NOTHING AGAINST him but he's no Jim Barnett, what a disgrace --but am I shocked at news like this anymore?Hell no.
We're dealing with a politically-correct world and sports is no different --especially the NBA.
Yeah I know about their new building in SF and wanting a fresh new face and new beginning but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm betting the majority of Warriors' fans too.
I'd be curious how Barnett is feeling tonight.UPDATE: 10: 49 PM
I'm delighted to hear Barnett will join PBP broadcaster, Tim Roye on radio broadcasts next season. Barnett is a excellent color man.
By the way, some of you are quick to assume I thought the Warriors hiring of Azubuike on cable was a race deal.
Ridiculous.
I just believed Barnett was getting railroaded but now knowing he's been retained to do radio with Roye is good news.
And nothing against Azubuike; I agree, the guy's good. But he's not Barnett, no knock just my opinion and race has ZERO to do with it.
Mixed feelings. At least Azubuike is more tolerable than those two who are "Warriors Outsiders".
ReplyDeleteI think now I will mute the TV audio and listen to the radio play by play as I watch the game.
On another note: I noticed that Ray Fosse is doing less and less A's broadcasts and using more of Dallas Braden. I do the same thing, mute the TV and listen to the radio play by play. Works fine with me.
They should get rid of Braden. He is really annoying.
Delete@piney- At times Braden can be annoying, but he adds more pizzazz to the A's home broadcasts. Glen Kuiper and Fosse at times can be kind of funny, and they can give you insights into the game like Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow do, but Glen Kuiper and Fosse can be boring for the most part.
DeleteBraden helps add excitement. He's almost like a younger version of Mike Krukow.
I've always thought KA did a good job on TV... change happens and is often seemingly unfair, not right etc.. I will definitely miss JB on TV as he was the only good thing about the broadcast. Fitz is a jackass and unbearable to listen to.Always preferred to watch on TBS or ESPN just so I didn't have to listen to asshat Fitz....JB will be fine...sorta feel sorry for KA
ReplyDeleteOh for Chrissakes Lieberman, don't make this about race. Barnett is kind of tired and boring at this point and Azubuike brings a little more excitement.
ReplyDeleteManagement is free to chose the talent they want and to suggest there is some kind of nefarious agenda is baseless provocation.
Barnett will be helping out Tim Roye on radio so please don't make this into a pity party for Jim Barnett.
ReplyDeleteAgeism. Too bad Barnett will have a smaller audience.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, this was kind of expected. The Warriors were grooming Azubuike to eventually be Barnett's replacement as the Warriors TV color analyst.
ReplyDeleteAt least all is not lost for Barnett as he will be doing games on radio with Tim Roye. They're not a bad duo.
But yes, I'm happy for Azubuike, and I'm happy that Barnett will still be part of the Warriors broadcast team. This was probably the best case scenario. Azubuike replaces Barnett on the TV side, but Barnett goes to radio. Thankfully Barnett wasn't let go
I will miss Azubuike on Warriors TV pre and postgame on NBC Sports Bay Area. He really had a great rapport with Greg Papa and Gary St. Jean. I wonder who will replace Azubuike on the Warriors TV pre and postgame shows, even though Papa and St. Jean already have great chemistry by themselves.
ReplyDeleteI can see Monte Poole being a replacement and maybe doing more studio work, since they now have Logan Murdock also covering the Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area. Kind of redundant to have them both covering the Warrior games at home and on the road.
Whomever the replacement, it will be Black. You have already 2 White guys and having a 3rd will not go over well with the small demographic this is of color.
Delete@3:45- Probably, maybe, but I'm not totally sure about that. I'm not sure whom they would bring in whether they are of color or not.... Maybe Marcus Thompson II, even though he might not do it since he's an Oakland guy and the Warriors will be based in SF, and he will probably be all bitter.
DeleteBonta could be another option as he got some airtime in the Finals back in June doing that pregame show with Mistah Fab, but after the way he was pissed with the way Greg Papa left 95.7 for KNBR, I'm not sure Bonta would want to work with Greg Papa again for a while, unless they made up and we didn't know about it. Mistah Fab could maybe be an option. The guy actually has good basketball knowledge. Most of these rappers aren't real sports fans, but Mistah Fab is a legit Warrior fan and Bay Area sports fan.
With all of this being said, Monte Poole does kind of make the most sense as he sometimes will be in studio for the Warriors road games he won't be assigned to cover for NBC Sports Bay Area.
Plus, like I said, they have Logan Murdock basically doing the same thing Monte Poole does now, so I can see Monte Poole taking a new role with covering the Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area and maybe studio work could be that new role, and being one of the replacements for Azubuike on the Warriors TV pre and postgame show.
As I mentioned earlier, Papa and St. Jean already have chemistry together, as they did the Warriors TV pre and postgame show together for a number of years before Azubuike was added.
We'll see what happens.
The more I think about it, it will probably be another former Warrior player to replace Azubuike on the Warriors TV pre and postgame shows. The former Warriors that came to mind that I thought of who are currently doing media stuff are Adonal Foyle, Antawn Jamison, and Jon Barry.
DeleteAdonal Foyle could be the best fit since he is already a part of the franchise as an ambassador I think, and I think he already lives here in the Bay Area. The only conflict that could come about would be that he does the ABC-7 After The Game postgame show after the nationally televised NBA games and Warrior games on ABC. But yes, outside of that, maybe Adonal Foyle would be a good replacement for Azubuike. Plus, he has a good rapport with Papa and St. Jean, as he used to be a part of the basketball hour on 95.7 on Papa's show and it was Papa, Bonta, St. Jean and Foyle or Azubuike.
Antawn Jamison could be a fit, but the last I saw him, I think he was doing Lakers TV pre and postgame. Kind of weird considering he wasn't a Laker that long. He was a Warrior early on his career before he flourished with the Wizards, but most Warrior fans, I at least I do, remember him in the bad times of this franchise and he was one of the best players on the team at the time.
Jon Barry could be different because he calls NBA games on national radio. Not sure he would leave that to just do Warriors pre and postgame on NBC Sports Bay Area.
But yes, it will be interesting to see who NBC Sports Bay Area replaces Azubuike with on the Warriors TV pre and postgame show, if they replace him at all. Would be cool if they still had Azubuike do that, but it wouldn't be the same since he would have to prepare for the game on the NBC Sports Bay Area telecast.
Seems counterintuitive that the Warriors radio team will be stronger than their TV broadcasters.
ReplyDeleteThey could have kept Barnett on TV and put Azubuike on radio to prepare him for the TV job when Jimbo finally retires but I think they want the optics of a young black man joining Fitz in the new arena. I officially oppose this change.
ReplyDeleteAffirmative action at work.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason to make this about race. I like Barnett but he's a little old and tired. He wasn't given the job for life.
DeleteThe Hell it doesn't. It's always about race!!
DeleteIs Bob (the midget) Fitzgerald still involved on the TV side?
ReplyDeleteThis is more to do with demographics. Kelenna was playing for the Warriors in recent years just as Dallas Braden has been a recent A's pitcher. It will make the radio broadcasts better and I'm sure JB won't miss having to put on makeup
ReplyDeleteHello....it's always about Race...Sorry to burst your bubble. Big miscalculation by the Warriors.
ReplyDeleteWhen this story broke yesterday in the Chronicle, all the comments were in favor of Barnett.
ReplyDeleteSo when is Rudy Rudy Poohay going to take a powder? Barnett was good, but they moved the wrong guy. Alas, Rudy has his nose deep in someone's ass. So he can stay pompous and self-centered and no one will do a thing. Pity.
ReplyDeleteI have always believed that as long as the Warriors continue on with their West Dynasty, Barnett was going to keep broadcasting. The man actually has a life outside of basketball and is well-versed. I always wondered if Barnett would have tired of the travel were it not for the Warriors' ongoing great play.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with the KA/JB flip-flop. I thought that Lacob-Guber-Welts were beyond fed up with Fitz. Would be sad if even they continue to fall for Fitz's ass-kissing.
It would be cool if the Warriors' next broadcast move would be to show Fitz the door, regardless of whatever league respect he has.
Didn't the Warriors ownership want to replace Barrent when they first took over? The fans raised a big stink, so they lot him. I think even Barrent would agree that nothing last forever.
ReplyDeleteYeah, thought I recalled that JB was headed out a few years ago, did not recall it was contemporaneous with the regime change.
DeleteWasn't he out the door a year or two later than their takeover? It was announced and everything, iirc
@Rant Bot and 7:49 AM- Jim Barnett was about to retire after the 2013-2014 season, Mark Jackson's last season with the Warriors. He was kind of talked into coming back after everyone found out that he was going to retire after that season.
DeletePart of me kind of wonders if Mark Jackson would've stayed on with the Warriors, if Barnett would've come back despite originally planning to retire?
I by no means, am not trying to paint Barnett out to be a racist or anything like that, but that whole situation was kind of interesting when you look back on it.
Thankfully Barnett did not miss out on the Warriors Finals runs, even though ironically as it relates to this news, he called a lot of those Finals games on the radio as ABC was doing those games on TV.
Get rid of Fitzgerald!
ReplyDeletePut KA on radio until JB is ready to retire. He's still very sharp at his age unlike Trump, Biden and Ronnnnn.
ReplyDeleteI always keep the sound off when watching Warrior games, Fitz is just unbearable to listen too, and I realize how good Barnett is when he does radio with Tim Roye. World class organization and a horrific play by play man.
ReplyDeleteBarnett could have a good case for age discrimination if he decides to pursue it.
ReplyDeleteSeriously?..... I honestly don't think he would do that. Plus, he is still has a job with the Warriors, but he will be on the radio.
DeleteHow many ppl actually listen to sports broadcasts of any kind these days. I bet the number is quite small?
ReplyDelete