Remembering Jim Durham: One of the all-time NBA play-by-play greats; started with Bulls in 1973

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A sad day for the NBA and basketball fans everywhere: Veteran NBA play-by-play voice Jim Durham passed away over the weekend in Texas. He was 65.

He worked the NBA season opener between Boston and Miami last Tuesday with his good friend Jack Ramsey.

Durham had been the lead play-by-play radio voice for the NBA on ESPN Radio since 1996. Basketball fans in Chicago already knew he was great.

Durham was the voice of the Bulls on radio and TV from 1973-91. For those of us growing up in the early 70s, when home games weren’t televised, we listened on radio to Durham’s voice capturing the rocking energy at the old Chicago Stadium for those great Bulls teams of Bob Love, Chet Walker, Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier.

Later, Durham was on hand to describe the first pro games for a rookie named Michael Jordan. There were classic calls of him and his colorful partner, Johnny “Red” Kerr, marveling at Jordan’s magic. They provided the first words to the eventual transformation of basketball.

Durham had a terrific voice and keen sense for basketball. He made the games exciting and let his analysts flourish.

“Jim was an extraordinary professional,” said John Martin, ESPN Executive Producer, radio remotes, who frequently worked on-site with Durham. “His talent for calling NBA on radio in vivid, descriptive terms was unmatched. When JD was so deservedly recognized with the Gowdy Award, he had the Hall of Fame career to go along with his long established position as a Hall of Fame person. He was a sensational individual.”

In 2011, Durham’s talents earned him the Curt Gowdy Award from the National Basketball Hall of Fame. In a piece written by Sam Smith at NBA.com, Ramsey praised his partner.

“He’s the best I’ve ever heard on radio,” Ramsey said. “He seems to have been taken for granted because he’s such a self effacing guy. But he has everything—the great voice, the instinct for coming to the exciting parts of the game so that you can feel it in his voice. He never misses a tip, a pass, deflection, every shot, every defensive play and with great recall. He’s just amazing. This was long overdue.”

Last winter, ESPN compiled some of Durham’s most famous calls, including the legendary Michael Jordan shot over Craig Ehlo to win a playoff series for the Bulls over Cleveland.

Enjoy listening to the one of the best. He will be missed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Where does Michelle Beadle fit in? Dan Patrick Show debuts on NBC Sports Network

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Dan Patrick settled into his new home  Monday morning. At 9 a.m. ET, The Dan Patrick Show officially launched on the NBC Sports Network.

“It’s a big day for us,” said Patrick at the top of the show. “We’re doing the big boy thing here. I’m glad we were able to keep it in the family….I feel bad for Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Matt Lauer, Brian Williams. They now work for a company that employees ‘The Danettes.'”

It is a great move for Patrick, giving him a national platform for his radio show. It also is a good move for NBCSN. Patrick finally gives the network a block of sports programming in the morning, knocking out some of the hunting shows.

So where does this leave Michelle Beadle? In September, NBCSN president Jon Miller told me the network was trying to find “the right format” for a show built around her.

Miller said:

“She could be a perfect morning show for us. We’re talking with some other people she might work with. She’s really a talent. She’s looking to work more and we’re looking to put her to work. It’s only a matter of time before we come out with an announcement about a show with her.”

The new schedule has Patrick following The Lights, NBCSN morning highlights show, which airs in the mornings. Beadle could move into a slot prior to Patrick if the intention is to have her do an AM show. Her duties at Access Hollywood make mornings a likely fit for Beadle on NBCSN.

It remains to be seen how it all shakes out. But Beadle and Patrick would give NBCSN some pop in the morning.

Here’s the release from NBCSN on Patrick:

NBC Sports Network has acquired multi-year rights from DIRECTV to air The Dan Patrick Show, the renowned sports television show and syndicated radio program starring Football Night in America co-host Dan Patrick. The Dan Patrick Show will debut on NBC Sports Network tomorrow and air weekdays from 9 a.m.–Noon ET. A “Best Of” version will air weekday afternoons from 4-5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network

To coincide with the debut of the show tomorrow, NBC Sports Network will relocate to Channel 220 (from Channel 603) on DIRECTV, which is adjacent to other national sports channels. DIRECTV owns and operates The Dan Patrick Show, which airs daily on DIRECTV’s exclusive Audience Network as well.

“Dan and the Danettes generate buzz and relevance every day with their entertaining format and top-line guests, making The Dan Patrick Show a perfect morning fit for the NBC Sports Network and its new channel position on DIRECTV,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports & NBC Sports Network.

“I’ve loved my time working for NBC Sports, on both Football Night in America and the Olympic coverage, and I really wanted to see our show on NBC Sports Network,” said Patrick. “This is good for the show, the channel and, most of all, the fans. I think the show that we have created with DIRECTV will be perfect for NBC Sports Network as part of its daily lineup.”

Patrick added, “I like where the NBC Sports Network is going. I think we are joining a powerhouse sports network in its early stages. I did this once before in my career and it worked out pretty well.”

“We are extremely proud of the work Dan, the Danettes and the DIRECTV Entertainment team have done to create a truly distinctive TV show that has redefined the genre, or as Dan likes to describe it: ‘A TV show about a radio show on TV’,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, Entertainment and Production for DIRECTV. “Our incredibly creative production team has developed a show for our Audience Network that just keeps getting better year by year, so we’re not surprised NBC Sports Network wanted it for their morning line-up.”

The Dan Patrick Show will follow The ‘Lights, NBC Sports Network’s new highlights show that launched this summer. Designed to serve the busy morning schedule of sports fans, The ‘Lights, which will air from 8-9 a.m. ET, is a 20-minute sports report that uses a unique presentation of simultaneous video clips, graphics and voiceovers to deliver scores and information.

“Dan’s show will combine with The ‘Lights to give NBC Sports Network a morning programming block that truly super-serves sports fans by providing them with all the highlights they need, followed by Dan’s unique perspective on sports and entertainment,” added Miller.

 

 

Marv Albert at 71: I’m better now than I’ve ever been

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It was my turn on the teleconference, and I asked Marv Albert how he felt about passing the big 7-0-mark in age in 2011 and whether he had any intention to slow down.

Albert, now 71, answered the question, and I didn’t think much about it.

However, the following day, I received word that Albert wanted to talk to me. A few minutes later, he was on the line.

“I didn’t feel like I gave you a very good answer to your question,” Albert said. “Your question caught off guard. I really haven’t been asked about it.”

Indeed, turning 70 isn’t news in this business anymore. It is just a speed bump for broadcasters and analysts these days. The landscape is jammed with guys who have blitzed past the notion of retirement age. Brent Musburger is 73; Verne Lundquist is 72. And heck, they’re just kids compared to Vin Scully, who turns 85 this month.

“The most important thing is that 70 is the new 68,” Albert joked.

Last week, he kicked off another NBA season on TNT, continuing a run that began in 1967 when at age 26 he became the voice of the Knicks.

With a bit more time to think about my question, here’s what Albert had to say:

“I feel I’m better now than I ever have been. You learn so much as you’re doing it. I’m watching tapes and I’ll see things that get me annoyed and where I know I can improve. I understand better letting the crowd play more. I’ve always said it was important for me who I was working with, because I like to kid around a lot. But I’ve also learned to use my partner better.

“I love what I’m doing. As long as I can stay at the same standard, there’s no reason to stop. It feels pretty good.”

Albert says he has cut back a bit in recent years, but it’s still a busy schedule. He calls an NFL game for CBS on Sundays; he was at Baltimore-Cincinnati Sunday. He has his basketball duties for TNT, and he picks up the NCAA basketball tournament for CBS and TNT in March, which has emerged as a favorite assignment.

The key for Albert?

“I still enjoy the preparation,” Albert said. “I look forward to getting ready to call a game.”

The real workhorse in the Albert family now is his son, Kenny. He does baseball and the NFL for Fox Sports; the Rangers games for MSG, along with other assignments.

“I ask my son, Kenny, ‘Why are you doing all this?'” Albert said. “And then I say, I did the same thing. You want to do everything.”

The new NBA season brings Albert back to his roots with the Nets moving to Brooklyn. He grew up in Brooklyn watching the Dodgers. He wrote a first-person piece in the New York Times last week.

In our interview, he talked about Brooklyn, the Nets and the impact on basketball in New York.

“It goes back to the Dodgers. It’s a very unique place. It’s very New York. I remember playing stick ball. The neighborhoods are unique. Coney Island. Brighton Beach, where I come from, playing roller hockey in the streets, taking the subway to go to Ebbetts Field.

“I don’t know if a large number of Knick fans will change to Net fans. I think the Nets will be a smash hit with the new arena. But you have to win. If they aren’t a winning team right away, that’ll be tough. They know that, which is the reason why they made the moves they did.”

Coming Friday: Albert in the latest edition of My First Job. Recreating minor league baseball games and sharing stage with Chubby Checker.

 

 

 

 

It’ll be President Romney if ‘Redskin Rule’ holds true to form

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Update: OK, the Republicans have to feel good about Romney’s chances based on Carolina’s victory over Washington. Here’s my updated post from Friday.

******

Forget about all the analysis and polls and polls about polls.

The outcome of next Tuesday’s Obama-Romney rumble was decided at the Carolina-Washington game in D.C. Sunday.

So says Steve Hirdt, inventor of the “Redskins Rule.”

Hirdt, the executive vice-president for the Elias Sports Bureau, has determined that the outcome of the Redskins final home game prior to the election has predicted the winner of 17 of the last 18 elections; or 18 for 18 according to a Hirdt “revision” in 2004. If the Redskins win, the incumbent party remains in office. And if they lose, the other guys take control.

So Carolina’s victory bodes well for Romney, who will take everything he can get going into Tuesday.

I talked to Hirdt when he was in Chicago for the Bears-Detroit game. He has been crunching the numbers on Monday Night Football for 31 years, dating back to Howard Cosell and “Dandy Don” Meredith. He has terrific stories, and I’ll have more from my interview at a later date.

With the election coming up, we had to talk about the “Redskins Rule.” In 2000, while preparing for the Redskins-Tennessee game in D.C., Hirdt thought he should do something to link football to the upcoming George Bush-Al Gore election.

“I started to go through the Redskins press guides and look at the scores of the games,” Hirdt said. “And then I tried to figure out each year what happened off their last home game before the election. I went Democrats and Republicans, but it didn’t match up.

““Then I went with incumbents. I was shocked to see it lined up exactly right, that whenever the Redskins won their last home game prior to the presidential election, the incumbent party retained the White House, and whenever the Redskins lost their last home game prior to the election, the out-of-power party won the White House.”

Hirdt noted that Tennessee native Gore shouldn’t have been happy that the Titans won that night in D.C. “He should have been rooting for Tennessee to lose,” he said.

Tennessee’s victory foreshadowed a change in party in the White House, even if it took the Supreme Court to make it official.

“For the next 37 days of indecision, I said, ‘This has been settled already. The Redskins lost,'” he said.

The ‘Redskins Rule’ held true in 2008. Washington lost to Pittsburgh in its final home game before the election. And presto, Obama got the keys.

The only wrinkle was in 2004. The Redskins lost to the Packers in their last home game prior to the election, but Bush, the incumbent, remained in office.

Hirdt then did some playing with the numbers. He prefaced his remarks by saying, “With tongue firmly in cheek…”

“I went back and studied the ‘Redskins Rule’ data and what happened in 2004 was explained in 2000,” Hirdt said. “Because Al Gore actually won the popular vote in 2000 — but lost in the Electoral College – it reversed the polarity of the subsequent election. The opposite of the usual ‘Redskins Rule’ was true.

“Redskins Rule 2.0 established that when the popular vote winner does not win the election, the impact of the Redskins game on the subsequent presidential election gets flipped. So, with that, the Redskins’ loss in 2004 signaled that the incumbent would remain in the White House.”

OK, that may be a stretch. Besides, even 17 for 18 is fairly telling.

Hirdt talked about recently receiving a call from a Wall Street Journal reporter who was plugging NFL numbers into the computer in an attempt to find new election trends.

“I said do any of yours deal with the Washington and with the final score of the game,” Hirdt said. “‘No, he said. OK, the ‘Redskin Rule’ reigns supreme.'”

Here’s the breakdown compiled by ESPN. Keep in mind Hirdt’s “revision” in 2004:

Year Presidential Election Redskins game Redskins
Win/Lose		 Incumbent
Keep/Lose
White House
2012 Obama (D) vs. Romney (R) Redskins vs. Panthers TBD TBD
2008 Obama (D) defeats McCain (R) Steelers def. Redskins,
23-6		 Lose Lose
2004 Bush (R) def. Kerry (D) Packers def. Redskins,
28-14		 Lose Keep *
2000 Bush (R) def. Gore (D) Titans def. Redskins,
27-21		 Lose Lose
1996 Clinton (D) def. Dole (R) Redskins def. Colts,
31-16		 Win Keep
1992 Clinton (D) def. Bush (R) Giants def. Redskins,
24-7		 Lose Lose
1988 Bush (R) def. Dukakis (D) Redskins def. Saints,
27-24		 Win Keep
1984 Reagan (R) def. Mondale (D) Redskins def. Falcons,
27-14		 Win Keep
1980 Reagan (R) def. Carter (D) Vikings def. Redskins,
39-14		 Lose Lose
1976 Carter (D) def. Ford (R) Cowboys def. Redskins,
20-7		 Lose Lose
1972 Nixon (R) def. McGovern (D) Redskins def. Cowboys,
24-20		 Win Keep
1968 Nixon (R) def. Humphrey (D) Giants def. Redskins,
13-10		 Lose Lose
1964 Johnson (D) def. Goldwater (R) Redskins def. Bears,
27-20		 Win Keep
1960 Kennedy (D) def. Nixon (R) Browns def. Redskins,
31-10		 Lose Lose
1956 Eisenhower (R) def. Stevenson (D) Redskins def. Browns,
20-9		 Win Keep
1952 Eisenhower (R) def. Stevenson (D) Steelers def. Redskins,
24-23		 Lose Lose
1948 Truman (D) def. Dewey (R) Redskins def. Boston Yanks,
59-21		 Win Keep
1944 Roosevelt (D) def. Dewey (R) Redskins def. Rams,
14-10		 Win Keep
1940 Roosevelt (D) def. Willkie (R) Redskins def. Steelers,
37-10		 Win Keep

New Sports Illustrated book: Ranking NFL’s greatest; TO No. 6 receiver?

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In recent years, Sports Illustrated has published these magnificent coffee table books on baseball, football, basketball, hockey and golf. Terrific writing, and pictures, unforgettable pictures.

Yet SI barely scratched the surface of its vast inventory. So naturally the magazine decided it was time to do more.

Its latest book is Sports Illustrated: Football’s Greatest. The premise is a select panel of SI’s NFL experts (including Peter King, Jim Trotter, and Don Banks) ranking the top 10 in various categories.

In the no-surprise department, Joe Montana is No. 1 for quarterback, and Jim Brown is the best running back. However, Terrell Owens at No. 6 for receivers? And Hines Ward 10th? Do you think that Arrowhead in KC is the second best stadium in the league?

Of course, you won’t agree with the choices, and that’s the point. Debate is a big part of it.

The foundation of the book is the writing and pictures. You’ll read classic excerpts from Paul Zimmerman, Dan Jenkins, Frank Deford, Roy Blount Jr. and John Schulian, among others.

The real stars, though, are the pictures, especially the vintage shots from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. I loved the photos of players in the mud. In one of the opening pictures, you couldn’t even make out the No. 32 on Brown’s uniform.

The game looked so much grittier back then. There’s a terrific shot of Jack Lambert’s pants, stained with blood. Says it all about that era of football.

I had a chance to talk with Bill Syken, who edited the book for SI. Here’s my Q/A.

What’s behind doing another book, besides a terrific excuse to roll out more of those pictures?

We go back to 1954. The magazine and the league rose at the same time. This is a way for us to take of that great writing and pictures. Coming up with top 10 lists allows us to organize it and to take advantage of our depth of knowledge.

Talk about the pictures. Why are those old pictures so striking?

In picking out the photos for the book, we tried to figure out why the ones from the 50s, 60s and 70s all looked so great and capitivated us. Is it something about the fabric of those uniforms and the way the light hit them? There’s a picture of the ’62 Packers. The colors just pop out. It’s really pleasing to look at.

You also had some great shots of players’ eyes. The intensity of Dick Butkus; Jerry Rice’s concentration while catching a pass.

When we look at a picture in the dark room, one of the great things you see is a player’s eyes. If we can’t see his eyes, the photo is disqualified.

Talk about the writing in the book. What was it like to sort through all those stories?

If there was one category that was interesting, it was picking excerpts for best franchise. I knew we had all the big games covered, and players. But franchise is a bit more abstract. So it was great to find this description of the Packers (from Bud Shrake) from a man in a sauna in Green Bay going to his first game. Or Frank Deford, talking to Richard Nixon about the Redskins.

Terrell Owens sixth best receiver?

We have Cris Carter eighth, and he can’t get into the Hall of Fame. It’s an interesting category. It is the one where the statistics have changed the most.

The great thing about going through the lists is trying to see which guys are going to be slotted in the middle. Who’s coming in 9th or 10th? Who isn’t going to make the top 10? When you consider the credibility of the people voting on these list, it’s hard not to get caught up in it.

What’s next in the series?

If we do another one, the forerunner will be baseball.

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Hebert is an idiot: Gets kicked out of LSU press for excessive cheering

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I mean, some guys never grow up. The former Saints quarterback, now a radio personality in New Orleans, was asked several times to follow the “No cheering in the press box” rule during last night’s Alabama-LSU game. Hebert apparently didn’t care about the people trying to work around him and was eventually escorted out.

From Yahoo’s Pat Forde.

On Saturday night, Hebert was warned repeatedly about violating working press box decorum and cheering for the Tigers. Finally, LSU associate athletic director Herb Vincent informed Hebert that he had to leave the press box, and a uniformed police officer escorted him out.

On the next play, LSU scored the go-ahead touchdown.

Hebert’s son, T-Bob, played on last year’s LSU team. He’s the least objective of journalists, but is a popular personality in his home state of Louisiana.

 

No Winter Classic, means no 24/7 on HBO: Classic video of Bruce Boudreau F-bomb mission

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Without the Winter Classic, we never would have learned that former Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau has a penchant to use words that begin with F.

Not only does cancellation of the Jan. 1 game rob the NHL of its premier showcase, it also eliminates HBO’s highly popular 24/7 series featuring the teams in the Winter Classic. The shows are a terrific promotion for the league, pulling in nice numbers.

Boudreau became a 24/7 star in 2010 leading up to the Washington-Pittsburgh game in the Winter Classic. Here’s a classic intermission speech. Duck and cover.

Horses and sunset: Scenic setting for Breeders Cup Classic in primetime

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Will where this year’s Breeders Cup rank among the all-time best? Who knows?

However, one thing is for sure: It will be among the most scenic of all time.

The $5 million Breeders Cup Classic will air in the prime time tomorrow for the first time on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. The NBC Sports Network will have coverage of the earlier races, beginning at 4 p.m.

The later start means the Classic will occur just before sunset at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles. Plenty of beauty shots, to be sure.

“It’s going to be a totally different setting in terms of the feel of it,” said producer Rob Hyland. “First of all, you have a beautiful setting with Santa Anita. Then you have the San Gabriel Mountains with the sun cascading down. It’s going to be very dramatic. The orange tones that present themselves on the mountains in the distance are going to be pretty spectacular.”

As for the primetime aspect, Hyland said the presentation won’t change.

“The overall production is not going to waver from how we cover the Triple Crown,” Hyland said. “It’s going to be an inviting telecast. It’ll be as welcoming to the novice viewer as possible. It follows our model for horse racing at NBC to try to generate new fans. We know the horse racing fans will be watching anyway. Regardless of what time it airs, we’re hoping to welcome the broadest audience possible.”

 

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Boomer ka-boom: Sports Illustrated’s Deitsch blows up Berman, Stockton

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It’s hardly news that somebody is ripping Chris Berman. Who isn’t?

However, it is worth noting when ESPN’s biggest mouth gets obliterated by the nation’s largest sports magazine.

Richard Deitsch made sure he won’t be receiving any holiday cards from Berman. In his Media Circus column in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, Deitsch ranked the best and worst of NFL announcers.

Under worst is “Chris Berman and anyone.” Deitsch writes:

“In a shameless attempt to sate a longtime employee’s desire to call an NFL game, ESPN foisted Berman on the football public for the Chargers-Raiders opener. Naturally, the broadcast featured predictable grunt-speak (“The Raaiddddaazz!”), outdated references (he name-checked former Raiders running back Marv Hubbard, who last suited up in 1977), and on a sack by San Diego’s Donald Butler, Berman bellowed, ‘The Butler did it in the conservatory with the lead pipe!’ As Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman) once wrote about Joe Theismann, another broadcast butcher, ‘Personally, the whole thing makes me sick.'”

Yep, King Richard, you sure did take that lead pipe to Berman.

As for Deitsch’s other targets on the worst list, he probably should steer clear of Tony Siragusa (“Too much shtick and too little substance”) and Dick Stockton, whose constant mistakes are tarnishing his career.

On the best side, Deitsch lists Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth (“If only this pair could call every game”), Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts (“Underrated”), and Brad Nessler and Mike Maycock.

Agree on the bests.