I’m doing a public service.
Please — tear this out and hand it to your favorite TV/radio/public address announcer.
I congratulate Mitch Holthus — a member of Kansas State’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.
It was Holthus, the radio voice of the Kansas City Chiefs, who finally got it right.
He correctly recognized that there is no jump ball on tied possessions anymore in high school or college basketball. He correctly identified there was a “tie ball,” and the possession arrow signaled it was Wichita State’s basketball against Evansville during Sunday’s television broadcast.
Considering the “jump ball” was removed from college basketball in 1981, it’s seemingly taken more than 30 years for an announcer of any kind to get this correct.
Very few announcers pronounce it correctly. And I’m talking nationally-known broadcasters.
I’m still waiting to hear the first radio broadcaster or color commentator to get this right.
I don’t like the lame excuse that everyone understands what you mean if you say “jump ball, possession to Dodge City High School.”
It isn’t that hard. It’s like calling a noon tipoff “tonight’s game,” rather than “this afternoon’s game.”
Just think and write it out.
Get it right — it’s a tie ball (or shared possession) not a jump ball.
Here’s what to say — “It’s a tie ball, possession to Dodge City High School.”
One of my favorites I heard recently came when the announcer said, “jump ball. Oh, I guess there is no jump ball anymore.”
My next topic? Announcers who call adult NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL players “kids.”
 
Jim Misunas