As I watched the Knicks and the Nuggets duke it out on NBATV tonight (sorry, no punches thrown this time), I couldn't help but cover my ears. Knicks color commentator Walt "Clyde" Frazier was at it again with another ghastly broadcast. I usually catch at least a few local Knicks broadcasts per season, and every game it's the same deal.
Never mind Frazier's willowy voice or odd speech patterns, it's the vocabulary. Tonight alone, Jamal Crawford's game was referred to as "ubiquitous," and his free-throw shooting was "exquisite." And when defenses and offenses start to succeed, they "percolate." The unnecessary alliteration is another bothersome aspect of his broadcasts. Tonight, the Knicks were "resilient and resourceful." I say Clyde's broadcast was ridiculous and repetitive, but that's just my opinion. Pair all of that with the unabashed homerism that inhibits proper analysis and I'm muting the TV and cranking up some music.
So, the next time you hear a homer call on a Mavs radio or television broadcast, just know that you have it good. Bob Ortegel breaks games down nicely despite being a bit boisterous. And the Mavs' ex-player with the microphone is much easier on the ears than old Clyde. The Mavs travel to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 10, and you can be sure that he'll be referred to as a vigorous virtuoso by at least one person in the building.
-Scooter Hendon, Hoops Nerd
