Clarification on Announcers

[Pure]

They go out thinking their personalities alone can carry the day. They don't prepare anything beyond their own banter, which is 2nd rate. When they run out of things to say, they press the same dumb buttons that mean nothing to anyone but themselves. If they actually prepare something, it isn't displayed on the screen, which means the failure is not only theirs, but on a production level as well. I'm not going to pretend i know how to do their job, but I know what I see and it's a failure.

Nailed it. With Heisters familiarity with the team and players , he should be able to provide us with some good insights. Maybe try to be less funny / sarcastic and actually do a little homework for the game. He is the ring leader and I think Dan would be fine if they simple become a bit more professional. Fox is good IMHO the best of the bunch.

The others are capable but lazy? Same stories same clichés same pokes at one another etc. They simply need to raise their game. I am confident they are capable.

[ZionZag]

AD Roth told me last week he intended to speak with Heister and the producer, FWIW.

That's a great idea but he should have had that meeting several years ago.....Also Mr. Roth should be having meetings with the people who control first dibs on these broadcasts and get those games that ESPN and CBS don't broadcast because there's money to be made.....National broadcast is what we want not ROOT or KHQ. Others in control of "OUR NATIONAL PRODUCT" should be told to go down the road. Cancel what ever binds us with them (or buy them out or cut them in)and tell the WCC what we want, or we'll leave. It worked last time! We have developed an incredible national product and many others are making $$ off us....Think bigger than EA. WA or NO. ID. Mr. Roth. Anything is possible. I also think that in a regular season we should schedule a couple of mutts and 10 other games (before WCC) and they should be exclusively with "Bluebloods". Wouldn't that be exciting and drive our national fan base through the roof. Our story is more amazing than any "Blueblood". Those are the same teams that were there 20 to 25 years ago (boring) and there is a new guy on the block......BLUEZAGS!

[ZagNative]

All this fussing about the TV announcers is much ado, as far as I'm concerned. I listen to Tom Hudson and Adam Morrison cover the games on the online radio, here: https://tunein.com/radio/KGA-1510-s32766/.

I used to listen on my regular radio but it was faster than the TV audio, so I switched to online, which slows down the audio to almost line up with the screen audio.

[SorenTodd45]

We only have 5 more games on ROOT Sports. It's doubtful Heister works all of them, as some of them conflict with Wazzu hoops, and Greggy works those games as well (sometimes). Be thankful that the Zags are on ESPN as much as they are.

[All Weather Fan]

Going back to my comments in the original thread addressing this issue: 3 announcers is 1 too many for starters. I don't see any other broadcasts crowding 2 color commentators into the booth with a play by play guy. The familiarity between these 3 is a big part of the problem in my opinion. Without throwing anyone under the bus, Heister & Dickau do a good job on Pac 12 games. Again, I am not singling out Foxy either. In fact he tries to keep things on a professional level while the other 2 resort to their banter with each trying for the last word. It really is time to address this and starting with AD Roth is probably the best avenue to implement a change.

[Hoopaholic]

If consumers are not satisfied with a product, over many years of letting the producer know, and the feedback is ignored, what are you saying?
the right thing to do is never complain again?

Or the loudest consumers demanding change ...what about the consumers who are satisfied and continue to watch and not raise any concerns? Just because someone voices a loud feedback does not mean they speak for all or even the majaority

[ProVeeZag]

Agree that crew should be two, rather than three. Let the three compete for two spots by, as was suggested above, going thru a couple rotations of alternating pairings. Let them each know they are competing for their job. If none of the rotations are markedly better than what we have now, look for 2 new faces to take over next fall. And yes, it should cost more upfront to land the right duo. It's well past time to elevate the level of broadcasting much closer to the level of teams the Zags put on the court year one spectacular season after another. (Clump-clump-clump: that's the sound of me stepping off my soapbox).

[krozman]

Or the loudest consumers demanding change ...what about the consumers who are satisfied and continue to watch and not raise any concerns? Just because someone voices a loud feedback does not mean they speak for all or even the majaority

After 15 years in my own practice i noticed a typo on a standard form i've used for as many years. It wasn't a big typo, but when i noticed it I was curious how many client's didn't care or didn't notice. None of them were kind enough to tell me of my typo. Maybe it's just me as a business owner, but I improve most from failure and feedback, despite how uncomfortable it may seem to some. I think the consensus is not that this team is terrible beyond repair. it's just they need to know that others are also interested in their performance, and in so expressing that desire....they care themselves and maybe put a bit more effort in.

[ProVeeZag]

After 15 years in my own practice i noticed a typo on a standard form i've used for as many years. It wasn't a big typo, but when i noticed it I was curious how many client's didn't care or didn't notice. None of them were kind enough to tell me of my typo. Maybe it's just me as a business owner, but I improve most from failure and feedback, despite how uncomfortable it may seem to some. I think the consensus is not that this team is terrible beyond repair. it's just they need to know that others are also interested in their performance, and in so expressing that desire....they care themselves and maybe put a bit more effort in.

Good post ... so true.

[johno]

I love those guys, been listening for years. I love the way they rib each other. However, if we could get the near dead commercial zombie taken off i would rejoice.

[webspinnre]

The one thing I'll say is that I have zero issues with Richard Fox. I'll take him as the analyst for all of our games. The issue is with some of Heister's goofiness, and worst of all when all three of them are together and we get the awkward banter. Dickau actually does a fairly decent job on the other broadcasts he does (non-GU division). I don't know if it's the fact that three's a crowd that causes the problems, or if it's Heister egging on Dickau, or if it's something about Dickau not having the same sense of professionalism when it's his team, but I'd sure like it to change. I don't love Heister, but Heister+Fox would be an improvement over Heister+Fox+Dickau, and even Heister+Dickau would be an improvement (they seem decent on Pac-12 games), though my ideal would probably be a new play-by-play voice and potentially keeping Fox.

[MontanaZag]

Or the loudest consumers demanding change ...what about the consumers who are satisfied and continue to watch and not raise any concerns? Just because someone voices a loud feedback does not mean they speak for all or even the majaority

Spot on!


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[DADoZAG]

All this fussing about the TV announcers is much ado, as far as I'm concerned. I listen to Tom Hudson and Adam Morrison cover the games on the online radio, here: https://tunein.com/radio/KGA-1510-s32766/.

I used to listen on my regular radio but it was faster than the TV audio, so I switched to online, which slows down the audio to almost line up with the screen audio.

So, ZN, you're saying you ARE boycotting, albeit just the audio, and have been doing so for years. Appreciate the link to the Huddy's webcast, by the way. From other threads on this topic, you're not the only one that boycotts the audio although you may be one of the few that does it for every game, even ESPN.

I'm sure the advertisers wouldn't appreciate anything that results in Spokane not hearing their commercial sound tracks. If I run into Murray, I'll ask him and I'll bet he'll confirm that's not what he's paying for.

Agree with webspinner, Heister and Dickau do a pretty good job on the Coug games. My take is that Heister is simply too much of a ZAG fan and he gets all caught up in the game and looses any semblance of professionalism.

His job is play-by-play, while Dickau and Fox are the color guys. I think Heister simply forgets he's not in his living room (thought the last thread's title was right on), that there are two teams on the floor (one of which he nearly completely ignores), and his fanatical exuberance for the ZAGS gets in the way. You can even hear the tension in his voice when a blowout isn't. He's genuinely concerned HIS ZAGS might loose.

Oh, if I have that talk mentioned above, I'll be sure and forget that I nearly always start the game 30-45 minutes in so I can fast forward through the commercials (although I'm really liking the new Huppins commercials). Murray's not paying for that type of boycott either...

Go ZAGS!

[tyra]

From the School of Redundancy (since I’ve posted this before but cannot help myself): I don’t mind their truly silly banter EXCEPT when it displaces timely play by play. I want them to actually inform me as to what is going on when it is not obvious to the viewer. For example, how long did it take them to stop being ridiculous and tell us it was Jalen who had the T the other night? How often is a foul called and they take their time telling us who it was called on (when not obvious) and which foul on the player that was? This happens ALL the time while they prattle on and on. Again, I don’t mind the prattle unless it is keeping them from doing their job! End of rant.

[229SintoZag]

AD Roth told me last week he intended to speak with Heister and the producer, FWIW.

Wait Jazz—you spoke to Mike Roth?

Did you mention we have an issue with streaming Zags games out if Spokane?
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?