NBA on NBC reaches new low

NBC began its coverage of the NBA season with an unusual November game Saturday night. While the network usually waits until Christmas to air games, this year it felt it could not wait to return Michael Jordan to the airwaves.\nRatings have fallen over the past few seasons and the network's coverage of the NBA has slipped, but Saturday was the worst sports broadcast I have ever seen.\nThe usual studio hosts were nowhere to be found. No Hanna Storm, no Bob Costas and no Peter Vescey. While I was never impressed with Storm's knowledge of basketball, she did have a respect for the broadcast itself, which is the least you can ask from a host.\nAssuming that Saturday's broadcast was typical, the new studio team is now hosted by Ahmad Rashad. While Rashad may be qualified to host Inside Stuff, his goofy attitude does not fit the description of studio host.\nRashad's laidback attitude is multiplied, though, as he is joined by former New Jersey Nets forward Jayson Williams and former Philadelphia 76ers president Pat Croce. The two spent halftime cracking jokes at players and high-fiving each other any chance they could get. While Williams can claim expertise in the area, it is obvious that NBC has sunk to the level of using a high-profiled fan as an analyst in an attempt to pull in viewers.\nThe only credible analyst on the show is former NBA coach Mike Fratello. Fratello often tried to discuss actual NBA topics but failed as his "colleagues" could not have cared less.\n But the studio show is only a small fraction of the broadcast. The game itself was no better. Marv Albert is obviously qualified and respectable, but I have had enough of Bill Walton and Steve Jones as color-men. Jones' nickname, "snapper," probably refers to his Amateur Basketball Association days, but it more accurately describes how he and Walton constantly snap at each other while the game passes them by. Here's what a typical conversation might sound like:\nAlbert: And there's a foul on O'Neal, as Iverson will be forced to leave the game in need of stitches.\nWalton: Awwwwww, come on, O'Neal barely touched him, it's not his fault Iverson is so small! Centers never get any respect in this league.\nJones: What are you talking about?! O'Neal backed into him and conceded guilt.\nWalton: That wasn't conceding, he was raising his hand because he wanted the ball. Guards are such ball hogs.\nJones: You must be crazy Bill, that was obviously a foul.\nWalton: Awwww, come--\nAlbert: Well that's the end of tonight's game, Lakers win it 109-100, let's send it back to the studio for more in-depth analysis.\nAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!\nThrow in Jones' awful lisp, and you get a telecast that does anything but add insight to the game.\nI grew up watching NBC greats like Costas, Vescey, Matt Guokas and Doug Collins, who were able to accurately analyze the games. Quite simply, this year I would much rather watch the game on mute or something else entirely.\nI love the National Basketball Association. In my opinion, TBS and TNT do an outstanding job covering the league during the week on cable, and the local games I get to watch (usually for the Indiana Pacers) are high-quality broadcasts.\nAfter this season, the contract between the league and NBC is up. Unless the network makes some changes, I hope that the NBA demands better coverage of its games because what NBC has produced is downright embarrassing.