All-female broadcast team for Celtics v Pistons on Mon 3/18

[ozgod]

Also, Amina Smith, who has hosted Celtics PreGame and PostGame Live, will be leaving NBC Sports Boston, to join ESPN.

In commemoration of Women’s History Month, NBC Sports Boston will feature an all-female broadcast team when the Celtics host the Pistons on Monday.

Play-by-play voice Zora Stephenson of NBC Sports will team up with analysts Abby Chin and Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington on the call.

Chin is known to Celtics fans primarily as the sideline reporter on broadcasts, but she has filled in as an analyst on the team’s radio broadcasts on occasion.

Kayla Burton of ESPN will be the sideline reporter.

In the studio, Amina Smith will be in her familiar role as the pregame, halftime, and postgame anchor. Smith will be joined by Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti and Celtics scout and Maine Celtics assistant general manager Ashley Battle as analysts.

Smith, who has spent the last three years as a Celtics and Patriots studio host, is leaving NBC Sports Boston for ESPN. Her last day is next Wednesday.

Smith came to Boston in March 2021 from Chicago, where she was a host/reporter for digital sports network Stadium, covering college football and the NBA. She is a Brooklyn native and University of Miami graduate.

She will be starting at ESPN on April 2 as a “SportsCenter” anchor.

Tom Giles will handle Celtics pregame and postgame responsibilities for the rest of this season. It is a familiar role for Giles; he stepped in as the studio host on Celtics coverage last year when Smith was on maternity leave.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/03/14/sports/celtics-broadcast-female-nbc-sports-boston/

Thoughts? Deserved recognition or virtue signalling that will ruin the broadcast?

[President Red]

Only a handful of home games left that aren’t on national TV in Gorman’s last season and one is being squandered like this?  Irritating.

[Roy H.]

Thoughts? Deserved recognition or virtue signalling that will ruin the broadcast?

Hard to say.  Are they any good?  If so, it's gimmicky virtue signaling, but it shouldn't ruin the broadcast.

I don't think it's necessarily "deserved recognition", but my outrage meter is low.

[BitterJim]

Honestly, the only thing that moves my outrage meter is that we're gonna be stuck with Giles instead of Amina  doing pre- and post-game. Maybe it's just how much they have him doing gambling content that has made me dislike him, but I think it's a big downgrade from Amina Smith.

Congrats to her on getting the ESPN job, she deserves it and did a great job for us

[Roy H.]

Honestly, the only thing that moves my outrage meter is that we're gonna be stuck with Giles instead of Amina  doing pre- and post-game. Maybe it's just how much they have him doing gambling content that has made me dislike him, but I think it's a big downgrade from Amina Smith.

Congrats to her on getting the ESPN job, she deserves it and did a great job for us

I totally overlooked that part.  I'm sad to see her go, but congrats to her on the new gig.  She's the best part of the pre- and post-game shows.  I'm surprised ESPN wants her; I thought they were only into dumb conversations and hot takes.

[Surferdad]

Honestly, the only thing that moves my outrage meter is that we're gonna be stuck with Giles instead of Amina  doing pre- and post-game. Maybe it's just how much they have him doing gambling content that has made me dislike him, but I think it's a big downgrade from Amina Smith.

Congrats to her on getting the ESPN job, she deserves it and did a great job for us

Came here to say that.

[Goldstar88]

As long as it’s not Doris, I’m fine with it. They had one game on ESPN last week that was an all female broadcast. Believe one or both of the commentators were former WNBA players. It was decent.

[Goldstar88]

Duplicate

[celts55]

Any time I don’t have to listen to Scal is a win.
Seriously though, I really don’t know any of these people. I’ve watched a number of games on the NBA channel and some of those men are terrible.
I guess I’ll let you know Monday when I hear them

[Donoghus]

Zero qualms with it. 

[ozgod]

As long as it’s not Doris, I’m fine with it. They had one game on ESPN last week that was an all female broadcast. Believe one or both of the commentators were former WNBA players. It was decent.

I've listened to broadcasts with Stephanie White as a color commentator and she was fine. I've seen her paired with Beth Mowins who does college football on the West Coast and I think she's ok.

The problem with Doris is she's become like Hubie Brown - she feels like she has to say something about every single play, and everything is superlative. Before that she was ok, now she's just a rah rah lady.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Could be worse, could be an All Reggie Miller Broadcast Team.

[trickybilly]

Kevin Harlen and Mike... That weirdo at Charlotte,... Then everyone else.

https://youtu.be/fw8LXz43stc?si=bElNHPg1y45vvdkL

[Celtics2021]

Could be worse, could be an All Reggie Miller Broadcast Team.

Why must you give me nightmares?

[keevsnick]

Zora Stephenson and Abby Chin are professionals, I find it very hard to believe they are going to "ruin" the broadcast. Everyone involved seems to already have experience in the job they will be doing.

Ultimately I expect they will be miles better than some of the broadcasters out there. Reggie Miller, any Van Gundy, Doris Burke when she covers the 76ers.

Is it "virtue signaling?" Maybe. But worse announcers have gotten jobs for stupider reasons. I don't recognize any of these names outside Abby Chin, which is a pretty good indication that they got their job becasue they are good at it rather than just being a big name.