Bill Walton, RIP, 71

[swilsonsp4]

Bill Walton just died of cancer. He was one of the greatest college players of all time. I wasn't a fan of his color commentary (too many UCLA and Conference of Champions references), but that's really a minor point. I wish his family well.

[Lobot]

I've picking through some quotes between he and Jason Benetti and Dave Pasch that are making the rounds. This just struck me as funny.


Walton: Jason, did you father play for Jerry Tarkanaian?

Benetti: My dad was an air traffic controller.

Walton: Yeah but how cool would it have been if he had played for Tarkanian?

[sedz]

Bill was the best. He was a rare breed of color commentator who just wanted everyone to have a good time and didn't take the role too seriously, but also added a fair amount of basketball wisdom between his wild tangents. I've never been offended by homers. I'd rather announcers be their genuine selves than pretend to be neutral. Bill Walton and Vin Scully were my favorite guys to listen to.

[JBB]

For a former player, Bill Walton brought a real enthusiasm as a college basketball analyst and commentator. I remember his play at UCLA and his focus on teamwork. Keep in mind they couldn’t dunk in those days. I really appreciated his stories and reverence for Coach Wooden
most can be viewed on YouTube. RIP Big Guy….