Harlan is well-qualified for this position, and there have been some encouraging signs that Turner will do the right thing and give him the job. He called one of the two play-in games that Turner broadcasted on Tuesday, and he will call the lone play-in game that Turner will broadcast on Friday. The NBA All-Star Game, which took place earlier this season, was another assignment for him.
It would be a disappointment if Harlan did not receive the position at this point. Brian Anderson and Ian Eagle are among the other candidates for the position. Eagle told me on this week’s SI Media Podcast that he hasn’t received any official word from Turner about who will call the Western Conference finals and whether or not they will be broadcasted live.
Harlan has been calling games for Turner since 1996, and he is a hugely popular figure among the fans. When you hear Harlan’s powerful pipes, you immediately get play tic tac toe a sense of being in a big game.
When it comes to the NBA, the 61-year-old has never been considered the top national voice, and it would be a shame if that didn’t change now that the opportunity has presented itself for him to shine on a national stage.
In honor of the upcoming Easter holiday, here’s a great story from Chris Long about how his father, Howie, scared the living daylights out of Chris’s children when he dressed up as the Easter bunny.
3. C.J. Abrams, a rookie for the San Diego Padres, hit his first career home run last night and was then subjected to one of sports’ most cherished traditions: the dugout silent treatment.
Eagle previews the NBA playoffs, discusses the Brooklyn Nets’ bizarre season, and explains what went wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers during the regular season. His thoughts on the Inside the NBA crew making fun of the Timberwolves’ celebration after winning their play-in game, Greg Gumbel’s recent SI Media Podcast comments on broadcasters not bringing in any viewers during a telecast, and the recent explosion in NFL broadcaster salaries are all included in this episode. We also talk about the NCAA tournament, Bill Raftery, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, and a variety of other topics.
The conversation with Eagle is followed by Long’s appearance on Jimmy’s weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. Tom Brady and Sean Payton allegedly had a plan to join the Miami Dolphins, the United States Football League, the NFL’s social media trend, Severance on Apple TV+, Tiger Woods, and other topics are discussed in this week’s segment.
