Why does Donny Marshall think he's relevant?

[TradeProposalDude]

He is a total winEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.. He is even worse than Greg Dickerson on the air. He says things like "I told player <X> <blah blah blah> on the plane and gave him advice and told him not to get down on himself. Earlier this year, he even mentioned in a serious tone that he helped the Nets in 01-02 gel because he straightened out personalities like K-Mart and J-Kidd when they were out of line (at times).

Don't even get me started on the endless Ray Allen man love. He mentions his name in every broadcast where he's announcing. He tells some story about them together practicing some basketball move or having a discussion.

I REALLY wonder what these basketball studs like J-Kidd and Allen have to say about Donny. Do they even give him a second look? Donny Marshall acts like Ray Allen's best friend. But at Ray Allen's wedding this past summer, all you've got to know is that he invited several of his UCONN teammates (including best friend Kevin Ollie, DonYELL Marshall, and the celtics owners. Where was Donny? Oh wait.

[dark_lord]

i think donny does a good job overall.  i think he would do an excellent job if he refrained from all the name dropping.  i dont have a problem him discussing his days in the nba, as long as it is relevant to what is being discussed or if gorman asks.  although he wasnt a good player, to hear about a struggling role players perspective is interesting to me at times.  i think him and gorman have good chemistry.  its nowhere near the level of mike and tommy, but it is good chemistry nonetheless.

[Bankshot]

When I hear people say Donny is knowledgeable, I just ****.  For someone who played the game, he is wrong so often, imo.  I remember Tommy having to correct on several occasions about something he said.  Not a fan of Marshall at all.  

[moiso]

He's not too bad, I'm getting used to him.  I do get sick of hearing about UCONN though.  As for Dickerson, he may be a winEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline., but he's very good as a sideline guy.  Does anyone remember when we had Willie May doing Dickerson's job?  Now that was pathetic.

[TradeProposalDude]

i think donny does a good job overall.  i think he would do an excellent job if he refrained from all the name dropping.  i dont have a problem him discussing his days in the nba, as long as it is relevant to what is being discussed or if gorman asks.  although he wasnt a good player, to hear about a struggling role players perspective is interesting to me at times.  i think him and gorman have good chemistry.  its nowhere near the level of mike and tommy, but it is good chemistry nonetheless.

Disagreed. Whenever the Celtics score a basket, or make a "nice" play, he goes off into his rants and "analysis" that fans like you and me can make, and are not representative of his "basketball knowledge." Tommy understands the game and breaks down what the other team is doing offensively and explains how to stop it (i.e. box-and-1). Although most of the time he's peeing Celtics green But who can blame him?

Donny basically talks to hear himself talk. And Mike usually interrupts him when the play is resumed.

[TradeProposalDude]

He's not too bad, I'm getting used to him.  I do get sick of hearing about UCONN though.  As for Dickerson, he may be a winEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline., but he's very good as a sideline guy.  Does anyone remember when we had Willie May doing Dickerson's job?  Now that was pathetic.

I meant that Dickerson, when he was doing announcing a few years ago in place of Tommy (for a stretch of games), was even better than Marshall has ever been. And that's the level of pathetic we're talking here.

[dark_lord]

i think he has gotten better with each game.  when he first filled in, i couldnt stand him, but as he gets more confident and comfortable (he has HUGE shoes to fill), i think he has gotten better. im not a big fan, but like i said, i dont mind him anymore....but he still has his moments where i roll my eyes (the name dropping for instance)

[Chris]

i think he has gotten better with each game.  when he first filled in, i couldnt stand him, but as he gets more confident and comfortable (he has HIGE shoes to fill), i think he has gotten better. im not a big fan, but like i said, i dont mind him anymore....but he still has his moments where i roll my eyes (the name dropping for instance)

I feel the opposite way.  I liked him at first, because he seemed to bring a little balance.  But the more I hear him, the more he annoys (and bores) me. 

[CoachCowens]

He actually had an insightful comment the other day which suprised the hell out of me. Can't remember what it was but it had me thinking he was getting better. Then he went off on his Ray Allen Man love and ruined it.

[Redz]

I guess he might feel relevant because he has a job doing color in one of the better basketball markets.  I'm not saying I think he's great, but if I had his job I'd think I was relevant too.

What's he supposed to do?  Act irrelevant?

"Well, listen, I don't know my ass from my elbow, but it sure looks like the refs have it out for KG on the travel calls."

[crownsy]

I guess he might feel relevant because he has a job doing color in one of the better basketball markets.  I'm not saying I think he's great, but if I had his job I'd think I was relevant too.

What's he supposed to do?  Act irrelevant?

"Well, listen, I don't know my ass from my elbow, but it sure looks like the refs have it out for KG on the travel calls."

lol, TP, good one.

I don't like the guy either, but as redz says, i think he assumes he's releavant because he's a memeber of the broadcasting on air talent for one of the top NBA teams.

[Brickowski]

He collects a paycheck for what he does, so it's relevant.

[BrickJames]

He collects a paycheck for what he does, so it's relevant.

Bingo.  Because CSN says so.

[Coach]

Just because he has a job, doesn't mean he's good at it.  edit: no politics -Chris

[GJPBoston]

I agree with the initial poster, however I was surprised that when I listened to Donny Marshall on CelticsStuffLive he was intelligent, made some interesting observations, and that I actually learned something from listening to him.  My main complaint about Donny Marshal is that when he is broadcasting games or in the studio at Comcast I never learn anything from his commentary: he either says something obvious or nonsensical.  I assumed that was because he is not very smart, but after listening to CelticsStuffLive, I realize he is very smart and knowledgable.  

I am not sure why that does not show up on the air, but my guess is that he is not yet comfortable, does not know what to say, and just tries to fill time.  Hell, I can do great commentary when watching the games with my friends, but if I had to do it on live TV then I'd probably sound like a complete idiot.  I have also noticed a reluctance on his part to say anything remotely critical about many players and coaches, as many are his friends: I feel like he holds back at times (which Tommy never does).

In any case, he can be a complete genius, but if he cannot communicate while broadcasting (and he cannot), then he is a bad broadcaster.

I remember in the early/mid 1980s that I did not like Heinsohn as a broadcaster.  But then I realized it was only the nationally televised games that I disliked him on. (In the early/mid 1980s Heinsohn did the CBS broadcasts with Dick Stockon in addition to the local broadcasts.)  Heinsohn would really dumb down his commentary during the nationally televised games.  I assume the network told him to do this (or maybe he tried to keep it at a level that Dick Stockton understood).  My favorite broadcast team was Heinsohn and Cousy as I learned a lot from listening to Cousy (and he still followed the league fairly close back then).  I feel like Gorman has significantly improved since the 1980s (when he was very deferential to Tommy and did not add much IMO) and that they have become an outstanding broadcasting team (if you are a Cs fan that is).  When either Tommy or Mike decide to retire or are unable to continue (hopefully not for many many more years), then I hope they bring in as a new TV team Max and Grande from the radio.