Pitt could have taped a 3 minute pre-game or halftime segment for him. That way they could script what they wanted and Mr. Groat could have contributed.
Dick Groat
- Thread starter pparkins
- Start date
We have multiple mentions of how to watch games on TV every week, yet here we are arguing about the quality of the radio broadcasts. Just seems kind of weird.
I love Groat and Hillgrove. But I can't remember ever having listened to them broadcast a game. I go to home games and watch away games on TV. Maybe that's why I love them.
I love Groat and Hillgrove. But I can't remember ever having listened to them broadcast a game. I go to home games and watch away games on TV. Maybe that's why I love them.
Page is good. I agree. But your comment about Groat isn’t right. But you’re not right so...
What I loved about Groat was listening to him do the post game interviews with the “young men” as he called them. That’s actually a way pitt could have kept him involved with the team.
This is true. But the disrespectful comments are not surprising, given who they came from.
Groat is a great man. A great athlete and a legend.
But, Groat also has been a horrendous color analyst for at least 15-20 years. One was unable to glean ANY useful information on what was happening in a game by listening to him on the radio. He offered nothing but "wow" and grunts during the action, and was no better than Myron Cope in providing cogent color analysis.
Curtis Aiken provides cogent color analysis.... but has a boring, monotonic voice while doing so. But at least a listener can figure out what is going on by listening to Aiken. Listening to Groat over the past two decades was an exercise in trying to guess what was going on.
Someone upthread said "Groat has forgotten more about basketball than any of us knows". That may be correct..... but listening to him the past two decades gave the impression that he forgot way too much. He provided no value-add to the broadcast at all.
But, Groat also has been a horrendous color analyst for at least 15-20 years. One was unable to glean ANY useful information on what was happening in a game by listening to him on the radio. He offered nothing but "wow" and grunts during the action, and was no better than Myron Cope in providing cogent color analysis.
Curtis Aiken provides cogent color analysis.... but has a boring, monotonic voice while doing so. But at least a listener can figure out what is going on by listening to Aiken. Listening to Groat over the past two decades was an exercise in trying to guess what was going on.
Someone upthread said "Groat has forgotten more about basketball than any of us knows". That may be correct..... but listening to him the past two decades gave the impression that he forgot way too much. He provided no value-add to the broadcast at all.
Two decades is a bit much. 7-8 years maybe. When we were winning BE titles he was great. His hoops and Pitt knowledge and love are second to none. Even in his last few years he was correcting hillgrove accurately during broadcasts. Due to smoking cigs like a mental patient, drinking and being almost 90 just did him in.
Unfortunately, there comes a day when you can't do what you used to. Would you not ask dad to give up the keys when you know his driving days are over?
You are right, but I wouldn't want you speaking at a funeral.
"He was old, couldn't take care of himself, was a burden to everyone. So long."
You'd be 100 % correct, but still...
I thought it was still there Saturday when they showed Aiken and Hillgrove when the spoke about Aiken's son being on the team?
But the problem with that is that if you listened to him on the post game the last couple years, and it was especially bad last year, he had a hard time verbalizing what it was that he wanted to ask. And even worse, he'd fumble around trying to get a question out, and then end up asking the same question that he had literally asked just a minute before, as if he couldn't remember that he had already asked that.
that’s assuming it was even a question - most of the time it was just making a statement .
The poor players had to interpret what the hell was going on/ and try to guess what should have been asked .
It has to be obvious that anyone in this thread who is calling for Groat on broadcast - must simply not have actually listened to a broadcast in 10-15 years
Yeah, it was always worth a chuckle the first time some poor freshman went on the post game show to hear them struggle with the concept of being interviewed by two guys who didn't actually ask questions. It seems as if Billy has been making a concentrated effort to stop doing that the last season or two.
Your comment was accurate. But the way you said it wasn’t right. That’s all I’m saying. You showed that you don’t respect the man. That’s fine. It’s who you are.
His color work slipped. We get that. We all agree. But every post game interview I heard, and I did not always listen, was enjoyable. I could listen to that generation speak all day. We can learn a lot from them. They deserve our respect. Especially a legend and icon like Mr Groat.
People deserve respect on an individual basis based on their behavior, attitude, accomplishments, etc. Not a blanket respect based on their age or some arbitrary generation.
A lot of folks are being awfully defensive and sensitive ITT.
Again
He said nothing interesting for a long time .
He wasn’t spinning yards about the history of himself , hoops , or whatever greatest generation anectdote.
he was barely audible and literally said nothing coherent for over a decade .
you can appreciate grunts and umms all day long -
But it’s awful radio . And paired with hillgrove it’s even worse - as he can’t follow the play by play action .
You had to wait for commercial breaks to find out what the hell the score was .
im sure he’s a lovely man. I don’t know him on a personal level - so I can only speak to his lack of competence as a broadcaster .
which - again- is the topic of this thread
This is true, other than complaining about the calls and the WOW's, Groat offered nothing the last 10 years. But I always thought Cope was under-rated as a color guy. Usually that role is reserved for jocks, but Cope did a good job with it and knew when it was time to get out (smart enough to listen to someone he trusted).
Thinking this conversation will also have to happen with Hillgrove sooner rather than later. He was always an anchorman trying to be a play by play person and never improved one iota at that job. Should have stuck with being a broadcaster. And he wasn't good in his prime, he's in his late 70's now. Maybe Pitt & the Steelers can jointly approach him so neither one is the bad guy.
Groat still has knowledge that few can replicate. There could be a place for him within the Pitt program to do something to contribute, as some have mentioned.
But the lack of respect and rudeness that some have exhibited toward Mr. Groat is unacceptable and shows a lack of character. But understandable coming from who is showing that disrespect.
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Groat being useless for a decade and a half is a little over the top, but I agree he stayed on longer than he should. A shame indeed.
Hilgrove is another matter. Your assessment of him is shared by a very small minority; I mean for God's sake he would not have lasted as long as he has without being good at his job. He's a local guy rooting for the local team; a comfortable ragged pair of slippers you don't want to get rid of.
Hillgrove loves Pitt and openly roots for Pitt. That's going to be hard to duplicate when he retires. Most sports broadcasters in Pittsburgh are either fans of that dirty, corrupt, sleazy program up in Happy Valley or they just don't like Pitt. Where are we going to find a broadcaster qualified and competent enough who loves Pitt the way that Hillgrove does? Or Groat, for that matter?
This is very true. Very few fans out there. Hillgrove, Larry Richert, Richie Walsh are the top 3 who I would consider "fans". Next level would be guys like Pompeani, Colony, Haythorne, Zeise , Starkey, Dunlop while not openly fans are usually fair. The rest as you say are cultists (Hagman, Bittner, Adamski, Biertemfels, Alexander, Junker, Gorman) or just total jagoffs (Madden, Benz, Filiponi, Cook).
But it is also very true that Hiilgrove is not a good play by play man. And I think we could find someone to replace him if effort was made in the search.
You have low standards of excellence as witnessed by your reverence of Tire Bowl victories/3rd place crap conference finishes and calling Hillgrove good at his job.
Your entitled to your opinion, but again, it's not shared by the great majority. If Hillgrove offends you so much, turn off the radio because he's not going anywhere. Oh, and so lame dragging Wanny into the discussion. Are you really that excited about two bowl wins in Detroit against MAC teams in nine years. Yeah, me too.
absolutely correct, that guy sucks...just awful. Kind of why I stopped listening to the Pad's games...
He has no ability to share that knowledge on a broadcast for the last 15 years because he’s barely coherent on broadcast
Not sure which guy you mean as I usually only watch Padre games on TV, but they have had some bad ones in recent years. It was really sad to listen to Dick Enberg finish his career as a Padre color commentator. His final season when games went late it was obvious he was dozing off. Would snort and mumble when prompted to speak, you could tell he had just woken up.
Not sure what was worse, Enberg sleeping during the games or Groat being mostly incoherent. Both stayed on way longer than they should have.
I think his name is Ted Lightner. Sounds like George Carlin's hippy-dippy weatherman character trying to broadcast sports. Describes everything BUT. the game going on . . .
That's actually a great comparison. Two guys who at one point were very good at what they did that obviously stayed years too long.
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