The New Mike and Mike...

by Oppy on Feb 24, 2009 8:38 PM PST Comment 30 comments

suck.

Honestly, I've had League Pass for a couple of seasons now, and I've had the opportunity / misfortune to listen to a lot of bad announcers. I mean, I'll be the first to admit that the Mikes aren't always great. In fact, even some Blazer fans can sometimes struggle with them.

But seriously???!! The Houston commentators have to be hands down the biggest pair of homer announcers I've ever had to sit through. They would not stop moaning about every call that didn't go their way, and they just could not shut up about the Blazers "flopping." I completely agree that Joel is very good at drawing charges, and he definitely flops on occasion, but come on...these guys just would not stop. Even after they won the game, they were interviewing Luis Scola and asking him about the Blazers' flops and the refs' bad calls.

Ummmm...Luis Scola? Foremost authority on how NOT to flop?

Good Lord that was painful listening.

Oppy

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That, and the laggy feed, was why I switched over to CSN midway through the game.

by BR7formvp on Feb 24, 2009 8:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

i thought

new orleans was definitely worse. they were less knowledgeable and actively contemptuous of the blazers on a couple of occasions. home cooking is what it is, though. it’s not worth getting riled up about.

by BlazersOrBust on Feb 24, 2009 8:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

that was what I was thinking

the Houston commentators were pretty even handed in the first half, except for the fact they were in love with their idea of calling a T for a flop (what a terrible idea.), but they did get more and more homerish as the game went on. Not that I can blame them as they work for the Rockets and therefore know what side their bread is buttered on.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Feb 24, 2009 9:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was kind to you

and did something I don’t normally do. I edited your post with questionable words in it and let it stand instead of just deleting it. Two points:

1. If you have to use asterisks don’t type it, because asterisks aren’t allowed here either when they’re used to disguised borderline words.

2. The fact that those words were unnecessary is shown by my deleting all three of them and your post saying and meaning the exact same thing. Nothing changed.

That second part is a lesson to everyone. Just leave those words out. They don’t add anything. You just risk your post getting deleted for nothing.

—Dave

by Dave on Feb 24, 2009 8:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for leaving it.

by Oppy on Feb 24, 2009 9:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

and for the "lesson"

I feel more educated already.

by Oppy on Feb 24, 2009 9:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just be glad you're only cursed with them 2 games per season

and not 35 or so of them like the most Houstonians.

Want more aggressiveness? Try less Baylesslessness.

by prezofdeath on Feb 24, 2009 8:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

We should make an announcers power ranking, hosted every week by a different blog

Like the MVP and rookie rankings Ben participated in.

So far I really really didn’t like the guys in New Orleans this season, but the Rockets announcers were pretty turrible as well. Though we have to keep in mind that Mike and Mike are not regarded as the gold standard by other fans by any means.

Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul

by Norsktroll on Feb 24, 2009 9:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think that the NY guys are really good

bayless leaves over my dead body

by thomasikehara on Feb 25, 2009 7:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gus Johnson? Fantastic!

My HDTV is a torrented game that I can watch lag-free :(

Let LaMarcus keep the headband!

by inroywetrust on Feb 25, 2009 8:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Walt Clyde Frazier? Sucks!

It was "mascot night" at the Rose Garden, which apparently translates to a dozen inflatable versions of various NBA mascots being chased around the arena by Portland's "Blaze", which is some breed of rapist dog. -PostingandToasting

by GreatOden'sRaven on Feb 25, 2009 10:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

One thing I never hear Mike and Mike do

is blatantly gloss over a favorable call for our team. As homers they will support a call that goes our way but I usually hear them say that it was a favorable call, that the refs gave us a little gift. But man, those Houston announcers were 100% homers as evidenced by the Joel flop defensive foul followed by the Scola flop offensive foul sequence.

More generally about the game, I’m glad the Blazers fought back and made it close. No shame in losing to the Rockets in their building.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Feb 24, 2009 9:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It was good to see the blazers fight back tonight and never say die, That’s something Nate has instilled in them ever since we were 21-61. Some games at the end of the 1st quarter I can just tell we don’t have what it takes to win, This game was one of those nights. I’m kind of glad I tuned out the second half and listened to my girlfriend jabber on.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still watch the replay on comcast tonight. I hate comcast!!!

by GoBlaze22 on Feb 24, 2009 9:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

In fairness, actually Scola didn't flop on that one

As the Mikes pointed out on the replay, LMA pushed off. But Scola DID get away with a couple blatant flops earlier, especially on the play LMA got his second foul on. That was a critical bad call, because LMA was lighting up Scola at the time. Smart play by Scola; terrible call by the officials.

Scola really has the rhythm of flopping down to a science. First, you hack an offensive player a few times in a row. Then, when you sense him getting frustrated, you wait for him to make an aggressive move and you flop. It goes something like “Hack, Hack, Hack, Flop!”

Like I said there’s a rhythm to it. And everyone knows those Argentines know how to tango…

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Feb 24, 2009 9:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

he did flop

it may have been an offensive foul, but that doesn’t change the embellishment. No one gets knocked to the floor that easily.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Feb 24, 2009 10:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Mike & Mike called that one wrong.

LMA’s arm hardly moved. He braced for a certain amount of force, and when that force suddenly flops away from you, your arm goes with it a little.

GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"

by Blazer1342 on Feb 25, 2009 6:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I love how they have Scola

and whine about flopping. That guy is tied with Fisher for worst flopping in the league

by GreatOden'sRaven on Feb 25, 2009 10:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Easy fix

Mute button.

Karma

by Sabonis4Ever on Feb 24, 2009 9:23 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

+1

quite possibly the most useful button when watching any sporting event

by postup on Feb 24, 2009 10:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I don’t live in portland, and have to watch nearly all games online. I have heard most of the broadcast teams out there, and our mikes are very good at giving kudos if the other team is playing well, and gettin on our guys when they are not doin it. Yes, they are homers (Mr. Allen signs their checks) but they are really good. In fact, I usually find the different viewpoints of our blazers by other team announcers very interesting.

The houston guys did all the stuff mentioned already, but I thought the low point was when Brandon got wacked on his left arm and was trying to shake it off, one of em said “but its not his shooting arm, unfortunately.” Unbelievably unprofessional. I won’t even discuss here that Broy is perfectly capable of shooting lefty as well. I don’t want to get hung up on the announcers in our loss, but wow they sucked!

by RenoBlazerFan on Feb 25, 2009 12:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

thats ok

Shane Battier got a special report that only he gets from the GM that broke it down and said to play Brandon to his left. Your right Matt, it must say that Brandon Roy cant drive with his left hand. Wow Shane sure is special.

by GreatOden'sRaven on Feb 25, 2009 10:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Our guys are worse homers than almost anyone else around.

Well, maybe not as bad as Most or Heinsohn. Pretty bad though. Yalls just don’t notice since as fans we agree with their complaints.

by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

no no no

you THINK that because you dont have anything to compare to.
they arent even CLOSE to the worst homers

by GreatOden'sRaven on Feb 25, 2009 10:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I watch LP and watch a ton

of different announcing teams—I watch maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of our games on LP so only get the Mikes for half of those, and watch at least few non-blazer games a week.

Our Mikes are major homers. Like I said, there are worse out there, but the Mikes are definitely on the very homeriffic end of the spectrum.

by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 10:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I watch every game on LP

and no, not even close. I have to disagree with you on that one.
They are homers of course, all have to tow the company line. but they are not the worst. middle of the road to good I say, and I appreciate them all the more since i have to listen to announcers like houston

by GreatOden'sRaven on Feb 25, 2009 12:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ok, you disagree.

There are teams I dislike more but if you ask any non-portland fans who watch a lot of LP about the Mikes, they will tell you that they’re super homers. I live in SF so I’ve got a pretty good handle on what nonblazers fans think, and they will definitely include the Mikes in the mix for most homeriffic. My buddies in SF are from all over the country, so we’re talking celt fans, knicks fans, cavs fans, and fans of all the cali teams, all sorts of fanbases around here.

shrug it’s easy to overlook homer-ness with your own guys, since you agree with them on all the questionable calls and are cheering along with them when we have a great play or a hot streak, and both feel relieved when the opposing stars are playing bad. Doesn’t make it less homeriffic.

by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs