Kara Lawson...

[ISUChippewa]

On a different note, was anyone else really impressed with Kara Lawson last night on ESPNU?

I thought she was excellent. You could tell she was a former player from her analysis and I think she knows the game. I thought she was just as good as the majority of male color commentators I've heard on TV.

 

[RayShimley]

On a different note, was anyone else really impressed with Kara Lawson last night on ESPNU?

I thought she was excellent. You could tell she was a former player from her analysis and I think she knows the game. I thought she was just as good as the majority of male color commentators I've heard on TV.

I thought both commentators did a good job, but yes Kara was really good. I thought the commentary was very even-handed, maybe even favoring ISU a bit.

 

[VeloClone]

On a different note, was anyone else really impressed with Kara Lawson last night on ESPNU?

I thought she was excellent. You could tell she was a former player from her analysis and I think she knows the game. I thought she was just as good as the majority of male color commentators I've heard on TV.

I thought her commentary was more tolerable than I expected. On the other hand, I thought her interview of the coach was horrible.

 

[StLouisClone]

I thought her commentary was more tolerable than I expected. On the other hand, I thought her interview of the coach was horrible.

I didn't hear the interview so can't comment on that. I listened to the first 10 minutes of the game before it even hit me that there was a female commentator doing the game. It wasn't that she was quiet, but she was doing such a good job that I didn't even notice the gender difference.

 

[isufbcurt]

I wasn't impressed with her, but thats just me

 

[jsmith86]

I think I remember hearing something about her actually playing college basketball. That might be why she knew how the game works.

 

[benjay]

They were both very bland. I didn't have a problem with it, but I wouldn't say she was anything but average.

 

[nickwc]

Till the Melvin Ejim T. I wanted to punch her through the TV when she kept talking about the Elbows.

 

[Cyforce]

I thought she was solid and didn't have an annoying voice.

 

[Jonecy]

She did a nice job. I was really surprised that she knew Bubu was the PG for the Ames High team that HB played on. She even knew that Doug McD played on the team and mentioned he was the leading scorer/rebounder for Creighton this year as a freshman. I think she does her homework.

 

[chuckd4735]

I think I remember hearing something about her actually playing college basketball. That might be why she knew how the game works.

She played for Tennessee I believe.

 

[Tornado man]

On a different note, was anyone else really impressed with Kara Lawson last night on ESPNU?

I thought she was excellent. You could tell she was a former player from her analysis and I think she knows the game. I thought she was just as good as the majority of male color commentators I've heard on TV.

I also thought she was excellent. As you said, with her knowledge and bball background (two-time all-American at Tennessee, academic first team all-American, 2008 Olympic team member, WNBA star), Lawson can still shorten her analysis down and connect with the viewing audience.

 

[Clone9]

Her knowledge and insight were good, but her voice was a little monotone and bland. She needs to liven up a little bit to keep moving up the ladder, IMO.

 

[VeloClone]

She played for Tennessee I believe.

I think you might have missed the sarcasm dripping off of jsmith's post...

 

[Clone9]

Till the Melvin Ejim T. I wanted to punch her through the TV when she kept talking about the Elbows.

Exactly. Why didn't either of those bozos mention the gut-punch Ejim took? I know the elbow above the shoulders requires a more serious punishment per the new rules, but they acted as though Ejim wasn't provoked at all.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

I thought they did a good job of researching prior to the game. They seemed to really be ready to start talking up OSU at any time if we had not taken the game over.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Best part of the game was when Kara was describing a play with the camera focused on her writing on a coach marker board. ESPNU can't afford a telestrator. :biglaugh:

 

[ca4cy]

Her knowledge and insight were good, but her voice was a little monotone and bland. She needs to liven up a little bit to keep moving up the ladder, IMO.

Maybe they could liven up a little, but I'd rather have my announcers understated than trying to overpower the game. Cyclone games excepted, if the game isn't exciting enough to carry itself, then I'm probably not going to be watching it for very long anyway.

I turned off the tv as soon as it was announced that Ejim got a T and the other guy got nothing so I didn't hear her commentary on that. Overall I thought she did a very nice job. She does a lot of in studio stuff for ESPN and ESPNU, so it's good that she can go back and give an educated take on ISU if the subject arises.

If I were going to complain about anything regarding our last two ESPN family broadcasts, it's that none of the announcers seem to be able to mention the fact that maybe we're just tired at the end of these games. I don't view it as an excuse when it's a simple statement of fact. That said, it's nice to be on national tv again so I'll let it slide.....for now.

 

[wxman1]

I didn't get to watch the whole game but what I saw/heard I was quite impressed with.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

On a different note, was anyone else really impressed with Kara Lawson last night on ESPNU?

I thought she was excellent. You could tell she was a former player from her analysis and I think she knows the game. I thought she was just as good as the majority of male color commentators I've heard on TV.

I would go a step above "just as good" and say flat out that she was better then most. The guy from ESPN that did the Kansas game was flat out pathetic. To compare the two would be like saying Lawson has a Masters degree in basketball knowledge while the guy from the Kansas game analyzes basketball at a 2nd grade level. The difference was night and day.