Sacramento Kings & National TV Audience

by baykine on Feb 10, 2012 10:03 AM PST

What a game last night. I really wish I could've been there to witness the game and the energy of that crowd. Just by watching the game on TV it was exactly what I expected to see. The reason I'm writing this FanPost is because I'm a little irritated by what I was hearing by not only the announcers during the game (excluding C-Web) but mostly from the cast of the post game show.

Let's get this straight. The Sacramento Kings won last night against the OKC Thunder which still have the best record in the NBA after the loss. The Kings have been known for the past couple of years as a losing team and I'm pretty sure that we all agree with that. But last night the Kings and their fans came out and represented. Myself as a Kings fan watched the whole game on TNT and was wearing all black on my couch. I was happy with the outcome of the game until the post game show started.

The crew of the post game show talked about the Kings - Thunder game first but what happens? The Kings win and get no credit for the win.

Here's what Shaq had to say: "The question that I would like to ask were they fired up because they were playing a younger better team or were they fired up because they were on TV? Another question I would like to ask can they continue to play like that?

Here's what Kenny had to say: "My answers professor are no, no and no. I just think that this was an opportunity on National television....."

Here's what Charles had to say: "Every player know when they playing on National television......you get pumped for that"

Did I mention that the whole Kings - Thunder segment only last about 3-4 minutes and then after that they focused almost double that on the Lakers? I understand that it's the Lakers but there were 2 games on TNT last night and they should focus on both of them equally.

Seriously? The Kings win and this is all they had to say? If the Thunder would've won it would've been completely different. They would have given the Thunder high praise for winning and keeping a 3 game winning streak. But since it's the Kings, we get crapped on for taking down the best team record wise in the league. We don't get National TV appearances like the big markets or hot teams do and that is what I hate most about the NBA. Every team should have their shine more than once in a NBA season. Shaq, Kenny and Charles are speaking blindly when it comes to the Kings. I bet they don't even watch a Kings game unless it has some kind of elite team involved against them. All their talk comes from the papers in front of them with the only information of stats and standings.

I know the Kings are not a good team, yet. They want to be a good team and possibly a playoff team and that has been showing these past couple of weeks. The Kings that have gone 4 of 5 (including last night) and have been playing a lot better as of late. I truly believe that they are finding themselves with Coach Smart. Smart is bringing these players together and it's showing on the court.

Sorry for this all over the place post but I've been irritated since last night and just needed to vent to my fellow Sacramento Kings fans. Anybody feel the same? Would love to hear your thoughts.

GO KINGS!

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

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I agree, I hated how they brushed our win off..

Some people are Guna say… It doesn’t matter who cares.. It’s called team pride.
I don’t like the passiveness of some people who think that way. In general, theyre right.. Who cares really what they say, how the Kings do has nothing to do with how people perceive us or say. But would you let some people talk down your friend or someone you care about? No. We should want respect for our messed up friend the Kings..
look on ESPN also, not even a Little story under the headlines.. Again I know it doesn’t really matter and passive approach will say that, but it’s about respect here.

We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!
-- Pat Williams

by J.R 50 on Feb 10, 2012 10:22 AM PST via mobile reply actions

Correction*

Guess they put up a Headlines this morning at some point

We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!
-- Pat Williams

by J.R 50 on Feb 10, 2012 11:01 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

I see where you are coming from, but...

Looking at the season as a whole and not just the last couple weeks, the Kings have not brought maximum energy every night. Since the Smart Era has begun, it has gotten a lot better, but a national audience does not have the time to spend the hours or days dissecting this team like we do. This team needs to earn the respect of the national audience, and last night’s win should be a step in that direction.

Having said that, I prefer to filter out the good things these guys said about the Kings. Shaq did have Tyreke on his All-Star reserve list, and had very intelligent and encouraging things to say about Cousins’ development. Also, Barkley has always had respectful things to say about the city of Sacramento, and said that it would be a tragedy if the Kings left Sacramento.

"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."

by Wonderchild on Feb 10, 2012 10:28 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

The best part

Is when pretty much both announcers n the crew said it would be a travesty if they left

We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!
-- Pat Williams

by J.R 50 on Feb 10, 2012 10:30 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah but...

… isn’t it their job to know how the team has been playing the last few games so they can offer relevant and up-to-date analysis? I mean if New York was playing last night, you can sure bet they’d know the whole Jeremy Lin story.

I know they can’t possibly watch every single NBA game, but there are only four teams that play on TNT-night. Knowing a Kings game was coming up you’d think they’d watch a game or two before hand? Instead it looked like they even bother to check recent box scores.

by henryclemente on Feb 10, 2012 10:38 AM PST up reply actions

Remember first of all

these guys are entertainers. Barkley and company aren’t exactly know for their hard-hitting basketball analysis. And of all three teams on the card last night, Sacramento was by far the least interesting to a national audience. So you have to take what they said with a grain of salt the size of Section’s head.

I also thought the game announcers did a great job of recognizing how well the Kings played. We got them ooing and awing more than once. And it wasn’t just Webber.

Finally take what Shaq said just a little earlier. Because he nailed it n the head with that. “If the Kings are this good, why haven’t they been playing like this all season?”

In that he is 100% percent right. If we played like this all season we would be in the playoffs. Now there are lots or reasons. Injuries, coaching change, young players, etc. etc. But the bottom line is, we played out of our heads last night while at the same time showing a national TV audience we will be a team to recon with in the future. Stop worrying about what the round, mound of profound said abut us and just enjoy the feeling of winning against a top opponent on national TV. That’s what matters.

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide

by SavageBeast on Feb 10, 2012 10:37 AM PST reply actions 2 recs

. Barkley and company aren’t exactly know for their hard-hitting basketball analysis.

yeah ,their show is routinely pretty bad, I try not to watch it .
The game announcers were good though, they said this young kings team was not gonna lay down when they got behind and they were right.
Some people don’t like reggie miller cause he’s not a flashy announcer but I like him cause he knows what he’s talking about and tells it like he sees it.
I was very happy with the coverage.

Mirror on the wall
Here we are again.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 10, 2012 10:47 AM PST up reply actions

I understand the need to hire “entertainers” for ratings. But they should have just just one guy that actually took his job seriously and maybe watched some games and did research so he can speak truthfully to all the misconceptions being thrown out.

Then at least someone could have answered why the Kings haven’t been playing like this all season. (i.e. coaching change, injuries to Hayes, Thorton, etc.) and how they’ve actually been playing very well previous six games, and not just tonight. And c’mon. That flub about the arena situation? If you’re gonna report on something, don’t report the opposite of what’s really going on. Sigh.

I took a peek at the Loud City game thread and even they were complaining how Barkley’s analysis of the Thunder’s half court offense being turrible is so two-years ago. The real problem (they accurately pointed out) that OKC has been having lately is perimiter defense and turnovers. Just watch some damn games of the teams that are gonna be playing the following Thursday. It’s not hard. (Like I mentioned above, if New York was playing, you’d bet they’d be all up to date on the Jeremy Lin story).

You’re absolute right though that the win is ultimately what matters! I just expected a little more esp from CWebb.

by henryclemente on Feb 10, 2012 11:00 AM PST up reply actions

Well, Reggie hardly stopped talking enough for C-Webb to talk.

And Barkley, Kenny and Shaq are hilarious at times. The bit about LeBron’s hair line last week got me laughing so hard it made my stomach hurt. Also, the bit they showed about retiring Kenny’s jersey was pretty funny, too.

"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."

by Wonderchild on Feb 10, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions

All I’m saying is that before you say something, you should at least take a minute to check out what’s going on before that game. The only thing that I saw Shaq do while he was making those comments was looking down at his papers for stats. Is it too much to ask to be not only a entertainer but a professional at the same time?

I let people run their mouths while I run my business.

by baykine on Feb 10, 2012 11:19 AM PST up reply actions

Then they are failing at that too

Remember first of all these guys are entertainers.

I think Shaq, Barkley and Kenny Smith are colossal bores. A lot of times I have to mute the sound. And even when its not muted I can hardly understand what they are saying because they have little command of the English language. They garble their words and talk over each other. Its the studio version of a PW offense.

Kenny takes too long to make a point, when he has one. Barkley keeps it succinct, but has no real insight. Shaq is just boring.

Smart Era, y'all.

by bench_blob on Feb 10, 2012 11:34 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah, there's no depth there

And if you’re a fan that follows your local team closely, you realize pretty quickly that none of these guys really know a damn thing.

I’ll disagree a bit on Kenny and Charles’ ability to command the English language. But Shaq seems to be looking for his notes, or someone under the desk who will tell him what to say. He’s beyond awful IMO.

Sacramento Kings - helping feed NBA fans across the country since 2011

by otis29 on Feb 10, 2012 11:38 AM PST up reply actions

this isn't being a homer

but Webber is vastly superior at the studio show (and McHale is pretty damn funny too). The last time I remember remotely enjoying a TNT broadcast was years when when they got Webber on right after he retired mid season. He was talking about how the Pistons when he was there were bizarelly a very professionally unprofessional veteran team.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

by wallywagon11 on Feb 10, 2012 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

*years ago

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

by wallywagon11 on Feb 10, 2012 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

Wasn't there a point when the TNT studio show was actually entertaining?

I swore there was a sliver of time when one could make that arguement.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

by wallywagon11 on Feb 10, 2012 11:41 AM PST up reply actions

Yup...

… 10 years ago when their loosey-goosey irreverent take on things was fresh. Now, so many sports shows are like this, and they’ve been left behind. Also, 10 years ago there wasn’t the level of online information/analysis that there is now, so the average fan is just as informed than these guys (more informed, when it comes to their home team). They don’t qualify as ‘experts’ any more. Last, both the jokes and analysis have become repetitive. It’s been a while since they said or did anything that surprised me.

It’s not a lost cause though. It’s much better when CWebb is on the panel, so hopefully they keep him there instead. He tends to elevate the discussion and is entertaining. Shaq is the opposite. He says dumb things that he can’t support and they spend half the time arguing with him. Dwight Howard is not the best center in the game? lolz.

by henryclemente on Feb 10, 2012 12:24 PM PST up reply actions

Didn't Kevin Johnson work for TNT at one point?

I remember him doing some kind of analysis or broadcasting, just can’t think of where he worked.

by Crocoduck on Feb 10, 2012 2:44 PM PST up reply actions

Shaqs comment

I thought Shaq’s comment was pretty valid, Kenny Smith rarely has anything good or interesting to say. I tend to take Charles’s comments with a grain of salt.

Were the Kings actually on Sportscenter, as whenever I watch it they never seem to actually play highlights anymore, this week it has been even more superbowl coverage and talking heads saying nothing. If I want talking heads saying nothing I’d listen to 1320

by Murf on Feb 10, 2012 11:16 AM PST reply actions

part of the Sportscenter thing is how late the game ends, but I did see highlights on the 11pm pst version.

"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."

by Wonderchild on Feb 10, 2012 11:20 AM PST up reply actions

I worked in the entertainment/communications industry practically my whole working career and one thing I do know is that in those industries there are people that the announcers work with to get the information on what’s going on in the league. I know its impossible with their schedules to find everything out but give me a break now. At the end of the day this show consists of professionals whether or not they are hired for informational or entertainment purposes.

I also do agree with you that the win is ultimately the most important thing that came from last night but no matter what a team that one deserves a little credit.

I let people run their mouths while I run my business.

by baykine on Feb 10, 2012 11:16 AM PST reply actions

*a team that won

I let people run their mouths while I run my business.

by baykine on Feb 10, 2012 11:28 AM PST up reply actions

Same thing

happened with the 9ers for almost the entire season. When you’ve been bad, and been bad for a long time it takes more than one game for the national media to actually show some respect.

Once the team starts winning consistently they’ll get their due, it’s just going to take some time. Be patient.

by TTown Kings on Feb 10, 2012 1:03 PM PST reply actions

If you want credibility - you have to earn it. When the Kings can win consistently, they will earn the respect that you seek.

And not until then.

by betweentheeyes on Feb 10, 2012 2:00 PM PST reply actions

True

but even when the Kings were good the national media seemingly had little idea about the Kings players and team

by Murf on Feb 10, 2012 2:57 PM PST up reply actions

Disagree

Think we had a lot more presence from the national audience when the Kings were championship contenders. Though there’s really no way to gauge this.

by chenp22 on Feb 11, 2012 4:42 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

After all it was 23 turnovers by the Thunder that won the game for the Kings

We shot 40% from the field because we have a Turrible half court offense. We only won by 5pts and we had 22 more FGA’s than the Thunder.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due, but there wasn’t much for the studio crew to rave about after the game. and, what I heard almost everyone say is that it would be a travesty for Sacramento to lose the Kings.

Congratulations to the team for never giving up and playing with Heart. And, kudos to fans at the game and all the organizations involved with hyping up the event including the Kings. It was an experience I’m never going to forget. but, hitting 40 of 99 shots is hard for anyone to sell as good basketball, so I’ll give the TNT crew a pass on not pumping up the team more than they did.

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy

by HighTops on Feb 10, 2012 3:18 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

True, but why did Thunder have so many turnovers?

Here is where the credit should have gone to Sacramento. OKC players did pretty well. They had a healthy Durant and Westbrook, who managed to make a lot of their shots and Ibaka who made a lot of blocks; despite that the Kings beat them. The Kings deserved credit for pulling that off. They got the win in spite of 40% shooting from the floor. There was a lot of things they could have said about Sacramento. I think you are being very generous with your pass. They didn’t have to pump up our team, but they failed to give them the credit they were due for beating what is currently the best team in the west.

Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."

by Slam_Dunk on Feb 10, 2012 8:54 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

The Thunder always have tons of turnovers

one of the main knocks on the team

Sanka....you dead? Ya Man

by prowseinthehouse on Feb 10, 2012 10:33 PM PST up reply actions

True the Kings did have 13 steals which is 5 more than our usual average

and as Prowse said OKC has the highest Turnover Rate in the league. And, not all steals are the result of defensive prowess. Sometimes it’s just who gets to the loose ball first.

And, if I’m broadcasting to a National TV audience of NBA basketball fans, I’m not going to insult their intelligence by trying to make more of a team winning when the shot 40% from the field, then they did.

We as Kings fan, have the advantage of knowing how hard they fought to win that game. We as Kings fans know that Coach Smart has had only one month to undo the damage that Westphal did in 2 years. We as Kings fans, can take pride that our guys are getting better and better every day.

But its a pretty hard sell for broadcasters to convince a knowledgeable audience the watching a team shoot 40% and get blocked 17 times, was good offensive basketball.

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy

by HighTops on Feb 11, 2012 11:07 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

"... watching a team shoot 40% and get blocked 17 times..."

Remember, each of those blocks counts as a missed shot. You make it sound as though they shot 40% plus having 17 shots blocked.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Feb 11, 2012 11:20 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

I didn't watch the post game, so I don't know about that.

I don’t too excited one way or another about their show, because they spend more time being comedians. They are pretty entertaining, but often their information about players and teams comes off their cuffs.

But, I do think your post is appropriate. I was VERY upset with the announcing during the game. I thought you gave the announcers way too much of a pass. After all, we did win that game and the Thunder did lose. They seemed to give way too many positive strokes when Russell made a basket and far too little credit when the Kings made some good plays.

They totally botched the information about the Kings last night, so maybe TNT should pay a little more attention to the job THEY actually do. They went down a notch in my book. I am very disappointed with Chris Webber.

Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."

by Slam_Dunk on Feb 10, 2012 8:42 PM PST reply actions