Apr 08 2008
Stuart Burrell Lantz: You’re on Blast
Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail blazers, Stu Lantz
Longtime Los Angeles Lakers fans remember the days of Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz as their formidable broadcasting duo. Well, moreso it was just Chick, who could take over the game and run it all on his own.
Sadly, Chick was taken from us in 2002. Even more sadly perhaps, Stu Lantz retained his position as the Lakers color commentator. And so it begins…
From here on out, Stu was glorified simply for being associated with the legendary Chick Hearn. He seemingly has a job for life and somehow managed to win the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association award for best radio commentator in six out of seven years at one point.
HAS ANYONE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE DRIVEL COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH???
He is by no means a good color commentator. As per Wikipedia, the lead authority on everything, “the color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy and injury reports, on the teams and athletes, and occasionally light humor.”
I guess Stu accomplished the “light humor” aspect of his job - if by “light” you mean “absolutely fucking nonsensical”
With this in mind, I have decided its about damn time someone creates a running script of his on-air musings. It’s just gotten way too ridiculous as his tenure lengthens and I don’t think he’s even trying to be coherent anymore.
The season is nearly over and there is one lone KCAL9 telecast left. If I were to engage in this activity for a Fox Sports feed, then at least I have the beauty of HDTV and don’t focus on the color commentary as much whilst enjoying the pretty visuals. I told myself it is essential to watch the ridiculously bad KCAL telecast and feed for it will better help me focus on the magic that is Stu Lantz.
So “tune in” to this blog tonight at 7:00PM as the Lakers travel to play the Portland Trail Blazers in the inaugural Stu Lantz LiveBlog Experience.
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Great article! I’ve acually been keeping somewhat of a running tab on The Stoozer’s “great insight” during the past season - see the link below, where I have a few choice quotes from The Stoozer himself. He really is terrible - he adds nothing to the game (actually I’m not sure he even understands the game beyond us “laymen”.
http://messages.yahoo.com/Recreation_%26_Sports/Sports/Basketball/NBA_Teams/threadview?m=tm&bn=6531738%23themainlosangeleslakersboard&tid=161370&mid=161370&tof=1&frt=1
The Stoozer! Brilliant!
We are definitely on the same sheet.:
From your article: “With this in mind, I have decided its about damn time someone creates a running script of his on-air musings. It’s just gotten way too ridiculous as his tenure lengthens and I don’t think he’s even trying to be coherent anymore.”
Well…someone DID create such a running script…me! Next year (since it’s inevitable that The Stoozer has a job for life and isn’t going anywhere - why would he??), I’ll try to see if I can have a “Stoozer’s Losers” sound byte for each game broadcast on the local Channel 9 or Fox Sports West.
It’s amazing and disturbing (at the same time) that the Laker front office doesn’t call him on the carpet. Does he have “an envelope” on Jerry Buss or something??
He’s gone way beyond riding Chick’s coat-tails - he’s riding the entire train that Chick once conducted. Even Mychal Thompson is better than The Stoozer - at least Mychal does NOT take himself seriously…and doesn’t expect the listeners to take him seriously either. And every once in awhile, Mychal adds something of value, worthy of a color commentator.
I guess the bottom line is that The Stoozer just plain grates on my nerves - just hearing him is like hearing chalk screaching on a chalkboard.