just indifferent. Maybe that will change.

acknowledgement = respect, perhaps?

They’re undoubtedly the least biased and “homerist” of all local, home announcers. To the extent that they are biased, it is mainly in knowing more about the Lakers than about the opposing players.

It is VERY common for Stu and Joel to actually be less inclined to call an opponent foul a foul, or more inclined to call a Laker foul a foul, than even I am. In fact, listen closely and you’ll find that they say things like, “Boy, Lamar really got away with one that time,” about half a dozen times per game.

My take on them has always been that they are probably well aware of the fact that home announcers are expected to be biased, and in an attempt to disprove their critics and prove themselves worthy, they overcompensate just a little, even hesitating to call for a pro-Lakers foul call when really they should.

The Knicks announcing team is pretty damn good, as I recall. Having Mike Breen for your local announcer is a privilege, and former star players like Walt Frazier always tend to be more fair, and less inclined to cheapen the sport with petty homerism.

The Blazers’ announcers are indeed the worst in the league. And I don’t buy the argument that they’re just trying to represent the primary types of Blazers fans; what they’re trying to do is boost ratings and viewership by inciting fan fury and mindless fanaticism. Regardless of whom they represent, they still have a job, right? And it seems to me that their job is first to call the game to the best of their ability, and only then to identify with the fans, as a secondary part of their job. In the former, they are either completely incompetent, or blatantly disrespectful, in their disregard for the professionalism their job should require.

The Boston guys are pretty bad. I remember thinking a couple others were particularly bad, as well, but can’t remember who it was, now.

All that to say, try paying special attention to all the times that Stu and Joel do one of the following:

• Hesitate to call for a pro-Lakers foul, when good sense says it would probably be right to do so
• Not hesitate to suggest that there could have been a pro-opponent foul on the play
• Change their tune upon seeing the replay, which is all anyone can be asked to do
• Readily admit that a Lakers player “got away with one there”

Pay attention to things like those, and you’ll find that Stu and Joel are actually pretty good, when it comes to objectivity and fairness in calling the game. Certainly, far above average for local commentary crews.

I think if our guys were like the Blazers’ guys, I’d go insane.