Sarah Kustok replaces Mike Fratello

Paradise · Post #1 » by **Paradise** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:53 pm

Looks like the broadcast team is also rebuilding for the future.

YES is shuffling its Nets broadcast team, sliding former sideline reporter Sarah Kustok over to the broadcast table and making her an analyst.

They’re hiring Michael Grady to fill the sideline spot, a move he confirmed Thursday on Twitter.

“I’m psyched,” Kustok said on the Road Trippin’ with RJ & Channing podcast. “It’s incredible…The opportunity to call games, this is not work. It’s a dream to get to do. You talk about being a female — I don’t always love the attention on that. I just want to show up and do my job and be a part of a team. It’s the opportunity to still be part of a team and have that adrenaline rush. It’s an incredible thing.”

Mike Fratello, the lead TV analyst last season, will be moving to the studio.

“What I love is for young girls…anyone, young boys — and I think it’s changing — is to not see that as there’s a woman calling an NBA game,” Kustok said. “I like people to be judged on are they good, do they know they game, do they understand it, are they able to call it in a way that helps teach the viewers. So, that I love.

“And I love the next generation growing up thinking it’s not a big deal. But in the same token I think it’s awesome.”

http://nypost.com/2017/09/15/sarah-kustok-gets-big-nets-promotion/amp/

playteamball · Post #2 » by **playteamball** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:55 pm

Congrats! Well deserved. She quickly became one of my favorites as soon as I started watching Nets games. I will miss Fratello though.

MrDollarBills · Post #3 » by **MrDollarBills** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:36 pm

Well deserved promotion. I will miss the Czar and Ian's banter but Kustok is solid as a color analyst

ChokeFasncists · Post #4 » by **ChokeFasncists** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 4:32 am

Fratello is great, but when he calls games, they sound like it's a national broadcast, it's a bit strange.

Sarah is fine, except that sometimes her voice reminds me of Doris Burke, and that's not very cool

Ror1997 · Post #5 » by **Ror1997** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:47 pm

Kustok is cool so I don't have a problem with this, but I'm gonna miss czar. Hope they still find a way to get him to do a handfull of games.

Post #6 » by **NyCeEvO** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 2:32 pm

I'll miss Mike and his dynamic with Ian but Sarah is good. She and Ian already have a fun back-and-forth rivalry going so it'll be interesting to see how that is taken to new levels in the future.

OT: I see that Choke mentioned Doris Burke. I know a lot of people dislike her and I just can't understand why. She's not annoying IMO and she's certainly better than other current PBP analysts (ahem Reggie).

Ror1997 · Post #7 » by **Ror1997** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 3:56 pm

NyCeEvO wrote:I'll miss Mike and his dynamic with Ian but Sarah is good. She and Ian already have a fun back-and-forth rivalry going so it'll be interesting to see how that is taken to new levels in the future.

OT: I see that Choke mentioned Doris Burke. I know a lot of people dislike her and I just can't understand why. She's not annoying IMO and she's certainly better than other current PBP analysts (ahem Reggie).

Her voice her dull and irritating. On 2K they shuffle the commentators and every once in a while Doris Burke will call a game. Have to restart the game when that happens :lol:

MrDollarBills · Post #8 » by **MrDollarBills** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 6:52 pm

Doris Burke is damn good at breaking down sequences, I don't know why people dislike her.

Keith Van Horn · Post #9 » by **Keith Van Horn** » Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:17 pm

what?! No more Fratello drawings on the telestrator?? That was always corny fun. Or Ian playfully picking on him. We're gonna miss that guy more than we think.

Paradise · Post #10 » by **Paradise** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:45 am

Keith Van Horn wrote:what?! No more Fratello drawings on the telestrator?? That was always corny fun. Or Ian playfully picking on him. We're gonna miss that guy more than we think.

It seems like he will be a color studio analyst. We'll still get the on-air banter more than likely during post game shows.

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ChokeFasncists · Post #11 » by **ChokeFasncists** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 8:53 am

Ror1997 wrote:
NyCeEvO wrote:I'll miss Mike and his dynamic with Ian but Sarah is good. She and Ian already have a fun back-and-forth rivalry going so it'll be interesting to see how that is taken to new levels in the future.

OT: I see that Choke mentioned Doris Burke. I know a lot of people dislike her and I just can't understand why. She's not annoying IMO and she's certainly better than other current PBP analysts (ahem Reggie).

Her voice her dull and irritating. On 2K they shuffle the commentators and every once in a while Doris Burke will call a game. Have to restart the game when that happens

I hear ya.

Plus it's too negative. Once she was interviewing guys right after they won a championship and she sounded like she was interrogating them.

I guess I don't like commentators who are too self-centered, intrusive or unresponsive. She thinks she's more important than guys like Pop. The only other one I have ever been truly annoyed by is Tom Tolbert. He's on the other extreme, always happy and constantly saying some outrageous things (he thinks it's witty I guess) that has nothing to do with the games. Luckily he stopped after a while. Unfortunately Donny Marshall sounds like him sometimes! Gosh!

Post #12 » by **Rich Rane** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 1:03 pm

I like her, but I hope Fratello still calls some games every once in a while.

Post #13 » by **CalamityX12** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 1:45 pm

No prob for Sarah, it'll be nice.

But I will miss Fratello.... for both the banter, comedy and his actual coach's POV for dissecting the plays and what not....

lets see how Sarah rolls.

Born_Ready · Post #14 » by **Born_Ready** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 3:52 pm

Fratello's knowledge of the game is one of a kind. Sarah has some big shoes to fill (not to be cliche) but I believe she is beyond capable of filling them. Good for her.

Ror1997 · Post #15 » by **Ror1997** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 4:16 pm

Rich Rane wrote:I like her, but I hope Fratello still calls some games every once in a while.

I'm pretty sure he still does some espn work, and I know he does a good amount of NBA TV work. You'll definitely hear him calling a game again this season.

Just won't be the same without Eagle there. They were the perfect match for each other.

MrDollarBills · Post #16 » by **MrDollarBills** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 4:21 pm

I'll take Sarah over Donny Marshall any game of the week.

Paradise · Post #17 » by **Paradise** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:20 pm

It's official.

NEW YORK, NY - The YES Network, the exclusive local television rights holder of the Brooklyn Nets since the network's 2002 launch, will enter the 2017-18 NBA regular season with a revamped announcer lineup.

While multi-Emmy Award-winning Ian Eagle will continue to split play-by-play duties with Ryan Ruocco, Sarah Kustok, who has been YES' Nets courtside reporter the past five seasons, will now become YES' primary game analyst. Kustok will become the only woman to work as the primary solo NBA game analyst at a regional sports network.

She periodically worked as a Nets game analyst for YES the past three seasons. YES veteran and fellow Emmy Award-winner Jim Spanarkel will split game analyst duties with Kustok.

Mike Fratello, yet another YES Emmy Award-winner, and a game analyst for YES since his arrival at the network in 2008, will move into a studio analyst role this season, working alongside Chris Shearn, Nancy Newman and multiple Emmy winner Bob Lorenz, who will continue rotating as studio hosts.

Michael Grady will make his debut this season as YES' Nets courtside reporter. Grady is the 2016 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year, as voted on by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Most recently, he was sports anchor at WRTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Indianapolis, where he won an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 2016 Indianapolis 500. Also prior to his joining YES, he was the Indiana Pacers' public address announcer since 2010. He will continue co-hosting the Grady and Big Joe Show with former Indianapolis Colts player Joe Staysniak on 107.5 ESPN Radio in Indianapolis.

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3pt_chucker · Post #18 » by **3pt_chucker** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:36 pm

MrDollarBills wrote:I'll take Sarah over Donny Marshall any game of the week.

I think this is the best news out of all this.

Gonna miss the czar but I enjoyed Sarah when she filled in as color last season. Congrats on a well-deserved promotion.

Ror1997 · Post #19 » by **Ror1997** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 10:14 pm

Paradise wrote:It's official.

NEW YORK, NY - The YES Network, the exclusive local television rights holder of the Brooklyn Nets since the network's 2002 launch, will enter the 2017-18 NBA regular season with a revamped announcer lineup.

While multi-Emmy Award-winning Ian Eagle will continue to split play-by-play duties with Ryan Ruocco, Sarah Kustok, who has been YES' Nets courtside reporter the past five seasons, will now become YES' primary game analyst. Kustok will become the only woman to work as the primary solo NBA game analyst at a regional sports network.

She periodically worked as a Nets game analyst for YES the past three seasons. YES veteran and fellow Emmy Award-winner Jim Spanarkel will split game analyst duties with Kustok.

Mike Fratello, yet another YES Emmy Award-winner, and a game analyst for YES since his arrival at the network in 2008, will move into a studio analyst role this season, working alongside Chris Shearn, Nancy Newman and multiple Emmy winner Bob Lorenz, who will continue rotating as studio hosts.

Michael Grady will make his debut this season as YES' Nets courtside reporter. Grady is the 2016 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year, as voted on by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Most recently, he was sports anchor at WRTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Indianapolis, where he won an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 2016 Indianapolis 500. Also prior to his joining YES, he was the Indiana Pacers' public address announcer since 2010. He will continue co-hosting the Grady and Big Joe Show with former Indianapolis Colts player Joe Staysniak on 107.5 ESPN Radio in Indianapolis.

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So we hired the Cavs PA and the Pacers PA in the same week? Lol.

Also, I wonder if Grady interviewed for the PA opening and was offered this job instead or if its just a weird coincidence.

Paradise · Post #20 » by **Paradise** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 11:17 pm

Ror1997 wrote:
Paradise wrote:It's official.

NEW YORK, NY - The YES Network, the exclusive local television rights holder of the Brooklyn Nets since the network's 2002 launch, will enter the 2017-18 NBA regular season with a revamped announcer lineup.

While multi-Emmy Award-winning Ian Eagle will continue to split play-by-play duties with Ryan Ruocco, Sarah Kustok, who has been YES' Nets courtside reporter the past five seasons, will now become YES' primary game analyst. Kustok will become the only woman to work as the primary solo NBA game analyst at a regional sports network.

She periodically worked as a Nets game analyst for YES the past three seasons. YES veteran and fellow Emmy Award-winner Jim Spanarkel will split game analyst duties with Kustok.

Mike Fratello, yet another YES Emmy Award-winner, and a game analyst for YES since his arrival at the network in 2008, will move into a studio analyst role this season, working alongside Chris Shearn, Nancy Newman and multiple Emmy winner Bob Lorenz, who will continue rotating as studio hosts.

Michael Grady will make his debut this season as YES' Nets courtside reporter. Grady is the 2016 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year, as voted on by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Most recently, he was sports anchor at WRTV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Indianapolis, where he won an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 2016 Indianapolis 500. Also prior to his joining YES, he was the Indiana Pacers' public address announcer since 2010. He will continue co-hosting the Grady and Big Joe Show with former Indianapolis Colts player Joe Staysniak on 107.5 ESPN Radio in Indianapolis.

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So we hired the Cavs PA and the Pacers PA in the same week? Lol.

Also, I wonder if Grady interviewed for the PA opening and was offered this job instead or if its just a weird coincidence.

I think that's exactly what happened :lol:

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