Bill Walton Muses on Flagrant Fouls, World Peace and Volcanoes During Broadcast
There goes Bill Walton, finger-painting frescoes of the universe on the inner walls of your subconscious again.
For those who haven't been keeping up with the latest in dairy innovation or neo-shamanism, Walton is having himself a season to remember.
Providing color commentary for ESPN's Pac-12 basketball broadcasts alongside Dave Pasch this season, the former Celtics and UCLA star has waxed eloquent on Bob Dylan concerts of the late 1980s and how he was once literally "milked" at some blurry point in his youth.
Walton's latest tangent occurred Thursday night, when he joined Pasch in Las Vegas to cover the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals game between Stanford and No. 17 Utah. The Hall of Famer spent the final minute of Utah's 80-56 blowout win recalibrating Pasch’'s twisted moral compass with a lesson on peace, beat culture and the beauty of volcanism.
NBC Sports editor Rob Dauster tweeted video of Walton's remarks. It's another instant Walton classic:
"While you are here glorifying hate, glorifying dirty play, glorifying flagrant fouls and selfish individual play, I'm going to celebrate the birthdays of peace and love with Jack Kerouac, Liza Minnelli and James Taylor," Walton said.
Several moments of silence followed before Walton gave the declaration a local tie-in.
"Who have all been big-time, headline performers right here in Las Vegas," Walton said, "the peaceful relaxing meadows in the heart of the Mojave Desert."
"SportsCenter's up next here on ESPN," Pasch interjected.
"Have you ever been to a volcano?" Walton asked, coining his very own spare-rib-moon moment. "When it was erupting?"
Clippit user MvBuckeye01 posted video of the rest of Walton's tangent, where he gave a rave review of the Cima Dome in the Mojave Desert. Pasch should really check it out.
"That's on the list," Pasch said.
And there it is: Walton's sportscasting style—his trademark shtick in full blossom.
While Gus Johnson explodes and Stacey King mints catchphrases, Walton's commentary brings viewers into the sweat lodge of his mind, where he burns Jimson weed and explains to you how all energy flows with the whims of the Great Magnet.
Like Cirque du Soleil, a Walton game call is something you have to experience at least once. Don't be shy. Enter the lodge.
Dan is on Twitter. He wants to experience the majesty of lava in person.
