Tommy Heinsohn

by Fizbin on Jan 16, 2008 10:08 PM PST

I pretty much watch only the Blazers. Last time I actually watched the Celtics play a game was when Bird dropped 40pts or something on Drexler.

So I tune into tonight's broadcast and I have no idea who the commentators are. But he talks very nicely about the Blazers turnaround. He mentions Roy for the MVP several times. He recognizes LMA as a good prospect, Joel as "active," Sergio as a "clever passer" and Outlaw as one of the strongest bench players in the league (though he expressed surprise that Trout has 3pt range, which is kind of weird after the 4pt play the other night). Still, it was clear he had spent some time looking over the team and had nothing derrogatory to say.

And he's kind of funny. I learned about "tommy points." When Frye and Aldridge were on the floor he said "They've got a couple of string beans in for their big people... we should take advantage of that." Well, sure... again, kind of funny. They had a very laid back approach to the game, which was kind of refreshing after listening to Wheels on the radio and Rice on the broadcast.

He was fairly impartial, I thought, about the referee calling. I know a lot of people were pissed about it but honoestly, out side of a handful of questionable calls (and a couple of those in favor of the Blazers) I didn't have too much trouble with the refereeing.

There was one bad moment where the guy said "lollygagging" about 10 times in 30 second... but other than that, I didn't have much problem with the guy.

So I'm asking, what is it about this guy that got people so riled up? I'm honestly kind of surprised.

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I guess you got the good one

I watched the Wiz Celtics game and it was just ridiculous the way he talked about the Wizards. Almost as bad as Wheeler. He constantly talked down the refs, but was silent on bad calls that went against the Wizards. As a fan that favors neither team it was pretty annoying.

by jonestr on Jan 16, 2008 11:06 PM PST reply actions

Sheer and absolute homerism

I replied to a similar question of yours in the gameday thread, but I dunno if you saw it, so I'll just repeat it here. Over the past two years I watched 100+ Celtics games, cuz I'm an NBA junkie and that was my only fix, and in that time I grew to loathe the guy's commentary. Jonestr hit the nail on the head: every call that goes against the Celtics should be a target of a congressional investigation; he's made deluded by the sight of Celtic green -- Jefferson was the next McHale, Rondo a quicker version of Billups, comparing G. Green's development favorably to Kobe's at the same ages; he was typically woefully underprepared with knowledge about the opposing team, offering little in the way of helpful analysis (though I agree with you that last night they were both very well-prepared about us -- maybe they've stepped their games up now that the Celts don't blow anymore). Guy just irks me to no end...but maybe I've just formed a Pavlovian association tying him to watching so maybe terrible, terrible NBA games that he's announced. :)

by BlazersOrBust on Jan 17, 2008 4:15 AM PST reply actions

*maybe = many

by BlazersOrBust on Jan 17, 2008 4:16 AM PST up reply actions

Not as bad as....

I have only watched a few C's games so I am no expert ...but I live outside Denver so I catch quite a few Nuggets games. I agree with the previously stated comments about Tommy boy, but really, in my mind nothing compares to Scot Hastings of the Nuggets broadcast team. Imagine everything about Tommy that you dislike, then multiply that by ten...seriously the guy goes all the way up to eleven on the homerism. He is woefully unprepared to discuss the opposition, makes nauseating excuses for the Nuggets, and absolutely rails against the refs for any call that goes against Denver. Half the time I watch a Nuggets game I have the mute button on he's that bad.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. Sun-tzu

by BrewBlazer on Jan 17, 2008 7:10 AM PST reply actions

agree

Denver's commentator is#1 in terms of crazy, annoying homerism...

by iverigma2 on Jan 17, 2008 12:35 PM PST up reply actions

Saying they had Roy's #

when Roy had 22/6 and in no way did they have his number... is just annoying.

And our guys are string beans...

Frye and LA both have 20 sum pounds on Garnett. Unless he's talking about Perkins and Davis. Perkins has 9 pounds on Pryz. And Davis is just overweight.

Not that any of this is really all that important, i just don't like the "matter of fact" way he tries to make opposing teams look bad.

by Noisy Kricket on Jan 17, 2008 7:23 AM PST reply actions

Homerism

Guess I'm just expecting a little Celtic homerism and was surprised at some of the nice things he had to say and that he actually knew the names of our players (something ESPN couldn't get right).

I wonder if people have similar reactions to Wheels or Rice from other cities.

I'll tell you this, though: that team has sucked for so many years... I wonder if calling the games you start to get a sort of complex about the world being against you. Not that I'm apologizing for this guy. I'm just wondering about the psychology of calling 82-game losing seasons year after year and what that does to a guy.

by Fizbin on Jan 17, 2008 7:38 AM PST reply actions

I dont know much about Rice

As I am a radio listener, but Wheels is pretty bad. He has no ability to keep his emotions in check. If we are losing I feel like I am listening to a funeral.

I actually like the LAL announcers quite a bit. Pretty good duo down there.

Just to throw it out there, I loved Tom Tolbert's commentary, maybe it was because he was always ready to bust the ever horrible Bill Walton's chops.

by jonestr on Jan 17, 2008 5:43 PM PST up reply actions

I had League Pass in 06-07.

I had League Pass last year before COINCAST
screwed us this year. The funny part was having
to listen to the opposing teams broadcast 2/3
of the time. Observations:

1. Most of the teams broadcaster's would have a
few compliments about our player's, but most
were uninformed. It seemed like they had only
read a scouting report or watched a couple of
Blazer games.
2. Heinsohn, Hastings, Wheels and others are
HOMERS ! I like Wheels, but when he starts yelling
he proves he's a homer.
a. Heinsohn said some things last year that
were completely ignorant and HOMERIFIC !
3. Color analysts are usually ex-players/coaches and have to appeal to the homer fan base. Not unexpected.

COINCAST SUCKS ! BRING BACK OUR BLAZERS !

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Jan 17, 2008 12:01 PM PST reply actions

I didn't mind Tommy

But Brian Wheeler is the best.

by Kampeska on Jan 17, 2008 12:26 PM PST reply actions

He's legendary for being a huge homer

and has been for decades.

The funny thing is that for awhile in the mid-80s, Tommy was doing color for the nationally televised games, and the dude was just incapable of not being a huge homer. Watch some lakers/celts series on ESPN classic, and it's hilarious hearing Tommy make these feeble gestures at being impartial.

I mean, the guy's been a celtics employee nearly his entire life. Of course he's a homer.

by howlingfantods on Jan 17, 2008 2:22 PM PST reply actions