How does Mike Breen maintain objectivity when calling Knicks games?

After feeling like King Kong in New York, the Knicks got locked up in Indiana and head home with their second-round series tied, 2-2.

Longtime ABC/ESPN — and Knicks — broadcaster Mike Breen joined The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Monday to talk about calling Knicks games on national TV and appearing unbiased as well as his famous “BANG!” catchphrase.

Dan starts by wanting to talk about Breen’s “BANG!” call on Andrew Nembhard’s go-ahead 3-pointer late in Game 3. Was Mike, as Stugotz posits, overcompensating so he doesn’t show his true Knick colors? Listen to the audio for yourself and hear where the “BANG!” comes from and decide whether or not Breen has been able to achieve the illusion of impartiality that goes against all of our collective natures even as his heart has been broken.

Aside from asking why would Dan do this to Mike so early in the morning, where does that “BANG!” rank among Mike’s most guttural “BANG!”s in his long, illustrious career? Mike says he doesn’t really rank his calls, but admits that any time one makes a difference in a playoff game it makes the call rank high. Mike says what made that game amazing was that he felt like the entire second half had the intensity of the final two minutes. To go from Jalen Brunson hitting a big shot in a game where he struggled to Nembhard being the unlikeliest hero just moments later in an unlikely scenario, those are the types of moments that bring out his genuine love of the game reaction.

Dan says Mike is in the rare space of being a lead play-by-play announcer who hardly ever gets criticized by fans for being biased, even though he actually calls regular-season games for the Knicks and has done so for decades. So Dan wants to know how Mike actually felt in that moment and how he was able to convey something that feels like objectivity even as the team with whom he has significant relationships has their hearts broken. Mike says he tries his very best when he puts the headset on to do a professional job not only for himself but for the people he works with. He notes that he’s done it some over the years, but not as much lately since the Knicks haven’t been in this postseason position much in recent times. But he says it’s just a matter of concentration and giving that particular play the proper call that it deserves.

He says in an instance like Nembhard’s you want to make sure you do that moment justice. And given how unexpected that moment was, he said the call just kind of came flying out. He says he’s sure that there are Knicks fans who are annoyed with him for having such a big reaction for an opponent beating them in a playoff game, but he says that is what the job entails and he hopes everybody understands that. He says every announcer goes through this, especially in the postseason when fans’ emotions are high. He says fans always think you’re rooting for the other team, it happens every single year, this one is just a little bit different since he’s the regular-season announcer for the Knicks.

Speaking of his regular gig with the Knicks, Dan has to ask: What’s up with the way Walt “Clyde” Frazier is eating French Fries? In the end, it probably all comes down to Clyde’s magical wardrobe.

Check out the full Best of video above and make sure to tune into The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network!

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Local Hour: Did You Watch The Game?

• Today’s cast: Dan, Stugotz, Chris, Billy, Jessica, Roy (to the rescue), and Tony. Dan wants to share his opinions on yesterday’s Panthers game, but Roy has an important qualifier before he allows Dan to speak. Did the Panthers get lucky? Is the series over? Does a good hockey team need a Pavel? Then, Sunday’s NBA action has made last week’s takes age like milk, so we hear from our “Gasbag of the Week.” The crew covers the Knicks getting blown out and Stu’s fears that their series is over and Jamal Murray’s miraculous shot as the Nuggets dominated the Timberwolves. Plus, a question about AROD leads us to realizing we should have listened to Pablo, a controversial AFC East Stat of the Day, the bibliography page, and the most emotional Mike Breen “BANG!”

Big Suey: Guttural Bangs

• Mike Breen joins the show, and we greet him with a term that disturbs him to his core: “guttural bangs.” Breen explains how he’s able to remain objective during a Knicks series and why Walt Frazier eats his french fries in such a strange way. We also see if he can guess his own “BANG!” calls without context and make him listen to Stugotz’s Top 5 Trademark Calls Throughout Broadcasting. Then, Katie Nolan arrives as we’ve officially reached the chirping stage of the Panthers-Bruins series. Katie reluctantly shares her hate for the Panthers as Roy belligerently takes over the segment from Dan. Did the Bruins get hosed? Should Sam Bennett have even been playing? Did the Boston hockey team Bruin Mother’s Day for the Nolan family?

Hour 1: A Flick To The Helmet

• Artur Szpilka had one the most unhinged MMA entrances we’ve ever seen, another MMA fighter took off his pants, and our favorite Cuban fighter was knocked out by a guy named Waldo. Then, complaints about Mother’s Day, getting flicked in the helmet vs. getting punched, and Billy’s gripe with the Mascot Hall of Fame ahead of this year’s public vote. Plus, Stugotz delivers his Weekend Observations by calling out a series of athletes and sports media personalities.

Hour 2: The Stolen Take

• Roy Wood Jr. has arrived wearing a very nice Expos jacket to discuss the Netflix is a Joke Festival and how Netflix is encouraging people to see live comedy, polling around Donald Trump, the courtroom artist as a job, and how the history of interracial rap battles informs his “semi-sure bet of the week.” Plus, Tony Kornheiser is late to being mad at the WNBA, and did Stugotz steal a take from Jay Williams or did Jay Williams steal the take from Stu?

Postgame Show: Spliff Notes

JuJu Gotti is here to discuss today’s show including the technical difficulties, where we missed out on sports content, Mike Breen snitching, Roy losing his objectivity, Stugotz claiming his own s****y take, complaining about the WNBA broadcast accessibility, and Derrick Lewis.

VIDEO:

Check out the Le Batard and Friends YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the show on X at @LeBatardShow.

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