LA's play by play duo will be Bill Macdonald & John Ireland

WT effing F ????? I liked Sunderland. Then I learned to like Joel who had game. What is the behind the scenes story on why he was let go? Because they thought they had Spero to take over TV? And then he got network deal? This bites.

edit.... just saw Black's tweet above. dammit. Should have got on their knees and got either Paul or Joel or both back, with raises.

jOeyB7000 wrote:Just heard it on 710espn in la.. wth happened to Spero Dedes I thought he was supposed to take over for Joel Meyers?? Billy Mac is an awful awful awful awful AWFUL choice to replace Joel.. Although I believe Billy Mac called Kobe's 81 point game, there HAS to be a better replacement for Joel than Bill f'n McDonald.

This is a classic case of being careful what you wish for. People here were wmc'ing about Joel for years now, and they sure as heck got their wish.

Not to sound like an entitled diva, but a premier franchise like the Lakers deserve a premiere play by play announcer. Not someone like Billy Mac.

I agree.

revgen wrote:

Lakers spokesman John Black: "We had a verbal agreement with Spero to be our new TV play-by-play announcer. ... He had a change of heart."

http://twitter.com/#!/KevinDing/status/83311523925204992

This clears things up a bit. So it wasn't the Lakers letting go of Spero Dedes, it was the other way around.

I still think the Lakers could have looked a little bit harder and selected someone better than Billy Mac.

revgen wrote:Dedes turns down Lakers' TV gig for Knicks, so it goes to Macdonald

http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2011/06/your-new-lakers.html

Doesn't Mike Breen call games for the knicks? What happens to Breen now?

Spero left us for the Knicks?!?!?! WTF

Sunderland was great and the Lakers not only let him go but let him go very rudely and unceremoniously. I'm guessing that Jim Buss had something to do with that too!

kidhell wrote:Sunderland was great and the Lakers not only let him go but let him go very rudely and unceremoniously. I'm guessing that Jim Buss had something to do with that too!

they made Sundy the scapegoat for poor ratings...not the fact that we had Chucky f'n Atkins and the rest of that garbage squad

I really like Mason and Ireland, but I am not sure how Ireland will translate into a play-by-play announcer. It could be much worse. I guess I am not the biggest Bill MacDonald fan, but I really didn't like Joel Meyers. I hope MacDonald can do a good job.

Damn Spero with the back stabbing...

I was hoping the Lakers would hire this guy



No but really, Billy Mac is terrible in my opinion. I could barely stand him when he did the play by play for Kobe's 81 point game, now hearing that for 82 games? I would rather watch the game on mute.
It's a shame Spero turned down the offer, he would be golden for the job.
They should've just offered Joel the job once again instead of hiring Billy Mac.
Joel wasn't too bad, you could tell he really rooted for the Lakers (always checking scores on other teams on the air and hoping the Lakers would move up in the standings)
But if they were tired of Joel, then why didn't they offer Paul Sunderland the job again? He wasn't too bad, better than Billy Mac that's for sure.

Sucks that Spero probably got a bank breaking offer from the Knicks. I do NOT like Billy Mac.

However, on the radio side I heard Ireland call a game last season when Spero had a football absence and was very pleasantly surprised. He was quick, accurate, funny and entertaining to listen to. I may end up turning down the TV volume and listening on the radio like I did in the old days to hear Chick when there wasn't a simulcast.

Knicks always have good Play By Play announcers, they had mike breen, and now spero...WTF we're stuck with Ireland and Macdonald??? WHAT???

Bynum/2nd round picks to the Knicks for SPERO!

revgen wrote:

Lakers spokesman John Black: "We had a verbal agreement with Spero to be our new TV play-by-play announcer. ... He had a change of heart."

http://twitter.com/#!/KevinDing/status/83311523925204992

If this is the case I don't see why they didn't just try to re-hire Joel Meyers. Firing him seems like a complete waste now, HUGE downgrade in announcing with Billy Mac.

If this is the case I don't see why they didn't just try to re-hire Joel Meyers. Firing him seems like a complete waste now, HUGE downgrade in announcing with Billy Mac.

My thoughts exactly, or at least give Sunderland a call.
Anything but Billy Mac

Yeah I wouldn't mind Sunderland back either. I just don't get why you settle for Billy Mac so fast, not like the season is around the corner, might not even be a season, why not wait to get the best possible announcer.

As for Spero, I've edited out my hateful comment, just read on LG that he wanted to keep doing NFL and NCAA games and the Lakers said no, so he went with the Knicks. Can't fault that.

in recent years the Knicks have had Mike Breen, Marv Albert, Gus Johnson, and now Spero

damn Knicks
good luck Spero. no brainer for him to take it
he's an east coast guy, probably grew up a knick fan

I rather have Joel back if Spero wants to betray us.

Kevin Harlan is a dream that will never come true

They're gonna do play by play??!?!?! These guys are sideline reporters I can't believe we're making them call our games WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another horrible move in a series of them this off-season. I like John Ireland as a sideline reporter, but doing play by play? C'mon, man! And Billy Mac on TV, what the hell on Earth is going on? Is this the Jim Buss era? So far, I'm not liking this era.

I'm gonna miss Spero.

I just read something that he wanted to do national stuff with March Madness and NFL on CBS, and the Knicks allowed him to do that. Sucks because the Lakers paved the way for him and he took the other router. Shoot, we even got rid of Joel!


Wish him the best though, I'll always remember tuning in to 710 ESPN/570KLAC for coverage.

Rather have Meyers...

This doesn't make any sense.

Is this some kind of joke? John freaken Ireland doing play by play? That guy doesn't have the wits to do that type of stuff. And Billy Mac? Talk about a downgrade on both levels if true.