LaChina and Doris Talk "The Big Game"

[Bliss]

I feel sorry for Dave O'Brien when he is paired with Doris. Doris can talk for 40 minutes (usually about how great UConn is) without once commenting on a single play.

Doris just needs to get over herself.

 

[eebmg]

Lachina Robinson was one of the last persons to stop voting for TENN on the AP list last season.

I work often until 6pm PST. Sometimes until 7pm. I heavily depend on the ESPN scores page to track the games.
Lachina Robinson is among the major tweeters on that page. She might very well be the biggest contributor.
She enthusiastically reports on many basketball games in progress and praises many teams and players.
Often talks about the games that has been played earlier.
Uconn rarely makes her list. Probably never. I can recall her retweeting one of Lobo's praising Xtal.
And perhaps one more from Kara Lawson. That's about it.

So Doris Burke's appreciation of Geno on her network sounded like Donald Trump getting a lecture
on global warming from Prince Charles.

Realistically, you can understand that announcers should be selling the game they are televising and at least provide the illusion (often times holding their nose) that other teams are good and can be competitive for a NC. Remember, the viewers are fans of the televised teams and it cant be fun to have announcers tell them that they do not have a chance in hell.

 

[cayenne]

I’m so sick of hearing “I love Doris”, “I hate Doris”. Doris Burke is a sports broadcaster and her main job, as with all sports broadcaster, is to get the viewer to tone in & watch the next game. So she is not going to say ‘UConn will kill this next team by 40 points’ & she will say ‘this team could give UConn a real battle’. You may not like it, but that is what her boss wants. Another big part of her job is to sell WBB to the public & I think she does a really good job of that.

 

[BigBird]

I’m so sick of hearing “I love Doris”, “I hate Doris”. Doris Burke is a sports broadcaster and her main job, as with all sports broadcaster, is to get the viewer to tone in & watch the next game. So she is not going to say ‘UConn will kill this next team by 40 points’ & she will say ‘this team could give UConn a real battle’. You may not like it, but that is what her boss wants. Another big part of her job is to sell WBB to the public & I think she does a really good job of that.

If I had a color commentator of her quality with me through the many years of doing radio play-by-play, I would have been thrilled. As to UConn specifically, she wants other teams to see and embrace the challenge posed by UConn, and she has said so. She is a promoter of WCBB, not a promoter of UConn only. It's funny how many of us have come to the BY with no legacy of attachment to UConn. We came because we got hooked on the really excellent quality of the game played by the Huskies. We like excellence. So does Doris Burke.

First lesson of show business: Everything plays to mixed reviews. That's just how it is. Sports are entertainment. Not everyone is going to appreciate a team, a coach, or another fan's post, no matter how good they are. The critics aren't always "haters." Perhaps contrarians would be more accurate. They are harmless; let them be.

 

[Waquoit]

Anyone else think Doris overdoes it when a missed or non-call goes UConn's way? Her voice gets louder and more stern as she goes on and on describing what a bad call it was. Enough Doris, we get it. I get the feeling she jumps on any chance to send it in because they come so infrequently.

 

[DefenseBB]

I'm not a UConn Wcbb hater .. I don't like listening to Burke. I'm a fan of Robinson though.

Seriously? LaChina you like? I find her adding ZERO VALUE in any conversation or tweet she does. I learn nothing from her. Even people I am not inclined to agree with provoke thoughts I understand and say "hum ok, I can understand that but don't agree" , not with her though, if anything I question why anyone would listen. Doris on the other hand even when I disagree, her thoughts are well prepared and logical.

I guess we have to agree to disagree here. So much for our compadreship....

 

[triaddukefan]

Seriously? LaChina you like? I find her adding ZERO VALUE in any conversation or tweet she does. I learn nothing from her. Even people I am not inclined to agree with provoke thoughts I understand and say "hum ok, I can understand that but don't agree" , not with her though, if anything I question why anyone would listen. Doris on the other hand even when I disagree, her thoughts are well prepared and logical.

I guess we have to agree to disagree here. So much for our compadreship...

Well I wasn't talking about her broadcasting ability when I stated that was a fan of hers

 

[DefenseBB]

Ok you are back in good stead with me!

 

[Plebe]

Lachina Robinson is among the major tweeters on that page. She might very well be the biggest contributor.
She enthusiastically reports on many basketball games in progress and praises many teams and players.
Often talks about the games that has been played earlier.
Uconn rarely makes her list. Probably never. I can recall her retweeting one of Lobo's praising Xtal.
And perhaps one more from Kara Lawson. That's about it.

This isn't quite fair to LaChina, IMO. Earlier this season, during one of UConn's big OOC games, I remember LaChina tweeting effusive praise about Napheesa. Something to the effect of, "She has a babyface but she is a MONSTER." Among other praise. I have on multiple occasions heard her speak highly about Geno and Chris Dailey and UConn's program as a whole.

 

[Plebe]

Anyone else think Doris overdoes it when a missed or non-call goes UConn's way? Her voice gets louder and more stern as she goes on and on describing what a bad call it was. Enough Doris, we get it. I get the feeling she jumps on any chance to send it in because they come so infrequently.

I find that she does this whenever she thinks a call is wrong, regardless of the team. She was not subtle in her disagreement with the calls at the end of the Tennessee-South Carolina game, for example.

 

[Plebe]

Seriously? LaChina you like? I find her adding ZERO VALUE in any conversation or tweet she does. I learn nothing from her. Even people I am not inclined to agree with provoke thoughts I understand and say "hum ok, I can understand that but don't agree" , not with her though, if anything I question why anyone would listen. Doris on the other hand even when I disagree, her thoughts are well prepared and logical.

I guess we have to agree to disagree here. So much for our compadreship...

I like both of them for the strengths they have. I imagine Doris as the head librarian of basketball—and I mean that as a compliment! She takes a cerebral approach to her craft, she's a consummate professional, and I can think of no other female analyst who has transcended the gender barrier as she has. Kara Lawson has just recently begun to tread the path that was blazed by Doris.

I love LaChina's enthusiasm and positive energy, but her commentary tends to remain at a superficial level. Doris doesn't shy away from a dispassionate critique of a team's or coach's or player's mistakes or weaknesses. I remember during the Tennessee-Notre Dame game, at a moment of obvious stagnation in the Vols' offense, she bluntly remarked, "What's the play call?! The players are looking around like they don't know ...," and then: "That was an awful possession! Simply awful."

LaChina, by contrast, seems to go out of her way to keep everything positive. She is a feel-good commentator, which of course is nice, but not always the most insightful one; and this lack of depth is also the part I don't like in her otherwise valuable podcast. Everyone and everything is "amazing" and "special" and "incredible." She steers away from anything controversial or critical, but makes a point of querying Kim Mulkey and Niele Ivey at length about their fashion choices.

 

[Waquoit]

yeah, Tiger Williams.. he was also good at hockey

And I also think he got busted at the Russian Lady.

 

[Bronxjeff]

If I had a color commentator of her quality

First lesson of show business: Everything plays to mixed reviews. That's just how it is. Sports are entertainment. Not everyone is going to appreciate a team, a coach, or another fan's post, no matter how good they are. The critics aren't always "haters." Perhaps contrarians would be more accurate. They are harmless; let them be.

Mr Bird,
This was extremely insightful. Thank you, for a good life lesson, and proving the adage that we're never too old to learn something new. Though I am getting old enough that it is harder to find something new!

 

[JoePgh]

I finally got around to listening to the entire podcast. Since the UConn stuff was mostly at the beginning, I didn't expect to listen to the whole thing, but it was interesting enough that I did.

They spent several minutes talking about Diamond Deshields, and whether San Antonio would take her with the #1 pick if she makes herself available for the draft this spring. They both agreed that she would be an obvious choice based on basketball ability, BUT ...

The interviewer uttered the words "character issue", and Doris immediately disclaimed that suggestion. But she said that if she were San Antonio's management, she would be doing an in-depth investigation as to why her play is so spotty despite her talent.

Apparently it's not just Boneyarders that are raising those questions about her.

 

[BigBird]

I feel sorry for Dave O'Brien when he is paired with Doris. Doris can talk for 40 minutes (usually about how great UConn is) without once commenting on a single play. I bet Dave keeps a copy of "War and Peace" by his side so he can read it while Burke bloviates ad nauseam.

I just noticed Checkmate's use of the word bloviate. I guess I'm in good company.

Rubbish. But then, opinions are like income tax...

 

[Hope]

Rubbish. But then, opinions are like income tax..

Thank you for that well-reasoned response.

 

[Zanzman]

Sure wish Dave obrien could pronounce the players name correctly

 

[Gus Mahler]

Never feel sorry for Dave O'Brien, he got a good man fired

Would you mind sharing who?

 

[CL82]

Doris has a tendency to get locked into the narrative she's prepared regardless if they are applicable during the game. I don't mind her overall though.