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GFP - chat with Kent Haslam

garizzalies said:
I’m trying to recall the scandal the bubs’ announcer went through a few years ago. Does anyone remember? He was like caught cheating or something weird like that?? I remember thinking, only in bubtown.
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I vaguely remember some text messages being leaked of him texting someone while traveling for work, but I don't think that's what got him fired. This is what I could find on Mark Martello (if this is the guy we're thinking of:

Martello was calling the game for ESPN+ and LEARFIELD’s Bobcat Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for MSU. Around the 8:25 mark of the fourth quarter, Martello mentioned that Portland State center Rhema Ogele was battling in the middle with MSU’s Taylor Janssen.

“Ogele, from Saint Ignatius College (Prep) in Chicago, which is South Side. You’ve heard of (it),” Martello said on the broadcast. “Portland, not much different, I don’t think, these days.”

Martello was referring to Portland’s crime rate and comparing it to the South Side of Chicago, which has long dealt with a large number of homicides and other crimes.

“I’ve been to the South Side, a lot. Portland looked worse when we were there last year,” Martello wrote in a text, adding a laughing emoji.

About two minutes later after the South Side remark, MSU’s Kola Bad Bear got the ball inside and missed a post shot. Martello said on the air that Bad Bear “got fouled two or three times” on the play, but no foul was called.

“Evidently, Cats are up 19, Portland can get away with whatever they’re going to get away with,” Martello said on the broadcast. “Portland’s like Antifa after a riot. They might to jail, but they get out right away. They can get away with it.”

Martello paused for a second, then apologized.

“Uh oh,” he continued. “I shouldn’t say stuff like that. I’m sorry.”
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get'em_griz said:
I vaguely remember some text messages being leaked of him texting someone while traveling for work, but I don't think that's what got him fired. This is what I could find on Mark Martello (if this is the guy we're thinking of:
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I'm sorry, I just don't hear it when it comes to Riley. Mick is a tough act to follow, and Riley has neither cleared that bar nor has he forged any sort of a remarkable path on his own. For me, his calls take away from the game rather than add the almost supernatural element that a great broadcast(er) can provide. Being "top sportscaster of the year in Montana" a couple times doesn't mean much to me.

I'll try and break down the components of the job by which we can measure, compare, etc.

1. The Instrument: Mick had this in spades. The greats all did/do. The "I could listen to this guy read the phone book" gift. Riley doesn't have it, and never will. Mick was the warm glow from a glass of Buffalo Trace neat, enjoyed in a dimly lit office den filled with nail head leather and rich mahogany. Riley is a room temp can of La Croix: like drinking television static while someone screams the name of a fruit from the other room.

Grade: F

I'll complete this later if anyone cares. There's a couple different categories
 
2. The Storyteller: For many people, myself included, it was a no-brainer to mute the TV volume and let the radio broadcast serve as the audio compliment. And why wouldn't you, as long as you could get your feeds synced up? The radio announcer, at his best, was/is a talented storyteller whose narrative did so much more than capture down and distance. You wanted to listen whether your team was ahead or behind by 40. Yes, I'll invoke Mick again here but ultimately this transcends the medium (radio vs tv) and comes back to who is on the call. Does the product, week in and week out, carry the weight of decades and decades of traditions, great players, great games, and memorable moments that serve as the generational through-line? Or do you feel like you are listening to a Lady Cats game?

Grade: F
 
3. The Signature:

"No hill for a climber!"

"Whoa Nelly!"

"Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon wherever you may be."

"Holy Cow!"

"You are looking live..."

In a world of "do you believe in miracles", don't be "boom goes the dynamite" guy. Well that's who we got, just 20 years later. This university deserves better than a generic, aseptic call that - on a superficial scan - yields no identifier or characteristic that makes us feel that "THIS IS OURS".

Grade: F
 
I really liked Mick, I was in high school when I first started to “sort of” pay attention to Griz FB, so I listened to him for several years. He was good, and I missed him for maybe 2 years before I started to really enjoy listening to R.C. We are lucky to have him, he’s outstanding and I hope he stays around for a long time. He’s orders of magnitude better than any other BSC broadcaster.
 
Bottom line: It's true, I'll never forgive the powers that be that hired the lady cats announcer to fill mick's seat. It's an affrontery for the ages.

I understand there are people that need to remain on the good side of the U due to their businesses, access, podcasts, etc. and that's fine. But that doesn't breed objectivity. The fact is that Riley is simply not good enough to deserve this job. You could pluck a small town Friday night high school radio guy from anywhere in Montana and probably get a better call. Hell, most on here could probably get the down, distance, pre-snap and play correct.
 
UMclassof2002 said:
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I understand there are people that need to remain on the good side of the U due to their businesses, access, podcasts, etc. and that's fine. But that doesn't breed objectivity. The fact is that Riley is simply not good enough to deserve this job. You could pluck a small town Friday night high school radio guy from anywhere in Montana and probably get a better call. Hell, most on here could probably get the down, distance, pre-snap and play correct.
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Total BS. Riley is very good, very quick thinker. Gift of gab.
 
Everybody liked Mick. But if you’re going to critique Riley so harshly, you should remember that Mick was, as you said, quite the storyteller. “Humphery for 5 yards on the first down carry. It’ll be 2nd and 7 from the 23.”
 
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