CBS and DebA

[UcMiami]

I thought CBS did a nice job on their coverage tonight both in game and in studio. And I do like listening to Debbie A. Wonder why ESPN hasn't picked her up for color?

 

[msf22b]

I'm not a happy camper with regard the shut-down of radio-streaming apparently by the networks.
Even the Lousiville station was silenced.

The only option was the UConn College station which Justin kindly provided. Thanks Justin...
For Verizon in NY, CBS Sports was an option that one couldn't even purchase easily so I gave up, was about to settle into gametracker, when the local option materialized.

Here is another area where we are hamstrung by a lack of knowledge. I'll see if I can dig up any answers.

 

[SFJeff]

There were a couple of gaffs: one was announcing early on that Stef had 3 fouls when she actually had one. It was corrected a few minutes later. The other was that horrid graphic that compared the careers of Walz and Auriemma. It credited Walz with one NCAA title and Geno with TWO. The number of final four appearances was also way off.

 

[ABachelor6CR]

That graphic was in the first 5 years of head coaching.

 

[Icebear]

Thing is Walz doesn't have a title as a head coach.

 

[pinotbear]

I saw the same graphic, and don't recall them giving Walz credit for a title. Might have been title game appearances.

 

[CCinCT]

The graphic was just plain WRONG

Geno started in 1985 and wouldn't have even appeared close to Walz in ability for the FIRST 5 years - No FF, no NC's.

At least Antonelli and her colleague knew who the players were - unlike Criqui and Mary Murphy, who went to the Mike Patrick School of Mostly Incoherent WCBB Announcing.

 

[Icebear]

I saw the same graphic, and don't recall them giving Walz credit for a title. Might have been title game appearances.

That would make sense.

 

[meyers7]

Sorry, have to disagree here. I thought that was some of the most painful announcing I've had to listen to in awhile. Very poor imo. I thought Antonelli was just awful.

Hi Def was nice though.

 

[easttexastrash]

I love Debbie A. She is good with Xs and Os and knows women's basketball and has a passion. I also think that she is more neutral than some announcers, who seems to have an agenda. She DEFINITELY beats Burke, who I absolutely cannot stand to listen to. She seems to think that what she says is much more important than it really is. Way too scripted.

 

[JimGunther]

I don't know, I thought the broadcast was "flat".
Can't put my finger on it: It's always obvious when a "stranger" does the game.

Looked like a pretty good crowd but, maybe the audio wasn't picking up the electricity. For that matter, there were "exchanges of 'physicality'" (to coin a term<G>) that shoulda' heated-up the screen.

PS: Yes, that graphic was poorly researched.

 

[EricLA]

I read some snarky comments on the board before i watched the game and was mystified as to what people were going on about. Thought Antonelli was terrific. She had nothing but effusive praise for the UCONN program throughout the entire broadcast.

I realize "liking" UCONN should not earn her a pass on her commentary, but I saw zero to complain about for a "national" broadcast. The "Stef 3 fouls" issue was something the male announcer said based on the stats they were handed. That had zero to do with her.

The graphic was dumb - but not because it was wrong. Dumb because Geno took over a program that was in the toilet and playing home games in a leaky gym. Walz took over a program that had one of the best players in the world still in college (McCaughtry) and they play in one of the best CBB sites in the nation. To compare their "first 5 years" is silly.

I loved her comment after Stef got slapped in the face by Vails - "Yeah, I don't like that". We knew the game was going to be physical. I liked that she had an opinion on what she felt was an intentional slap that caught Stef in the eye.

As ETT pointed out, she's good with X's and O's. Pointing out how UCONN attacked the zone on offense. Pointing out that UCONN rarely puts the ball on the floor once they set up their quarter court offense. Stuff like that.

Did either of them offer anything "mind blowingly insightful"? Of course not. Knowledgeable UCONN fans know more about the team than any announcers. I just don't get the complaints.

 

[UcMiami]

I did really like the break down of plays they offered pinpointing the ball movement and player cuts. I thought that was great and more complete than you usually see. The foul issue was that some stats geek screwed up the Doty two early fouls with Dolson's first and came up with three. They corrected it pretty quickly. The graphic was just weird - didn't look at it long enough to figure out what was there.
Someone on the game thread thought there was a little unpleasantness between Geno and Jeff in the handshake line - I didn't see it and Geno had some nice things to say about Jeff afterwords - I think they get along fine.
I also thought the game wasn't overly physical - couple of situations, but generally not the clutching and grabbing and whacks on cutters that you see in the real 'physical' match-ups. And overall I thought the refs did pretty well - not a ton of fouls called so the game had flow, and the bad situations were kept to a minimum.