Bulls shake up announce teams

[ed. note: This will likely have a bigger entertainment impact than the coach, to be somewhat honest. Dore and Wayne are out, Kerr's moving to pre/post/half game analysis (with Norm...which will be an insanity packed segment each time no doubt). Neil Funk to TV and Chuck Swirsky will now be the radio voice. I'm not old enough to remember 'The Swirsk' in his first stint in Chicago, but from what I've heard from those times and read from Raptors fans, he's pretty annoying. ]

Now with less Harry Car- err Johnny "Redd" Kerr and No mo' Dore.

about 1 month ago Lt.Dan Comment 68 comments 0 recs |

Read Related

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

Kaboom!!

I’m glad Funk has been added to the TV booth

I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on May 6, 2008 1:47 PM CDT 0 recs

Good, because he never gave the score

on the radio.

"It’d be ridiculous to hate someone for simply what they say in a sports blog. But I greatly dislike every syllable of your angst-filled, smarmy, nondescript, half-assed, elitist-garbage responses." –Rogerspark Kris

by bullhockey on May 6, 2008 2:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

good news

This also means Kerr and Norm will combine for a dangerously crazy (like, you could catch crazy from watching it) studio show ever.

by hscs on May 6, 2008 1:52 PM CDT 0 recs

the most dangerously crazy

I need the DOS comments back.

by hscs on May 6, 2008 1:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

I don't get it

I loved Dore and hated Wayne.

Dore was the voice of the Bulls for a long time and didn’t notice any drop off.

I don’t know much about Funk but could they also take Stacey out and put in Wennington or someone else?!

PLEASE!

by Option27 on May 6, 2008 1:57 PM CDT 0 recs

Funk>Dore

I like listening to the games on the radio due to Funk and Wennington. Funk is really good at describing the games and gives some real witty jokes from time to time, and i never liked dore. I wish they would move Wennington to Tv with dore, cuz those two are hilarious, entertaining, and smart when together. What of kendel Gill??? I like Red kerr alot, and loved him saying stuff like “look at it ben, just look at it” cuz he basically acts more like a fan then anything. I like the idea of him and stromin norm, two batty guys, one real strict old school, and the other passive like santa clause. THey would make a hilarious and eccentric combo. I am so looking forward to funk though.

im trying hard to become the next kirk hinrich, therefore im doing nothing more than being the next chris duhon.

by piccolomair on May 6, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

Funk is good

especially with Wennington…Wonder who will replace Funk??

I vote for Thomas to play, play more and play regularly.-Sam Smith

by tyrus4prez on May 6, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up 0 recs

it's in the link

They’re bringing back Chuck Swirsky from Toronto.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 2:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

I thought they both sucked

I liked Wayne better, he just wasn’t so good at stuff like ‘players names’. Dore was terrible.

No mention in the article over the analysts. There’s reason to keep King on TV or bring Wennington so they keep that magic chemistry with Neil.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 2:05 PM CDT up 0 recs

wow

i don’t understand getting rid of Wayne, but I could care less about Tom Dore. Dore was completely horrible. If I heard “giant killer” one more time I was going to throw up.

King had been getting groomed for the job the last two seasons. I think he does a pretty decent job. Him and Funk should be pretty good.

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 2:09 PM CDT 0 recs

it's possible they just

wanted to have one announcing team, regardless of the TV outlet.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 2:14 PM CDT up 0 recs

this was much needed though

it seemed like more times this past season than any other, I would read on other sites about how bad the broadcast team was…specifically Tom & Johnny. I liked Red, but it was getting pretty bad. Eating candy on air, random yells and outbursts during the telecast, slamming the refs, ultimate homering to the nth degree.

I caught a few games on NBATV this season and our announcers were absolutely no comparison.

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 2:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

Roll It

Oh my goodness. KYP. Once Stacy finds a phrase he likes, he repeats it until you want to throw up. IMHO, King is one of the worst announcers in the history of television. Red & Dore were bad enough, but Stacy has absolutely no business being in the broadcast booth. I grew up listening to the legendary Chick Hearn (and Vin Scully doing baseball), the author of such gems as “No harm, no foul” (later “No blood, no foul”) and “He faked him into the popcorn machine”. I don’t know Swirsky, but he can’t be more annoying than King.

by Cannoli on May 6, 2008 2:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

Neil Funk was worse.

I was beginning to think “Oh my” was the name of a player.

by bullhockey on May 6, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah

You nailed it.

Stacey makes me puke with his repeated phrases.

by Option27 on May 6, 2008 2:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

yeah he repeats stuff

but he’s no worse than TD. At least King is actually funny sometimes (the whole Stewie from family guy bit was funny)...but Dore doesn’t have one humorous bone in his big, soft, pliable body.

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 2:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

you forget...

All the Red-Gray man love…

Step 1 - Hire a coach. Step 2 - ... Step 3 - Win.

by Lt.Dan on May 6, 2008 2:23 PM CDT 0 recs

combine that with a hire of D'Antoni

it’s a bad day for Aaron Gray.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 2:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

Are you saying that Gray can't run the floor and spot up from 3?

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on May 6, 2008 2:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

for some odd reason...

I had the vision of the Stay Puft Marshmalow Man from Ghostbusters pop in my head as I thought of Aaron Gray running the floor…

Step 1 - Hire a coach. Step 2 - ... Step 3 - Win.

by Lt.Dan on May 6, 2008 2:50 PM CDT up 0 recs

So, wait, what about King?

Funk and King will do the TV announcing for all games now?

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on May 6, 2008 2:25 PM CDT 0 recs

it sounds that way

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up 0 recs

It's going to be extremely foreign to watch a Bulls game without

hearing Kerr.

I have associated that gravely, curmudgeonly voice with the Bulls since the Jordan era.

LSU 38 OHIO STATE 24 - LSU IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION AND I AM THE KING OF BOURBON STREET!!

by 1958ChiTown on May 6, 2008 2:30 PM CDT up 0 recs

I feel like I'm the only person who feels the same way

Johnny just makes it feel like a Bulls game.

Kinda like the Chick Hearn of Chicago

by Option27 on May 6, 2008 2:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

I miss Jim Durham

I liked Kerr too, but this year’s team took several years off of his life.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 6, 2008 7:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

sad to say

but I agree with you about Kerr. He really seemed to go down hill this year. I thought more than once that maybe he had some health issues.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 6, 2008 7:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

His yowzas, yahoos, and whoopees will all be missed

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 6, 2008 2:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

Has Isiah infiltrated the MSG crew?

I’d like to take Walt Frazer off their hands.

by NBA Observer on May 6, 2008 2:40 PM CDT 0 recs

huh?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 2:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

did someone hi-jack your account?

you’ve been saying some off-the-wall stuff the past couple of days :)

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 2:46 PM CDT up 0 recs

Just me

I like Walt Frazier’s TV commentary for Knicks games. There’s no chance he leaves one of the best TV gigs in the league though.

I like homers though for the local TV/Radio work at least on the color commentary side.

by NBA Observer on May 6, 2008 2:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

If you like Walt Frazier then

your not kidding about liking homers. Frankly, I don’t see the point. If they’re getting paid to be analysts they should be able to provide something more than rambling idiocy.

formerly sbulls

by Scotter on May 6, 2008 3:05 PM CDT up 0 recs

I like homers

but I still want sound knowledge and reflection of what’s taking place on the court.

If asked to rank them, I’d put knowledge and reflection first and homers second.

Maybe the NBA put pressure on the Bulls to break up the tallest TV crew in the biz.

by NBA Observer on May 6, 2008 3:18 PM CDT up 0 recs

more on Red in the press release:

His role with the organization will also include appearing at various events around the Chicagoland area as a Bulls Goodwill Ambassador.
Additionally, Kerr will be honored during the 2008.09 season on a date to be determined for his 36 years of service to the Bulls. In recognition of his contribution to the organization, a sculpture of Kerr will be commissioned and permanently placed on display in the United Center.

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 3:14 PM CDT 0 recs

Hopefully Red gets his HoF recognition

sooner rather than later.

by NBA Observer on May 6, 2008 3:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

if I had to guess

I think that’s probably why they did all this goodwill ambassador stuff…the HoF snub again.

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 3:25 PM CDT up 0 recs

You might want to check in with hscs on this

but I think Red has all the credentials….

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 6, 2008 3:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

HSCS usually says (and I agree)

the basketball HOF’s credibility is too beyond repair to worry much over who’s in it.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 6, 2008 3:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

Except you know it matters to most players and/or people directly involved.

Kerrrrrrrr seems like someone who would weep at being selected in.

"I've got a class (coming in) here, we've got a chance to do some things." --Tom Izzo on why he might not consider the Bulls coaching vacancy.

by tyger1147 on May 6, 2008 3:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

...just tryin' to make a little joke there, big guy.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 6, 2008 3:36 PM CDT 0 recs

might help if I could link properly.

Oh well, that was to you, Matt.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 6, 2008 3:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

Thank God

Red really lost the zip on his fastball the past few years, and Dore was mediocre at best. It’ll be interesting to see if Stacy King improves now that he’ll be working with a better PBP guy in Neil Funk.

by Big D on May 6, 2008 4:15 PM CDT 0 recs

I like Stacey

but had grown tired of Red. Maybe it was his damn sigh every time Tyrus got near a ball while playing. I’m not a fan of Dore either but I thought Kendall Gill was ok. Maybe he’ll stay on.

by sue369 on May 6, 2008 4:30 PM CDT 0 recs

what happens to Gill?

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 6, 2008 7:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

Nothing has been

said about Kendall. CSN did say this morning that Red asked for a change in his work load. Maybe at his age all the travel got to be too much for him.

by sue369 on May 7, 2008 1:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

agreed on the tyrus sighing...

what the hell was that? he did it all the time.

i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.

by MarketMaker on May 6, 2008 7:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

I love Neil Funk!

Kaaboom!!

by chgobr on May 6, 2008 5:15 PM CDT 0 recs

Chuck was really annoying

watching several Raptors game this past year sense i live in Canada. It seems he doesnt know a thing about the game of basketball. He gets annoying real fast.

by eross226 on May 6, 2008 6:18 PM CDT 0 recs

hmmm

new announcing teams, possible new coach, I also read that the Blackhawks made a big announcing change...lets go for the clean sweep and switch out Tommy Edwards as the PA. I’m sorry, but I’m kinda tired of him. He lost the fire. It seems at times where things should be real exciting and hyped, he’s too subdued

by NormVanBeer on May 6, 2008 7:56 PM CDT 0 recs

Tommy Edwards is terrible

His botching of names is somewhat entertaining, though. I was at a Bulls-Cavs game last season where he referred to Drew Gooden (who was a Cav at the time) as “Dwight Gooden.” Of course, some drunk fan immediately yelled out “Hey Dwight, want some coke?”

by Big D on May 6, 2008 8:28 PM CDT up 0 recs

i gotta say though, i was at a bulls-raptors game earlier in the year

and every time he said andrea bargnani he said it with a more pronounced emphasis. it was hilarious. it got to the point where it seemed like he thought he spoke italian.

on-dre-aa bon-yannnn-eeeeee

i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.

by MarketMaker on May 7, 2008 5:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

Dammit bring back Ray Clay

The reason for firing him was petty and sad, and his voice is synonymous with the Chicago Bulls in a good way, not like that idiotic Mason in Detroit. I know Edwards was the originial PA guy, but Clay and the starting lineups were a thing of beauty. Our starting intros are just as bland and unoriginal as everyone else in the league’s now, bring back the magic!

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 7, 2008 11:43 AM CDT up 0 recs

I think I miss Clay more than anyone else

from the regular array of voices you hear before, during, and after Bulls games.

What? That’s weak.

by NBA Observer on May 7, 2008 3:43 PM CDT up 0 recs

So many haters

Love ya Johnny and Tom. Thanks for all the years of broadcasting. I’ll miss you guys.

by gobulls1124 on May 6, 2008 9:08 PM CDT 0 recs

Neil Funk...

stinks. My god am I good.

by McCabe on May 6, 2008 9:49 PM CDT 0 recs

yeesh

apparently it’s hard for Steve Rosenbloom to actually have watched a Bulls game recently between all those WSOP marathons on ESPN Classic.

Who watches the broadcasts and thinks ‘these are pros’?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 7, 2008 10:02 AM CDT 0 recs

Sean Salisbury's ex-sidekick, that's who!

Rosenbloom might be a bigger dunce than Mariotti. How someone could possibly believe Dore was so good that canning him was purely a cost-cutting move is beyond me.

by hscs on May 7, 2008 11:10 AM CDT up 0 recs

In defense of Dore

I think he really suffered from having to carry Johnny Kerr.

On the one hand, Dore had to defer and show respect for Kerr, while on the other he still had to do the game. Not that I think he was the greatest, and also not to say I’m unhappy with the move of Funk to the TV broadcast, but I think Dore had a near-impossible task these past couple of years.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 7, 2008 11:39 AM CDT up 0 recs

i kinda disagree

that’s what they brought in Stacey King for…it wasn’t like Dore had to carry Red all by himself. Dore was already bad, him carrying Red isn’t the best excuse.

by NormVanBeer on May 7, 2008 11:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

Dore wasn't horrible

But with Kerr and King, they just turn into the most homerific, weak announcing trio that doesn’t have Tommy Heinsohn.

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 7, 2008 11:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

He sat between Red and Stacey,

who basically sniped at each other the entire broadcast. The whole thing was a disaster. But, as I said, I’m not at all unhappy to see Funk move tot he TV side.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 7, 2008 11:45 AM CDT up 0 recs