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The Portland Trail Blazers are home to an up-and-coming team, with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Ferndanez, and Greg Oden leading their resurgence...

Portland Trail Blazers: Home to the Worst Televsion Commentator

by Steven Resnick (Senior Writer)

21

1099 reads

Opinion

November 21, 2008


The Portland Trail Blazers are home to an up-and-coming team, with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Ferndanez, and Greg Oden leading their resurgence. So, it begs the question on why they continue to employ the worst television commentator in the NBA?

I believe that most Blazers fans who watch games turn the volume down or turn the radio on instead just so they can listen to Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey. Another option is going to the Rose Garden so they don't have to listen to Mike Rice. Of course that only works if the Blazers are in Portland. Lastly you know it's bad when your hometown hero Bill Walton admits that the only way he can watch a Blazers game on television is to watch it without sound.

Walton has a blog and one of his topics is regarding Mike Rice and how Walton despises the "homer" announcers. As in a previous article I've written titled "Bill Walton Finally Making Sense, Scary Right?" You know your hometown announcer is horrible if Bill Walton starts making sense. Especially when it's about a certain topic like awful announcing from the team he took the championship.

Living in Portland and having to listen to Rice commentating is like listening to nails being dragged down the chalkboard. He shows how truly biased he is especially when there's a bad call that goes gainst the Blazers.

Rice says things that are just head scratchers. Such as when the Blazers were playing the Golden State Warriors. The subject of the feel good story of the year so far in Anthony Morrow who was coming off the 37 point 11 rebound performance against the Clippers. Rice flat out called the game a fluke.

How refreshing was it for Morrow to make Rice eat his words? If Morrow had made the Blazers squad, started playing well like he has for the Warriors, Rice would be comparing him to the best 3 point shooters the league has ever seen. Morrow eventually made the 3 clutch free throws to seal the victory for the Warriors and scored 25 points on another great shooting performance.

Here's a thought Mr. Rice we know you're opinionated sometimes you may just bite your tongue when you don't have anything positive to say. Morrow's story about having to catch rides to games or taking public transportation is a great story itself, but of course Rice is the only announcer that would try to make it seems like it's not a big deal.

When the Blazers were playing the Timberwolves in Minnesota, Greg Oden caught the ball in the post. As Oden was making his move Oden was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. The replays showed otherwise and Rice of course couldn't let it go.

Mike Rice instead of just saying it was a mistake by the official he begins to whine like a preschooler. When making a comparison to Rice one can only say that he sounds like that child in a mall or toy store that's not getting their way. 

The same exact thing happens with Rice. In his case he's going to be quoted along the lines as this "oh no, that's a bad call, what are you doing ref?" Then his excitement from the bad call will wane but he will then say something along the lines of this "I hope when he gets graded by the league he gets marked down for that one because he clearly missed that call."

Author Poll

Is Mike Rice The Worst Commentator In The NBA

  • Yes, Bill Walton is right Rice is only good for a laugh
  • No
  • Someone Else
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Is Mike Rice The Worst Commentator In The NBA

  • Yes, Bill Walton is right Rice is only good for a laugh

    37.5%

  • No

    52.2%

  • Someone Else

    10.3%
  • Total votes: 136
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21 comments Last one added 3 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Joe Blazerfan 7 months ago

    I don't know what you're talking about. As a blazer fan for over 15 years now, I have listened to Rice not only when he was on the radio, but also now that he calls the games on TV. I agree that Mike Rice is biased toward the blazers, but that's his job. He works for "Blazers Broadcasting" not ESPN. Its his job to support his team, not play the middle ground. As for the comparisons between players, I don't think that Rice is saying that Oden is Tim Duncan, or Rodriguez is Steven Nash. Rice is merely stating that the way these young players play the game reminds him of those superstars, and perhaps one day they will develop into just as talented players. Bill Walton is sure one to talk about laughable commentary. Watch a couple clips of him and I think you'll see just as many gaffs.

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    • peter shaffer 7 months ago

      Both announcers have excuses for every bad blazers play. It's the worst announcing i've ever heard. Please fire them now.

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  2. pronus servius 7 months ago

    This article is a joke. I find Rice's insights to be accurate...many times he'll predict plays or upcoming timeouts and will be correct. I think he does a fine job.

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  3. Tom Marshall 7 months ago

    Steven, I couldn't possibly agree more with you about Rice. He is simply awful. My only objection is that you seem to be a fan of Barrett though I think he is almost as bad.

    Although the home team announcers are naturally going to have some bias towards the home team the level these dopes take it to is absurd. They bad mouth the fans during almost every road game and have yet to find a single decent thing to say about any opposing player.

    I can't find the article, but years ago I read an interview with Sean McDonough who is an announcer for a LOT of stuff (these days it seems to be mostly college football). He used to do the play by play for the Boston Red Sox and was pretty well beloved by the fans there. The reporter asked him about bias. He responded (paraphrasing here, sorry) that he was obviously happy when the Red Sox would win, and made no secret of that on the air, but he still tried to use a more neutral tone when describing the game so that he didn't come off like a homer (like Rice). For example he would say "The Red Sox need a hit here" rather than "We need a hit here." Its a small distinction but one that Rice clearly doesn't get.

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    • Steven Resnick 7 months ago

      I think that Barrett is stuck. He seems bad because he is the right hand man to Rice. For example on the Odom had foul he clearly has a different opinion than Rice, but as soon as Rice starts talking about how he agrees with the call, Barrett changes his mind because he doesn't want to be in disagreement with Rice. I can see why one would think Barrett is just as bad at least Barrett doesn't whine.

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  4. alex rosenbloom 7 months ago

    Mike Rice is a stud and whoever wrote this article is the wost ever, not rice.

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  5. JJ Gildersneeze 7 months ago

    You're dreaming. Rice and Barrett are smart and entertaining and are not even in the top-10 of worst homer announcers. They routinely give opposing players credit for good plays and Rice always has something interesting to say about players' strengths and weaknesses, both Blazers and otherwise.

    I also, for whatever it's worth, really like the gal doing the courtside stuff --sorry, her name escapes me right this second. She's also got basketball smarts and ought to get more airtime. Not the usual fluffy courtside "girl" type at all.

    You disagree with Rice about Odom's foul against Roy. Fine. Got it. You're also all wobbly because he "stated as fact" something that was an opinion. Not like your article does any of that...

    Now, if you want to criticize the dudes they cut to for halftime, I'm with you. They stink. But it sounds like you like bland guys in suits who never say anything, so I'd imagine you like them a whole bunch.

    JJ

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  6. Drew Barton 7 months ago

    Having seen some of the train wrecks across the NBA during the League Pass preview, I can say there were no tv duos I would rather hear than Barrett and Rice. Rice is often hysterically funny. Homers? Sure, but not nearly as much as most groups. I will take Rice as color man over most of them.

    Walton's credibility the day he referred to Arvydas Sabonis as "graceful" (if he had any by the time he unloaded that ridiculous riff). Sabonis was many things; a large man, talented passer, above average shooter...but graceful was certainly not one of them. Though you are saying it is unusual to agree with Walton...agreeing with him on this is one time to many. Keep Rice and Barrett for many, many years.

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  7. MG B 7 months ago

    Rice commented plenty of times on Zach's defense or lack of when he was on the Blazers.

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  8. Brad T 7 months ago

    Speak for yourself. I love my Blazers and I love Mike Rice.

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  9. Matthew Stevenson 7 months ago

    ha ha
    bill walton, the worst commentator in basketball history 1. he commentates nationaly but is still an LA homer 2. he's as irrational as barkley 3. he gets corrected by his side man more than anyone i've ever heard in my life.

    Mike Rice may not be the best commentator either, but he nothing as poor as Bill Walton.

    Still lol at the author's obvious oversight! Make the worst commentator in the NBA your main source!?!

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  10. Mac User 7 months ago

    Steven, how many Blazer fans do you know? And are they really fans or just bandwagon jumpers?
    I ask this because I have never heard anyone trash Rice before to this extent and he has been with the team as a commentator for as long as I can remember and I have been a Blazer fan for over 20 years. I think most true Blazer fans love Rice. Yes, he is a goofy homer, but so is every other color man. If you don't like him then go ahead and turn the volume down, but don't say that Blazer fans are doing this as well. And that definitely WAS a flagrant on Odom. If you don't get worked up when somebody takes a cheap shot at your guy then you are not a fan.

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  11. Josh H 7 months ago

    Funny...Morrow's game was a fluke.

    Rice is like that old uncle at your party who gets drunk. Just don't take him seriously, even if some of the things he may have to say provide some insight into the basketball world.

    Pretty bad article as well as to use Bill Walton as the announcer to back up your reason.

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  12. john doe 7 months ago

    LOL - Ya Morrow's the next Reggie Miller, Since that PDX game his best game was 7pts on 33% shooting. Looks like Rice had it right and the National media who over reacted to a few good games got it wrong. Any NBA player is capable of having one or two good games, it was nothing that special so get over it.

    Rice and Barrett are homers, but they are entertaining and do nothing to distract from the game. What is the point of writing an article about NBA team announcers anyway? Are you really that bored?

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  13. Joe Jones 7 months ago

    I love the fact that you are quoting Bill Walton on this subject, seeing as HE is the WORST commentator ever. At this point I automatically change the channel the second I see his face or hear his voice

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  14. Scott Greer 4 months ago

    I'm with you 100%on this article.

    I still look forward to televised games . . . until I start watching (listening) to them.

    Even when we're killing the other team, Rice's comments seem to suck every molecule of air out of the room with his droll, monotone, "authoritative" voice. He takes the fun out of game.

    Forget about yelling at the refs for making bad calls. Forget about swearing at the opponents for their flagrant fouls! Forget about screaming "YES" when Roy completes a great play!

    All I feel like doing when watching a televised game is to yell, "Shut the f**k up MIKE!"

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  15. Johnny Harol 3 months ago

    Did anybody see the "Fire Mike Rice" sign last Laker Blazer game in portland? That was so awsome!

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