Every team has its own local broadcasting duo (and sometimes trio) of play-by-play announcer and color commentator, and that can be good or bad, depending on which team you’re supporting.
There are virtually neutral announcers like Mike Breen (New York Knicks) and Eric Reid (Miami Heat) who call the games as fairly as possible, but most around the league are naturally biased in favor of the team they cover.
Some are worse than others. Long-time analyst Tommy Heinsohn of the Boston Celtics is up there as one of the most enthusiastically biased commentator out there, but announcer Bill Worrell of the Houston Rockets is no slouch either when it comes to supporting his team.
During Thursday’s contest between the Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, Worrell and his partner Clyde Drexler were at it again. Grizzlies analyst Brevin Knight was listening in, and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing:
I can’t believe I just heard the Rockets announcers say they hate players getting fouls throwing their bodies into D. Umm yall have Harden
— Brevin Knight (@brevinknight22) October 10, 2014
I love Bill and Clyde but that comment had my mouth wide open
— Brevin Knight (@brevinknight22) October 10, 2014
The comment by Worrell and Drexler truly is hilarious, because there is practically no one who throws their body into the defense quite as much as James Harden. You know, the guy they get to watch play every single game. If anyone on the other team falls, they are clearly flopping in the eyes of Worrell. Unless of course, it’s Harden. To be fair, Drexler isn’t shy about calling out his own players when warranted.
Sadly, this kind of shameless commentating happens regularly around the league, and it’s not going to stop any time soon.
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James Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
A.J. says
Eric Reid isn’t biased? Sure, he is. Nowhere close to as over the top as most, but he sure is. Other than the Knicks (not counting Walt Frazier) and the Nets, all of the TV guys are ridiculous. Watching San Antonio and Cleveland games called by the San Antonio and Cleveland TV announcers are exercises in torture.