Last Sunday's Dick Weber Open featured a third man in the booth. It was ESPN's The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. Now, I have to admit that I enjoy reading Bill's columns and his interweaving of pop culture into his sports analysis is witty. I feel as if I am part of the inside joke with many of his television or movie references. I'm sure you do too. Most all males currently in their mid-40's can recite many lines from Caddyshack or Ghostbusters. Simmons' in-depth analysis of the movie Hoosiers is like something that I have never read. However, is he good for televised bowling? Does the PBA throw any random person into the announcers' booth as a bridge between the hardcore and casual fanbase? Should the PBA stick to only the 'experts' in the bowling industry?As part of his ESPN duties, Bill also does podcasts, or taped Internet shows. The day before the telecast, he and Rob Stone discussed bowling and soccer. Entertaining interview, but one point made me wince. He asked Stone about the pronunciation of 'Weber.' He asked Rob if he should do some research or do 'fish out of water.' He, obviously, was the latter. Various comments across the Internet seem to dislike his performance.
Is this a one-time shot with the PBA? Will they also have other guest announcers? The WWE has guest host on RAW every Monday night on the USA network. Should the PBA also have William Shatner in the booth with Stone and Pederson?
This was good and bad. I think if Bill had done more preparation for the show, it would have worked better. Most everyone should know about Dick Weber. He should represent the casual fan that the PBA needs to expand its ratings. Also, to appease the hardcore fans, the announcer cannot appear to mock the sport. Rob Stone mentions this in his beginnings as a PBA announcer on the podcast with Bill Simmons.
The hardcore fans want another expert as the third announcer. Not every expert can be a good fit for the booth like Nelson Burton, Jr. or Randy Pederson. The show is not that entertaining if I hear too much technical commenting about how the bowler missed inside of target because of something the expert saw in the third step of the approach. I don't want too much hilarity, but I also don't want too much USBC gold medal coach jargon.
I like to be entertained when I watch the show. So, I give the Simmons experiment a 'thumb in the middle' sign. Maybe another celebrity who knows bowling could be a good fit. How about Jerome Bettis?
Or, bring back Simmons, and give him another shot when he is better prepared. He loves sports and can be that bridge between the casual fan and the hardcore fan if he just learned the sport. Most all of us like to explain the nuances of bowling to our co-workers. Let Randy school Bill like he does Rob.
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Simmons is an assclown. He was just there to mock
ReplyDeleteRandy should have decked him
It seemed Randy and Rob played to the lowest common denominator - in this case Bill - throughout most of the telecast. In my opinion, it brought the commentary as a whole to a lower level.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it would be better to have someone like Bill approach that type of situation with questions someone new to the sport would have. There's bound to be people watching who have the same questions and would like to hear the answers. That seems much more productive that an endless stream of "hillarity" about how little Bill knows about the sport.
Otherwise, let Bill use his realm of expertise and draw parallels between bowling and some of the more popular sports. Save the "so that's ___ strikes, what would you call it" for the shower, Rob.
I think a finger in the middle would have been the appropriate rating for Simmons. Hope we don't have to see him again, and he can take Stone with him.
ReplyDeleteoh god. its bowling on tv.. should be lucky enough to get someone like bill simmons to come and comment on it. least people are talking about it.
ReplyDeleteANY FUTURE ADDITION SHOULD BE A BOWLING HALL OF FAMER. HE COULD TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT TIMES
ReplyDeleteNO MORE BILL SIMMONS ON BOWLING OR NO MORE ME WATCHING
ReplyDeletethanks for a really bad show PBA and ESPN. Just end it already.
ReplyDeleteZero is being put in so why expect anything different? Bill Simmons was another example of PBA/ESPN stupidity.
You guys know that only bowlers watch bowling right?
Randy why do you stay so quite when Stone and others mock you and the sport?? Just speak up. It will be over soon anyway.
ATTENTION PBA: Here is Bill Simmons tweet about the show:
ReplyDelete"Just taped our "live" open. Lotta smoke and mirrors here on the PBA Tour. BTW your going to love Mike Fagan's Miami Vice beard."
Next week lets have someone take a dump on the lanes.
PBA executives put down your hookah pipes and start making some good decisions for once.
I agree with most of the comments. If the PBA is going to have guest announcers, please have them learn a little about what they are supposed to do or say on a sports show about bowling. I never heard of Simmons, I hope he bothers to prep himself on other sports beside the big four, fb, bb, bb, and hky.
ReplyDeletePlease do not let this guy loose on a us again.
I am more pissed at the producers of the telecast. When Simmons got hired to be the third man the producers should have told him to do some research. Give him some DVDs of the previous telecasts. The PBA was riding a wave of notoriety from Kelly Kullick's TOC victory. Besides, since when does "acting like clueless idiot" make for a smart commentating technique? The producers should have told him that.
ReplyDeleteNo more Bill Simmons or so called sports guys who have not even the smallest inkling of what the sport of bowling is about . . . yeah, we're kissing our bowling ball before we bowl. Good grief. At least Stone has learned enough from Randy to muddle through a telecast. If you want guests, get Norm Duke or someone that can ADD to the telecast rather than making me want to switch over to a show on how to change your car's tires.
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