WHAT makes ESPN’s Tom Tolbert excel as an NBA analyst is what probably will get him fired eventually. He’s a little too honest and a little too goofy.
In sports TV today this can be a good way to lose your job. Tolbert is already halfway there.
Tolbert still does a number of ESPN games, but he is not on ABC anymore. After being a color man on the 2003 Finals and a lead studio analyst on ABC last year, he has yet to be seen on the network this season. It seems like punishment for being too honest and too goofy.
“I guess you are supposed to be super serious when you talk about the league,” said Tolbert, emphasizing he is not bitter. “They don’t want you to have any fun. They don’t want you to criticize. They want it to be a 31/2-hour infomercial. I’m sorry. That is not who I’m going to be.”
Though Tolbert hasn’t changed since ABC hired him from NBC in 2002, opinions of him have.
Tolbert’s relaxed style has gotten under commissioner David Stern’s skin. During last year’s playoffs, Tolbert wore outrageous plaid suits, which angered Stern, according to sources. Stern thought the suits made a mockery of the game. Stern is never shy about revealing his feelings to TV executives.
Given a couple of days to supply a response to this information, an NBA spokesman said Stern was unavailable. The spokesman offered no further comment.
Tolbert has heard that the commissioner was upset about the suits, but has never sought confirmation.
“I would hate to think it was true,” said Tolbert, who co-hosts a successful sports talk show in San Francisco. “It seems awful stupid to me that someone would get upset by what you are wearing. I did it because I actually kind of liked the suits.
“I knew it was kind of goofy. You know, what are you going to do? You have to be who you are.”
An ABC Sports spokesman said he was unaware of Stern’s criticism of Tolbert.
“We made changes in our studio because we wanted a different chemistry and a different team,” the spokesman said.
Of course, one of ABC’s new studio analysts this year is Steve “Snapper” Jones. The league office has been pushing for Jones to be part of ABC’s coverage for years.
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Nail down the furniture, because the Tracy Dolgin era at YES has begun – everything is for sale. Dolgin, YES’ relatively new CEO, was brought into increase YES’ bottom line. He has sold about every moment of Yankee broadcasts. The scoreboard, double plays and steals are now all sponsored.
Worst of all, during the opener last Sunday, Michael Kay and Jim Kaat were forced to mention “DirecTV’s view from above” camera incessantly, sometimes having to interrupt Paul O’Neill to do so. A spokesman said that was a one-time only “enhancement.” Good.
All the added “enhancements” benefit the bottom line, but is takes away from YES’ excellent production. The spokesman said Dolgin was unavailable.
George Steinbrenner has taped an episode of YES’ CenterStage, a YES spokesman confirmed. The Boss had been reluctant to do the hour-long sitdown interview with Kay in the past. No airdate has been set.
