The Mark Few Show

[Knotsolucky]

The Mark Few Show is getting better and better each week. Although Heister seems to try his best to fill up 30 minutes with the coach and player interviews, I'm enjoying the latest format. Since last week they've been showing clips of short locker room interviews with some players and even interviews with the opposing fans of this weeks games. Tonight, from the time Heister said, "See you next week" they played eight minutes of uninterrupted high-lites from this season's games along with player and fan interviews. I personally loved it.

I know there are posters here that don't like Heister and Ehlo's broadcasting our games, but I don't think you'll find two guys that love Gonzaga basketball any more than they do.

I believe at least Heister deserves an 'ATTA BOY' for his effort in helping to promote our program. I've watched my 'Decade of Excellence' a few times now and get all pumped up every time.

I'm just sayin........

[ID ZAGFAN]

Agreed!

I think he's doing a good job with the show.

I also like the game broadcasts, although I do have a few "I can't believe they said that" minutes.

ID ZAGFAN

[Ezag]

his interviews are decent and show is good. I just can't stand his live announcing

[MickMick]

I like Heister and Ehlo. They do a fine job.

[RockandRollJames]

Heister is the man. Ehlo is interesting and is good for some laughs.

[gamagin]

these two have given mediocrity

a bad name.

They've been at the job long enough to bring some history, interest, background, memories, flashbacks, canned pieces, interesting/controversial/newsworthy interviews, stories, some semblance of commons sense & perhaps even joy, to their jobs & roles.

There is an entire GU Sports Information office at their disposal. These folks crank out data, profiles, tidbits and "stuff" all year around. Why prattle on and on, game after game, with stream of consciousness (or unconsciousness) presentations ?

This area has had some really, really good play by play announcers over the years. My all-time favorite was Herb Hunter. He's in the local hall of fame, but he's not the only one.

But even if they weren't all world class announcers, they tended to at least work a little harder and realize their audiences could be won over by timely interviews, bits of inside news or program developments & a feeling of really being a part of a program that is truly amazing.

It's not that difficult to pay attention, keep a file of useful, pertinent notes, tidbits, trivia and historical Zag-related material. It does take time and a commitment to improve year over year.

I get more information and background in a couple minutes from Fox & Hudson on the radio than I get in an entire game from these two. And I didn't enter with a bias either way. I just know when I'm listening to people worth listening to and when I'm not.

[Section 116]

Notes from the Few Show

Took me a while to get around to this. Didn't have time last evening. Heister opened by mentioning the two most recent games, a loss and a win. Few said the team showed true character after the loss to LMU. We hit a "little bump in the road". Our defense responded (against Pepp) and it helps if you can make some shots. The game is a lot easier if you make your shots. Against LMU we didn't defend very well starting late in the first half. Then LMU started feeling good about themselves, we didn't defend and we didn't have any rhythm at the offensive end.

The fan question was from Craig in Ephrata, WA. He wanted to know Few's feelings toward the potential expansion of March Madness. Few replied early on he was opposed to it but some coaching friends like Boeheim and Krzyzewski seemed to come out in favor of the expansion. He then said he likes it the way it is. As a coach when your teams name pops up on the board on selection Sunday it is one of the great things in sports. Few said when you look at some of the storied names in college basketball that won't make the tournament (that is UNC, Conn etc.unless they win their league tournament) it shows you just how hard it is to make the NCAA's year after year. Around here people seem to consider it a birthright but it's hard to do. If almost all the teams in the country get in it just wouldn't be the same.

Heister then remarked about the difficulty the Zags face when playing on the road, noting at LMU there were like 500 people in the stands and as the game got tighter and tighter it seemed word spread around the campus and more and more folks showed up. Heister and Few then talked about the same old, we always get everyone's best effort line. This time though Few noted with this young team it is many of the players first time through the league, both home and away. Few said it was Rob's first time and Harris, Kelly, Bol and Manny and Grant. It was their first time experiencing the crowds on the road in league and the degree of difficulty to win in those gyms. Our veterans know what it's like but the younger guys, this is their first time through. Few said on the road it seems a three banks in, a circus shot over the head goes in, and those things happen on the road when we're getting the opponents best effort. And there is a talent infusion in the league, there are a lot of good players in the WCC right now. It's just tougher to win.

Heister said there is just one more week left in the regular season and the Broncos and Dons are coming in. Few said it is an awesome opportunity for us to cut down the nets on our home floor. Santa Clara played better than us for long stretches when we were down there and USF took it too us. It won't be easy to win these games. If we win one we share the title, if we win both it's ours. Winning 10 WCC titles in a row would be incredible, we've held off some really good teams over the years. Winning the league shows you took everyone's best shot, you took care of business on the road and won at home.

The show closed with 5 minutes of so of highlights from games so far this season.

[gamagin]

good job scoop !

except, when did the editorializing start creeping in ? to wit:

<< Heister and Few then talked about the same old, we always get everyone's best effort line. >>

best regards,

[Section 116]

Not a very good journalistic practice for sure, but I hear that line so much I guess I felt I had to editorialize. LOL!

[adoptedzag]

I hear that line enough, I puke every time the coach falls back to it. Its not a new thing that we get everyone's best effort in the conference. It has been that way for a long time, long enough that the recruits know it when they're recruited. I'm tired of hearing it when we lose OR win.

[MJ777]

I hear that line enough, I puke every time the coach falls back to it. Its not a new thing that we get everyone's best effort in the conference. It has been that way for a long time, long enough that the recruits know it when they're recruited. I'm tired of hearing it when we lose OR win.

Does Coach Few really think that was Pepperdine's best effort? For their sake I hope that it wasn't.

[B Wayne]

I loved when Few said the criteria for the NCAA tournament contained a subjective component and told Heister it was like Heister's favorite sport, women's figure skating. Few quickly corrected his error and said Heister's favorite sport was men's figure skating.

[EngineerZag]

Regarding Heister and Ehlo, I personally like Heister and feel that he gets a bad rep because he has to be teamed up with Ehlo. If you were to put a different analyst in there teamed up with Heister I think people would be much more favorable toward him.

[GonzagaSwagga]

I'm glad I am forced to watch the games in a noisy bar without volume. Having to listen to these two all season would drive me bonkers.

I'd love to see Kevin Calabro brought over from Seattle. KC actually knows how to be funny, rather than say things like "This kid is from the Jamaica Queens...He sure does have some--junk in the trunk" (had to stream that game on the internet). Please do some homework and don't just rattle off whatever thoughts cross your mind. The 15-minute tangents are maddening...

[GU69]

Regarding Heister and Ehlo, I personally like Heister and feel that he gets a bad rep because he has to be teamed up with Ehlo.

Hmmm. Interesting.

My take is just the opposite. My biggest complaint with them is that I think that they go off on tangents and ignore the game sometimes, and I blame Heister rather than Ehlo.

I guess it is hard to satisfy all of us. More than anything, I really appreciate that we have TV coverage.