Sorta OT: Doris Burke Superstar

[RockyMTblue2]

My wife just dropped tomorrow's Sports Illustrated in my lap and it opened up to a very, very, very yes really, really very flattering article on Doris Burke. It's not on-line yet, but I hope it does come along. I've always been a fan; some of us here aren't I know. But fact is she has the admiration of some of the greatest minds in the men's game (and of course Drake loves her). Her back story is pretty cool too, as a 7 year old who feel in love with the game to point guard for Providence College, to coach, to broadcaster. To the pinnacle of her craft. ""VanGundy claims, There's no better basketball analyst in the world."

Anyway, I'll keep looking for the SI Article, but in the meantime you can peruse a pretty fine Deadspin article from August: https://deadspin.com/how-doris-burke-became-the-best-damn-basketball-broadca-1797546866

“Growing up as a kid with bad hair, bad clothes, bad skin, bad teeth—you name it, I had it going on,” she said. “But whenever I stepped between the lines I was pretty good at the game. That felt good.”

“I’ve known Doris for over thirty-some years,” Van Gundy told me. “She’s the best, most-versatile analyst and commentator at ESPN. She does it all—great interviewer, commentator, studio analyst—everything. And she is an expert at it all—women’s and men’s college basketball, the NBA and the WNBA. She’s the LeBron James of sportscasters. There’s no better broadcaster out there right now.”

 

[iri10]

I always find it a bit bemusing to read how well praised she is in her new NBA analyst role. In part because it seems that sports fans of male sports often grade female broadcast talent on a negative curve, and in part because WBB fans have rolled their eyes at her more than once in the past.

(for my part, I thought she was decent, though not transcendently above her WBB peers)

 

[HoopsFan21]

Plus she's clearly a UConn homer.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Plus she's clearly a UConn homer.

Who isn't after seeing UCONN play their beautiful game?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Plus she's clearly a UConn homer.

Clearly. On UConn being bad for the game:

“I’m gonna give you my take on it. The idea that Connecticut is hurting the game is absolutely absurd because, make no mistake about it, if Connecticut were not dominating the sport, there is so little enthusiasm and coverage outside of people who are passionate about the game, so the only way that the casual fan can be drawn in is by excellence and sustained excellence.

“Because what Connecticut is doing is hard. Do they make it look easy? Yes. But this is hard. And we should appreciate sustained excellence. Because these kids are coached. They’re coached hard. It’s not always pleasant. Rebecca Lobo will tell you. (UConn forward) Breanna Stewart has been brought to tears. They respond.

“And I wish this, for more women: I wish more women were exposed to his coaching because, you know what? As a player, I want to maximize my abilities. And that’s what Geno Auriemma does.”

Doris Burke fired back at Boston columnist's criticism of UConn women's basketball

 

[HopJim]

I always find it a bit bemusing to read how well praised she is in her new NBA analyst role. In part because it seems that sports fans of male sports often grade female broadcast talent on a negative curve, and in part because WBB fans have rolled their eyes at her more than once in the past.

(for my part, I thought she was decent, though not transcendently above her WBB peers)

Ditto. Good, solid analyst. Not creative, no insight, but professional.

 

[veryolddog]

On the air, broadcasting for ESPN during a UConn game, she made the remark that she wished that she had been coached and played for Geno. For that, she will always have my good will and respect.

 

[Sonny44]

My wife just dropped tomorrow's Sports Illustrated in my lap and it opened up to a very, very, very yes really, really very flattering article on Doris Burke. It's not on-line yet, but I hope it does come along. I've always been a fan; some of us here aren't I know. But fact is she has the admiration of some of the greatest minds in the men's game (and of course Drake loves her). Her back story is pretty cool too, as a 7 year old who feel in love with the game to point guard for Providence College, to coach, to broadcaster. To the pinnacle of her craft. ""VanGundy claims, There's no better basketball analyst in the world."

Anyway, I'll keep looking for the SI Article, but in the meantime you can peruse a pretty fine Deadspin article from August: https://deadspin.com/how-doris-burke-became-the-best-damn-basketball-broadca-1797546866

“Growing up as a kid with bad hair, bad clothes, bad skin, bad teeth—you name it, I had it going on,” she said. “But whenever I stepped between the lines I was pretty good at the game. That felt good.”

“I’ve known Doris for over thirty-some years,” Van Gundy told me. “She’s the best, most-versatile analyst and commentator at ESPN. She does it all—great interviewer, commentator, studio analyst—everything. And she is an expert at it all—women’s and men’s college basketball, the NBA and the WNBA. She’s the LeBron James of sportscasters. There’s no better broadcaster out there right now.”

Just like I've always said.

 

[Puppy Love]

I'm definitely NOT a fan, but given how bad the general state of announcing in the women's game is today, I miss her a little. Things went down hill when Robin Roberts left for GMA and they've been mostly bad since.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Plus she's clearly a UConn homer.

She has said that Geno has the best package.

 

[bags27]

I'm one of her critics, but I admire her enormously as a feisty person. She's got a lot presence and integrity.

 

[BostonCanuck]

I like Doris, although I noticed her work on WCBB becoming progressively worse over time, as her very good color commentary morphed more towards pontfication. She was still good, but Kara Lawson is even better. So it's most unfortunate that almost as soon as Doris stepped aside, we also lost Kara who became the new voice of the Washington Wizards. Had ESPN known that, I'm sure they would have asked Doris to stay right where she was.

The saving grace is Lobo, who is now doing color on the marquee games. Having said that, I actually prefer Lobo in her studio role.

 

[iamcbs]

Plus she's clearly a UConn homer.

DB isn't a "UConn" homer she's a basketball homer and anyone who's a fan of the game has to be a fan of the Connecitcut women's team. I watched them play two years ago in C-Bus against tOSU and you have to watch them live to appreciate the speed, pace, power and grace with which they play. They don't loaf or take plays off, they sprint back on D, they cut hard, they screen hard and they don't play to the score. They held Kelsey Mitchell to like 12 points and made it looked effortless. I would encourage any fan, even casual fans to go see Connecticut play in-person any time the opportunity presents itself. I'm not a fan of the team but I am a Basketball fan and as such I enjoy seeing the absolute best.

 

[tomcat]

I miss her a whole bunch. I don't know whether there even is a Pantheon of WCBB broadcasters, but if there were, she would be in it (and who else?). So now we have the two mental midgets who called that game a while back and started chatting halfway through the second quarter. And the pair who brought us the more recent game and when they ran out of chat, refused to call the game and simply fell silent. They may actually have been more intelligent than the others, recognizing that maybe, just maybe, their silence would be mistaken for wisdom.

Don't even begin to get me started on this. Doris could do play by play and she could do color. She wasn't the smartest, perhaps, but she was articulate and I think everyone recognized that she was a friend of the game, and that should count for something, too. If she got preachy (and yes, she did toward the end) it was in service of that goal.