True, he is a total homer, but that’s what I like. I love that you can tune in mid-game and tell exactly how it’s going by the tone of his voice before you hear any score or anything! It’s awesome! I know that’s pretty much the opposite of what old school people think radio guys should be like, but for me I love that he shares in our excitement, and in our pain during the games.

come on – the guy gets a boquet of roses on his birthday from the Blazer Dancers! That’s some strong hand stuff.

One of the best in the business, and if I was living off of paulallensbig$$$$, I would be a homer too.

The only upgrade I could see is bringing back Rice to the radio (sorry Tone…).

And hey – get this – I actually PREFER listening to the games on the radio than watching the Mikes. Wheels is that good.

And if I hear “ooooohhhhhhh – that was NASTY!!!!!” one more time, I think I will smile!

Wheeler is too much of a homer. What I dislike the most about his announcing is the whiny, dejected tone of voice he gets when the Blazers get a couple bad calls against them or when they are missing all their shots. I don’t want to hear a lot of emotions in a broadcast. Some emotional inflection is necessary for a good broadcast, but Wheels is way over the top. Given a choice, I prefer a crisp, fairly neutral, mostly emotionless broadcast over a strongly partisan, highly inflected one.

As you know, he was with the Sacramento Kings before moving to the Blazers, so I used to hear him each weeknight on my commute home. I agree with both your criticisms and praises of him. The thing he does that has always bugged me the most is take ten minutes to answer a question he could answer in ten seconds. He seems a little better in that regard now than when he was in Sacto, but come ON dude, get to the point!

that so many seem to think Wheels is too much of a homer. First of all in a local radio broadcaster I want my announcer to be a homer. Secondly, my criticism of Wheels would be just the opposite. There were several games inwhich The Blazers were within 4-8 pts and I tuned into the broadcast and Wheels “tone” was so depressed you would of thought The Blazers were behind by 20-30pts. Infact, in two of those games I’m thinking of I believe we came back and won.

Except for his occasional depressed tone, I have no problem with Wheels. Overall I think he is better than most. I grew up with Schonely so perhaps I’m prejudice for me he will always be the “original” and best voice of The Blazers.

I was forced to listen to many games on NBA Audio Pass last year and I got so sick of Wheels (and Tone too) that I almost always switched over to hear the other team’s broadcast. Some of them were so bad I’d switch right back, but there was a handful who were a genuine pleasure to listen to.

Either Wheels and ‘Tone need to be cut or Comcast needs to get that deal done with the Satellite companies. One or the other. Please?!

I want to like Wheels, but I can’t. His homerism and over the top emotion annoy me.

Having spend most of the past 3 years in Washington, I’ve really gotten to appreciate Kevin Calabro. Plus, he was the annuncer on those “NBA Inside Drive” video games for XBox!

But when I was living in Germany and NY during the crappy 21 win season, I listened to every game on the radio (the Germany ones at 4am or so). I got the NBA audio league pass thingy, to listen to games. I felt lucky we had Brian Wheeler as our announcer.

Other teams announcers are BOOOORRRRRRIIIIIIING! Good lord they were awful productions. Don’t say the score, bad info about other players, dead voices, etc. Wheeler did a good job, I felt, and I’d rather listen to him than most of the other broadcasts I’d listen to.

(And the feed would ALWAYS go out, so I’d often listen to the other team’s announcers. I hated most of ‘em).

I am more forgiving for Blazer type stuff, and I get the complaints. I just don’t think many are any better than Wheels on the radio, and most teams have much much much worse announcers.

Maybe Kevin Calabro is awesome, I dunno. I like Wheels.

I even listened THE ENTIRE GAME during that stretch we lost by over 30 points three games in a row. I am such a loser. Wheels even said as such during the game, saying he’d be surprised if anyone was actually listening out there. It was funny. GOODNESS SAKES that 21 win team was bad. Nate waaaay overachieved to win 21 games with that team…

As far as the TV side goes, I think the things you guys seem to not like (homerosity, biasedness) is worse there than on the radio—and I think it’s less allowed on the TV side. The radio is for hardcores.

Tone was really bad his first year, and he has improved but he’s still so awkward. Oh well.

I liked Mike Rice on the radio and Steve Jones as the color commentator. That was the best setup.

Mortimer

he flows real nice. You don’t hear him slip up or lack the words hardly ever.

Harvey isn’t that great. He seems like a real nice guy, he just doesn’t have that radio flow… he’ll be talking, talking, talking (endlessly, sometimes) while the listener is missing out on play-by-play.

I much prefer him to Eddie Doucette, but if KC were available and wanted to move down south, that might be a good thing.

A better thing would be-since we’re on the subject of raiding the Sonics broadcast crew should the team move to Oklahoma City-for Paul Allen to make nice with Steve Jones, and get him back on TV.

he’s great. i was sad though when Mike Rice left the radio. Rice is great, too.

the old guy that broadcasts on channel 8 for us with the mike guy? i dont like that old guy hes such a homerrrr too much of one

He is just like me! Our species is known as homerus maximus. We move in large herds, especially when there is a home game in the Rose Garden. We are an extremely emotional breed and our voices often fluctuate wildly in pitch especially immediately following a two-handed mega-dunk by LaMonster!

Favorites phrases include:

Ooooh, that was nasty! and Boom-Shaka-Laka!

I hope that this was educational.

when as far as I know Michael Holton is coming back….. Shudder

Up-Chucka-Lucka!!!!

NOT mike rice, he got totaly punked be stern.

to say, but the intire paragraph turned into the link, and now I don’t care enough

I wish those guys did basketball games. I’m not much of a baseball fan anymore, but I’ll watch a ballgame just to hear those two voices.

I guess their voices are uniquely suited to baseball - a lazy summer game - and they’d be out of place in a basketball arena.

Does anyone know who are the most respected voices in basketball broadcasting? Who has gotten the most awards in the business?

I have no problem with having a homer on the radio.

WHEELS SUCKS. I CAN’T LISTEN TO THE GAMES BECAUSE HE IS TOO REPETITIVE. EVERY SINGLE BLOODY TIME THE OPPONENT SCORES HE EXPRESSES THIS IN THE EXACT SAME DEJECTED WAY. IT DRIVES ME FREAKING NUTS.

AND BOOM, SHAKA, LACKA IS BORDERLINE RETARDED.

Sorry I had to go all caps but that’s how I feel. He changes those to things and then adds, actually describing what’s going on on the floor, I’m all for him.

I certainly don’t hate the guy, I just don’t want to be annoyed listening to a game. He has certainly cured me of listening to Blazer games on the radio.

since I don’t have cable.
It’s true that a lot of announcers are really bland, plus I do think Wheels is great with play by play, better than most.

After one game, the Detroit announcer made me want to gnaw my arm off. Talk about repetitive.
But I did like the Cleveland announcer a lot. I don’t know who any of them are by name.