While the 2010 NCAA Tournament has had its fair share of memorable moments on the court, it will be remembered not for basketball (barring some out-of-this-world buzzer beater or comeback in the Final Four), but rather the rise of commentator, Gus Johnson. After years of treating fans to heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat commentary on CBS and local Knicks broadcasts (the only reason a contemporary Knicks fan could ever be considered lucky), this tournament has solidified Gus as, arguably, the best play-by-play man in the business.
Johnson's brand of commentary is unique for its overwhelming power and enthusiasm. Every line is delivered with emphasis and meaning, never beige. He is all out for 2-3 hours. No breaks. It's as though Johnson is announcing the end of the world for entirety of the broadcast. Even announcing the sponsors, Gus is emphatic, "LG. LIFE'S.... GOOD." And yet, as ridiculous as Johnson's hysterics sometimes become is, he never crosses the line into hyperbole. His excitement is, indeed, authentic (The obvious antithesis being Jim Lampley's contrived "Bang! Bang! Bang!" during the recent Pacquiao-Clottey fight.). As he explains, "The energy just goes through your body sometimes. Some of those treys, man, you just get your body into it and you can feel the excitement coming out of your pores. I’m so fortunate to have a job like this. I’m such a lucky guy."
In many ways, Gus is no different than those whom he dictating the game to: a fan, excited by a humongous block, clutch three, or a big slam. Nowhere is this more evident than in big moments down the stretch of a game where He has been known to periodically jumped out of his courtside seat after big plays, and he is one of the few commentators who allows his voice to rise, "Ahhhhh...." or, "Oooohhh" as the ball is in the air-- just as you or I would. The only difference is instead of the cursory blabber that we exhale after one of these moments, Johnson is somehow able to conjure memorable phrases that not only accurately capture the moment, but seemingly heighten its magnitude, delivering signature calls like, "Oh my goodness!", "Rise and fire!", or one of his many others. This is perhaps where Johnson shines most as a sportscaster.
Instances such as these were plentiful last Thursday in Salt Lake City as Johnson called two nail-biters in #5 seed Butler upsetting first-ranked Syracuse, and the double-overtime classic between K-State and Xavier. The latter was comparable only to a roller-coaster ride (please forgive the cliche) with Xavier coming back from a 15 point deficit on the shoulders of Jordan Crawford to force double overtime, only to lose 101-96. Since, the game has been hailed as one of the best NCAA Tournament games of all time, and having watched it live, I'd have to agree. Did Johnson have something to this? No question.
The passion of Johnson that night was infectious. At some points, you questioned whether Gus was going to survive the duration of game as the shouting he was doing on the sideline could have induced a far lesser man into cardiac arrest, or at very least, forced his tonsils to explode. I don't even want to think about what a third overtime may have done to poor Gus on the sideline (In fact, for liability purposes I think CBS should provide Len Elmore with extensive first-aid training in case Johnson does cause himself physical harm from these calls in the future.) Highlights included Johnson exclaiming, "Ohhh... OH?!?! OHHHHHH!!!!" after Crawford buried a long-range three to force the second OT, and the now-infamous "He's in shape!" following Pullen's dagger three-pointer as the game entered the wee hours on Thursday night.
Johnson's enthusiasm did not go unnoticed, either. During the game, Johnson hit the number one trending topic on Twitter. One tweet declared, "Gus Johnson could be commentating my grandparents having sex, and it would still be exciting." The only thing better as J.A. Adande would later note was the trending topic description:
Gus Johnson is the play-by-play announcer for CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional in Salt Lake City. Literally every human on earth loves him.Indeed, how can you not love Gus Johnson? His wild energy is not only endearing, but more broadly, he is one the very few commentators capable of capturing the true essence of sports. The buzzer-beater, the unbelievable catch, the knockout punch-- unfortunately, over the years these feats have been degraded to mundane, and almost bland, events. This attitude is reflected in the demeanor of our commentators. The best example is the 2012 Olympics (sans the men's Hockey final) where not even a human on two wood slats twisting 50 feet in the air can draw so much as a peep from those broadcasting. Johnson, on the other hand, portrays sports the way they really are-- and the way they should be broadcast-- as extraordinary, and exciting.
Truly, this year's March Madness has been the coronation of a commentator. Time to move over, Marv, the Gus Johnson train is in town.
