Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 at 4:36 pm  |  63 responses

Are we ready for seven more years of this?

“This” being our beloved League’s TV partners.

By Ben Osborne

Stephen A’s outstanding radio interview with Kobe today notwithstanding, his role as a halftime personality on ESPN’s coverage is representative of another big issue related to the NBA that is not getting nearly as much ink as #8 24 is. Being somewhat of a sports media nerd (when I used to read USA Today, Rudy Martzke’s column was the first thing I turned to), I like checking out sportsmediawatch.com, which is a pretty cool site if you’re into TV ratings and the like. One of the big subjects over there lately is the NBA’s TV deal, which is not up until after next season but the League wants to extend by the end of next month. Typically, these type of contract extensions are discussed heavily in the NBA media, but this one’s been under the radar and I’ve only realized it was being negotiated at all in the last few weeks. I feel like David Stern is being much quieter about this than he has been in the past, probably because he doesn’t have the type of bidding war or high ratings to play up like he did in the past. Instead, all indications are that rather than enter into a new partnership with the likes of networks CBS (the 80′s NBA), NBC (the 90′s NBA) or FOX (never covered NBA) or cable networks like Versus or Fox Sports Net, the NBA will tack another six years (at slightly higher cost) onto its current six-year deals with ESPN (I’m sure you all know by now that ABC and ESPN are, for sports purposes, one and the same, and will therefore only be referred to as ESPN) and TNT.

My goal today is not really to criticize either outlet, but just wonder if some new/old blood might be better for the NBA. TNT’s game coverage is excellent, with the Marv/Kerr/Collins combo a favorite of mine. I think ESPN’s actual game coverage is good, too, save for the weird camera angles they use too often. Announcer-wise, Mark Jackson is great, Mike Breen acceptable, and Jeff Van Gundy has been a surprisingly solid addition considering what short notice he had to join their first team.

Where the two networks have diverged is in their studio teams. TNT has been a picture of consistency, trotting out Ernie, Charles and Kenny for years (with the occasional fourth man in like Magic, Reggie Miller, etc), and the results have been fantastic. The Worldwide Leader, on the other hand, has had more studio combinations than Damon Jones has had teams. ESPN’s lack of consistency in its coverage of the NBA is one of the reasons this contract situation caught me by surprise; how can ESPN’s contract be up when it still feels like they are feeling their way out?

Another fundamental difference between ESPN and TNT is in what type of platforms they are. TNT shows, what, old movies, the British Open and some show called The Closer? The only time the NBA is on TNT is when it’s gametime. I think this actually enhances the experience. When you tune into TNT the game comes almost out of the blue, not preceded by endless amounts of hype. And when the NBA has a controversy on its hands, you’re not going to hear about it on TNT 24 hours a day. ESPN, on the other hand, is everywhere. Multiple TV channels, radio stations and a huge website, all with the ability to cover news all the time. Stern must see these as positives most of the time, and that makes sense—if your league is being discussed at all hours, that’s got to be good advertising, right? But at the same time, ESPN also has an obligation to cover every fight, trade demand and missed practice all day long as well. And when things aren’t going well, this type of constant harping can create an image problem that even the best game coverage can’t overcome.

There’s a part of me that realizes even this discussion is antiquated. Hardcore fans have LeaguePass and get to experience the League through the relative charm of local broadcasts. Most fans around the globe also get their League fix through the internet, which, thanks to the hundreds (thousands?) of sites devoted to the NBA, can be tailored so said fan gets their coverage the way they want.

But still, when it gets deep into the Playoffs and then the Finals, and only one or two networks have the biggest games, every fan will have to come across those networks, so it would help if they liked them. And, given my relative boredom with the current situation, I would be open to seeing someone new (or old—both NBC and CBS had classic graphics and music)…do I need to get over it or would some remixing be for the best??

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  • Ryan Jones Posted: May.30 at 4:43 pm
    If it wasn’t for all those f*cking promos for The Closer and that stupid Madea show, TNT playoff coverage would be the greatest thing ever. Even with the endless ads, it’s still close.

  • Ryan Jones Posted: May.30 at 4:43 pm
    Also, Ben: You owe me an email. Hater.

  • Co Co Posted: May.30 at 4:46 pm
    TNT all the way! I hate the ESPN shootaround crew.

  • Cub Buenning Posted: May.30 at 4:50 pm
    I miss the NBC theme music.
    That ditty signified post-NFL Sundays for me for some time…. House of Payne, anyone?

  • dez Posted: May.30 at 4:50 pm
    God, I hate those TNT commercials

  • Co Co Posted: May.30 at 4:54 pm
    Very Funny

  • Ryan Jones Posted: May.30 at 4:58 pm
    Good one, Co Co

  • Allenp Posted: May.30 at 4:59 pm
    So, are you hating on Tyler Perry now Ryan. Damn, your hate is unquenchable.

  • Co Co Posted: May.30 at 5:17 pm
    Thanks Ryan.

  • W. Mack Posted: May.30 at 5:26 pm
    Man, I was thinking the same thing. What NBC had going for it (and what TNT has going for it now) in-game at least is Marv Albert as their lead play-by-play man. I noticed last night during the game, that he always points out stuff that I see that I’m at home saying to myself. He’s very astute.
    And I appreciate Steve Kerr’s eye for gamesmanship and his sometimes quirky humor. Last night, I noticed during a play where Chauncey took advantage of Larry Hughes’s inability to quickly change direction. After the next commercial break, Kerr broke that play down. These guys know their stuff. The NBA on NBC is synonymous with the Bulls’ Dynasty. When I hear it, I think of high-top fades (Pippen, Pat Ewing), chest-bumping (the Knicks), 23 second back downs (Charles Barkley), agile centers (Dream and Robinson), self-righteous midgets (one Robert Costas) and Mike Jordan’s personal nut hugger, Ahmad Rashad (my MAIN MAN). The golden age of basketball. But honestly, right before they got outbid, their product had turned into a doo-doo sandwich. I mean really. Right now, the only reason I watch ESPN’s coverage is for Bill Walton. He’s funny. Greg Anthony is respectable and knows his stuff, but tries too hard to coin a catchphrase (i.e. “the fact of the matter is this…”), not unlike Screamin A. Smith saying “Quite frankly…”. That turned out well (then again, not so well) for him. And Jamal Mashburn is VERY competent. I watch him & Allen Houston (who puts me to sleep) on the knockoff NBA programs. Walton is much better in-game than he is in the studio. And maybe they should team Mashburn with him and another play-by-play guy. They forced Mike Breen on us. I don’t like him as a lead play-by-play analyst.

  • Glen Posted: May.30 at 5:31 pm
    Quick poll:
    Which is worse: the commercials on every frikin’ break for TNT or having to listen to Bill Walton for a half (let’s assume everyone else does what I do when Bill comes on and mutes the TV for the other half)?

  • Mike C. Posted: May.30 at 5:36 pm
    I find the in-game coverage to be pretty similar between the two networks, but I never think of the ESPN halftime show as a must watch part of the game. I always watch the TNT halftime show and find it to be as entertaining as the actual game. The ESPN halftime show is when I make snacks.

  • Co Co Posted: May.30 at 5:37 pm
    Having to listen to Bill. He describes at least one player in every game as the best in the league at doing one move that they’ve recently completed. That can’t be true cause most of the time he isn’t even talking about one of the best players in the league. I hate having to mute the television because occasionally a call happens and I need to hear the explanation. The only ESPN ABC person I like is Mark Jackson

  • Dblizzy! Posted: May.30 at 5:40 pm
    Yeah i love TNT but the non-stop advertising is a bit much. Like how they’ll have a little coffe table in the middle when they’re live from the game and the table says Autotrader on it or something. Gotta pay the bills though.

  • Stuie Posted: May.30 at 5:42 pm
    Why dosent fox, cbs, or nbc pickup the NBA. I mean that would be a good thing. Come on there are 4 stations that hold football. Thats not right. and fox could pick it up because we all know theres always a local baseball game on some channle. cbs just doesnt have anything other than football besides sharing tennis with nbc. And dont even get me started on Golf and racing. golfs on almost every channle. and racings just a waste of gas both nascar and stock racing. its high time we get more coverage. If you put as much money into it as they do football more people might watch.

  • Dblizzy! Posted: May.30 at 5:43 pm
    I love Walton, the fact that he doesn’t take things so seriously appeals to me. To piggyback what Co Co said, he once said something like “That was the best in bounds pass of all time” or how everyone that went to UCLA is a legend. That stuff cracks me up.

  • Glen Posted: May.30 at 5:47 pm
    @ Dblizzy
    I dunno, that stuff really annoys me because he always sounds serious to me. He just nevwer seems to have anything worthwhile to say.

  • Co Co Posted: May.30 at 5:48 pm
    DBlizzy, I feel you, but I think its the sound of his voice that I don’t like more than anything.

  • Ben Osborne Posted: May.30 at 5:51 pm
    Good point, Stuie. I wrote this as if it would be a CBS/NBC/FOX replacing one of the current partners, but the best thing for the League would be multiple partners, a la the NFL. Then you’re getting promoted everywhere. Obviously the NBA doesn’t have the pull the NFL does, but Stern was once thought of as a creative leader; trying to get a third national outlet to cover the NBA seems like a good idea to me.

  • W. Mack Posted: May.30 at 5:54 pm
    Walton is a character yes, but I’ll take him over the rest of the “talent” they have at Disney. “Throw it down, Big Fella!!” classic. I mean, seriously. I grew up and played basketball in a small town for a coach that had an old school mentality (of the 60s-70s Celtics’ ilk). And being a big man was something special. Being 6’10″ and above and being finesse was definitely not an option. So hearing Walton speak light-heartedly about it is appreciated.
    And I honestly do appreciate the joy with which he speaks about having the opportunity to play for Coach Wooden at UCLA and a chance to be on a championship Celtics team (in addition to actually leading his TrailBlazer team to a championship over the Sixers). This man truly loves and respects the game of basketball and all that is sacred to it. And I can’t hate that.

  • ikemob22 Posted: May.30 at 7:00 pm
    TNT makes halftime worth watching! I dnt think the issue as big as it seems as long as they keep Reggie miller off the damn Mic unless which ever network gets him to a speech class.

  • Goody Posted: May.30 at 7:03 pm
    Ben great story man especially about Stern and his inability to choose. The man simply wears too many hats and has a lot of yes sir people around him. I agree with the NFL way of doing things but how many more markets do they need to reach. The NBA is everywhere.
    Maedea for President!!!!!!

  • Aaron Posted: May.30 at 7:36 pm
    ESPN just needs to follow the TNT dynamic and have a straight man, a character and someone that can really break the game down. They’ve tried this but they have not found the chemistry yet. I suggest Jalen Rose as the analyst with the sense of humor ala Kenny Smith and maybe Darryl Dawkins as the character guy. I’m not sure about the straight man but they need to find someone that doesn’t do basketball during the football offseason.

  • Candice Posted: May.30 at 7:38 pm
    Who’s better Sager or Gray?

  • Nadav Posted: May.30 at 7:39 pm
    Whoever brings back the John Tesh song, wins,

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: May.30 at 7:43 pm
    TNT’s coverage is terrific from start to finish. ESPN and ABC, not so much. I don’t watch the halftime show or pregame show—and I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched a full Sportscenter. EJ, Kenny and Chuck should just become independent contractors and do every game no matter what channel it’s on.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: May.30 at 7:43 pm
    And Craig Sager is infinitely better than Jim Gray.

  • Candice Posted: May.30 at 7:51 pm
    I wish that the NBA just came on TNT too, oh well.

  • John from Miami Posted: May.30 at 8:59 pm
    TNT over ESPN anyday :)

  • Kevin Wilson Posted: May.30 at 9:02 pm
    People make fun of me because I’ve got the NBA on NBC theme on my iPod. Ben makes a great point about ESPN’s need to saturate. There’s no way ESPN would have been able to handle Rasheed’s jersey toss like the TNT crew did. The sometimes sophomoric antics like that, Gone Fishin’ and throwing Chuck’s head on every halftime performer makes it so much more enjoyable.

  • stu Posted: May.30 at 9:15 pm
    i’d just like to point out something subtle that i think demonstrates TNT’s superiority. when the analysts on ESPN do their analyzing, they’re always looking into the camera, sitting very straight, obviously trying to exude an air of professionalism. on the other hand, chuck carries himself as if he were on his couch in the living room. and they’re always talking to each other, almost as if they don’t even realize there are cameras in the room. most of the time when they come back from a commercial break, as soon as you see the graphics you can hear them all laughing and talking. these are just a couple of guys who love basketball, know the game, and are hanging out talking about the game. obviously they have great chemistry and chuck is a character like no other, but i really think it’s their whole approach to covering the game that makes them so much more enjoyable to watch.

  • stu Posted: May.30 at 9:17 pm
    and screw those people, Kevin. i’d listen to that song every day if i had an ipod. (that’s right, i’m under 50 years of age and don’t have an ipod, and don’t want one either).

  • Ben Osborne Posted: May.30 at 10:05 pm
    Yeah Stu! The only iPod I’ve ever had was a gift (thanks, Nike!). I appreciate all the comments. I wasn’t really asking if you all thought TNT or ESPN was better (I agree it’s pretty obvious that TNT is), but more if it would be good if someone else started covering the NBA instead of/in addition to the two outlets that do now. I think the answer is yes, as long as TNT stayed involved…

  • whooo! Posted: May.30 at 10:44 pm
    i also LOVE whenever tnt gets coach thompson! he doesn’t do much in-game stuff, but his special interviews are terrific.

  • Drolfe Posted: May.30 at 10:53 pm
    Ben, to answer your question, TNT is better.

  • Drolfe Posted: May.30 at 11:03 pm
    Chemistry is the key to everything. Watching Shootaround it feels like Greg Anthony and Tim Legler have just met backstage. ‘Tim, meet Greg. Greg, Tim. Okay? Roll camera!’ There’s just nothing there.

  • NZ Baller Posted: May.30 at 11:16 pm
    Anything that will mean more games shown in NZ would be life-changing

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: May.30 at 11:19 pm
    As for networks in general, the more the merrier. Split it up! (And it’s amazing what a microphone can do for Jeff Van Gundy—he looks like a miserable undertaker as a coach, yet is a vastly entertaining analyst. Do they spray him down with happy juice before every game?)

  • WeS Posted: May.30 at 11:40 pm
    TNT and bring back NBC (for the music) and Bob Costas.

  • Joel O's Posted: May.31 at 12:39 am
    Yes. Please, please bring back NBA on NBC.

  • Nigel Smith Posted: May.31 at 12:51 am
    I agree with the general consensus in that the coverage and insight provided by TNT is markedly better than ESPN. As for a couple of comments made by Ben, I agree with most of your sentiments although I really believe that Mark Jackson is a very poor commentator. He regularly speaks as if he is the player, “and Parker said I’m going to drive in and make the defence pay”, this sounds very poor and his observations are quite bad as well. To make matters worse, in my opinion he has a really annoying voice which after 2 and half hours starts to make me go crazy. Just one more thing, recently at halftime of Game 3 in the Cavs – Pistons series Reggie Miller said that the best lineup for the Cavs is when they go small with Gibson, Jones, James, Marshall and Varejao. What was he thinking??? Gibson has played well but can at times struggle to move his feet on D, Jones is just rubbish at both ends of the floor and Marshall doesn’t know how to spell defence let alone play some and he can’t hot water from a boat at the moment on offence. Reggie’s credibility takes a hit when he makes stupid comments such as these.

  • Boing Dynasty Posted: May.31 at 3:15 am
    The NBA on HBO?

  • Drolfe Posted: May.31 at 3:29 am
    JVG is excellent. I told my brother who knows nothing of basketball his nickname is Jeff Van Grumpy.. he was like why? Seems like an up beat sorta dude. He and Mark Jackon made that Spurs-Jazz series pretty entertaining.

  • Ryan Jones Posted: May.31 at 8:42 am
    JVG is literally the only guy who I feel I actually LEARN FROM when he’s doing color commentary. As much as I like Doug Collins on TV, he’s usually focused on a lot of coaching cliche stuff — when you should take a time out, sh*t like that — but Van Gundy just never stops being a hardcore Xs & Os guy, and he’s constantly pointing out things I never would’ve noticed myself. I hope he stays with the TV gig.

  • Steve O Posted: May.31 at 9:10 am
    I think the best part about JVG is that he knows all the major players currently in the league, especially in the west. I never got that feeling from Hubie Brown when he started mid-season. JVG gives unique perspective on matchups and what teams should do against them because he has scouted them so heavily. ESPoN doesn’t deserve him.

  • Detroit11 Posted: May.31 at 9:49 am
    Ryan, I agree w/ you about JVG. He puts on a teaching clinic every game he broadcasts, and makes it simple so even the novice fan can understand. Although, he still gets nervous about staring directly at the camera….

  • Cub Buenning Posted: May.31 at 10:39 am
    JVG will also call MarkJax out when he is spouting crap. I like Ben’s boy for the most part, but I also spend long stretches of every game with the volume muted, for my own sanity. I Love the X’s & O’s, though. I spent Game 1 in Houston for the Jazz/Rockets series breaking down pretty much every play and their calls with a scout from the Warriors. I kinda chuckled thinking his work would be renderred useless for the most part, then they beat the Mavs.

  • illydiva Posted: May.31 at 10:48 am
    Hubie Brown for President!

  • thasam Posted: May.31 at 11:50 am
    What has made this current deal different than the previous deals with NBC and CBS is ABC’s atrocious lack of commitment to the NBA. Think about it; under the two previous networks, we would now be seeing prime time national TV games from Memorial Day weekedn until the end of the season (CBS and NBC would always televise every confernece final and NBA final game from that point on). Here we get one conference final excluively on cable adn the other split between ESPN and ABC. ABC hasn’t televised more than 21 or so games since taking over the NBA (as opposed to the 30-plus game NBC slate), and the fact that ABC has not televised the All-Star Game during this deal is shameful. To me, this current deal is the reason why the NBA has regressed from a national sport on par with the NFL to a marginalized almost regional sport that’s closer to the NHL’s level, and Stern should take the full blame for this. NBC was willing to continue to offer the same NBA coverage we came to love, and for only $75 million more, Stern chose a deal that basically ghettoized the NBA to a cable only sport. Considering that the NBA’s core fanbase is primarily urban, Black, and working class, ti certainly doesn’t help to force them to pay extra money to watch their favorite sport (I know that the vast majority of the poplation has cable, but all statistics point out that black working class households are less likely to have cable than the rest of the population). ABC deosn’t seem interested in promoting it’s NBA coverage, while NBA and CBS made sure you knew when to watch their games. Stern’s gamble that fewer network TV games would make the public hungry to see the NBA more has obviously failed, and I don’t understand why he would continue a partnership with an outlet that doesn’t seem interested in promoting his product. Stern owes it to the fans to explore a deal with the other three networks so he could get the NBA mor expoure. There is no reason why NASCAR should be a more popular sport nationally than the NBA, and Stern better start trying to keep the fans he has and grow from there instead of lusting after every new market. As Mark Cuban said, more kid in China know when and where to watch the NBA tan the the kid in Loiusinana, and Stern better reverse this.

  • Joel Posted: May.31 at 1:02 pm
    yeah Bring BAck NBA ON NBC TATATATARATATARA TARATARTATARATARATATATA! TA TATATARARATATARATARATARATARATARATARATARATARA!THIS IS NBA ON NBA
    WITH BOB COSTAS AND tha fist michale jordan couch, they were osm still let ESPN cover the nba in nba tonight , but change the actual games to nba, and keep TNT SETUP

  • Joel Posted: May.31 at 1:15 pm
    i wanna comment on the fact tha I wont mind seeing jeff van gundy, Bill walton, collings and Bob costas , and maybe that old couch they call Huibie Brown with Steve kerr(making his parcial comments towards the suns of wich Hes part owner)working with TNT and NBC, forget about abc they show no comitment, And also I’d like to coment on the fact that Stern does not care about the Urban America Anymore,therefore only like 20 games on ABC(reg TV), without any pregame or postgame show, he cares more about revenew coming from oversies and other countries alot of it coming from nba mercahndise sold internationally

  • Frees Posted: May.31 at 2:51 pm
    Did Nelly and Joe Budden not do a cover of the NBC John Tesh song? If so they both deserve Grammy’s for this…

  • Frees Posted: May.31 at 2:54 pm
    Didn’t both Nelly and Joe Budden do a cover of the John Tesh NBC intro? That warrant’s a Grammy or two….

  • Eduardo Posted: May.31 at 3:13 pm
    watching the NBA on abc and espn sucks! NBC was better in every aspect. One could actually sit a whole afternoon watching NBA games and not give it a second thought. With the new networks if Kerr or Albert aren’t broadcasting its just better to put it on mute.

  • nick Posted: May.31 at 7:24 pm
    cbs would suck…look at the college broadcasts, the graphics and presentation is straight 80s maybe 90s and i always get bored watching cbs ball….but nba on nbc was great and needs to come back asap best sports theme song ever, the youtube nba on nbc highlight tape is the best thing ever created

  • Ted Posted: May.31 at 8:17 pm
    I think Reggie Miller is fine, why do people bag on him so much? He works well with Barkley. Plus he was a legendary shooter. I’d rather listen to former stars than nobodies like Greg Anthony and Tim Legler.

  • Stuie Posted: May.31 at 10:42 pm
    I wrote my coment coming from the fact my dads to cheap to buy cable. Its f*cking gay how you only see the same teams play each year. Its also gay how tnt got the jazz/rockets but when we get the west game its crap. and how they get the good east game. I want to see good basketball. So put the NBA on a channel that everyone can watch and make it more apealing. i actualy think the major networks care more about golf and nascar then they do NBA. Thats a shame.

  • MOMONEY Posted: Jun.1 at 12:42 am
    I like TNT simply because the Inside the NBA crew may be the best ever but every night before going to bed I pray for the NBA to be back on NBC…. If only to here the sickest intro music in the history of televised sports

  • what Posted: Jun.1 at 1:31 am
    Old movies, the british Open, and the Closer? You forgot all about Law & Order! CLUNG CLUNG!

  • Petter Posted: Jun.1 at 6:51 am
    I just can´t get over that picture… Most hillarious mug shot ever, surely?

  • patrick Posted: Jun.1 at 10:43 am
    you can’t jux with the NBA on NBC thing. they had that theme music (written by John Tesh oddly enough) and Bob Costas and Doug Collins are two guys i feel like are a lot smarter than me, so i’ll listen to what they have to say.

  • Ben Osborne Posted: Jun.4 at 12:21 pm
    For better or worse…http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/…today says that it will indeed remain an ESPN/TNT operation until 2016.

  • The_Big_Cheese Posted: Jun.13 at 8:25 am
    TNT wins, hands down. To make it obvious, Charles told the live cameras at half-time during one of the Spurs-Jazz series games that the Jazz were going to have to have some “guys with tight sphincters out there.” While this would have thrown a normal panel of analysts out of sync, Ernie didn’t even miss a beat, saying, “Thank you Dr. Barkley” before throwing to a commercial amidst the laughter of Kennie and Reggie. Alas, Reggie must go. As much as I hated watching him shoot of his mout and ugly-ass threes on the court, I cannot stand being able to actually hear what he has to say. He’s an idiot. Period. Using big words that he cannot define doesn’t help his case at all.

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