Indulge me as I take a trip into the future, where famous quotes like, “Bang!” and “Spinning and Winning” are no longer around. Eventually, every New York Knicks fan will have to ask him or herself, what will the Knicks do when Mike Breen and Walt “Clyde” Frazier retire?
Mike Breen and Walt “Clyde” Frazier have been one of the few consistent stand-outs that keep fans sane, even when the New York Knicks organization is in the midst of turmoil.Technically, the “voice” of Knicks is long-time public address announcer Mike Walczewski, but that has not stopped this duo from becoming one of the most popular and recognizable commentator pairings in the NBA.
Breen, who also works nationally televised games as well as the NBA playoffs, has been a fantastic play-by-play announcer for the Knicks since 1991. Meanwhile, Frazier’s extensive vocabulary is only matched by his effervescent fashion sense and knowledge of the game.
The positions of play-by-play announcer and color commentator will be in high demand once Breen and Frazier set off into the sunset. Spero Dedes and Brendan Brown are candidates that are both qualified and entertaining enough to satisfy Knicks fans for years to come. Dedes, who has experience working with the Knicks, currently works for CBS and did a great job working the NCAA tournament earlier this year. He possesses a natural ability in calling live action and has worked with the NFL, in addition, the NBA and NCAA.
Yet, he is not without his faults.
In 2011, just after becoming the Knicks radio announcer, Dedes was charged with a DWI while driving in Southampton. Additionally, in 2012, Dedes was in again in hot water after using the words “chink in the armor” when covering Jeremy Lin during his time with Knicks. Dedes, to his credit, publicly apologized to both Lin and the fans and was not disciplined by the Knicks.
[graphiq id=”3vBpIG6JD1j” title=”Walt Frazier” width=”600″ height=”760″ url=”https://sw.graphiq.com/w/3vBpIG6JD1j” frozen=”true”]Brendan Brown, son of hall of famer Hubie Brown, is the current color analyst on the radio for the Knicks. Most fans will remember, prior to Brown, John Andariese held this position and was both a fan-favorite and had already become a legend in sports broadcasting. Andareise actually held Frazier’s position prior to swapping with the greatest Knicks point guard of all-time around the same time Breen took over for Marv Albert. While Brown can’t fill those shoes, he has done an admirable job showcasing his basketball acumen as a
While Brown can’t fill those shoes, he has done an admirable job showcasing his basketball acumen as a former assistant coach and league scout. Brown always gives fans a behind the curtain look at the intricacies of X’s and O’s strategy and late game execution. Although he may not be the flashiest or most charismatic of replacements for either Breen or Frazier, Brown has been with the organization for close to ten years and will deserve the chance to prove himself when the times comes.
Despite the fact that the Knicks have one of the most recognizable partnerships calling their games on MSG, their time will eventually come to an end. There will be plenty of options and suitors, but none more qualified than the pairing of Spero Dedes and Brendan Brown.
Together they will provide knowledge, passion and excitement while calling games at the world’s most famous arena.
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