Commentary

Pat Bradley would make a great color analyst

Former Arkansas Razorbacks basketball player Pat Bradley talks with his co-hosts on the air at the studios of 103.7 The Buzz in Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015.

For the sake of full disclosure, I first met Pat Bradley in 1998 during his senior basketball season at the University of Arkansas.

I was a cub reporter in my first year in the state, and I clearly remember the first time I interviewed him for a story on him and backcourt mate, Kareem Reid. Over the course of that season I interviewed him several times.

I moved to central Arkansas soon after and so did Pat. Our paths started crossing more and more before becoming a weekly occurrence during my more than two years as editor of Sync magazine while he co-hosted a local radio show on 103.7 The Buzz with another friend of mine, Justin Acri.

So I think a lot of Pat as a person and enjoy his company, and call him a friend. I preface this column with that mention because I don’t want my opinion to come off as favoritism. As much I like Pat, I value my integrity and would never sacrifice that, even for friendship.

I can confidently say he is the best candidate to fill the vacant Hogs men’s basketball radio color analyst position left by the promotion on the coaching staff of fellow Razorback basketball legend, Scotty Thurman.

Pat has all of the traits that make a good color analyst. First, he played the game at a high level. He is the leading three-point shooter at Arkansas history and is in the UA Hall of Honor and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. He is a recognizable name among fans.

In addition, he is able to effectively communicate his knowledge. Have you ever watched or listened to a game when a former player or coach struggles to get his point across? Maybe he is not comfortable in front of a mic or explains things in terms that a general audience can’t understand.

Pat doesn't have that problem. He has honed his craft for a decade hosting The Zone on The Buzz. If you’ve ever heard Pat break down a game, you know he is insightful without using a lot of coaching jargon. Still, you get the feeling he would be right at home sitting on Mike Anderson’s bench as an assistant.

If you can get past Pat’s Boston accent, his delivery is good. He earned a communications degree and has only gotten better on the air. He is at ease and listening to his commentary is a lot like sitting around the kitchen table visiting with him.

Many commentators have no formal training and it shows. Pat’s experience on talk radio and other game broadcasts as a Razorbacks television fill-in give him a leg up on others.

The biggest asset Thurman brought to the broadcast was his insight into what was happening in practice. After all, he was an assistant and was privy to many of the behind-the-scenes developments, and he revealed some of those in snippets.

While Pat won’t be at practice every day, he is extremely close with Anderson, who coached him as a UA assistant during his playing days. Good analysts have to have a good rapport with the coach of the team they work for. It was ultra-easy for Thurman since Anderson was his boss, and it would be easy for Pat because he and Anderson share a tight bond. That will show up in the broadcasts.

One of Pat’s bet on-air traits is he is entertaining. He is smart and witty and - combined with some of his East Coast charm - he adds a humorous element to a show or broadcast. Humor isn’t always welcome during a basketball game, but it sometimes, in the right spots, add to the entertainment value. You don’t want an analyst to be too dry or too flamboyant. Pat is somewhere in the middle with his zingers and East-Coastisms.

Finally, for a home-team analyst a passion for the team is a must. I don’t know too many that are more passionate about Hogs hoops than Pat. He covers a multitude of topics on talk radio with good opinions, but there is a different tone when the subject turns to UA basketball. He lived it and he loves it, and that is evident over the airwaves.

Being behind the mic would be the next best thing to being back in a Razorbacks uniform.