Tommy also was the play-by-play guy on a bunch of local telecasts before he was coach; in the 66-69 range. He got to make a ton of mistakes with not very many folks watching.
Mike Gorman's Last Year
- Thread starter ifmanis5
- Start date
Yeah, he was a lot better than I expected. He let the game come to him instead of over-calling everything happening on the floor, which is something I think Grande has a habit of doing, like a radio broadcast on TV. No one is ever going to be Mike Gorman, but I have high hopes that this isn’t an Orsillo to DOB kind of disaster.
I doubt hiring Carter was a money-related decision. Drew is in his mid-20s and is calling nationally televised college football and basketball games. That isn't super common. He wouldn't be cheap and backfilling Grande's radio spot would have been the cheap option IMO.
The most interesting part is the timing. ABC/Disney just put Carter on the Toy Story broadcast and he's announced as the Celtics TV guy the same week. That...couldn't have gone over well in Bristol.
The most interesting part is the timing. ABC/Disney just put Carter on the Toy Story broadcast and he's announced as the Celtics TV guy the same week. That...couldn't have gone over well in Bristol.
Cuse guys are very good (Heck, I began the training to become one before I pivoted) but they do tend to all put on one of 3 or 4 voices. Adam Schein built a career being sort of a poor man's Mike Francesa, and every play by play guy reads from the Ian Eagle playbook (it was probably Dick Albert when I was there).
Tommy did a lot more actual analysis when he was younger and fresh out of coaching. He also definitely toned down the bias when doing national broadcasts. He obviously had a ton of knowledge and did a good job conveying that. As he got older he did less and less analysis and more and more cheerleading and complaining about the refs. He was certainly fun to listen to but the last few years he wasn't adding much if you were looking for insight. Nobody really cared though because he was so entertaining.
I dont mind Scal, he can be annoying occasionally but he's definitely a hoop junkie who knows the NBA game and players and while he clearly has a Celtic bias he will tell it like it is.
I thought Carter was good and was smooth in brushing off the many ways Scal was a dick to him. He was crazy prepared and Scal tried to make him feel like he was the nerd in the front row making nice to the teacher.
I like the move. I think they wanted someone who was prepared to do another 30 years in the chair, taking the long view.
I like the move. I think they wanted someone who was prepared to do another 30 years in the chair, taking the long view.
Is a guy as ambitious as Carter appears to be - having landed the C’s gig at 25 - really going to be content to have a Gorman-like career on regional TV? Many would - it’s an amazing job - but it doesn’t sound compatible with who he is. If he’s good, I’d give him 4-5 seasons before he’s looking to make a leap to something bigger.
Can't really blame them for wanting to hire someone who could do the job for the next 30 years even if it's possible (likely?) that it won't turn out that way. If he is good enough to be in demand nationally, that means the broadcasts in the meantime are pretty good. And there's no reason he couldn't do the C's and national stuff if it comes to it. Sean McDonough split his time between the Sox and national stuff for years. Seems like it would be easier to manage with the C's since they play half as often as the Sox do during the season.
I think the difference in Scal's approach is that even as an end-of-bench guy his career earnings were approximately $20 million. Even as a player and coach, it didn't seem like Tommy made life-changing type of money, and thus you could say he was "working for his supper" going into broadcasting. As a lifelong Celtic guy Tommy also was a diehard, whereas Scal is more self-aware and a product of the modern free agency environment. Maybe if he stays in this position for many more years and grows the organizational attachments Scal will be an extension of the fan watching every minute of game action from home, but he's still growing into it and feels like a more generic color guy right now.
I thought he split time...did play-by-play on over the air TV(when that was still a thing into the early 90s?) and color (w/Gorman) on some of those early cable things like Sportschannel and the like. I also recall a no-Tommy time (college, so early 80s) when Gil Santos did play by play and used to refer to color man Cousy as "mon ami."
Yeah, Mike Breen obviously does all the major ESPN games, but is also the lead play-by-play announcer for the Knicks on MSG. Ian Eagle does national games for TNT, plus NFL games for CBS, and is still the lead local guy for the Nets.
Around 1965, the FCC mandated, believe it or not, that new tvs had to have a uhf band, which prompted the creation of Boston stations 38 and 56; and Worcester's 27.
A year or so later, 56 picked up a couple dozen Celts road games; the broadcast team was Heinsohn and the just-retired Red would be the color man about half the time.
I found this interesting. Gorman wanted someone new to the organization to succeed him.
https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2023/10/21/mike-gorman-final-season-celtics-announcer-drew-carter-nbc-sports-boston/?p1=hp_secondary
The requirement to have a UHF band on new TVs from 1965 onward came from the All-Channels Act, signed into law in July 1962. It certainly fostered WSBK (38) (originally WIHS, which started broadcasting in 1964 when it was owned by the Archdiocese of Boston) and WSMW (27) (started broadcasting in 1970). But WLVI (56) had a longer history—from 1953 to 1956 it was WTAO on the DuMont network, but then it folded. The owners sold the station in 1966 to a partnership of Kaiser and the Boston Globe—and after rebuilding the station we had WKBG, In true Globe fashion, the newspaper sold its share of the station in 1974 at a loss before station ownership became more valuable later in the decade,
I'm starting to dislike Gorman's replacement in Carter. Way too loud and boisterous, and seems to lack any humility (last night's convo with Scal about KAT was rough - he seems like the type to never admit they're wrong/don't know). Hopefully he improves, but he could certainly take a page out of Gorman's book to talk less and ask more questions. Every play doesn't need to have a hall of fame type call either.
He's actually growing on me. I agree that he is too aggressive with his calls, but I'd imagine that comes from him doing national stuff before and he will learn to tone it down and grow into it. I'm meh on Scal, but my biggest issue with him is he can be an ass/bully other people on air with him. I see him as a know it all, and I've liked Carter not putting up with his BS and calling him out on it. I do agree that back and forth they had last night confused the crap out of me, I'm still not sure who took what stance on KAT/Naz, but Scal seemed to initiate it every time
Yeah, I don't mind Carter, I think he's sharp, but his style grates on me a bit. I guess I'm getting old; when Jaylen posterized Gobert, and Carter and Scal lost their damned minds, all I wanted was a, "TO THE BASKET!!" from Mike Gorman. Carter also showed he needs to learn some of the finer points of NBA basketball, like when he thought Kornet got called for a five second violation near half court last night as if it was a youth basketball game. But I think he'll get there and be fine.
And it's time. Mike Gorman is my favorite sports announcer, period, in any sport, ever. Prime Mike Gorman is the absolute best. He had the voice, the intelligence, the cadence of knowing when to speak and when not to. But, while I'm grateful for this final season, he's lost his fastball a bit over the past couple years, occasionally mis-recognizing players and actions on the floor.
And it's time. Mike Gorman is my favorite sports announcer, period, in any sport, ever. Prime Mike Gorman is the absolute best. He had the voice, the intelligence, the cadence of knowing when to speak and when not to. But, while I'm grateful for this final season, he's lost his fastball a bit over the past couple years, occasionally mis-recognizing players and actions on the floor.
It’s early, but Carter is not good. He’s superficially a decent announcer, he just isn’t good at this job (yet).
He’s like if you asked AI to spit out an announcer and told the computer to make him overly excited at every potential twitter highlight and to go heavy on cheesy nicknames/catch phrases.
He oddly doesn’t know all the rules of NBA basketball and doesn't really understand the flow to the game. It’s super early and he could improve (it’s admittedly a confusingly high pressure spot for him to even to be thrown into).
But yeah…. Unfortunately, so far, not good.
He’s like if you asked AI to spit out an announcer and told the computer to make him overly excited at every potential twitter highlight and to go heavy on cheesy nicknames/catch phrases.
He oddly doesn’t know all the rules of NBA basketball and doesn't really understand the flow to the game. It’s super early and he could improve (it’s admittedly a confusingly high pressure spot for him to even to be thrown into).
But yeah…. Unfortunately, so far, not good.
I watched the Timberwolves feed last night, and it was night and day between their presentation and the Celtics now.
I have no idea the names of the announcers, but they played it right down the middle and discuss strategy throughout the game while they were appreciating Edwards game they weren’t fawning over it either.
One instance, the play-by-play guy noted that the Celtics had the lowest assist rate in the league, and the color guy immediately said well it’s obviously true because of all the isolation plays they run.
I’d much rather hear a presentation like that than what we’re getting from the Celtics now.
I have no idea the names of the announcers, but they played it right down the middle and discuss strategy throughout the game while they were appreciating Edwards game they weren’t fawning over it either.
One instance, the play-by-play guy noted that the Celtics had the lowest assist rate in the league, and the color guy immediately said well it’s obviously true because of all the isolation plays they run.
I’d much rather hear a presentation like that than what we’re getting from the Celtics now.
Agree completely. Jim Pederson has been doing it forever and is very good as the color analyst.
T-Wolves announcing team is the best in the league in my opinion.
The Celtics new PBP guy reminds me of Joe Tessitore.
After Holiday hit a big basket Carter screamed, "Jrue can't handle the truth!!!"
I died a little inside. The 5 second awkward silence was the only redeeming part.
Hahaha yeah that one was brutal.
He often sounds like a 17 year old announcing a high school game and trying to show off to his buddies.
The guy is super young and inexperienced, he definitely might grow into it. Maybe Grande and Gorman had a similar learning curve, I don't know. But the current version has many cringeworthy moments per game.
And objectively, he needs to brush up on his NBA rule knowledge. That's a tangible thing he shouldn't be struggling with.
That was awful, and encapsulates my problem with him so far. Just trying too hard to make everything a sportscenter highlight call - relax, take a breath and let the game play out a bit. It's a long season. I'm even fine with the knowledge gaps, but acknowledge them and lean on the color guy (I may be in the minority, but I like Scal). I don't expect a 20-something to know everything, no need to pretend.
Gus Johnson or Joe Tessitore for 70 plus games over 8 months would be a lot to handle. Dude needs to pull it back.
Gorman definitely had a learning curve. I didn’t care for him doing college hoops way back when and wasn’t enthused when he teamed with Tommy. It didn’t take long for me to get comfortable with Gorman and man, he‘s been great. I think Carter has a good voice and while it may take a season or two for him to totally get his feet underneath him, I could definitely see him being a welcoming voice of the TV-C’s for fans to listen to.
He sounds like he’s trying to do an Ian Eagle impersonation but about 50% more over the top and with far too many cheesy moments. That said, he has a good voice and it seems like he and Scal have already built a decent chemistry so it doesn’t detract from the game for me. Kyle Draper and Gary Tanguay fill ins for Gorman in years past were truly unlistenable and awful and he’s at least a lot better than that. I’m sure he’ll improve as time goes on.
Lol i couldn't stop laughing at this guy and his over the top style of calling a game. Was literally 30 seconds in and 4-0 and he is screaming like a lunatic 
, i already miss Gorman even though he still does home games. It is going to be rough if this guy doesn't tone it down a few hundred notches!
, i already miss Gorman even though he still does home games. It is going to be rough if this guy doesn't tone it down a few hundred notches!
I don't think this is fair. While Carter certainly has Announcer Voice (Newhouse spits them out like cyborgs; I can say that because I'm paying them tuition for one of my sons) and has been over the top at times, I've been impressed by his level of preparation. He has tactfully corrected Scalabrine on numerous occasions about personnel and rules. I've been impressed by how he hasn't seemed intimidated by Scal, and has worked to generate some chemistry between them. Hopefully he'll settle down now that we're through the first few games.
Last edited:
I thought he was much better last night - less amped and deferred to Scal with good questions throughout the game. As someone who was really happy when they announced his hire (I didn't know anything about him, I just can't stand Grande on TV), it was nice to see/hear the improvement. Maybe Carter lurks on the board and took the feedback to heart (and if that's the case, feel free to send some tickets my way...).