Fat Lever

[Kingster]

Having been forced to listen to Kings games on the radio, I've had the distinct "pleasure" of listening to Lever's "analysis". I just don't get it. I literally tune-out when Lever talks because it just takes too much energy to interpret what he has to say. When the Kings do something like hire Lever for his discombobulated babble, you really have to wonder....



PS Gary Gerould is the exact opposite.

 

[Bricklayer]

Having been forced to listen to Kings games on the radio, I've had the distinct "pleasure" of listening to Lever's "analysis". I just don't get it. I literally tune-out when Lever talks because it just takes too much energy to interpret what he has to say. When the Kings do something like hire Lever for his discombobulated babble, you really have to wonder....



PS Gary Gerould is the exact opposite.

Hire Fat, fire Katie. Makes sense if you are a Maloof I am sure.

Just further proof, as if any was needed, that being able to play the game at a high level has little to do with being able to analyze it in intelligble fashion.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Hire Fat, fire Katie. Makes sense if you are a Maloof I am sure...

Perhaps they should lay off the sauce...

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Having been forced to listen to Kings games on the radio, I've had the distinct "pleasure" of listening to Lever's "analysis".

But Fat is able to see things that nobody else can see. For instance, he is consistently able to report on the basketball activity of the third, invisible Gasol brother "Paul".

 

[rainmaker]

Fat can barely put together a sentence which makes sense using the english language, which I thought would be a requirement for his job. Apparently not. Henry Turner isn't much better. I have no problem having ex-NBA players pursue a career as analysts after their playing days are over. But at least find one's who don't murder the english language in the process.

 

[vikinginferno]

Fat can barely put together a sentence which makes sense using the english language, which I thought would be a requirement for his job. Apparently not. Henry Turner isn't much better. I have no problem having ex-NBA players pursue a career as analysts after their playing days are over. But at least find one's who don't murder the english language in the process.

Well, that's ironic...

 

[Section 101]

At least it's not Henry Turner.

 

[hrdboild]

Well, that's ironic...

Well, to be fair... there is a distinct difference between being unintelligible on the radio and a few spelling or punctuation mistakes on a written message board. I haven't heard Lever myself though, so I'm not commenting one way or another on that.

 

[rainmaker]

Well, that's ironic...

Yeah it is f****** ironic. There was nothing wrong with what I wrote when it comes to what the norm is on internet forums.

Fat is not up to industry standards, and it sticks out after the Maloofs let Kayte Cristensen go. But if you find him to be insightful and enjoy listening to him, then by all means eat your heart out. He could use a supporter.

 

[kingsboi]

I guess the regular season couldn't come any sooner. There's a thread talking about a analyst, really? 0_o

 

[vikinginferno]

Yeah it is f****** ironic. There was nothing wrong with what I wrote when it comes to what the norm is on internet forums.

Fat is not up to industry standards, and it sticks out after the Maloofs let Kayte Cristensen go. But if you find him to be insightful and enjoy listening to him, then by all means eat your heart out. He could use a supporter.

Chill, bro. I just find it funny that people are so quick to jump on someone else, yet they often make the same mistakes themselves.

 

[D13]

Me, personally, I don't think Fat is all that bad. Yea, he may not always flow with the broadcast. But he is very knowledgeable, and has some insight... I can deal with him, it's what we've got... and he is experienced in the game.

As far as comparing him to Kayte C; She is good, and knowledgeable.... and yea, hot till ya realize how freakn huge she is.. (6-6+ in hh shoes on a small day) ... but IMO her courtside thing was terrible and canned... nothing like the thing with Coz.

I am ok with Fat when paired with someone like G-man... there's worse.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Me, personally, I don't think Fat is all that bad.

I agree, considering mostly mediocre on-air talent, both full/part time on Kings radio and TV broadcasts. Lafayette Lever is as good or better than many around here in front of a mic on Kings broadcasts.

Here's my likeable meter, listing them in order of best or tolerable to absolute horrible worst - IMO:

1. Garry Gerrold (G-Man is the local broadcasting pro. Ultimate, smooth, pleasant, knowledable voice on Kings radio for now over quarter century)
2. Jerry Reynolds (Clearly has most inside organization knowledge of anyone on Kings airwaves and his corny self-deprecating jokes can make me chuckle as huge antidote to arrogant, humorless, Napear)
3. Bill Walton (We haven't heard him much yet as part of Kings organization but he'll probably steal the show once gets in front of the hot mic)
4. Jason Ross (It once seemed Koz was "air" apparent to G-Man or even Napear but Ross has taken mantle and run with it nicely)
5. Fat Lever (Stays politely out of polished G-Man's way on air, adding his thoughts and tid bits harmlessly in flow of things)
6. Jim Gray (Kobe apologist! Laker lap dog! Kermit the Frog voice bafoon, Maloof family friend, parlays Kings TV gig in Sac - why?!)
7. Henry "High Flyer" Turner (Replaced the immortal, bumbling, mumbling voice of LaSalle "Tank" Thompson on Kings air waves - why?!)
8. Grant "Peaches/Howdy Dooty" Napear (Actually made arrogant statement for years that he was not a Kings fan - just organizations hired broadcaster. Has now backs off that while continuing to cram down throats of every Sac sports fan he only roots for "his" New York sports teams - NY Yankees, NY Giants, NY Rangers, etc. Embarrasing, know it all a-hole with zero sense of humor and incredibly rude on his Sportsline radio show. Should have been canned years, decades ago, and sent packing to some small market back east where he permanently belongs with "his" type) ...and that's, that's all folks... sad but true!

 

[gmcfly]

Grant Napear not a Kings fan? Are you serious? He's a huge Kings fan. It's obvious you have a bone to pick with him. If you don't like him that's your opinion, but don't say he's not a Kings fan. That's just arrogant and stupid. You're the one that comes off looking stupid!

 

[PurpleHaze]

Grant Napear not a Kings fan? Are you serious? He's a huge Kings fan. It's obvious you have a bone to pick with him. If you don't like him that's your opinion, but don't say he's not a Kings fan. That's just arrogant and stupid. You're the one that comes off looking stupid!

You need to read more carefully and how long have you been a Kings fan? I've been here since the beginning in 1985. Napear arrived in Sac in 1987 on local sports TV but did not start with Kings right away. I met him at a New Years party in 1990-91 and he personally told me he had no loyalty to Kings team, but felt NBA kinship as a pro basketball fan. As I recall, he said he liked Giants football first, Rangers Hockey second, Yankees baseball third and maybe LaCross before he could say a single positive word about Sacramento Kings. In the early-mid 1990s he made well documented comments that he was not a Kings fan but just paid broadcaster for the team. That didn't mean he hated them, just that his loyalty was to New York City where he was born and their pro teams. It was only later, around late 90s or so that he backtracked and said he was a Kings fan after he got local flack for not enthusiastically rooting for the team. Those are the facts and facts can be stubborn things.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

Speaking of stubborn, I consider 15 years a long enough period for an opinion to change.

 

[bajaden]

Well, that's ironic...

Oh picky picky......

 

[bajaden]

Yeah it is f****** ironic. There was nothing wrong with what I wrote when it comes to what the norm is on internet forums.

Fat is not up to industry standards, and it sticks out after the Maloofs let Kayte Cristensen go. But if you find him to be insightful and enjoy listening to him, then by all means eat your heart out. He could use a supporter.

Oh, touchy touchy......

 

[bajaden]

You need to read more carefully and how long have you been a Kings fan? I've been here since the beginning in 1985. Napear arrived in Sac in 1987 on local sports TV but did not start with Kings right away. I met him at a New Years party in 1990-91 and he personally told me he had no loyalty to Kings team, but felt NBA kinship as a pro basketball fan. As I recall, he said he liked Giants football first, Rangers Hockey second, Yankees baseball third and maybe LaCross before he could say a single positive word about Sacramento Kings. In the early-mid 1990s he made well documented comments that he was not a Kings fan but just paid broadcaster for the team. That didn't mean he hated them, just that his loyalty was to New York City where he was born and their pro teams. It was only later, around late 90s or so that he backtracked and said he was a Kings fan after he got local flack for not enthusiastically rooting for the team. Those are the facts and facts can be stubborn things.

I happen to like Grant, but I'll be the first to admit that he's not for everyone. I grew up with somewhat caustic announcers in St. Louis, so I guess its just an aquired taste with me. When Grant first arrived here in sacramento, I'm not sure how long he thought his gig on channel 31 would last. He had no actual roots here. Some years later, having married and with children growing up and going to school here, I have no doubt his loyalties have changed somewhat. Having said that, I don't really care who he roots for as long as he does his job professionaly while broadcasting the games.

 

[gmcfly]

I've heard Grant say many times on the air that the Kings are his favorite team and I've heard him say this for many years. He has said when you travel with a team it's like another family. Anyone who thinks Grant doesn't love the Kings is as he would say, an idiot! Some of his best friends are former Kings players, but as bajaden states...it's about doing a professional job and he does that and more.

 

[Bricklayer]

Its quite obvious that Grant is a Kings fan. That's a ridiculous thing to even raise. Its also quite reasonable that he would not particularly be when he was hired. You hire an out of town guy from across the country what do you expect? If he tells you he's always been a Kings fan, he's just B.S.ing you. But oddly working hand in hand with the franchise, its players, its fans for several decades might just have a tendency to make you one over time. Figure at worst he might have been 5 years behind the rest of us from Sacramento -- you could count the Kings fans in Sacramento on one hand in 1984.

And Kayte knows more basketball than Fat Lever, Lasalle Thompson, Henry Turner, and every other aging jock turned talking head that the Maloofs have thrown out there in recent years put together. And she can actually talk intelligibly too. Before her it was Kara. Which fits well into the sterotype of female jocks, not being able to count on the money/fame, taking much more time to get an actual education, and not being able to rely on physical overwhelming the sport, taking time to really learn the games they play as well.

 

[Kingster]

Hire Fat, fire Katie. Makes sense if you are a Maloof I am sure.

Just further proof, as if any was needed, that being able to play the game at a high level has little to do with being able to analyze it in intelligble fashion.

I'm with you on Kayte. It's a "go figure" situation. I'd really like to know who makes these decisions on the announcers. Do the Maloofs make it directly, or do they farm it out to some underling in the organization? Whoever made the decision on Fat (and Kayte) should be fired by incompetence. Seriously, who in their right mind would hire Fat Lever as an anouncer?

 

[bajaden]

Its quite obvious that Grant is a Kings fan. That's a ridiculous thing to even raise. Its also quite reasonable that he would not particularly be when he was hired. You hire an out of town guy from across the country what do you expect? If he tells you he's always been a Kings fan, he's just B.S.ing you. But oddly working hand in hand with the franchise, its players, its fans for several decades might just have a tendency to make you one over time. Figure at worst he might have been 5 years behind the rest of us from Sacramento -- you could count the Kings fans in Sacramento on one hand in 1984.

And Kayte knows more basketball than Fat Lever, Lasalle Thompson, Henry Turner, and every other aging jock turned talking head that the Maloofs have thrown out there in recent years put together. And she can actually talk intelligibly too. Before her it was Kara. Which fits well into the sterotype of female jocks, not being able to count on the money/fame, taking much more time to get an actual education, and not being able to rely on physical overwhelming the sport, taking time to really learn the games they play as well.

I don't know if Kayte knows more basketball than all those listed, but she's certainly able to articulate what she does know, in a way that everyone understands, while being entertaining at the same time. It something thats hard to teach, and it just comes naturally for Kayte. The best teacher is someone that can take a complicated subject and explain to the least intelligent person in the room, while not boring those who are more gifted.

 

[kennadog]

In all fairness, Fat Lever's co-announcing is a side activity to his main job title witht the Kings - Player Development Director.

From the Kings Media Guide (still 2009 version):

As the team's player development director, Lever is responsible for helping younger
players with the transition from college to the NBA. As part of his duties, Lever helps
coordinate with NBA representatives of the Rookie Transition Program (RTP) in which
a team's draft selections travel to New York to help acclimate them to the league. Lever
also works on the Kings' broadcast team as a studio co-host.

Me, I liked Kara best. She explained things so well.

 

[IfAt1st]

1. Garry Gerrold
2. Jerry Reynolds
3. Bill Walton
4. Jason Ross
5. Fat Lever
6. Jim Gray
7. Henry "High Flyer" Turner
8. Grant "Peaches/Howdy Dooty" Napear

Your entire post reads like an excuse to place Grant last in your list.

Vendetta much?

I don't give a crap about "likability" as a prime criteria for broadcaster.
I want knowledge of the game, ability to analyze a live game, and skill to get it across to the audience.

The only 4 Kings broadcasters that match that criteria are/were GG, Grant, Kayte, and Kara (for the limited times they let her).

Fat Lever is a waste of airtime. I would much prefer they take auditions and have a "Fan of the Week" do the broadcasts this year.