Jeff Van Gundy, please shut up.
The former NBA coach and current ESPN and ABC analyst has ruined a perfectly good Sunday of hard-hitting basketball. All I wanted to do during this snowstorm in Atlanta (that’s right, snowstorm in Atlanta!) was relax, stay warm and watch a trifecta of pro basketball.
The day started good enough with the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics dropping one to the Pistons. Then it was the Lakers versus the Suns in a fun battle that featured former teammates Shaq and Kobe duking it out.
But the game — like every broadcast with Van Gundy — was littered with his half-witted, whiney and often bitchy analysis. He spoils good basketball, something I noticed during the Celtics-Hawks series in the playoffs last season.
Unfortunately, NBA fans are stuck with him through the NBA Finals and beyond. Fortunately, I can watch the Hawks-Cavs game tonight without him. But why, oh why, does this guy have a multi-year contract?
Matt Hennie blogs on Atlanta’s gay sports scene (and other stuff) at Project Q Atlanta.
on Mar 2nd, 2009 at 4:36 AM
ESPN dragged the rivers of Styx to find someone with the talents of Van Gundy. One standard for the ESPN job included an inability to focus on the game itself with anything remotely intelligent to offer the viewers. Van Gundy proves himself every time he is on air.
on Mar 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 PM
van gundy is terrible! He is biased and idiotic. His comments today during the piston vs heat game are laughable. I didn’t catch which player he called “pure in heart” – it doesn’t matter (I imagine he was commenting from Dwyane Wade’s colon at the time but like I said, didn’t hear the whole comment). Many NBA players are good, decent human beings but “pure in heart”, really? Mother Theresa was pure in heart. I’m sure I’d have more to rant about if I hadn’t turned the game off but van gundy is more than I can stomach.
on May 1st, 2009 at 9:47 PM
I agree!! I opened my laptop with the sole purpose of beginning my search on how to get the ball rolling on Van Gundy’s removal as an “analyst”. I will tough it out through the playoffs, but I cannot bear listening to him for another season. I will start a petition.
on May 29th, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Van Gundy is awesome! I can only hope that he doesn’t get another coaching gig so he’ll continue to do games. Rather then interesting and possibly controversial comments you’d rather have Hubie Brown’s deep insights of “When you make a 3 you get an extra point”? Or the pathetic pandering of Doug Collins as he plants his lips on everyone and refuses to ever say anything negative? Maybe if I never criticize anyone no one will notice what a moron I am and what a terrible coach I am and I can keep my job … Van Gundy is the only grown man commentator you got!
on Dec 4th, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Wow…. just listening to him broadcast the Laker Heat game. I had not heard since last year when he was horrible…. I had to google the words ‘fire jeff van gundy’ and found this…. Please remove him. I switched to the local channel therefore TNT will not get the benefit of their advertising dollar on me. I hope his style is for show and not the real person. They got rid of Tony Kornwhatever off MNF so anything is possible…..
on Jun 26th, 2010 at 3:34 AM
Listening to Jeff Van Gundy is PAINFUL! He’s supposed to be talking basketball yet he regurgitates what he reads in the tabloids about reality TV ‘stars.’ Are you effing-kidding ????
If we do have to endure his drone another season, please tell him he doesn’t have to talk. At All. Ever. And the only thing we’ll notice from his absence is that we’re listening to basketball. Otherwise, someone, anyone, please start a website to REMOVE JEFF VAN GUNDY FROM NBA ANNOUNCING.
on Mar 13th, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Ditto!!!!!! to all the above, here I am watching the Suns and Orlando, and Jeff Van Gundy does nothing but ramble on and on, talking about his ma and dad, and a minute of this chatter on the what his picks are for the final four…..Oh, one more thing, Jeff, don’t ever think of becoming a doctor. You should have an afternoon talk show rather then trying to be a sports announcer.
on May 15th, 2011 at 8:40 PM
To silence Van Gundy for this years playoffs, I (stay with me): bought a surround sound system, turned the volume down on the left and right channels, disconnected the center channel, and raised the volume on the 4 rear channels. Voila! No insipid drivel from SVG!