The Homers
Sean Elliott drives me crazy. As far as his color commentary work goes on Spurs broadcasts, he might be the biggest homer going.
I generally don’t mind homer commentators at all; I really don’t. They add something for local fans watching their team’s broadcasts and their sometimes ridiculous one-sided views of the game can be entertaining. I’m not a Celtics fan, but I think Tommy Heinsohn for the most part is hilarious. Same thing with guys like Clyde Drexler (Rockets), Kevin Calabro(Seattle), Scott Hastings (Denver), and Stu Lantz (Lakers), among others. All of those guys I just listed pretty much openly root for their team, and it doesn’t really bother me in the slightest. It’s part of the beauty of League Pass - you get the different flavors that the NBA has to offer from coast to coast.
There’s just something about Elliott that is just way too much. By all accounts he’s a great guy and he has every reason to feel like an extended part of the Spurs’ on-court family. He gave them a lot of good years, won a lot of games with them and is obviously still tight with the coaches and the players. It’s just that when he adopts the whole Spurs attitude, things head south for me.
I don’t care if you’re the biggest die-hard Spurs fan out there, you can’t deny that they might just be the whiniest team in all of basketball. Every call, every no-call, and generally everything that happens over the course of 48 minutes is met with whining or crying of some sort. And if, God forbid, a foul is called on somebody in a Spurs uni? You can bet that 10 out of 10 times, that call is going to be met with the Manu/Duncan-patented incredulous “It’s a Foul on Me?!” schtik on the court and at the announcers’ table.
They carry themselves with general arrogance that ties in with the whining (as in, “We don’t have to play well until the playoffs because we’re the Spurs!” or “We’re the Spurs! We’re too good to foul!”). Last night’s game was one big study in all of it. They were simply out-hustled and out-hearted by the Utah Jazz. Utah played better defense, came up with huge loose balls and boards and they hit big shots. Yet San Antonio and (Elliott) were carrying on like it was just unfathomable that Utah could be winning the game.
Case in point: after Kyle Korver stuck that huge three in the final minute, there was a timeout called. NBA TV came back from a commercial and switched over to the Spurs broadcast for a minute. You could immediately hear Elliott saying, his voice dripping with some mix of disbelief and disdain: “And then Kyle Korver hits that three…” Like he just can’t believe that Kyle Korver, of all people, hit an open three to kill his team. Like, on top of all the calls going against the Spurs, his team has to deal with a nobody banging threes on them too.
If Sean’s going to carry on like that, maybe he belongs on the bench instead of on the mic.
January 29th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
MC Welk says:
Bravo!
January 29th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Mike says:
Re: “Whiniest team in basketball”
I’m a fan of the Warriors, but I’d like to nominate them for “Whiniest Team in Basketball.”
Did you see them in the playoffs last year? Every call against them they complained. Even worse, when on offense if they did get a call but felt they should have, they would stand and whine to the refs and completely disregard defense.
January 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
alimoe says:
this article is right on
January 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
K-Dizzle says:
Thank you.
Like I said maybe 2 days ago, dude hits one shot, yeah, it was big, in his career and now he’s rippin on the Hornets about how they can’t do shit without Paul and how they depend on him. No shit. Right about now, the Spurs wish they had CP3. It’s not just players that destroy teams, it’s also the media. D. West has been ballin like crazy this season and I keep hearin that he ain’t a baller cuz he plays with CP3 as West is puttin whoever the Spurs put on him into the chamber, now MR. Elliot is shocked that a 3 point gunner hits a wide open 3. Ok, Sean. I used to like dude, too, thought he game was nice. Now, he’s just becomin a caricature of himself.
The article was money
January 29th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Kobe-08_24 says:
What is it with the Spurs guys? Steve Kerr was a definite homer when he was doing color.
January 29th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Jay says:
Geez you just exhibited the other end of the spectrum with your complete lack of objectivity towards a team who has likely used your teams as road passes towards success. I’m no Spurs fan, but reading how you whine about them is ironic considering the subject of your article. Oh wait, that wasn’t even the subject, that was just you pointlessly whining and the Spurs whining in an article that was supposed to be about Sean Elliot.
January 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
T.M.P.B.W.O.T.P. says:
I’ll second that nomination for the Warriors being the whiniest team in the League.
Scott Williams (Bucks) is also a huge homer. So are the Bulls announcers, but they’re to the point of being annoying. I actually don’t think Calabro is that bad; he’ll give the players on other teams credit if they’re killing. He gets excited over good basketball, no matter who’s playing good.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
bxballer says:
Mike Breen of the Knicks = Anti-Homer.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Dime Magazine says:
That’s funny, you’re right on with Breen. You can tell he’s disgusted by the Knicks all the time. Same with Mark Jackson when he’s doing Nets games.
- Pat
January 29th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
GEE ...You done spilled that 40 on my keyboard h$% says:
I say nay to the Warriors and I nominate the Dallas Mavericks as the whiniest team in the Leauge.
Hey is it just me or does it seem a lot of foreign players whine a lot more than American players?
I don’t know when I think about of players complaining and crying for a foul or for a reason they didn’t foul, I see foreign dudes the most.
Sean needs to chill. It happens in so many sports but I would have to say probably basketball the most. I remember dude going off about the Miami ‘Canes when they got in that huge fight, and I think he got fired for it.
Crazy.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Mo says:
I agree about Sean Elliot. The Jazz guy Ron “Booner” Boone is a huge homer also.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Myrie says:
Do any of us really need any of these guys?
I mean…we’ve all watched games on TV at some point with no volume.
And….when you go to a game, you can’t hear them.
So again….do we really need any of these flamers…errr….homers anyway?
Their insight is credible at times; but not that much more than you or I.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Juanito says:
Agree about Breen comment. Clyde Frazier sounds perpetually high as well. I love it.
Cleveland announcers are nearly as bad as Spurs or Celtics. Terrible homers, and not very astute basketball commentators either…
January 29th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Mo says:
Yeah, I’ve been putting my tv on mute a lot lately. Sometimes these guys get to be a bit much.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Adam says:
I actually enjoy the Hawks announcers (Steve Smith and Bob Rathbun), but you guys are right. For the most part the announcers are homers or suck or both, and I just mute it and put music on. Especially during NFL games, those guys always suck. I think the TNT halftime crew does a good job. I also like Hubie Brown and Doug Collins.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
rilla says:
I’m a Spurs fan so I may be a little biased, but there is no way they are the whiniest team in the NBA. Yeah, they complain a lot, but has anybody watched a Pistons game recently? There is a reason Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton lead the league in technicals, and it’s because they complain after every single call that doesn’t go their way.
January 29th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
skurv says:
dantoni alone makes the suns the whiniest team in the league. hes got a worse pouty face than eli manning. and he stomps his foot all the time. and i hear he beats his wife.
January 29th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
shourjo says:
I don’t understand the whole “Spurs are so whiny thing” either. There are tons of teams in the league that are AS whiny if not more. Phx. I think Amare in particular is pretty bad. Detroit. Dallas. Mark Cuban alone whines more than some entire teams. The Warriors. I understand that if you’re not a fan of a particular team and you see their players exhibit that sort of conduct after a whistle is blown - it’s aggravating. But, wow, way to be objective with your article here.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
ML says:
Well i guess Mike Breen should stick to just announicing ESPN Games.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
gdon says:
Haha, amusing article but kinda weak in terms of substance. I’m no spurs fan, they’re type of ball is a bit boring for me. But however you feel about them, you’ve got to respect their game. Believe it or not, but their “boring style” is a winning formula. Besides the occasional Tony Parker wheeling and dealing slashes, there’s no flash to spurs basketball. But this team is comprised of ultimate winners.
Re the whinning thing. Yeah, they do whine a hell of a lot. As does every other team in the league. Fuck, have you not seen Kobe when he doesn’t get a call after he does his patented arm whack follow-through??
Finally, about the Spurs attitude… seemingly too proud to try in the regular season? Fuck, they’ve earned that too. And they’re near the top of the standings again anyways? Come playoff time, this is a team that cranks it up a notch and nobody wants to face them.
WITH THAT SAID, GO NUGGETS (though reaching the conf semi’s is a more realistic goal considering their abysmal team defense)
January 30th, 2008 at 12:39 am
brandon says:
I know many people wanna say it, so ill do it: Sean Elliot is the biggest Uncle Tom in the NBA. That feels good, it makes me sick that guys that road superstar coattails for championship rings like elliot, steve kerr, john paxson, and will perdue are getting hooked up with nice management/broadcasting jobs, yet guys like rick barry and kareem adbul-jabar had to struggle to gain respect post-retirment, wtf is sean elliot doing out there? he is an embarrassment to media, he didnt like the press as a player, and now he is a member of it, he reminds me of former georgetown coach john thompson.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:54 am
2 Easy says:
This article is funny because I kno that I often cant take when I catch the home town team’s announcers callin the game. I hate to do this because Im from T.O and a Raptors fan but I cant stand Swirsky, he sucks off all the Raps and tries to sound objective by biggin up all the big names on other teams. Hes not a bad guy dont get me wrong but its hard to watch Raptor games sometimes. I enjoy nationally broadcast games because those announcers just give facts and humorous back stories. O and Mark Jackson’s disgusted with everyone, dont be surprised
January 30th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Jesse says:
This just seems like a chance 4 u to attack the spurs. Tim duncan as there captain is an extremely modest guy who takes losing to heart and understands the mistakes him and his teamates make. They definetly don’t have an arrogant attitude and i see no evidence of it at all.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am
bigdre says:
“They carry themselves with general arrogance that ties in with the whining (as in, “We don’t have to play well until the playoffs because we’re the Spurs!” or “We’re the Spurs! We’re too good to foul!”).”
Yo cass my man, that’s just hatin’. not cool.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am
alex says:
Yeah this article ain’t cool at all. Its like a bottled up hatred rant against the world champions. The spurs ain’t whiny. They don’t complain about fouls called on them (Pop doesn’t complain), the players (manu, TD) complain when a foul is mistakenly assigned to them - instead of their teammates. I saw this when Vaughn fouled Deron, but the refs called it on Manu who was late to get to the play.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Chris says:
Alex, you are just as big a homer as Sean Elliott. Any objectable person has to admit that Manu/Duncan cry over every call that goes against them. I hate watching the Spurs because in most games their crying actually influences the refs, who then start giving the crybabies every call.
January 30th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Anonymous says:
No team is worse than the Rockets broadcast team. They argue on every possession. I’m a Rockets fan, but I have to watch their games on mute because their favoritism is utterly ridiculous.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Ian says:
lol this article crap
the suns are the worst
dantoni that fucking face after every call that yelling please shut the fuck up and sit on the bench
as for the article the spurs arrogant jummm didnt they earn that shit
the piston have the same attitude and only have one ring
and yes maybe the spurs are too good to foul
mr cassidy u r a hater
January 30th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
s.bucketz says:
walt clyde frazier>everybody with a mic(besides sexual chocolate)
January 30th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Tom Toronto says:
2 Easy is right, Swirsky from the Raptors is the biggest homer out there. Exhibit A: for rookie of the year he was the ONLY first place vote for Bargnani, every other announcer, media type, coach or whoever voted for B.Roy. Chuck got a lot of hate mail after that one.
A lot of people love him, a lot of people hate him, you can’t doubt his love for the game, but if you’re looking for an objective play-by-play don’t watch the Toronto broadcasts.
February 24th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Gareth says:
Sean Elliot has no brain.
February 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Utes Fan says:
Yeah I agree that “Booner” from Utah (Ron Boone formerly of the Utah Stars of the ABA) is a pretty big homer. I watch their games regularly. He isn’t the worst one though.