And they’re taking measures to ensure that this happens, replacing Hubie Brown as their lead analyst. And that’s enough right there to know that it’s a bad decision… Hubie Brown is the best game analyst alive, in any sport. There’s no one they could replace him with that would be as good. There is no one. No one.
But the man that is stepping into the role is Mark Jackson, who used to be the analyst on ABC’s studio show, which was one of the worst in all of sports. Last year, it started out with Dan Patrick and Mark Jackson… but it sounded a bit too much like the Delicous Dish skit on National Public Radio, only no one ever came around to talk about their Schwetty Balls, so they had to bring in Mike Wilbon to give it some life.
Hubie Brown, the best to ever do it, is being replaced by the guy who needed Mike Wilbon to come in and keep his show from inducing the entire viewership into a collective coma.
Hubie will take over as the lead analyst on ESPN, which I suppose means that I’ll ultimately see more of Hubie Brown than I would have otherwise. But when the playoffs and the Finals roll around, it’s going to be way less Hubie, and I’m going to miss him.
bill g Says:
October 24th, 2006 at 8:32 am
fortunately abc has the weakest season coverage of all the networks and this move ensures that i won’t bother crawling out of bed on sunday to catch either end of the double headers, regardless of who’s doing the other game
espn coverage, as previously noted by you mjd, blows. not even hubie can save it.
me thinks its time for ted turner to steal him back and get hubie back on the tnt schedule, though i’m not sure who he’d mesh well with (harlan? john thompson?)
Mark Says:
October 24th, 2006 at 9:29 am
I bet David Stern is somehow involved.
Here’s the thing about ESPN: they have so much money that they can buy up all these sports telecasts. Seriously, they have coverage in some way or another of every major sport (except hockey), including NASCAR, starting next year.
In general, I’m against one network having too much control over all sports, but you illustrated one of the long-term effects of swallowing up sport after sport and putting it on ESPN: the network is spreading itself too thin. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen that the quality of the broadcasts and announcers was going to slip because too many damn people are being moved around. In the shuffle, I doubt if ESPN even knows who’s the best at announcing any given sport anymore.
B Teezy Says:
October 24th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Hubie Brown = Julius Caesar
ReKen Says:
October 24th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
ABC just lost its upside. Can’t they just have guest analysts like Mutumbo or Karl Malone?
thejim Says:
October 24th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Poor Hube. The guy looks like the giant from Twin Peaks, yet is so buttery smoove on the mic. Hopefully Mark Jackson gets scurvy and needs to be replaced.
Simesta Says:
October 27th, 2006 at 6:37 am
Is this the same Mark Jackson that last year was the game analyst with Marv Albert for the Nets telecasts? Coz he blowed. Good player but.
I would prefer Hubie on ESPN. A knowledegable colour guy would give a welcome break from the monotiny, and he’ll be more spread out over the season. I like Hubie but he does get a little annoying when he commentates every game you watch in June. “OK, you’re the Mavericks. You’re getting killed by Dwyane Wade. You……..” Plus he’s old, and listening to any 70 year old for 2 weeks is damn annoying.
Duke of Madness Says:
October 28th, 2006 at 12:59 am
I can’t believe the Boo-Yah network is going to pick up Hubie — he’s far too honest an analyst. I thought they’d look for another Joe Thiesman to kiss everyone’s ass (BTW, wouldn’t MNF be a hundred times better if Joey Sunshine started doing roundball?).
I guess I’ll have to watch basketball there, since all the other sock puppets make me want to gouge my eyes out.
SimonOnSports Says:
November 1st, 2006 at 9:52 am
Mark Jackson only started working games on a consistant bases last season where he does Net games on YES, usually with Marv Albert. How in the world do they think he is ready, or good enough, to be thrust into broadcasting the biggest NBA games of the season?
I did love his floater though.
fil Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Now, you know Hubie Brown is gonna give you the best call on any given night because the young man has spent so much time on his fundamentals. And you know he has clearly demonstrated himself to be tops in his this league, why?
A.) He will never rely on what other people are saying, rather he goes out there and makes his own assessments.
2.) Everybody in this league is aware his strinth, particularly his mic hand strinth, has improved every year.
And D.) You know this fella has forgotten more basketball than the rest of us will ever know.
Okay?