be on ESPN then it's more than me who is entertained by him.

helltopay1 said:

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dear hoop------he doesn't call games---he just rants like a fruitcake --he's there for comic relief--anyone think he's funny??

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I think most of us would agree that Walton's schtick has gone downhill over the last few years. Where it was once (just a guess) 40% game commentary, 40% riffing, and 20% real basketball insight, I'd say the breakdown is now 20%, 70%, 10% respectively. You can argue about the numbers but I think we all agree on the trend.

I equate Bill to garlic - it's a great seasoning, but nobody would make a meal out of it. Moderation is key. Don't carry this analogy too far, though. Unlike eating garlic, I don't think watching him will ward off vampires.

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I'm not interested in defending Bill to the death. Seems like the majority here don't like Walton's broadcasts.

Maybe his best broadcasting days are behind him, but the networks seem to put him on our bigger games, so at least they think he is liked.

Perhaps I have more tolerance for his antics since I read his book, which covered his life, loves and a lot of pains

In any respect, Walton in moderation is the sweet spot for me. There are certainly a couple of 'color' people on cal basketball broadcasts that's are not very basketball informative, and a lot less entertaining. Some almost seem a sleep.

The best for me is Monty. Great basketball insights, a prior Cal coach, and even a little sarcastic wit.

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Take your pick ... the full Walton or the full Monty.

I realize it's their job, but I do appreciate that Walton, Montgomery, McLean, etc. emphasize the quality of west coast basketball when they announce games. I really get sick of Dick Vitale, Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas, etc who act as though good college basketball doesn't exist west of Chicago.

Looking a little further back, the other hilariously annoying Pac12 (the conference as the network wasn't around yet) TV analyst who sticks out in my memory is George Raveling. I remember he just loved Cal's Shareef Abdur Rahim and after one of his scores shouted "RAHEEEEEEEEEEM!!!".

I was the victim of montys'" sarcastic wit" once. Years ago I went top Stanford and visited one of their workout rooms. to my surprise, Monty walked into the room. He looked at me and said 'hi." I explained I was actually a Cal guy and he said, " well--everyone loses his way."