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Gone too soon at 71 from cancer.
I know a lot of you didn't enjoy him as a broadcaster, but I thought he was great. I probably didn't want to listen to him call a Xavier game, but he could keep me interested in a USC/Washington broadcast I didn't otherwise care about.
Big loss. But how fitting that he died just a day or 2 after the last PAC 12 game ever?Quote:
Originally Posted by GoMuskies
I went to a live game once and he was broadcasting. He was not on press row, but up near a camera well. During a timeout or something my buddy and I yelled his name and his head swung around and he was smiling from ear to ear and was like “Heyyyy!” He entertained like 15 people around him for about a minute and then went back to the broadcast. Pretty awesome
Gave us some good times. And some stuff I didn’t understand!
I probably needed more bourbon.
In some ways, the timing is similar to the passing of Dave Gavitt; that was around the demise of the original Big East. Walton wasn't simply an ambassador for college basketball and the Pac-12; he was a spokesperson for the NBA (particularly Portland). Gone way too soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by MHettel
I think an edible or 2 would helpQuote:
Originally Posted by paulxu
That reminded me he once ate a cupcake with a lit candle on it.
I'm really saddened by this. I didn't realize he was as sick as he was and didn't see this coming. Although there were times where it seemed like he tried to hide it, he really was incredibly smart. And he really did love basketball and know a lot about it, and while I understand why he wasn't everyone's cup of tea, I for one thought he made things a lot more fun. He was also seemingly kind and friendly to virtually everyone he ever encountered. I didn't know him, but I have a few friends that did, and they just kind of lit up whenever his name came up.
My dad revered him as a player, but I only recall the tail end of his career. I remember when he was first broadcasting NBA games on NBC in the 90s, he presented with no sense of humor, and I found him to be an insufferable, pompous blowhard. Once he started injecting a little of his own (authentic) color into his work, the exact opposite seemed to be true, and he became perhaps my favorite broadcaster, even once he started getting downright loopy. End of an era.
He was still looking for his niche back in the 90s - he was still trying to figure out how to a) be a commentator and b) be Bill Walton. Once he learned how to do B, he took off. He was also on hand for the ESPN broadcast of the Malice in the Palace back in 2006.
Once he switched over to college basketball (the Pac-12 in particular), that's when he really started to become a national treasure. As Go already pointed out, he made unwatchable Pac-12 games must-see TV.
A true magician in the paint and on the mic. The World is worse off because of this loss.Quote:
Originally Posted by X-band '01