GSoM Q&A with Bob Fitzgerald 12/15/06 (Part 1 of 2)

Golden State of Mind somehow managed to catch Golden State Warriors television play-by-play announcer Bob Fitzgerald for a quick Q&A during the 2 minutes of free time he had when the Warriors began their current road swing in Phoenix last week. Bob of course needs no introduction to Warriors Nation, but here's a few highlights from his outstanding resume: the TV voice of the Warriors for nearly a decade, the voice of the San Jose SaberCats for over a decade, a popular radio host on KNBR (currently co-hosting Fitz and Brooks with Rod Brooks), and the voice of the NBA 2k video game series. You can read more about Bob Fitzgerald on his Warriors Broadcaster Bio at FSN Bay Area.com.

Here's the first part of our Q&A with Bob with the second episode dropping soon...

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Golden State of Mind: You've been to every arena in the league. Which fans are the loudest? Which fans are the quietest? How do Warrior fans at The Oracle Arena stack up?

Bob Fitzgerald: Dallas, Utah and Detroit are the loudest. Atlanta, Memphis and Charlotte are libraries. The Oracle Arena crowd is incredible. The building retains the noise so well and Bay Area hoop fans are very knowledgeable, so they cheer to make things happen, rather than react. I have heard some booing on occasion and that is unfortunate. I think you can boo poor effort, not execution and none of these Warriors have given less than full effort at home this season.

Golden State of Mind: You have the best seat in the house every night and get to see every NBA player up close and personal. Which players never cease to amaze you?

Bob Fitzgerald: Kevin Garnett, Kobe, Tim Duncan, LeBron, Yao Ming, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Baron Davis is also remarkable, particularly this season.

Golden State of Mind: What has been the biggest surprise of the NBA season so far? How about for the Warriors?

Bob Fitzgerald: Biggest surprise is that Utah is so dominant. That the East is an even bigger joke than expected, almost a JV conference. For the Warriors, its that they have played so many Western teams, played with so many key guys injured and have still managed to play well and knock off so many big name squads.

Golden State of Mind: The on court chemistry really seems to have improved since Nellie's return to the Warriors. Has the chemistry between the players in the locker room and off the court also improved? How different is the atmosphere compared to the past?

Bob Fitzgerald: The chemistry with this group has been excellent. But the Warriors have so many quality people on the roster and so many good assistants that I think the off court camaraderie has been there for a few seasons. Don Nelson is just a flat out mad scientist genius. He sees the game so differently, he is unafraid of different matchups and he gives this team a lot of confidence. And if you are on one of his teams, you better be ready to play because everyone is going to get a chance at some point.

Golden State of Mind: You have a lot of inside access to the Warriors that fans aren't fortunate enough to have. What's one thing about this Warriors team that fans might not know?

Bob Fitzgerald: That they are still really young. Lots of teasing, lots of jokes, a lot of laughter. They may look calm and cool on the court but Baron is one of the old guys at 27. There are so many 20 somethings on the roster that the game and the NBA is still new and fresh to them. Contrast that to San Antonio, which is a veteran team of hard hat workers and its just a very different feel that you don’t get unless you are around them all the time.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

If you want to follow up on any of Bob's thoughts in this Q&A or ask him and Warriors television analyst Jim Barnett something else, definitely head on over to the Ask Bob and Jim section on FSN Bay Area.com. Bob and Jim answer one of these questions every night on the air- it could be you!

Special thanks to GSoM friend Jen Franklin at FSN Bay Area for connecting us with Bob Fitzgerald.

Stay tuned for the rest of Bob's Q&A with us...