CelticsStrong
Celtics Basketball => Celtics Talk => Topic started by: coach435 on October 11, 2008, 06:49:33 AM
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In the Globe today Cousy is interviewed that he was let go by an underling of Comcast Management. Cousy for 10 games always brought a fresh perspective other than Tommy plus it is a great way to link Celtics past with Present. How can we pressure Comcast & the Celtics to keep him on 10 games per year?
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Tommy also will just be part of the half-time team with Tanguay in road games. So much for tradition and having an actual Celtic call the games. Cousy is unhappy and I hope we the fans can let Comcast know we love our Celtics greats and enjoy hearing them on broascasts. It gives the younger fans a history of our team and the game. A sad day for us all who have followed the game for a long time. On Tommy if it was his decision that is fine but if not then I would like him back as well. Not a fan of Marshall at all!! Max would be a better choice he after all was a Celtic.
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This 100% sux!
I love what Cousy brings to the broadcast and he's the patriarch of the Celtics organization with Red gone.
Dumb, dumb, dumb move by Comcast. Oh good, now maybe we'll get a few more minutes of Dickerson instead.
BRING BACK COUSY!!
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How can we pressure Comcast & the Celtics to keep him on 10 games per year?
We could all pitch in and offer to pay his salary.
I love Cooz and what he brings to the broadcast, but the bottom line is they don't want to pay him any more. I'm sure he wasn't making a ton of money, but I don't think Cooz would do it for free.
CSN wants younger guys with better haircuts.
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I guess I'll be the 'turd in punchbowl' and say that while I respect Cousy to the utmost his time had come.
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http://newengland.comcastsportsnet.com/about/contact/
Send them a message. Make it sting.
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3 things suck big time here:
1. no more Cous - for 10 games a year, yeah the man was great. I loved hearing him for 10 games a year. Cousy wanted to come back but this guy - Comcast general manager and vice president Bill Bridgen - decided no.
How can I send this guy an email?
2. Tommy for only half the time - that's what happened the end of last year and I thought it was because of Tommy's health(hip?). If this is what Tommy wants, then so be it. Is it what Tommy wants? Maybe its because of the old redhead's health.
3. More Donny Marshall - oh my God I am just sick of him. This guy - Comcast general manager and vice president Bill Bridgen - thinks Donny is good. What a load of crap. Donny Marshall PLAIN VANILLA BRAN CEREAL THAT YOU EAT WITH WATER. He's as boring as watching paint dry. How many times do I have to see him introduced wearing Nets or Cavs uniforms? For the color guy there should be a law - only Celtics are allowed. And certainly not anyone with no personality who is as political correct as they come.
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Tommy doesn't do road games anymore because he is getting old and its easier on him to do it this way. CSN isn't trying to remove the old C's players.
Personally, I'm pretty happy that Cousy won't be calling games anymore. He never has a lot to say and has openly admitted that he didn't follow the team that closely through the down years. I want a broadcaster that knows the team better than I do. Not someone I feel like I know more than.
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Thanks a lot for the link. Here's what I sent in:
You fired Bob Cousy? You have got to be kidding me! What a load of crap. Comcast general manager and vice president Bill Bridgen thinks he knows anything about TV? Bill Bridgen knows crap if he thinks I want to watch more of Donny Marshall and no Cousy and less Heinsohn. I want Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn as much as they want to be on my TV for as long as they want. And I do not want anymnore of Donny Marshall who is so boring that he is the cure for insomnia. Bill Bridgen, eiother become more competent at yuour job and understanding what your customers want or get out of that office.
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This is a link to what seems to be Comcast Management: http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/About/PressRoom/PressAndAnalystContacts/Networks.html (http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/About/PressRoom/PressAndAnalystContacts/Networks.html)
I sent the following email to: Tim Fitzpatrick, VP of Public Relations (must be an oxymoron in their case):
Since you are the Vice President of Public Relations I guess this email should go to you. I am a long time Boston Celtic fan and am very aware of Celtic history, which from your Boss's actions in regard to FIRING Bob Cousy, indicate that the people you work for are not. From what I read about the FIRING in today's Boston Globe, I can also see that you work for an organization that completely lacks class. If you knew anything about the Boston Celtics you should realize that CLASS is one of the attributes at the core of what the Boston Celtics stand for. This goes back to the days of Red Auerbach and Walter Brown, and has finally been re-instilled by the new Ownership and Danny Ainge.
I think Comcast owes a huge apology to Bob Cousy, his family, the Boston Celtic family, which includes former Boston Celtic players, and Boston Celtic fans for the classless actions taken.
Comcast shows by this action that it has no idea of what people like Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, etc. mean to the CELTIC FAMILY and FANS.
I would hope that Celtic Fans bombard Comcast with our thoughts.
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I guess I'll be 'turd in punchbowl' and say that while I respect Cousy to utmost his time had come.
amen. i am so happy to see cousy go. there was a thread last year (I may have even sterted it, maybe i will try and find it when i have more time) but it was 50/50 on cousy. i am so happy i do not have to listen to his whining and negativity anymore.
i can sum up his contributions right here in a few sentences. all outside shots are bad, unless they go in. this team is probably going to lose because the other team has more athletes. the c's are not intense tonight. the c's are going to have a lot of trouble winning this game.
see you later, cous....cannot say i am going to miss you.
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I just got this reply from Comcast:
I am out of the office today and will return your message as soon as possible. For immediate assistance please contact Maureen Quilter at mquilter@comcastsportsnet.com. Thanks.
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3 things suck big time here:
1. no more Cous - for 10 games a year, yeah the man was great. I loved hearing him for 10 games a year. Cousy wanted to come back but this guy - Comcast general manager and vice president Bill Bridgen - decided no.
How can I send this guy an email?
2. Tommy for only half the time - that's what happened the end of last year and I thought it was because of Tommy's health(hip?). If this is what Tommy wants, then so be it. Is it what Tommy wants? Maybe its because of the old redhead's health.
3. More Donny Marshall - oh my God I am just sick of him. This guy - Comcast general manager and vice president Bill Bridgen - thinks Donny is good. What a load of crap. Donny Marshall PLAIN VANILLA BRAN CEREAL THAT YOU EAT WITH WATER. He's as boring as watching paint dry. How many times do I have to see him introduced wearing Nets or Cavs uniforms? For the color guy there should be a law - only Celtics are allowed. And certainly not anyone with no personality who is as political correct as they come.
as far as number one goes, i suppose i'm gonna have to be a terd in the punchbowl as well, because as much as i respect celtics history and all that cous has done for this organization, he was becoming incompetent at his part time gig. people get old, folks, and he's really starting to show his age and the fact that he's slowing down. he slurred a lot last year, and i couldn't understand half of what he was saying, and whatever i could understand was negative about something. times change, people get old, and as much as i respect him in C's history, i think it was his time.
as far as donny marshall goes, i HATE having this guy do color for all road games, let alone half time reports for home games! this guy is as colorless as a zebra, HOW do they expect up to enjoy his color commentary??? and he thinks he's SOOO experienced because he played with ray allen in college, and because "he played in the pros". COME ON, he brought in a check riding the bench!! GAHHHH!!!!
shoot me now somebody please, i can NOT tolerate a whole season of this guy.
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good riddance!
He was a curse anyway and he only went to games in FLA or against FLA teams.
and does anyone on earth have a more annoying voice than Cousy?
Fran dresher thinks hes annoying.
He's out of touch,the guy invented the behind the back dribble for god sake. He's 80!!
Mike and Tommy will be fine without him.
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I guess I'll be 'turd in punchbowl' and say that while I respect Cousy to utmost his time had come.
amen. i am so happy to see cousy go. there was a thread last year (I may have even sterted it, maybe i will try and find it when i have more time) but it was 50/50 on cousy. i am so happy i do not have to listen to his whining and negativity anymore.
i can sum up his contributions right here in a few sentences. all outside shots are bad, unless they go in. this team is probably going to lose because the other team has more athletes. the c's are not intense tonight. the c's are going to have a lot of trouble winning this game.
see you later, cous....cannot say i am going to miss you.
I am sure you would be much better than a Hall of Famer and Celtic Legend. Everyone knows Cousy has his hitches in delivery, but he is a basketball mind, and helped to connect the Celtics past to present. You are acting like you had to listen to him for all 82 games, we are talking about 10 games, not sure why they would dismiss him from such a minor role, his top notch quality broadcast talent or lack thereof was really not an issue for 10 games, it was the class he added to the broadcast. I assume you probably love Donny Marshall, the ex-Celtic, oh no, that's right, he had a cup of coffee in the league, constantly uses those few games he rode the bench to underscore how he is so hip with modern day players, etc., not to mention, he manages to say nothing with inappropriately used big words to make him sound smooth.
No Cous, less Heinsohn, more of a guy who has ZERO connection to the Celtics = a less Celtic-like broadcast, not good moves in my opinion.
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good riddance!
He was a curse anyway and he only went to games in FLA or against FLA teams.
and does anyone on earth have a more annoying voice than Cousy?
Fran dresher thinks hes annoying.
He's out of touch,the guy invented the behind the back dribble for god sake. He's 80!!
Mike and Tommy will be fine without him.
It won't be Mike and Tommy. Half the time it will be know-it-all Donny Marshall, who played once a long time ago in CT during college, the only remote connection he has to the area. He looks good and can speak clearly, but this guy finds many words to say nothing. He is more suited to the SportsCenter anchor desk than being a broadcaster for the most successful franchise in NBA history. What exactly did Donny do leading up to getting this high-profile gig? Do any fans even remotely associate him with the Celtics? What experience does he bring that allows him to do analysis? Being smooth with an easy delivery might translate well into play by play, but analysts have to actually analyze something, not just smile, chuckle, and try to convince us all what a great player he was. Like when Gorman asked him about free throw shooting, and he said without blinking, he was "excellent" at it, prided himself on it, etc., never mind the facts getting in the way that he was under 70% in his few games in the NBA.
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Cousy was refreshingly brutal concerning Rivers' and Brown's ineptitude and the disgraceful display of basketball we were all subjected to in the first three years of Rivers' regieme. Tommy and Mike tried to find homerism positive in some way. But it was a team with no development and no direction. Cousy was refreshing in pointing out the obvious and not defending it.
It's sad to see a national treasure to our storied past get cast aside. It's sad to see Tommy reducing his schedule.
Marshall isn't half-bad. It would be nice if one of our legends took over for Tommy's half and for Cousy. Where's Fred Roberts these days?
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good riddance!
He was a curse anyway and he only went to games in FLA or against FLA teams.
and does anyone on earth have a more annoying voice than Cousy?
Fran dresher thinks hes annoying.
He's out of touch,the guy invented the behind the back dribble for god sake. He's 80!!
Mike and Tommy will be fine without him.
Asinine! Jointhebombsquard's comments are totally asinine.
I am guessing that at best you're not even out of high school of yet, because if you were and if you had any grasp of Celtics, no make that basketball history you would know that Bob Cousy knows more about hoops than 97% of this board combined. Combined, we can't hold a candle to Bob Cousy when it comes to the Celtics and basketball.
Bob Cousy is "Celtics Basketball". Bob Cousy is "The patriarch of the Celtics family". Bob Cousy defined the role of the point guard in the NBA, he wasn't just a great point guard in the NBA he defined how the role is played.
Since the early 80's I have been watching the Celtics and I honestly believe that there hasn't been more than a handful of games in which I didn't learn at least 1 thing from Cousy about the game or about the Celtics family.
Not having Cousy continue to play a small role in the broadcasts, is shortsighted at best by the suits at Comcast, but to call Mr. Celtics a "curse", "out of touch" and "annoying" makes you clueless and due to board rules, I'll leave it at that.
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I appreciated the fact that cous was a c's legend, but honestly he was awful - he had little knowledge of current day NBA players, he'd drone on and on and often times make little to no sense - he's getting older and really doesn't fit in as a broadcaster (and hasn't for the last 10 years) - so hopefully we'll remember cousy as the player not the broadcaster, just like Tommy as the player and coach (I won't go into my feelings on Tommy the broadcaster, this isn't the place for it)
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Wow, this is an outrage. You don't fire Bob Cousy from working with the Boston Celtics. You just don't. Especially when we're finally winning again, as he eluded to in his quotes.
It's not as if he was doing a bad job, either. He rarely appeared as it is, and most loved when Cooz joined the broadcast. I personally loved listening to he and Tommy reminisce about all these old stories they had. But now, that's over, and I think this is "ridiculous! absolutely ridiculous!" in Tommy's words.
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good riddance!
He was a curse anyway and he only went to games in FLA or against FLA teams.
and does anyone on earth have a more annoying voice than Cousy?
Fran dresher thinks hes annoying.
He's out of touch,the guy invented the behind the back dribble for god sake. He's 80!!
Mike and Tommy will be fine without him.
Asinine! Jointhebombsquard's comments are totally asinine.
I am guessing that at best you're not even out of high school of yet, because if you were and if you had any grasp of Celtics, no make that basketball history you would know that Bob Cousy knows more about hoops than 97% of this board combined. Combined, we can't hold a candle to Bob Cousy when it comes to the Celtics and basketball.
Bob Cousy is "Celtics Basketball". Bob Cousy is "The patriarch of the Celtics family". Bob Cousy defined the role of the point guard in the NBA, he wasn't just a great point guard in the NBA he defined how the role is played.
Since the early 80's I have been watching the Celtics and I honestly believe that there hasn't been more than a handful of games in which I didn't learn at least 1 thing from Cousy about the game or about the Celtics family.
Not having Cousy continue to play a small role in the broadcasts, is shortsighted at best by the suits at Comcast, but to call Mr. Celtics a "curse", "out of touch" and "annoying" makes you clueless and due to board rules, I'll leave it at that.
Sure your entitled to you opinion of the guy.
I know cousy was a great player,but so was isiah thomas.
He knows more about basketball than 98% of this board because hes been around the game for 70 years!!!!
(but that Doesnt mean he can verbalize it.)
I dont like hearing him slur his words,and down grade the current celtics, sorry!
I understand he was a celtics legend,But who gives a ****.
I wouldnt let the guy work on my car because hes got championship rings,get your head out of your *ss.
If i'm wrong, tell me why hes getting fired?
No,I'll tell you:
its because he puts people to sleep,mispronounces names and hes only around for 10 games!
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I know cousy was a great player,but so was isiah thomas.
He knows more about basketball than 98% of this board because hes been around the game for 70 years!!!!
(but that Doesnt mean he can verbalize it.)
Cousy verbalizes just fine. I don't know if it's the fact that he's critical is what bothers you. But the reality is today's player, as a whole, isn't close to being fundamentally sound as Cousy and players of his generation were. He sees things that we don't because he knows the game better. The best thing about Cousy is that, unlike Tommy and Mike, he calls what he sees and doesn't sugarcoat it. Cousy is a lot like Tommy was as a CBS commentator in the 80s.
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This is despicable .
Everyone needs to contact Comcast
and let them know that this unacceptable
to us.
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people hate on cousey's broadcasting... i can't say i'm a huge fan of it but having him around isn't bad. he called it the way it was: when the celtics were terrible, he said it. i like him more than this marshall wannabe, who just brags about himself all the time. at least when cousey talks about himself, he's actually accomplished something.
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This is what's wrong with corporate America...The people in charge have no clue about basketball...Bob Cousy is a HUGE part of The Celtic's Legacy.....These guys would fire Red and Bill Russell-cause they didn't have perfect cookie cutter techniques.
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the reality is today's player, as a whole, isn't close to being fundamentally sound as Cousy and players of his generation were.
agreed!
also I understand the criticism,but when its all negative,its just irritating.
unless its about scal... then its just funny.
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This is ridiculous. I wonder if Comcast hears enough complaints if they will bring him back. Cousy may not speak well but he is honest and funny and knows basketball. Im sorry but I learn a lot more with Cousy commentating than I do with Donny Marshall trying to strattle the line between proving himself to C's fans and trying to sound unbiased. I mean I don't mind Donny and think he is decent but he namedrops far to much. Very disrespectful by Comcast.
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From some of the posts I'm reading here I want people to know that this is not about whether or not Cooz is a good announcer. It's about RESPECT. It's about what Bob Cousy means to the Celtics and to the game of basketball. I became a fan because of Cooz. Because I became a fan I got cable so I could watch Larry Bird play. Because of Cooz and others (under the leadership of Red Auerbach) basketball was introduced to New England and the World. Without Cooz and others the NBA would not be what it is today and Comcast would not be making the money from it that it does. I also sent an email to the Celtics, thru their websites, asking them to let Cooz know that we fans are quite upset. I also thanked them for showing what CLASS is because they will be presenting Cooz with a 2008 Championship ring. This is what it's about,
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Hate to see it go down like that. Cooz deserves a lot more respect than that. As an anouncer, he was o.k., and like Tommy, you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. My brother caught more of them then I did, but the Cooz did let slide some racey figures of speech occationally, and increased exposure to the team may have been a concern to the network.
The #1 thing here, though, is that the network showed a real deep lack of tact and respect with how they dealt with this, and I am glad the blog posted this, so the network can see it's fan base is disappointed. Why can't big businesses leave more room for treating people with dignity, [dang]-it!
go celts!
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I just sent my message, hopefully they get trounced by emails.
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I hope the Celtics as and organization step up. 10 games a year thats all and it's great hearing Couz and Tommy together. When Tommy goes I want them to get JoJo White or slip Max into the TV spot and put Dee Brown into the radio spot. Nostalgia means nothing in the corporate world especially when it doesn't mean people will tune out. If enough people complain they might change but it never seems to work anymore look at what happened in Seattle.
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I could deal with Cousy as a pre and post game analyst.
I was never a fan of his in game commentary.
Alongside Tommy, it was borderline unbearable.
I don't think they should have straight up fired him, but maybe he'd be better suited for a different on camera roll.
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This is a sad day in Boston Celtics television history. I am shocked, angered and disgusted with the lack of class and respect that Comcast Sportsnet showed by firing one of the greatest Celtics who has ever put on a uniform. It's truly unbelievable.
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It's too bad CSN has an exclusive video rights contract...I hate having to support these toolsheds by watching their broadcast.
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I appreciated the fact that cous was a c's legend, but honestly he was awful - he had little knowledge of current day NBA players, he'd drone on and on and often times make little to no sense
If you think Cousy doesn't make any sense, then you don't understand basketball. You don't necessarily have to know the ins and outs of the every day players to be able to comment on the game you're watching -- basketball is basketball and if you have an understanding of the game, you can pick up things that the average fan who watches only whether the ball goes in the hoop -- tends to miss.
Cousy was always brutally honest about what he was seeing - yeah, maybe at times he could get too negative -- but next to Tommy's constant hype -- his view actually worked pretty well from a broadcasting standpoint.
And yes, he's 80, but he is still sharp unlike some guys (Gil, Gino, Dick Enberg) who should have packed it in a long time ago.
Of course, if the team hadn't sucked these past 20 years, there would be some other candidates to choose from besides a fringe NBA player from the state of Washington who was lucky to even make an NBA roster for a couple of years and whose only connection to Boston is that he played for UConn -- and he wasn't even one of their best players when he was there.
Bottom line it's a crappy move and I'm surprised a columnist like Shaughnessy or Ryan or someone like that hasn't killed C's ownership in print over that. Just goes to show you how much Boston has changed.
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Pretty sad. CSN did him wrong.
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I didn't know where to send my pleas to reconsider the termination of Bob Cousy, so I wrote in to Mark Cuban's blog! I hoped that as a major owner of high definition league pass, he might have some influence! I don't feel that comcast understands or cares about either the feelings of the Celtics fans or our pride in the history of the franchise.
We had comcast when I lived in Plymouth, MA, more than ten years ago, and even at that time I felt that Comcast was the Leona Helmsley of cable!
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A couple of years ago, when Doc was running out Scalabrine to play for 30 minutes/game, and Cousy was on the air, he let it be known that the substituion patterns left little to be desired. His honesty indeed was refreshing.
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I didn't know where to send my pleas to reconsider the termination of Bob Cousy, so I wrote in to Mark Cuban's blog! I hoped that as a major owner of high definition league pass, he might have some influence! I don't feel that comcast understands or cares about either the feelings of the Celtics fans or our pride in the history of the franchise.
We had comcast when I lived in Plymouth, MA, more than ten years ago, and even at that time I felt that Comcast was the Leona Helmsley of cable!
Here's the comcast contact box link
http://newengland.comcastsportsnet.com/about/contact/ (http://newengland.comcastsportsnet.com/about/contact/)
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Cousy had to go eventually. Tommy is still able to communicate, but Cousy really didn't have much to offer anymore as a broadcaster.
Ideally, former players would step down as broadcasters when they couldn't do it competently anymore. The former players are not larger than the game, just like the current players.
I look forward to Tommy retiring too, but he is still able to get the job done, even if I don't care for his homerism. He makes it hypocritical for Celtics fans to complain about homerism from any other team broadcaster.
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I can understand that younger fans might not feel the same as some of us older fans do about Cousy as an announcer. As for me, hearing him as the 'third man in the booth' 10 times a year was like listening to an old friend.
I am 50 and I remember Cousy doing national and local broadcasts in the 70's. Yes, we made fun of his speech impediment back then, too -- but, we also admired his straight shooting style and his superior knowledge of the game.
In recent years, Cousy was less invested in keeping up with the NBA. But he was honest about it, and he seemed to be learning as he watched -- along with the viewers. I liked that, but I can understand why some wouldn't.
I am going to miss hearing his voice. In an odd way, it was like being served my mother's lasagna 10 times a year -- a good memory of childhood brought back -- putting a smile on my face. I don't have my mom's lasagna anymore, nor will there be Cous on C's broadcasts. A real loss.
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I loved watching Cousy as a player but as an announcer he is so-so. I'd like some other Celtics greats to do some guest color appearances: Jo Jo While, Silas, etc. I'd also like some of the assistant coaches like Clifford Ray amd Kevin Eastman to spend an occasional night in the booth. Those guys are much closer to the 2008-09 team than Cousy.
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I can understand that younger fans might not feel the same as some of us older fans do about Cousy as an announcer. As for me, hearing him as the 'third man in the booth' 10 times a year was like listening to an old friend.
I am 50 and I remember Cousy doing national and local broadcasts in the 70's. Yes, we made fun of his speech impediment back then, too -- but, we also admired his straight shooting style and his superior knowledge of the game.
In recent years, Cousy was less invested in keeping up with the NBA. But he was honest about it, and he seemed to be learning as he watched -- along with the viewers. I liked that, but I can understand why some wouldn't.
I am going to miss hearing his voice. In an odd way, it was like being served my mother's lasagna 10 times a year -- a good memory of childhood brought back -- putting a smile on my face. I don't have my mom's lasagna anymore, nor will there be Cous on C's broadcasts. A real loss.
Well said. TP. The old friend analogy is right on. I grew up to Cousy in the 80's. Hearing him every now and then was a nice addition. It wasn't like he was doing 82 games. Also, the way they let him know he was no longer wanted was disgraceful. Imagine if this was done to a Sox oldtimer like Pesky or something?
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I just finished reading that topic on Cous being fired that is ridiculous. What is the purpose of getting rid of a guy that provides so much insight. If CSN wants to get rid of people they should get rid of Donny Marshall, Greg Dickerson, or the worst of them all Tanguay
No need for a new thread. Please just post a response within a thread if the topic of your post has not changed from the topic of the thread. Thanks - Redz
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I sent an email to comcast and got this response:
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us about Bob Cousy. Many of us at Comcast SportsNet New England, including myself, are native New Englanders and we understand the importance of the team’s history in the hearts of fans across the region.
We have been honored to have Bob join Celtic legend Tommy Heinsohn and Dorchester native Mike Gorman on our broadcast team as the third man in the booth for ten games during each of the past nine seasons.
For this upcomoing season, we have made several changes and have opted to go with a two-man booth. For personal reasons, Tommy will not do road games. Donny Marshall, who last season proved himself to be a terrific addition to our on-air team, will do his best to fill Tommy’s shoes for road games.
We share your sentiment that Bob Cousy is a classic and important part of the Celtics’ history. As such, we have offered to work with him to find other roles within our network. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to accept that offer.
Respecting the Celtics tradition is extremely important to us. We have been the proud home of the Celtics for the past 28 years and it is the passion of fans like yourself that makes every one of our telecasts a privilege.
With another potential championship season on tap, I hope you will join Tommy, Mike, Donny and the entire Comcast SportsNet team in closely following the new season.
Perham, Skip <sperham@comcastsportsnet.com>
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Here was my response to Skippy:
Dear Skip,
Thanks for taking the time to read my email and for your response.
I know you're probably getting hammered on this but I feel like I need to put this to you in another way.
Bob Cousy is Mister Celtic. He is one of the reasons that I find the broadcasts to be enjoyable even when the Celtics won 20 games a couple of years ago.
You should be grateful that he wants to continue doing games on Comcast and give him whatever he wants.
He's an 80 year old man for ****. Show him a little respect.
Please think about and try to understand what I'm saying.
Thanks
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I sent an email to comcast and got this response:
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us about Bob Cousy. Many of us at Comcast SportsNet New England, including myself, are native New Englanders and we understand the importance of the team’s history in the hearts of fans across the region.
We have been honored to have Bob join Celtic legend Tommy Heinsohn and Dorchester native Mike Gorman on our broadcast team as the third man in the booth for ten games during each of the past nine seasons.
For this upcomoing season, we have made several changes and have opted to go with a two-man booth. For personal reasons, Tommy will not do road games. Donny Marshall, who last season proved himself to be a terrific addition to our on-air team, will do his best to fill Tommy’s shoes for road games.
We share your sentiment that Bob Cousy is a classic and important part of the Celtics’ history. As such, we have offered to work with him to find other roles within our network. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to accept that offer.
Respecting the Celtics tradition is extremely important to us. We have been the proud home of the Celtics for the past 28 years and it is the passion of fans like yourself that makes every one of our telecasts a privilege.
With another potential championship season on tap, I hope you will join Tommy, Mike, Donny and the entire Comcast SportsNet team in closely following the new season.
Perham, Skip <sperham@comcastsportsnet.com>
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Here was my response to Skippy:
Dear Skip,
Thanks for taking the time to read my email and for your response.
I know you're probably getting hammered on this but I feel like I need to put this to you in another way.
Bob Cousy is Mister Celtic. He is one of the reasons that I find the broadcasts to be enjoyable even when the Celtics won 20 games a couple of years ago.
You should be grateful that he wants to continue doing games on Comcast and give him whatever he wants.
He's an 80 year old man for ****. Show him a little respect.
Please think about and try to understand what I'm saying.
Thanks
Not sure you'll get as cordial a response the second time! Good job though.
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I sent an email to comcast and got this response:
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us about Bob Cousy. Many of us at Comcast SportsNet New England, including myself, are native New Englanders and we understand the importance of the team’s history in the hearts of fans across the region.
We have been honored to have Bob join Celtic legend Tommy Heinsohn and Dorchester native Mike Gorman on our broadcast team as the third man in the booth for ten games during each of the past nine seasons.
For this upcomoing season, we have made several changes and have opted to go with a two-man booth. For personal reasons, Tommy will not do road games. Donny Marshall, who last season proved himself to be a terrific addition to our on-air team, will do his best to fill Tommy’s shoes for road games.
We share your sentiment that Bob Cousy is a classic and important part of the Celtics’ history. As such, we have offered to work with him to find other roles within our network. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to accept that offer.
Respecting the Celtics tradition is extremely important to us. We have been the proud home of the Celtics for the past 28 years and it is the passion of fans like yourself that makes every one of our telecasts a privilege.
With another potential championship season on tap, I hope you will join Tommy, Mike, Donny and the entire Comcast SportsNet team in closely following the new season.
Perham, Skip <sperham@comcastsportsnet.com>
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Here was my response to Skippy:
Dear Skip,
Thanks for taking the time to read my email and for your response.
I know you're probably getting hammered on this but I feel like I need to put this to you in another way.
Bob Cousy is Mister Celtic. He is one of the reasons that I find the broadcasts to be enjoyable even when the Celtics won 20 games a couple of years ago.
You should be grateful that he wants to continue doing games on Comcast and give him whatever he wants.
He's an 80 year old man for ****. Show him a little respect.
Please think about and try to understand what I'm saying.
Thanks
Now you've inspired me to email to thank them for not using him. I think they understand though that the many people who approve of the decision are unlikely to email, while the people who don't like it are more likely to email.
I won't miss his voice and accent. Very grating.
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I sent an email to comcast and got this response:
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us about Bob Cousy. Many of us at Comcast SportsNet New England, including myself, are native New Englanders and we understand the importance of the team’s history in the hearts of fans across the region.
We have been honored to have Bob join Celtic legend Tommy Heinsohn and Dorchester native Mike Gorman on our broadcast team as the third man in the booth for ten games during each of the past nine seasons.
For this upcomoing season, we have made several changes and have opted to go with a two-man booth. For personal reasons, Tommy will not do road games. Donny Marshall, who last season proved himself to be a terrific addition to our on-air team, will do his best to fill Tommy’s shoes for road games.
We share your sentiment that Bob Cousy is a classic and important part of the Celtics’ history. As such, we have offered to work with him to find other roles within our network. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to accept that offer.
Respecting the Celtics tradition is extremely important to us. We have been the proud home of the Celtics for the past 28 years and it is the passion of fans like yourself that makes every one of our telecasts a privilege.
With another potential championship season on tap, I hope you will join Tommy, Mike, Donny and the entire Comcast SportsNet team in closely following the new season.
Perham, Skip <sperham@comcastsportsnet.com>
======================================================
Here was my response to Skippy:
Dear Skip,
Thanks for taking the time to read my email and for your response.
I know you're probably getting hammered on this but I feel like I need to put this to you in another way.
Bob Cousy is Mister Celtic. He is one of the reasons that I find the broadcasts to be enjoyable even when the Celtics won 20 games a couple of years ago.
You should be grateful that he wants to continue doing games on Comcast and give him whatever he wants.
He's an 80 year old man for ****. Show him a little respect.
Please think about and try to understand what I'm saying.
Thanks
Not sure you'll get as cordial a response the second time! Good job though.
I sent several emails to Comcast and received the exact same reply you did, a form letter (email). So hopefully they are being bombarded. I responded to that email saying it wasn't good enough and that they owe
Cooz, the Celtic Organization and Celtic fans a public apology. To me this was done with a total lack of class by Comcast and Cooz deserves better. It has nothing to do with whether or not we like Cooz as a broadcaster. Deciding to have a "two man booth" is bogus. We're talking 10 games here.
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If you want to have any influence, try cancelling your Comcast CATV service and going with another service (Verizon FIOS, if you can get it in your area) or DISH Network. Then tell them that you're cancelled because of how they treated Cousy. If enough people do that, it might influence them. Anything else is just hot air, and they will blow you off with a canned email from the PR department.
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I appreciated the fact that cous was a c's legend, but honestly he was awful - he had little knowledge of current day NBA players, he'd drone on and on and often times make little to no sense
If you think Cousy doesn't make any sense, then you don't understand basketball. You don't necessarily have to know the ins and outs of the every day players to be able to comment on the game you're watching -- basketball is basketball and if you have an understanding of the game, you can pick up things that the average fan who watches only whether the ball goes in the hoop -- tends to miss.
Cousy was always brutally honest about what he was seeing - yeah, maybe at times he could get too negative -- but next to Tommy's constant hype -- his view actually worked pretty well from a broadcasting standpoint.
And yes, he's 80, but he is still sharp unlike some guys (Gil, Gino, Dick Enberg) who should have packed it in a long time ago.
Of course, if the team hadn't sucked these past 20 years, there would be some other candidates to choose from besides a fringe NBA player from the state of Washington who was lucky to even make an NBA roster for a couple of years and whose only connection to Boston is that he played for UConn -- and he wasn't even one of their best players when he was there.
Bottom line it's a crappy move and I'm surprised a columnist like Shaughnessy or Ryan or someone like that hasn't killed C's ownership in print over that. Just goes to show you how much Boston has changed.
I didn't want to insinuate that Cousy doesn't have basketball knowledge, I was saying he carries on far too long, his execution in speaking about his knowledge is failing him. And I do think it is very important for an analyst/announcer to do his homework on the current product, if he doesn't, it shows a lack of professionalism. As much as I am annoyed by Tommy's homerism, he actually knows the players in the game today. We live in a society where performance is a key to a job; I'm a coach myself and am pretty well liked by my players (I hope!), but if I stopped preparing for games and just winged it, I wouldn't deserve my job, because there are plenty of people who want it and would do the work necessary to do a better job. Not hating on Cous as a person, as a Celtics legend, just saying he's not very good at his job anymore, so I'm not surprised he was let go - should he get a behind the scenes job with the c's if he wants it? Absolutely - but, and this is a big but, look at Jo Jo White - he is with the team or doing something team related nearly every day. Would Cous put that commitment in, or would he hang out in Florida... I think we all know the answer to that
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If you think Cousy doesn't make any sense, then you don't understand basketball. You don't necessarily have to know the ins and outs of the every day players to be able to comment on the game you're watching -- basketball is basketball and if you have an understanding of the game, you can pick up things that the average fan who watches only whether the ball goes in the hoop -- tends to miss.
That's not always true. There are many great players who made lousy announcers. Howard Cosell called it the jockocracy. The notion they only ex-jocks know what is going on out there. I enjoyed Cousy, but like Billy Packer, he tended to be too negative to the point where only perfect basketball - if there is such a thing - brought any rare enjoyment from them.
Of course, if the team hadn't sucked these past 20 years, there would be some other candidates to choose from besides a fringe NBA player from the state of Washington who was lucky to even make an NBA roster for a couple of years and whose only connection to Boston is that he played for UConn -- and he wasn't even one of their best players when he was there.
Did you just forget we were the best team in basketball and just won the NBA championship this year? I am sure there are plenty of people who would love to commentate for a NBA champion. CSN made their choice, but the Celtics are a hot ticket now and they could have lured a number of top talents into the broadcast booth.
Bottom line it's a crappy move and I'm surprised a columnist like Shaughnessy or Ryan or someone like that hasn't killed C's ownership in print over that. Just goes to show you how much Boston has changed.
Maybe this just passed over your head, but this was CSN's decision and has nothing to do with C's ownership. BTW, C's ownership is pretty popular around Boston these days. With that NBA championship and all.
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It's too bad CSN has an exclusive video rights contract...I hate having to support these toolsheds by watching their broadcast.
I totally agree with this.
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Quote from: Kuberski33 on Yesterday at 04:42:05 PM
Bottom line it's a crappy move and I'm surprised a columnist like Shaughnessy or Ryan or someone like that hasn't killed C's ownership in print over that. Just goes to show you how much Boston has changed.
Maybe this just passed over your head, but this was CSN's decision and has nothing to do with C's ownership. BTW, C's ownership is pretty popular around Boston these days. With that NBA championship and all.
If you read the article in the Globe, the Celtic Organization did speak to and support Bob Cousy and he appreciated that. Cooz will receive a 2008 Championship ring on opening night. Ownership made it well known that Couz will always be a part of the Celtic Organization.
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JS33, Thanks for the link. I wrote to CSN and got the standard reply.
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Dear Alan,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us about Bob Cousy. Many of us at Comcast SportsNet New England, including myself, are native New Englanders and we understand the importance of the team’s history in the hearts of fans across the region.
We have been honored to have Bob join Celtic legend Tommy Heinsohn and Dorchester native Mike Gorman on our broadcast team as the third man in the booth for ten games during each of the past nine seasons.
For this upcomoing season, we have made several changes and have opted to go with a two-man booth. For personal reasons, Tommy will not do road games. Donny Marshall, who last season proved himself to be a terrific addition to our on-air team, will do his best to fill Tommy’s shoes for road games.
We share your sentiment that Bob Cousy is a classic and important part of the Celtics’ history. As such, we have offered to work with him to find other roles within our network. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to accept that offer.
Respecting the Celtics tradition is extremely important to us. We have been the proud home of the Celtics for the past 28 years and it is the passion of fans like yourself that makes every one of our telecasts a privilege.
With another potential championship season on tap, I hope you will join Tommy, Mike, Donny and the entire Comcast SportsNet team in closely following the new season.
Skip Perham
Marketing & Communications Manager
(781) 270-7252
That is what I received from my email a form letter. My reply
Dear Skip,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I do not agree with your companies' position on Mr Cousy. The man is Celtics basketball and the patriarch of the organization now that Red has passed. I think Comcast is doing a disservice to many of the younger fans by not letting them partake of the knowledge Bob has of the teams history and the game. In my opinion Comcast should have found out if Cedric Maxwell was available he was afterall a Celtic unlike Mr. Marshall.
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I appreciated the fact that cous was a c's legend, but honestly he was awful - he had little knowledge of current day NBA players, he'd drone on and on and often times make little to no sense
If you think Cousy doesn't make any sense, then you don't understand basketball. You don't necessarily have to know the ins and outs of the every day players to be able to comment on the game you're watching -- basketball is basketball and if you have an understanding of the game, you can pick up things that the average fan who watches only whether the ball goes in the hoop -- tends to miss.
Cousy was always brutally honest about what he was seeing - yeah, maybe at times he could get too negative -- but next to Tommy's constant hype -- his view actually worked pretty well from a broadcasting standpoint.
And yes, he's 80, but he is still sharp unlike some guys (Gil, Gino, Dick Enberg) who should have packed it in a long time ago.
Of course, if the team hadn't sucked these past 20 years, there would be some other candidates to choose from besides a fringe NBA player from the state of Washington who was lucky to even make an NBA roster for a couple of years and whose only connection to Boston is that he played for UConn -- and he wasn't even one of their best players when he was there.
Bottom line it's a crappy move and I'm surprised a columnist like Shaughnessy or Ryan or someone like that hasn't killed C's ownership in print over that. Just goes to show you how much Boston has changed.
I didn't want to insinuate that Cousy doesn't have basketball knowledge, I was saying he carries on far too long, his execution in speaking about his knowledge is failing him. And I do think it is very important for an analyst/announcer to do his homework on the current product, if he doesn't, it shows a lack of professionalism. As much as I am annoyed by Tommy's homerism, he actually knows the players in the game today. We live in a society where performance is a key to a job; I'm a coach myself and am pretty well liked by my players (I hope!), but if I stopped preparing for games and just winged it, I wouldn't deserve my job, because there are plenty of people who want it and would do the work necessary to do a better job. Not hating on Cous as a person, as a Celtics legend, just saying he's not very good at his job anymore, so I'm not surprised he was let go - should he get a behind the scenes job with the c's if he wants it? Absolutely - but, and this is a big but, look at Jo Jo White - he is with the team or doing something team related nearly every day. Would Cous put that commitment in, or would he hang out in Florida... I think we all know the answer to that
I totally agree with this. Also, he has a terrible voice; I can't listen to him when he comments. It sounds like he is eating while talking!
For me, it is good riddance to aging vocal cords. Celtics legend or not, if you can't talk properly, you shouldn't have a job as a commentator.
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If you read the article in the Globe, the Celtic Organization did speak to and support Bob Cousy and he appreciated that. Cooz will receive a 2008 Championship ring on opening night. Ownership made it well known that Couz will always be a part of the Celtic Organization.
Celtics ownership chooses their broadcast partner and because of that, if it so chooses, it can influence who is or is not announcing its games. For the Celtics to indicate they had no say in the matter is a cop out. They have plenty of say.
Reading between the lines here, it looks to me like the Celtics in fact wanted him off the broadcasts, and Comcast is simply absorbing the blow for them.
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I enjoyed Cousy, but like Billy Packer, he tended to be too negative to the point where only perfect basketball - if there is such a thing - brought any rare enjoyment from them.
Actually one of the first indications that last year's team was going to be pretty special was Cousy's enthusiasm on the first couple of games he broadcast back in the Fall. He was genuinely excited about what he was seeing for the first time since the Bird era. If he was too negative the past 20+ years, believe me there was plenty of reason to be negative. With one exception (the Toine/Pierce team that got to the Conference finals) the C's for the most part were pretty bad and for a few of those years, worse than bad.
That the Cooz called it like he saw it was actually pretty refreshing given the way Heinsohn used to try to sell hope and potential when there really was none.