ABC's 'A-team' NBA Finals announcers

Riddle me this: How the hell did Mark Jackson get to be on the NBA FINALS PLAY-BY-PLAY CREW?! He has absolete zero redeeming qualities from everything I've seen/heard.

Conversely, I swear Jeff Van Gundy might be the next great color analyst. He's a great hardass, and he's often hilarious.
Consider this sublime rant he spewed tonight:
"It takes about three minutes to finish my haircut -- and I still pay the same rate as the guy who has a full head of hair. That's wrong on so many levels! I'm bald, all right? I want special rates on my haircut."
-- ESPN's 'everyman' analyst, Jeff Van Gundy.

 

I selfishly hope Van Gundy never gets another coaching gig just so we don't lose him on these broadcasts. People seem to be higher than Jackson than I am -- I think he's good because he plays off of Van Gundy well, but he doesn't bring any great insight. I'm growing to loathe Breen as the playoffs progress.

 

Consider me to be on the Jeff Van Gundy bandwagon as well.

His coaching experience really shows through when he was out there. Many times he says some obvious things, but they are things that I've never thought about. I love how he gets into the strategy of the game and really compliments the announcer.

And let's not forget.

Melo: Who's driving the bus?

Other bball star: Van Gundy I guess.

Van Gundy: Huh?

 

It was with the Celtics.

 

The difference in Van Gundy's public persona, from coach to analyst, ranks second only to George Foreman's transition from thug/bully to huggable, humorous pitchman.

 

Van Gundy is great.

Mark Jackson has seen the "limelight" of broadcasting for a little too long. He started out good, and has done nothing but plummet ever since.

Breen is like C3PO without the accent and even less comic relief.

 

I think Mark Jackson is better in the studio than at a game. Not Barkley good, but solid.

I like Van Gundy too. I see Breen and I say to myself "Who's that motherfucker and why is he doing an NBA final game?" Not that he's horrible. He's just generic.

 

Wow. I butchered that. Thanks for saving me with the clip.

 

Charles Barkley: Thats redikilus. Saying he is generic is jus' redikilis.

 

Charles is at his best when he just reads the script...

But he's never just turrable.

 

The problem with Breen is that he has two capable analysts next to him yet he always feels the need to interject his opinion. We don't need another voice. The only good part is watching Van Gundy and Jackson almost always take the opposite stance and beat on Breen's head.