Steve Brandon at the Trib: Wheels versus the Schonz

Finally, a local writer dares to write a comparison of the pbp styles of the current and former Blazers radio broadcasters.

(My favorite quotes)

It's a matter of taste, to large extent. Listening to Schonely is like going to a Sinatra concert and an NBA game breaks out. Listening to "Wheels" is like going to a pro basketball game and WWE breaks out.

...the "marketing" plan with Wheeler is the more modern, i.e., intense: "You had to be here to believe what just happened! ... ," and here's the number to call for tickets ...

Schonely, on the other hand, comes at you more like a Little Leaguer selling cookie dough ... he makes you want to support a good cause, which in his case, is the Blazers.

Listening to Wheels, I get the feeling that when the Blazers win, it's one big party, but when they lose, the world is a cold place — or else it was just that the refs screwed the good guys or the opposing superstar got the calls or some other explanation.

With Schonely, it feels to me like, hey, we're having a good time, aren't we, and it's great to be here with you all again ... and, oh, by the way, Brandon Roy just scored and now has 16 points, how about that?

Good stuff. You need to read it all.

over 2 years ago two4larue 11 comments 3 recs |

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it was just that the refs screwed the good guys or the opposing superstar got the calls or some other explanation.

Not that there’s anything wrong with this explanation…

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 17, 2009 10:04 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks

This was a good read. The Schonely/Vin Scully types have always been my cup of tea, but Wheels is good at what he does, and I don’t think it would be right to replace him with the Schonz even if he wanted the mic back. Replacing a legend is never easy, but Wheels has done a great job making this jib his own. He’s a bit over the to, but again, that’s mainly a personal preference issue. It sure was great hearing Schonz again, and this was a MUCH better way to end his broadcast career (if this is the last one) than remembering him being forced out by the old regime.

I hate Comcast.

by blazeraddict on Oct 17, 2009 11:05 PM PDT reply actions

I wish y'all in Portland had a top-notch radio announcing duo of, oh, Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay, ...

although they’re paid the big bucks to do their thing nationally by ESPN Radio for a reason. Nothing against Brian Wheeler, but his skill set makes him suited to be sports radio talk show host rather than a basketball play-by-play announcer.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 17, 2009 11:13 PM PDT reply actions

what's your opinion on Calabro?

the few times I heard Kevin him I came away impressed. I know he’s friends with Wheels and would never “campaign” for the Blazer’s gig, and I read somewhere that his kids are still in school so he doesn’t want to leave the Seattle area, for awhile. But I think KC would be a nice “compromise” between Schonz and Wheels

what say you?

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 17, 2009 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd fire Mike Barrett and Mike Rice, then instantly hire Kevin Calabro and Steve "Snapper" Jones.

If anything, Calabro would be up for the Portland Trail Blazers television play-by-play announcing gig; therefore, he wouldn’t cost his buddy who once worked in Seattle, Brian Wheeler, the job he’s got on the radio. As it is, though, I don’t see Calabro leaving his job as a sports radio talk show host at 710 KIRO-AM, a play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Sounders FC, or even the Puget Sound region on the whole. With that said, hiring Calabro would nevertheless be a big-time coup for the Portland area.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Oct 17, 2009 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions

just say "no" to the Snapper

I’m not a big fan of Steve. He’s the opposite of Schonz. I’ve heard Jone’s schtick for long anough and don’t want to hear it, again. Bill never got old, even when he was starting to lose it, I’d still turn the sound down on the TV and listen to the radio feed

I wouldn’t mind overpaying for Rick Kamla. But I doubt that Barrett is going anywhere, Mike’s a company man and I’d much rather listen to him than Jones, anyway. Rice is wearing thin, especially his Confucious/Merlin routine on Courtside. I wonder if Terry Porter or Jerome Kersey have any interest in doing color commentary? Kersey probably doesn’t have the chops for it, but it might be interesting to hear TP on the air, and see if he can retell some old war stories about the late ‘80s and early ’90s. The tough thing is, former star players probably don’t want to put up with the travel schedule, unless they really need the gig, like Harvey

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 17, 2009 11:48 PM PDT up reply actions

ugh, Kamla is annoying

I would hire Calabro and Snapper in a second. Love those guys.

by jksnake99 on Oct 19, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I don’t think Schonz really wants to call games any more…
I mean, if he really wanted to I am sure SOMEONE would let him. T.V., radio, internet – someone (like Blazers Edge for instance) could get him to lay down calls for streaming video or something.
Initially he did kind of get pushed out but I think his legendary status has gotten good to him and he enjoys where he is at with the Blazers right now.

I was hostile to Wheels in the beginning, being so used to “Wherever you may be” and so on, but Wheels has really grown on me. He gets excited the way I do and when the calls go against us he mirrors my thoughts on dillweeds like Kobe or Garnett. And when Wheels gets all excited I am right there with him.
His radio call the night of BRoys miracle against Houston is the stuff of legend.

I am more than just “used to” Wheels now. He is our radio call guy and I am happy about it.

2010 IS OUR YEAR PEOPLE!!!

by RastaMonsta on Oct 18, 2009 1:36 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Wheels is solid

Far better than Eddie Doucette who came to town in the 90s. But Calabro has a signature voice that puts him in a different league. Listening to him call the Payton/Kemp Sonics games was great. He is an amazing talent waiting for another big job. Rice is on his way out as the game has passed him by. He needs to be allowed to retire on his own and phased out. If Snapper doesn’t want to come back, give a younger guy the chance to be KC’s sidekick.

I think PA would give KC use of the company jet to get him to come to Portland.

by Rip City Reign on Oct 18, 2009 9:50 PM PDT reply actions

that was excellent

Gives Wheels credit where its due— especially about how much information he’s able to give the listener. Also talks about what I don’t like about Wheeler— the idea that the Blazers must have been robbed if they lost. Wheels manages to make it sound like the whole world is against the Blazers when a 25% 3 pt shooter hits a 3 against the Blazers, failing to realize that there was a 1 in 4 chance of that happening.

Schonz was great to listen to as a kid, but would be frustrating for me now as a bball addict— I want to know everything that is happening. Then again, hoops on the radio is a tough thing.

by jksnake99 on Oct 19, 2009 4:11 PM PDT reply actions

Good link, thanks.

I could definitely visualize the game better with Wheels’ call, for what it’s worth. But it was fun listening to Shonz and Rice.

"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal

by timbo on Oct 19, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions