Rudy Martzke on Tom Hamilton

Rudy Martzke is one of my favorite columnists, not because of how he writes, but what he writes about. Rudy (more so in the past than today) writes about broadcasters, broadcast efforts, TV/Radio contracts, etc (the game outside the game per se).

So today, I'm going to do my best Rudy Martzke on a game I watched last night between MN and WI. Broadcast team of Tom Hamilton (yes, the Cleveland Indians radio voice) and Jim Jackson.

Opening set: Hamilton immediately turns off the viewer with possibly the worst pun I've heard since Johnny Carson left his Burbank studios: "Its cold outside, but its going to be hot inside the Kohl Center". Seriously? Same set he tells us that his partner is Jim Jackson, the two-time Big Ten player of the year. This is good information to know, but he told us that he was 2 time BTPOY 3 more times, and 3 other times that he was All BT. Do we really need to be told this 7 times?

Game Notes 1: Hamilton must be reading from a script that reads like a Shampoo bottle:  (insert robotic voice) Say Bo Ryan is a good coach, Say Al Nolen is a good point guard, say The Badgers are 568-3 at the Kohl Center, Lawrence Westbrook is the cousin of Philadelphia Eagle RB Bryant Westrook, (Repeat) Bo Ryan is a good coach....

Game Notes 2: As the play continues Jackson actually adds quality insight as to why WI is handing to MN.  His analysis is spot on, his terminology is fresh and he doesn't have some whacky schtick (I wish more color guys would follow his lead). Maybe because he's my age he also throws in a reference or two from his generation. Last night he made a Chris Jent reference (as much as this guy boiled my blood...it actually was fresh and applicable).

Game Notes 3 (more Hamilton bashing): As the game progresses to our favor, Hamilton stays with the script but tweaks it a hair..."if the Badgers were to lose it will make their record 568-4 at the Kohl Center" and other thought provoking gems like "this win might be a sign of things to come for the entire Westbrook family this week"

Hamilton in Review: I swear his brain can only calibrate so much data, probably because it is so busy waiting for a guy to make a 3 pointer so he can say "Triple" instead of 3 pointer.

Jackson in Review: Very high rank for a second year guy...much better than Kevin Lynch, Mike Kelley.  I'd say he's a rising star (Greg Kelser type).  Don't think he'll make it to Clark Kellogg status, but he's got a future.  Wish he would be a little more opinionated (show some judgement about someone's play).  Like last night, they treated Al Nolen (who played horrible) like a white elephant in the room.  He played terrible, would someone in the booth stand up and say it...please?  Jason Bohanan (aka BoneHead) takes the ball to the basket and tries to win the game with 30 seconds left, only to have it swatted away leading to a game tying set of threes by the Gophers.  Jackson needs to step up and call a Spade a Spade.

6 Sports Pet Peaves

A few random pet peaves that have irked me lately.

I touched on this in an earlier blog "Bad Sports Stereotype", but I have a few more:

1. When a football announcer says 8 men in the box. 10 years ago it was a cool (kind of like splashing Gatorade on a winning coach), but when you hear the guy behind you at games use the term, its no longer cool, its annoying.

2. Here's one that you don't see anymore. Whenever a pro football team succeeds or fails on Special Teams, the camera shot of the succeeding or failing team's Special Teams coach. They don't do that anymore, it use to be a PP. Now I kind of miss it.

3. Speaking of camera shots at games. Who is sick of the parent/family shot in the crowd at College games. During the 1999 NCAA Tournament, I must have seen Wally Szerbiak's dad 473 times. And after each shot, must have hear that he played professionally each time. Seriously, who cares?

4. Big Money teams (New York Yankees) paying unproven players (Mark Texiera) $20 Million per year. For those that are fans of small market baseball teams, the gap just got wider. MVPs like Justin Morneau are now forced to play in large markets in order to be paid Fair Market Value. See Blog "The Tampa Bay Have Nots."

5. Parents that say to their children under the age of 10 (or 20 for that matter) that they underachieved in their sporting event (saw it with my own eyes last night and thankfully didn't hear it out of my own mouth).

6. Rival school (Wisconsin) Athletic Directors (Barry Alvarez) who think they can send a letter to a Bowl (Champs Sports Bowl) and request that they can opt out of that bowl in favor of another bowl (Insight/Phoenix).