Overdue Gratitude For Gorman's Greatness

Mike Gorman is simply awesome. He has his own style, and I really enjoy this style even though english is not my mother tongue. Considering all the awful announcers around the NBA, I´m glad the Celtics have such a skillful and respectable home announcer.

Thanks, Mike.

GOT IT!

Yes, Gorman is better than any of the announcers doing the national NBA telecasts, with the possible except of Marv Albert. He’s also much better than Shawn Grande, whose style I find extremely annoying.

I remember when Tanguey filled in for Mike on a game or two earlier in the year, how atrocious that was. Now, Gary’s a BAD play-by-play man in his own right, but listening to him butcher the game after years and years of hearing Mike’s calm voice? Unbearable.

The great thing about Gorman, the handful of times when HE gets upset, you know something’s seriously wrong. He and Tommy are such great counterbalances to each other, there really isn’t a pair of announcers in any sport that I’m aware of that work as well together.

The one thing that really comes across… these guys really seem to like and respect each other. Their comreaderie is tangible.

mike is a mensch. i don’t see or hear him any more on college games, but he always is on top of the game,no matter. he sure has aged and hope his health is aok.

Mike Gorman is as much of a Celtic as any player or coach that has ever been. The way he “flows” through the broadcast is unmatchable, purely professional, entertaining and informative. If I was ever lucky enough to step behind the broadcast table myself, I’m sure my style of calling the action would be somehow resemble the mic master from Dorchester. Thanks for the inspiration, excitement, and the only way to watch a Boston Celtics telecast.

for me Tommy is so bad it colors everything else. I loved Bob C.

I completely agree with everything about Mike. When c’s games are on FSN and national TV at the same time I try to listen to the national broadcast just for a change but i find myself quickly turning back to mike and tommy because of the lack of knowledge the national guys have for the celtics (cannot stand mike breen!…i especially thought he was clearly all about the lakers during the finals). to end this post here are some classic mike lines…
PIERCE…TO THE BASKET!….RAY ALLEN FOR THE GAMEEEE…GOT IT!…CELTS GET A FRESH CLOCK

I love Mike and Tommy. No better commentators in sports in my opinion, though that might be a little bit of homerism.

Every time I watch a national, or different, local broadcast I miss bombastic Tommy but moreso I miss the level headed Mr. Gorman, with his smooth and direct commentary.

the best play by play guy i’ve ever seen………………………………………….I remember a couple times where the video was lost for a game, and Mike called the game radio style and I still felt like I knew what was going on on the court. He is underrated.

Steve-
At first I thought your column lacked the passion and piercing insight so typical of your writing. Then as I re-read it I realized that you had mirrored the quiet excellence that marks Gorman’s play-by-play. A smooth competence that complements the game rather than vie with it for attention. I don’t know if you were striving for such a chameleon-like reflection of your subject but it worked perfectly.

Mike Gorman is a hall-of-fame broadcaster. Like some of you, I live outside New England and get the DirecTV NBA package. I get Mike and Tommy for home games but only get Mike for maybe a third of the road games. Some of the road announcers are terrific, like Breen and Lawler, but many of them are second-rate chuckleheads. Mike is simply as classy an act as there is. I simply cannto imagine any basketball fan not adoring his work. We are so fortunate to have him; I hope he works until he is 80. There will be a massive drop-off with whoever follows him, no matter who it is.

As for Tommy, our friend Gant put it well: people who follow other teams who complain about Tommy are simply eavesdropping. They are not supposed to listen. We love him, he loves us, and we are family. That’s all there is to it. And, by the way, he knows more about basketball than any other “color” guy doing NBA games today. Forget his hall-of-fame playing career, he coached some of the great teams in NBA history in the 1970s. Having Tommy Heinsohn doing our games in 2009 would be like Ted Williams calling the Red Sox games in 2004.

The more I watch other teams on League pass, the more I appreciate both Mike and Tommy. They are the perfect combination of spot-on play-by-play and insightful, truly colorful color commentary.

By the way, does anyone remember Gil Santos? I can’t remember if he was any good, I just remember it was Santos and Cousy till I was a certain age, and then a VERY young-looking Mike Gorman took over.

Great article, Steve.

Though less vocal than Tommy and thus less recognized nationally, Mike Gorman is the steady hand at the helm of our beloved Celtics broadcasts. As I’m 23 years old, Mike is the only voice I’ve ever associated with the C’s. He is my Johnny Most. A comforting and reassuring voice through and through, I look forward to hearing him every time I turn on a game.

Gorman is terrific. Genuinely fond of Tommy and likes what he’s doing without being maudlin about it.
If you don’t like Tommy, there is a problem with you. He’s a homer all right. Half the time he says “He was fouled” the Celtic wasn’t fouled, and half the time he says “He got all ball” the Celtic got ball, arm, jersey, hip etc. But how do you not love the guy? And as others have said, he seriously knows the game. The only thing better than Mike and Tommy was when Cous joined them.

Pierce…Fakes it..Takes it…Makes it..