Bill Walton

[GoDuke'13]

Does anybody here watch Pac-12 games and listen to him? Just curious as to what you guys think about him. He has quickly become my second favorite announcer. He is absolutely hilarious. Between the random stories and the descriptive language in describing what he sees, sometimes I just watch the game to listen to him. He doesnt follow a script and just does his own thing. But in between the quirkiness and goofy stuff, he really does provide a good insight and analysis into the game.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

For the longest time I thought I was the only one on the East coast who enjoyed staying up to listen to this guy. You said it, he is hilarious. And he does offer so much in the way of actual insight into the game. Something that is sorely missing from guy's like Len Elmore for instance. I love listening to him talk about cooking, music, and somehow he always brings it back to basketball. I bet he would be a hoot to hangout with.

 

[skysdad]

I like Bill. OFC

 

[RanDEVILman]

I don't know that his basketball insight is really that great, but most most announcers don't have great insight in my opinion. There are a few former players and some of the NBA guys who are better. But for the college game Bill Walton is awesome. He is hilarious, entertaining and always new. The only negative in my eyes is that he always comments about the fundamental superiority of the girls game....I just don't buy that.

 

[kailman]

Hey did anyone who watched last nights game he did have trouble hearing the announcers. It's like they mic'ed the crowd not the announcers. I like him. He's out there and does perform a bit but I do like him.

 

[JIMSOULS]

Love Walton. He provides good insight, yet doesn't take his own analysis (or the game) too seriously. It reminds me of what it was like listening to Phil Rizzuto do Yankee games. Both have/had their own style. So what if they go off on tangents? I'll take that over cookie-cutter announcers any day.

 

[jamsession3]

The guy is still stuck in his hippy days and thinks the best frontline was the 1986 Boston Celtics... he is funny and comical.

 

[shicashicu]

I love that big hippy! Listen to nearly every West coast game he does, just cause I love watching college bball from all over the nation and late night games are almost always him.

Love Walton's World, Lol

 

[DukeDenver]

He's got just enough social awareness to make it work. Kudos to him for staying current. He's pretty entertaining.

 

[kailman]

I hated the celtics but name a better front line.

 

[mtipp4]

He's my least favorite announcer. He definitely knows the game, but I just can't listen to his banter with other announcers. I find him very annoying.

 

[youngman42]

I have long loved Walton.

He was also great on the NBA games and would still be there, imo, if not for his back problems and travel. Bill just can't take the physical toll on his body of traveling all over the country, so he has to stay more local.

I think he's great as an announcer for several reasons:

1. He brings enormous joy to the game and life. His vibrancy is fantastic.
2. He obviously knows the game and communicates that knowledge very well.
3. He's a hipster and knows the culture well, also.
4. He's very humble - in spite of being one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Re: 4, Walton and Alcindor are the two greatest CBB players ever and if not for injuries, Walton would have been an all-time center in the NBA. When he was healthy there was a time he was the best in the league at Portland (that Portland team that won the title would have won two in a row if not for Walton's injury the next year. But that team with Dr. Jack Ramsey coaching - a brilliant, and deeply underrated coaching mind - had the most efficient offense I've ever seen with Walton in the high post and Walton's defense and rebounding were second to none in his era).

 

[dukiejay]

I don't love Walton, but It's not like I can't stand him either.

 

[QC Dukie]

Bilas, Elmore, and Walton......the three worst.

OFC

 

[GoDuke'13]

Lol, dukiejay that is the first time I've seen someone with that opinion of Walton. It seems everyone loves him or cant stand him.

 

[aah555]

Originally posted by dukiejay:
I don't love Walton, but It's not like I can't stand him either.

I agree. He's better than the standard bad announcer who has little valuable to say, but he does sometimes seem to play a bad caricature of himself at times with his tangents + I don't think the pairing with pasche seems to work very well. I think they're both decent on their own, but they're awkward together -- and makes Walton's asides seem more out of place than they need to be.

Though, unless an announcer is extremely bad (Dykes back in the day) or unpleasant (Elmore), I'm not one of those who gets too worked up about them.