Howland and Scully
I kept forgetting to post this, but I thought it was interesting. When John Wooden was being honored with a plaque at the Coliseum last month, I had a chance to speak with UCLA coach Ben Howland, who was giddy about meeting a childhood favorite of his -- Vin Scully.
"He's the best. I grew up listening to him," Howland said. "He's the best ever. I kill my nephew all the time because he's a Giants fan.
"We have the greatest coach. The greatest baseball announcer is Vin Scully. Chick Hearn with basketball.
"L.A. fans get very spoiled. We've had the greatest basketball coach ever, for sure at the college level, and I think the whole sport. And when you look at it, you have to say Phil Jackson is probably the greatest professional coach in the history of basketball, and then you have the two greatest announcers, respective to their sport in Chick and Vin. It's a pretty awesome list."
And Bob Miller for hockey. He's also a hall of famer, and is a little underappreciated because of the status of hockey in L.A., but he's truly a great PBP guy.
Howland's comments jogged my memory. I recall the firt time I saw a Dodgers' game live, and I was disappointed. Listening to Scully describe the game over the years, I thought baseball was poetic, majestic, artistic, and historical. But when I saw my first Dodgers' game all I saw was a baseball game.
Hearn had the perfect rapid-fire delivery needed to accurately describe a basketball game on the radio. And he was brutally honest i.e. "The Lakers look horrible tonight; they should have mailed this one in."
(Chick probably never said that, but it is the gist of the man).
Logged in to say something about Bob Miller and saw that Seitz already had. L.A. has had the best in three sports over the years. Bob Miller is as great at hockey as Scully and Hearn are and were at baseball and basketball.
The 1987 NBA Finals are on ESPN Classic. I have a good feeling they'll turn out well.
I know Ben Howland's a busy guy, but it doesn't sound from your quotes, that he knows Chick isn't with us anymore.