How do you explain to any basketball fan the transition from Jim Barnett to Fitz? It doesn't make any sense at all and then to add in Kelenna? What are they thinking?
Also, for my 2 cents, they can also get rid of the announcer that introduces the Warriors and runs some of the breaks during the game. Another insult to the fans intelligence. I try to watch the alternative broadcasts when possible, but the mute button comes in handy when I'm forced to watch games announced by the Warriors.
They're the one piece that didn't level up with the rest of the organization, so bad and so out of place amidst the excellence in the rest of the organization
My son, who spent his college years watching every basketball game he could and still--thankfully--came away with a degree, says that in comparison with the announcers on every other team, Fitz/Barnett were far and away the best. So It's either a difficult task or other franchises don't give a shit about the quality of their announcers. I do miss Barnett.
Russ definitely lost some of his athleticism, and despite some of the warranted criticism, it's sort of sad. He's missing dunks that otherwise would have been rim-breakers three or four years ago.
Hmm. So my policy is, when other western conference teams play each other, to root for the team lower in the standings. Not gonna surprise anyone, but turns out my emotional policy is that the rule doesn't apply if the lower team is the Lakers :D
I really like this site. The article writers set a positive, insightful tone and by and large the commentators contribute worthy, thoughtful, funny, well-researched posts that are worth the read, polite even when in disagreement. It sure is rare on the internet, and especially sports internet, to find a spot that isn't foul, ignorant, trolly and/or juvenile. Thanks to everyone who is trying to make this a spot worth the visit.
i have been reading this site in its various forms for, i think, about 10 years now, assuming it has been around that long! it's sort of odd to me to have lurked for so long but i never really felt like i had all that much to add to the discussion - always an A's fan, and played baseball, so i felt like i had a lot more knowledge there. but it's just been fun to read everyone's takes and see people come and go. like when Dino showed up a few weeks ago, it was like - welcome back old friend!! anyway it's hard to explain why, but recently some of the posts have made me feel like, ya know what, who cares, i should get involved even just a bit. at the very least to say, thank you to the people who have put in so much effort into the site! it's been a real source of - entertainment? joy? distraction? cathexis? lol - for me over many many years. i am sure there must be other people out there who are happily lurking, or just can't figure out what to make their user name....
Hey funes (I used edit feature! Kept autocorrecting to dunes) I too lurked for 10 or so years at this site in its various forms; and about a year ago began posting here and there, which I do on almost absolutely zero social media/online sites. You read through and see so many of the regulars and the knowledge and hilarity aside from “the writers”. And Ive never played organized basketball and don’t really follow other sports. once it shifted over to its current form of dnhq it was like the mods were really able to scrub almost all the toxicity from the place. It’s what any “commons” should feel like: warm open arms with mutual respect, open discussion lots of jokes and leaving your hate/misinformation at the door. Dnhq creators have tapped into what can and will be ! Like, who first said weapon used joy? Who, with zero ego, explained plays for us? Who broke down advanced stats? Hmmmm. May the non toxicity / healthy inter web space continue on. Oops, that was all meant to say: welcome to commenting!
Agreed. One of the only places I participate (read lots of places) because of that. In fact, I am torn about what to hope for. This place is more likely to stay, the more people there are but that's also how the convo is more likely to deteriorate ... not that it matters. I can't remember the last time the universe took my hopes into account ;)
I feel like we are in kind of a golden moment with this site, and with luck it can continue for a long time. I'm sure it would benefit the site's creators for the audience to grow, so my hope is that it does in a way that continues the excellence.
Well, you can at least take heart that wherever this particular core of mods/writers/posters have encamped over the last decade or so, the conversation has been similarly great. Keeping the environment fun, engaging and high level(especially in a sea of internet negativity) requires a deft hand and great intentions. Cheers DNHQ for continuing to cultivate a spire of erudition.
Dubs are the only sports team I follow & this is the only fan site I frequent. Thanks for making this place what it is guys - especially all of the hard work that Duby Dub Dubs, Eric Apricot and Daniel Hardee do to keep me & everyone else coming back for more!!
I don't think they're a good duo but this whole "worst in the league" is greatly exaggerated and the constant whining for their replacement screams entitlement and is just downright glutinous to ask for in an already awesome season and I absolutely hate seeing that in people, especially over something as generally irrelevant as sports commentators lol
This a dubs fansite so everything should be taken in context. The broadcasters don't play a big role in my life as a whole, but they do play a decent one in my warriors experience and they are bad so It detracts from that. Also the people that take the time to comment about them (like me) probly hate them more than the average fan but so be it, I hate Fitz (buike is aight)
It also sticks out because bay area sports announcing is generally pretty top shelf. When I think of the collection of folks the Giants have, for instance, it's pretty amazing.
Dec 30, 2021·edited Dec 30, 2021Liked by Daniel Hardee
Thanks DH. Nice shout out to John Madden, I wasn’t familiar with his work so it was great to hear about his positive impact on you and the game of NFL🙏🏻
As for Fitz/Kelenna - Richie Benaud, a wise and legendary cricket commentator once said, “Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up”.
I believe Fitz & Kelenna would benefit from this advice
I still remember my 5th (4th?) grade coach lining us all up with a pissed look and straight up told us all "you all shoot freethrows like s#!t" 😂
Also, anyone else slightly bothered that JTA's first thought was to shoot 100 FTs (I know he changed to 500)? I mean... 100 FTs is nothing (<10 minutes?)... 500 is better... but it makes me wonder how much they're actually practicing to begin with...
The proper way to practice free throw shooting is to run up and down the court a few times, get held, smacked or knocked down by someone, then shoot 3 free throws. Then do it again and again and again until you make some number in a row - 25? 20?. That would take a lot longer than 10 minutes. But it would at least be somewhat realistic.
Of course, that assumes that you already have worked with coaches on form and mental focus and can make 10 "rested" free throws in a row easily.
Yea, no doubt. I was wondering more about what they're doing (as in the entire team) day-to-day that doesn't include 100+ FTs. I would've guessed it was part of normal practices and/or shoot-around.
I've had a fond spot for Rubio since he was like 12 at the Olympics and I just thought that was so cool. He's never become the NBA player I thought he could be in part because he's a guard who can't really shoot, but this really sucks. Plus Cavaliers were starting to figure it out and who knows where this puts them. Full disclosure I was on the Cavaliers-are-lousy train and was in the process of being proven dead wrong in public but this is not how I wish to be proven right.
Ugh. Hate to hear that. I now have a strange fondness for Cleveland, rising from the ashes of Lebron’s departure and boutique vestigial contract dumpster fire.
One thing about broadcasters is that there is a hiring infrastructure behind them. If you hire Kelenna, you're trying to get a certain outcome. If you hire Fitz, you're getting another. So on the one hand it's hard to blame a broadcaster if they do what they were hired to do; but on the other if they do what you *weren't* hire them to do -- like insult Austin Rivers, then Fitz needs to apologize; or his hierarchical superiors need to lean on him.
I think there are sort of four categories as to what broadcasters offer: play-by-play, pure analysis like "that's a pick", exerienced-based color commentating like "in my day we'd just foul them for that," and homer-ism, rooting for the local team. And I think Fitz's biggest issue is that he blends his main job, play-by-play, too much with homerism. That can work fine if you're a Dubs fan and he shouts "He hit it from Fremont" (annoying to me but whatever , that's his gig) but it can work against him if he starts beefing with Austin Rivers. That part's not your job, Fitz. Just fix it.
We deserve better announcers. Tired of hearing about their favorite sandwiches, what we should buy, what the players are thinking, what they should be doing, how bad this or that is, what we should be buying, jokey interchange-mocking other people/players. This isn’t the first time. Where is the play-by-play….sometimes they miss things because they’re so busy making jokes. We need announcers of the quality of Jim Barnett, or those who call for the Hornets. Fyi I watch many games now without sound. And I am not the only one.
Largely agree except Barnett wasn't my fave. He was aiight. He was never offensive but he never provided too much extra, to my own taste. And I think the "what we should be buying" stuff is never their choice, they have to plug stuff. But yeah, we deserve better. I grew up listening to Vin Scully doing Dodger games and Chick Hearn doing Laker games and I'm spoiled and wish we had that now -- Scully the master of making it interesting but amiable; Hearn the guy who made it super exciting and always kept up to the moment on every play, also called out his players "BLOWS the layup!". ( I don't want to have to defend my L.A. roots, people, gimme a break I was seven years old when I started.) And I wouldn't say the problems are new: on the national level, why does Hubie Brown have a job? I've been listening to him for like 50 years and still waiting for him to organize his thought.
Yea, I agree. The vast majority of TV crews, national or local, suck... with our's being somewhere in the middle of the pack. They provide no value and are just distractions. If they just mic'd up the refs so I could hear the actual calls, they could just get rid of them. I think I've just become so used to them that I naturally tune them out.
This is probably why a guy like Tim Roye (radio) is much more pleasant to listen to... he can't just half-ass his job and he does it well.
Fitz showers opposing players with praise e.g. Jokic last night.
On the other hand, guys like Campazzo and Rivers who complain all the time deservedly get called out for it. It’s bush league level stuff. I have zero issues with it at the level it was at last night.
Obviously there are lines for me and Kelenna’s accent (I believe that was him) crossed it a bit. In the moment I didn’t really think about it but in retrospect I hope someone takes him to the side and tells him that was not ok.
Campazzo in Europe was one of the best player, probably one of the best 3 PG, but was a sort of CP3 with opponents and referees. Doncic was much more loved than him, no doubt about it (and here Luka used to complain less more with the referees than now in the NBA)
Kings beat the Mavs on a last second corner 3 by Metu!
Ah, looks like the Suns defense has shown up in the 4th quarter.
That was inevitable but unfortunate.
How do you explain to any basketball fan the transition from Jim Barnett to Fitz? It doesn't make any sense at all and then to add in Kelenna? What are they thinking?
Also, for my 2 cents, they can also get rid of the announcer that introduces the Warriors and runs some of the breaks during the game. Another insult to the fans intelligence. I try to watch the alternative broadcasts when possible, but the mute button comes in handy when I'm forced to watch games announced by the Warriors.
They're the one piece that didn't level up with the rest of the organization, so bad and so out of place amidst the excellence in the rest of the organization
My son, who spent his college years watching every basketball game he could and still--thankfully--came away with a degree, says that in comparison with the announcers on every other team, Fitz/Barnett were far and away the best. So It's either a difficult task or other franchises don't give a shit about the quality of their announcers. I do miss Barnett.
Suns-Thunder is a close game right now
Lakers loose again. So. Many. Christmas presents
If they're loose, better round em up :)
Oh that’s embarrassing. Nice pick up. Never was on English major (palm slap to the face)
The Lakers are so old that when the door is left unlocked the staff radios out: they’re on the loose!
Russ definitely lost some of his athleticism, and despite some of the warranted criticism, it's sort of sad. He's missing dunks that otherwise would have been rim-breakers three or four years ago.
Hmm. So my policy is, when other western conference teams play each other, to root for the team lower in the standings. Not gonna surprise anyone, but turns out my emotional policy is that the rule doesn't apply if the lower team is the Lakers :D
I believe that you have made all of the appropriate decisions. [I do the same thing.] lol
I really like this site. The article writers set a positive, insightful tone and by and large the commentators contribute worthy, thoughtful, funny, well-researched posts that are worth the read, polite even when in disagreement. It sure is rare on the internet, and especially sports internet, to find a spot that isn't foul, ignorant, trolly and/or juvenile. Thanks to everyone who is trying to make this a spot worth the visit.
i have been reading this site in its various forms for, i think, about 10 years now, assuming it has been around that long! it's sort of odd to me to have lurked for so long but i never really felt like i had all that much to add to the discussion - always an A's fan, and played baseball, so i felt like i had a lot more knowledge there. but it's just been fun to read everyone's takes and see people come and go. like when Dino showed up a few weeks ago, it was like - welcome back old friend!! anyway it's hard to explain why, but recently some of the posts have made me feel like, ya know what, who cares, i should get involved even just a bit. at the very least to say, thank you to the people who have put in so much effort into the site! it's been a real source of - entertainment? joy? distraction? cathexis? lol - for me over many many years. i am sure there must be other people out there who are happily lurking, or just can't figure out what to make their user name....
Hey funes (I used edit feature! Kept autocorrecting to dunes) I too lurked for 10 or so years at this site in its various forms; and about a year ago began posting here and there, which I do on almost absolutely zero social media/online sites. You read through and see so many of the regulars and the knowledge and hilarity aside from “the writers”. And Ive never played organized basketball and don’t really follow other sports. once it shifted over to its current form of dnhq it was like the mods were really able to scrub almost all the toxicity from the place. It’s what any “commons” should feel like: warm open arms with mutual respect, open discussion lots of jokes and leaving your hate/misinformation at the door. Dnhq creators have tapped into what can and will be ! Like, who first said weapon used joy? Who, with zero ego, explained plays for us? Who broke down advanced stats? Hmmmm. May the non toxicity / healthy inter web space continue on. Oops, that was all meant to say: welcome to commenting!
haha yes, i totally hear you, thank you for the welcome! glad to know there are other long time lurkers, first time callers...
Agreed. One of the only places I participate (read lots of places) because of that. In fact, I am torn about what to hope for. This place is more likely to stay, the more people there are but that's also how the convo is more likely to deteriorate ... not that it matters. I can't remember the last time the universe took my hopes into account ;)
I feel like we are in kind of a golden moment with this site, and with luck it can continue for a long time. I'm sure it would benefit the site's creators for the audience to grow, so my hope is that it does in a way that continues the excellence.
Well, you can at least take heart that wherever this particular core of mods/writers/posters have encamped over the last decade or so, the conversation has been similarly great. Keeping the environment fun, engaging and high level(especially in a sea of internet negativity) requires a deft hand and great intentions. Cheers DNHQ for continuing to cultivate a spire of erudition.
a spire of erudition hahaha
Dubs are the only sports team I follow & this is the only fan site I frequent. Thanks for making this place what it is guys - especially all of the hard work that Duby Dub Dubs, Eric Apricot and Daniel Hardee do to keep me & everyone else coming back for more!!
Ditto
Watching Pacers/Hornets and shocked at how few fans are wearing masks.
This hate for Buike and Fitz is straight up weird. You people sound incredibly entitled, it's embarrassing just reading the comments
Have to agree. Its a tiresome subject to read, the constant stream of complaints. Personally I think they’re fine.
Fitz is also just real real annoying (and we all have to listen to him talk constantly when we watch Warriors games)
Kellena called Michael Malone Mike Malone. Michael Malone had already chastised a female reporter for doing that.
So Mike Malone is an asshole, got it
It was prompted by some very unprofessional behavior on their part.
They’ve clearly never listened to Celtics announcers.
I don't think they're a good duo but this whole "worst in the league" is greatly exaggerated and the constant whining for their replacement screams entitlement and is just downright glutinous to ask for in an already awesome season and I absolutely hate seeing that in people, especially over something as generally irrelevant as sports commentators lol
This a dubs fansite so everything should be taken in context. The broadcasters don't play a big role in my life as a whole, but they do play a decent one in my warriors experience and they are bad so It detracts from that. Also the people that take the time to comment about them (like me) probly hate them more than the average fan but so be it, I hate Fitz (buike is aight)
"Much larger and personal issue"? No it's just people here being annoying and me calling them out, simple as that
It also sticks out because bay area sports announcing is generally pretty top shelf. When I think of the collection of folks the Giants have, for instance, it's pretty amazing.
Completely agree, to go from kruk and kuipe to Fitz is like following up the first two courses at a Michelin star restaurant by licking the curb
Thanks DH. Nice shout out to John Madden, I wasn’t familiar with his work so it was great to hear about his positive impact on you and the game of NFL🙏🏻
As for Fitz/Kelenna - Richie Benaud, a wise and legendary cricket commentator once said, “Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up”.
I believe Fitz & Kelenna would benefit from this advice
I actually like kelenna he was kind of growing on me. However unfortunately I think Fitz is rubbing off on him in the wrong way.
At least with Barnett, whenever Fitz would go on his stupid diatribes would not play into it and would balance the stupidity
This is really fair. As someone mentioned earlier, the pairing doesn’t seem to enhance either of the others good attributes
Nice work, Daniel.
I still remember my 5th (4th?) grade coach lining us all up with a pissed look and straight up told us all "you all shoot freethrows like s#!t" 😂
Also, anyone else slightly bothered that JTA's first thought was to shoot 100 FTs (I know he changed to 500)? I mean... 100 FTs is nothing (<10 minutes?)... 500 is better... but it makes me wonder how much they're actually practicing to begin with...
The proper way to practice free throw shooting is to run up and down the court a few times, get held, smacked or knocked down by someone, then shoot 3 free throws. Then do it again and again and again until you make some number in a row - 25? 20?. That would take a lot longer than 10 minutes. But it would at least be somewhat realistic.
Of course, that assumes that you already have worked with coaches on form and mental focus and can make 10 "rested" free throws in a row easily.
JTA is one of the last guys whose work ethic I would spend more than a nanosecond thinking about.
Yea, no doubt. I was wondering more about what they're doing (as in the entire team) day-to-day that doesn't include 100+ FTs. I would've guessed it was part of normal practices and/or shoot-around.
Rick Barry - We need you now!!!!!
Oof. Prayers up.
Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio has suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his left knee, sources tell ESPN.
This is pretty horrible.
Ugggh. Heard it looked bad, but was holding off saying anything till it was confirmed. Sucks. Get well soon, Mr. Rubio.
Certainly puts yesterday’s random-ending loss in perspective. There but for the grace of the hoops injury gods go our Warriors.
I've had a fond spot for Rubio since he was like 12 at the Olympics and I just thought that was so cool. He's never become the NBA player I thought he could be in part because he's a guard who can't really shoot, but this really sucks. Plus Cavaliers were starting to figure it out and who knows where this puts them. Full disclosure I was on the Cavaliers-are-lousy train and was in the process of being proven dead wrong in public but this is not how I wish to be proven right.
I think there was a decent chance he was going to be on the Warriors next season...doesn't look that way anymore.
Sucks, I thought Cleveland might have possibly had a shot to win the East. Hope he comes back healthy next season.
Damn, hate to hear that. Best wishes to a full recovery….
Ugh. Hate to hear that. I now have a strange fondness for Cleveland, rising from the ashes of Lebron’s departure and boutique vestigial contract dumpster fire.
I hate injuries.
Totally hate them. The enemy of sports.
GEEEZE
Hahaha
The CDC just announced the Golden State Warriors have to isolate for 5-6 hours to practice free throws
https://twitter.com/gsw_poole_party/status/1476262558675836929?s=21
Based on last night, they have to lolz. It looked like something out of Plague Inc.
One thing about broadcasters is that there is a hiring infrastructure behind them. If you hire Kelenna, you're trying to get a certain outcome. If you hire Fitz, you're getting another. So on the one hand it's hard to blame a broadcaster if they do what they were hired to do; but on the other if they do what you *weren't* hire them to do -- like insult Austin Rivers, then Fitz needs to apologize; or his hierarchical superiors need to lean on him.
I think there are sort of four categories as to what broadcasters offer: play-by-play, pure analysis like "that's a pick", exerienced-based color commentating like "in my day we'd just foul them for that," and homer-ism, rooting for the local team. And I think Fitz's biggest issue is that he blends his main job, play-by-play, too much with homerism. That can work fine if you're a Dubs fan and he shouts "He hit it from Fremont" (annoying to me but whatever , that's his gig) but it can work against him if he starts beefing with Austin Rivers. That part's not your job, Fitz. Just fix it.
Kruk and Kip are homers too, but for the most part they respect the opponents as well.
We deserve better announcers. Tired of hearing about their favorite sandwiches, what we should buy, what the players are thinking, what they should be doing, how bad this or that is, what we should be buying, jokey interchange-mocking other people/players. This isn’t the first time. Where is the play-by-play….sometimes they miss things because they’re so busy making jokes. We need announcers of the quality of Jim Barnett, or those who call for the Hornets. Fyi I watch many games now without sound. And I am not the only one.
Largely agree except Barnett wasn't my fave. He was aiight. He was never offensive but he never provided too much extra, to my own taste. And I think the "what we should be buying" stuff is never their choice, they have to plug stuff. But yeah, we deserve better. I grew up listening to Vin Scully doing Dodger games and Chick Hearn doing Laker games and I'm spoiled and wish we had that now -- Scully the master of making it interesting but amiable; Hearn the guy who made it super exciting and always kept up to the moment on every play, also called out his players "BLOWS the layup!". ( I don't want to have to defend my L.A. roots, people, gimme a break I was seven years old when I started.) And I wouldn't say the problems are new: on the national level, why does Hubie Brown have a job? I've been listening to him for like 50 years and still waiting for him to organize his thought.
Yea, I agree. The vast majority of TV crews, national or local, suck... with our's being somewhere in the middle of the pack. They provide no value and are just distractions. If they just mic'd up the refs so I could hear the actual calls, they could just get rid of them. I think I've just become so used to them that I naturally tune them out.
This is probably why a guy like Tim Roye (radio) is much more pleasant to listen to... he can't just half-ass his job and he does it well.
I can’t take Roye’s voice personally. Different strokes…
Honestly, Roye makes most others seem like amateurs to me.
Fitz showers opposing players with praise e.g. Jokic last night.
On the other hand, guys like Campazzo and Rivers who complain all the time deservedly get called out for it. It’s bush league level stuff. I have zero issues with it at the level it was at last night.
Obviously there are lines for me and Kelenna’s accent (I believe that was him) crossed it a bit. In the moment I didn’t really think about it but in retrospect I hope someone takes him to the side and tells him that was not ok.
Campazzo in Europe was one of the best player, probably one of the best 3 PG, but was a sort of CP3 with opponents and referees. Doncic was much more loved than him, no doubt about it (and here Luka used to complain less more with the referees than now in the NBA)
The comments on why Rivers got the contract are bad and out of line, hadn’t seen that before.