clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Media Roundup: Examining Gary Tanguay's New Confrontational Style

Gary Tanguay, the longtime host of Sports Tonight at Comcast SportsNet New England, has recently adopted a confrontational style in his reporting and fan interaction. Bruce Allen examines in his weekly media roundup.

By Bruce Allen

A friend of mine made the following observation this week after watching Gary Tanguay spar with Ron Borges on CSNNE.

How bad is Tanguay? So bad that he makes an argument most everyone agrees with - that Rondo was a big part of Allen leaving - and he's such a pr--- in making the argument ("It's a fact!"), we find ourselves siding with Ron @!&%ing Borges. That's pretty bad.

He was referring to this exchange over the Ray Allen- Rajon Rondo situation:

That shot perfectly captures the insane look that Tanguay seems to be trying to perfect in recent appearances.

It seems like the Comcast SportsNet personality has been going a bit overboard recently in trying to draw attention to himself by saying more and more bombastic and outrageous things simply in order to get noticed.

He's doing it across all platforms, whether it be a guest spot on the Toucher and Rich morning show on 98.5 or on CSNNE during the recent Celtics playoff run or on draft coverage or on Twitter. He is putting on the appearance of an unbalanced person seeking help by drawing as much attention to himself as he can. (The glasses and unkempt hair seem to validate that view as well.)

In my opinion, Tanguay is a guy who doesn't do well at this sort of thing. It's visibly forced. He is a guy that's much better off playing the mild-mannered news reporter from Maine. But as we know, that sort of thing apparently doesn't work in this day and age in which Skip Bayless is a media superstar.

Wait, what?

The confrontation style exhibited in the above video is vintage Bayless. So what's the endgame for Tanguay here? What is he trying to accomplish with this recent run of overenthusiastic muckraking? Or is he making a statement?

Does he feel like he's been getting overlooked with the controversy-stroking antics of the likes of Eric Wilbur, Kirk Minihane and the like?

Does he look at Andy Gresh and think "They threw me over at 98.5 for THAT?"

Does he see Donny Marshall showing up on the NBC Sports Network as an NBA analyst and wonder when the national stage will finally embrace him?

With Patriots season rapidly approaching and Gil Santos making noise that he wants back in for another year, is Tanguay taking out his frustration at not being handed with is rightfully his? Or is he just warming up for his usual pre and postgame gig where he has always been the type to look far and wide and under every rock for things to worry and complain about?

Does he think he could be a candidate for another full-time sports radio gig? (WEEI might have some openings at some point.)

Midlife crisis? The glasses and long hair seem to be a nod in that direction, though, as far as I can tell, his glasses actually have lenses, unlike the ones that hipster NBA duffuses like Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook were recently seen sporting at postgame press conferences.

It's hard to say, exactly. In the meantime, he's not exactly endearing himself to fans when he takes victory laps like this one:

He could've just said something like, "I was afraid of this, and it came true", but instead he needs to shout at us that HE was right all along.

OK, you got this one. How's that "Paul Pierce will be traded before the deadline." stance working out for you, Gary?

It might be time for the Boston Sports Lodge to have an intervention with Mr Tanguay.