Megan Culmo

[Papa33]

Its not what she says , she is right most of the time. Its the snide comments she makes as an add on. You don't have to be a "homer", but she is down right nasty sometimes. People are tired of hearing her negative Crap, has you hear from a good portion of the people here. Go announce the WNBA , nobody listens to those announcers anyway. I would rather listen to Kara, she tells it like it is , but she's not nasty and jealous. Its time to find a new job, how about an executioner she's better suited. Bestwick just makes the situation worse UGH! Throw some water on Meg and see what happens ???? Just bring back the broom stick. Go UCONN!!!

Speaking of "nasty" . . . .

 

[Kevin G]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, I cannot imagine how "easy' it is to be on the air calling games. I wonder how those making negative comments would do in her place?

Until then I will just sit back and appreciate the coverage.

 

[cabbie191]

I think your thoughts deserve a separate thread.
I'm more like Baskin and Robbins, 31 flavors, where fandom comes in. We're all different.
In terms of fan "purity", I'm not sure about that either. Maybe the fan you're talking about is hiding a lack of knowledge behind the Husky head and blue face paint. Maybe the fan that questions coaching strategy is really the fan that is there through thick and thin and the Husky head is out mowing the lawn.

Talking about fan "purity" - LOL and slightly OT - Tennessee is 19-3 and ranked in the top ten. But they've hit a rough stretch before their game Sunday with the Huskies: two losses and needing overtime to win, all against unranked teams.

And the result among many fans on VolNation who were lauding Harper a few weeks ago as the second coming of Pat Summitt? "she can't fix the turnovers", "there's no flow to the game", "players can't be coached", etc.

 

[Forego]

The one comment I will make is that some of us remember a time when basketball, baseball and football games were called by one announcer only. Those announcers were basically “play by play” guys whose sole function was to call the action on the court or field of play.

Many got their start in radio where it was all about painting a vivid picture of the game in the minds of their listeners. Red Barber was among the best ever. Keith Jackson and Marv Albert were both very good.

I’m not sure when exactly networks began putting 2 and 3 people in the broadcast booth, including color commentators to basically add additional insight and back stories to the broadcast. But I think that is the crux of the problem.

There are just too many announcers on game broadcasts who have to earn their paycheck. Often the color commentators end up talking over the game with human interest stories that aren’t particularly relevant. That’s not a knock against Megan Culmo, or any other color commentator. It’s their job.

As an old fart, I would love to see networks go back to a single announcer calling games. Unfortunately, that will most likely never happen.

I was thinking the same thing after last weekend’s playoffs. One network had five talking heads on their post game rehash and the other network had six. This doesn’t include the play by play announcer, color commentators and let’s not forget the rules analyst. Bring back the days of Chris Schenkel, Ray Scott and Lindsay Nelson.

I am overwhelmed by the amount of criticism in this thread. Don’t get me wrong. We are all entitled to our own opinion. But criticism without a solution does not yield positive results. As another poster reported above, Meghan is a former UConn basketball player and graduate assistant (with the 1994-95 champions). Like her or dislike her, she deserves our respect.

 

[cabbie191]

This morning over coffee I asked my wife, who watches fewer games than I do, what she thought of Culmo's on-air presence. Like myself, she generally likes her but she raised a couple of interesting questions:

1) Both my wife and I have either direct or indirect backgrounds in education. We enjoy both teaching and learning and know that we are attracted to broadcasters who teach us something about the game we are watching. Tony Romo rates very highly with us in this regard. She wondered whether the split opinions on this board in part reflect the degree to which we, as viewers, enjoy being taught by the analyst as they describe what they see on the court.

2) She also wondered whether it's possible that there is a difference in what men and women look for or prefer in how a game is broadcast.

For myself, I generally have no idea whether my fellow posters are male or female so I have no basis for forming a judgement based on this thread. But I suspect that some of you who have been on the board longer and interact with each other more than I do have a sense of the male/female identify of posters - if so, can you parse out a trend?

 

[oldude]

One other comment on color commentators. While I would prefer none, you can, at the very least, make a case for them in football and baseball where there’s “dead time” between plays and pitches. Basketball, like hockey or soccer, is a game of continuous action where color commentators have to pry their way into the game action in a sense.

 

[Inthepaint]

I will admit to being a bit "Husky-centric", but I am much happier watching the BE games on SNY than the OOC games on ESPN, or Fox Sports.
Even the BE tourney games aren't up to par.
ESPN is particularly annoying.
Think Megan provides good analysis and knows what she's talking about.

 

[Zinethar]

I see a lot of criticism of announcers on this board which basically breaks down to 2 camps - those who like (tolerate?) color analysts and those who want only PBP. I'm in the first group I guess. I find the SNY broadcasts to be among the best I've seen. She does get on my nerves a bit lately as she seems to try to be less biased of late (maybe in response to a directive from above) and seems more critical of what UConn is doing. Maybe it is just earned . Not sure. I did prefer Eric but Allen is seems fine to me. You don't like color commentators - turn on the radio and turn off the TV sound. You still have that freedom. Just let the rest of us enjoy what we prefer.

 

[Centerstream]

What is " smart, toned that"? Yes, was my 2 cents.
Last thing, she has been broadcasting , what over 20 years in CT, and who is based here? ESPN and she never has been promoted to a regional or national level on that network.
Wonder why.

Neither has Kara Wolters been elevated to a regional or national level. And I am glad because then she would be working with people that I personally mute...except for #50.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I like her, even when I disagree with her which is a pretty common occurrence. She's usually got an arguable "why" for seeing what she sees. Her style reminds me a little of Bill Raftery without the partying references...

 

[Geesworld]

I much rather watch SNY Broadcast team without sound. Last season and this season, It feels like Meghan & Kara spend time finding faults of the players and complimenting only one player. Just can't take there pessimist approach. I recently got the chance to listen to the game from the radio announcers while watching the game and they called great game.

 

[Jletoile]

I know this is a sensitive topic on the BY and may get me a ton of dislikes and much scorn.
For me, she is getting harder and harder to listen to. I just mute her mostly, but the best Womens program in history should have a better TV analyst.
I know how much she means to the UCONN WBB family and seems to be a very nice person, this is just a critique of her style.
First, can she call the game that is actually happening or on every play pretend she is the actual referee? CD makes a jumper at the foul line, Culmo states " I think she got away with a walk there".
Or a Creighton player stumbles in the lane and Culmo states, "Westbrook got away with a foul there".
Let the actual refs call the game, they are the only ones that count.
Also, you are not the coach, we make a three pointer, " That was bad offense as we were standing around" 3 points seem pretty good to me.
Lastly, I am not sure what she is seeing , an opposition three point attempt clangs 15 ft off the rim , directly to the other team..." Uconn should have hustled and got that rebound" . There wasn't a Uconn player anywhere near the ball.
I think I will maybe try what another person made a comment on and listen to Bob Joyce on the radio.

The examples you give for why you are annoyed with her are exactly the things that keep me from getting totally annoyed with her.

 

[WFFL]

Culmo commentates from a fan standpoint and not an analysist in my opinion

 

[hard2please]

frankly, i think they are all boring and juvenile network people. i never watch the sny shows and try to ignore the game announcers. they treat us like we are in kindergarten and never saw a basketball before. there is nothing they add (no inside information or insights) that any fan wouldnt have already learned from this board 100 times over.

 

[hard2please]

fire them all, and just have kevin ollie announce the games instead. id enjoy that much more and hes not too busy these days i dont think.

 

[ctkaiser]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Do you guys listen to any other announcer 25-30 times a season? Maybe they’d be just as annoying and repetitive if you listened to them all the time

I rarely agree with you but on this point I do.

 

[ctkaiser]

It's funny you say that. I remember the first time I heard Monica I liked her. I said to myself, wow, this is different and somewhat entertaining. After the second time I had had enough.

You don't like it when he calls the pass to the post the inbounds pass?

 

[ctkaiser]

As someone else stated at least Meghan talks about the game being played. ESPN announcers drive me nuts. They give up broadcasting the game about mid way through and start talking about everything else under the sun.

With ESPN I don't know if they're announcing the game or using it as an opportunity to promo everything else they're showing over the next 5 days.

 

[CL82]

Meghan has been a player, asst. coach, babysitter for Genos kids, and a color analyst. She is smart, knows the game, and tells it like it is.

Meghan has been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king. She’s been up and down and over and out, and I know one thing. Each time she finds herself flat on her face, she picks herself up and gets back in the race.

 

[npignatjr]

I know this is a sensitive topic on the BY and may get me a ton of dislikes and much scorn.
For me, she is getting harder and harder to listen to. I just mute her mostly, but the best Womens program in history should have a better TV analyst.
I know how much she means to the UCONN WBB family and seems to be a very nice person, this is just a critique of her style.
First, can she call the game that is actually happening or on every play pretend she is the actual referee? CD makes a jumper at the foul line, Culmo states " I think she got away with a walk there".
Or a Creighton player stumbles in the lane and Culmo states, "Westbrook got away with a foul there".
Let the actual refs call the game, they are the only ones that count.
Also, you are not the coach, we make a three pointer, " That was bad offense as we were standing around" 3 points seem pretty good to me.
Lastly, I am not sure what she is seeing , an opposition three point attempt clangs 15 ft off the rim , directly to the other team..." Uconn should have hustled and got that rebound" . There wasn't a Uconn player anywhere near the ball.
I think I will maybe try what another person made a comment on and listen to Bob Joyce on the radio.

Every broadcast a cliche fest, many at the wrong time. Then the camera shooi ing, coaches, cheerleaders, people in the stands, etc, while the game is being played.

 

[Paul1969]

I absolutely love her calling the game. She has an intimate and unique perspective that maintains a respect for the sport and all players (not just UConn). I remember having the flu in the late 90s and barely moving watching a game and she commented on something and I laughed so hard. I would be disappointed without her. Plus I met her in person at the final four in Columbus and she is so down to earth. We shared a Tequila shot since I live in Texas and laughed a lot.

 

[hard2please]

Every broadcast a cliche fest, many at the wrong time.

 

[hard2please]

ditto ! you read my mind ! thats exactly what they bring to the table... no need to read between the lines here.

 

[Cuango]

She's better than Bill Walton.

No one’s better than Walton!

 

[Centerstream]

Every broadcast a cliche fest, many at the wrong time. Then the camera shooi ing, coaches, cheerleaders, people in the stands, etc, while the game is being played.

You do realize that Meghan has no control over the cameras and only can talk about what is on the court or monitor, right?