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He annoyed the out of me, but was quite funny at times. I'll miss him for the headaches he'd give other commentators.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Bill Walton retires from broadcasting
One of the most recognizable voices in NBA broadcasting is stepping away from the mic.
ESPN NBA analyst Bill Walton, plagued by back issues over the past two years, is retiring from broadcasting. Walton, who joined ESPN/ABC in '02 after a long tenure with NBC, had not appeared on ESPN since early last season.
here are some gems:
"When I think of Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven, the age of romantics"
"The Jazz are on an impressive 2-0 run"
Walton: "That has to be a foul""
Snapper: "against who?"
Walton: "Against the game of basketball"
"Yesterday we celebrated Sir Issac Newton's discovery of Gravity, today Fabricio Oberto is defying it"
"Dikembe Mutombo; Bringing Order to the Universe"
He annoyed the out of me, but was quite funny at times. I'll miss him for the headaches he'd give other commentators.
"Mark Madsen is just a hustler doing what needs to be done. Like the great Laker legend before him Travis Knight"
I, for one, miss him, even he says outrageous things sometimes.
My favorite announcer. This guy was cash.
"Throw it down, big fella....throw it down!"
I have never enjoyed Walton's commentary, or found him funny in the 'watching a trainwreck' kind of way. But I think he's a genuinely decent human and I've enjoyed his perspective when I've heard him in some Charlie Rose interviews. Hope he gets his back figured out.
Who doesn't like listening to this guy talk?
Funny as sometimes. That's too bad.
Too bad, he was great. I was fortunate enough to get his autograph when he was doing a Nets vs Spurs game for ESPN almost 4 years ago or so. He looked like he was in pain when he walked back then.
oh noes! The death of hyperbole!
Walton: That's a mascara call.
Breen (I think): Okay, I'll ask. What's a mascara call?
Walton: It's a makeup call!
Bill Walton was the greatest commentator in the history of the universe.
Walton was really hilarious when he did color for the Clippers years back. He used to constantly rant about how much Olowokandi sucked. Then when Ralph Lawer (play-by-play guy) would do the "Corona: The Official Beer of the Time Out" sponsorship message to begin the fourth quarter Walton would say he needed one or two to be able to stomach the Clippers' pathetic showing.
Loved your work, Bill. All the best.
I naively thought that perhaps he would just get used a wheelchair and roll over to a mic to do an NBA broadcast during the playoffs. I mean, the guy can still talk right...
Eh, getting old sucks.
Bill Walton was cool, my fav commentator by far though is Doug Collins.
Maybe it's because I don't have League Pass, but where the has he been working the last three or four years? I didn't realize he had been commentating all this time.
Greatest Walton line ever:
"Where would ya LIKE it, Samaki?"
"ESPN NBA analyst Bill Walton, plagued by back issues over the past two years, is retiring from broadcasting. Walton, who joined ESPN/ABC in '02 after a long tenure with NBC, had not appeared on ESPN since early last season."
Seems like much longer than that since I've heard him work.
Sucks. He was my favorite national commentator. Too bad it wasn't Doug Collins who retired . . .
But yeah, last time I saw Walton in person he could barely walk. He's only like 55 or something but he moves like he's 85.
Noooo!
He's not alone when it comes to athletes sacrificing their bodys for 10 - 15 years of brutal physical demand. This is one of the few justifications I can think of for their inflated salaries. Unfortunately for Walton, he didn't play recently enough to make the absurd money players currently get.
I absolutely loved Walton, for all the annoying and hyperbolic reasons everyone has stated. He was truly one-of-a-kind, both on the court and in the booth. He'll be missed.
"Throw it down, Big Man....throw it down"
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