If there was anything special or new to the television coverage of the Toronto Raptors' NBA playoff opener Sunday, we missed it.
TSN's telecast was the same one that we've seen all season – the same play-by-play team, Chuck Swirsky and Leo Rautins, the same host, Rod Black, and the same production. No new faces.
Regular season to postseason, who could tell the difference?
In most cases, a national broadcaster will take over the coverage of a team's postseason games. In the NHL, for example, regional broadcasters give way to the national networks.
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For the Raptors, however, the hometown networks also provide the national coverage. And TSN had a small amount of control over the quality of the telecast. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Raptors, insists on producing the game telecasts and using its own broadcasters. TSN's contribution is limited to pregame, postgame and intermission coverage.
What Sunday's telecast needed from TSN was a fresh voice during the intermission. Instead, Rautins teamed with Black to provide the analysis. It amounted to more of the same, given that Rautins had delivered the game analysis in the first half.
Swirsky and Rautins certainly called Sunday's game from the point of view of the Raptors, but there was no cheerleading. It was a straight-up, professional piece of work.
Although Rautins is never harshly critical of the Raptors, he questioned the decision, early in the game, to double-team Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard. And he spoke to the Raptors' defensive weaknesses, sometimes indirectly, such as pointing out the Magic were using a strong defence to produce offensive opportunities.
He also wondered, given Raptors shooter Jason Kapono's three-point productivity Sunday, why Kapono wasn't given the opportunity to shoot more during the regular season.
Swirsky and Rautins had one miss. They announced a Magic basket was good and the second quarter over, when in fact there had been a shot-clock violation.
When the game was over, TSN couldn't wait to make its exit. No interview with the coach or a player. The game ran late and a NASCAR race awaited.
This is basketball, after all, not hockey.
The second game will be Tuesday on The Score.
