DENVER — Longtime Jazz voice Hot Rod Hundley is wishing he had decided to call games for television rather than radio.
That's because starting this season, the area where radio broadcasters — and other media members — are seated in several arenas around the NBA, including the Delta Center, has been moved from near-floor-level to various higher lower-bowl locations.
Hundley, who turns 72 years old Thursday and has been the franchise's only radio voice since its inception, suggests it makes his work ridiculously difficult.
"You're not sure who makes the foul," he said. "I might have to get binoculars."
Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, where the Jazz played Denver in a preseason game, Hundley was on the floor. During the regular season, however, he must squint from a higher-up location.
During a preseason stop in Indiana earlier this month, Hundley called the game from a location above the lower bowl — and with a large sheet of plexi-glass between him and the court.
Even at the Delta Center, the only radio voice the Jazz has ever known will be perched at the top of the arena's lower bowl.
All this so teams can turn a few extra bucks by selling seats where Hundley and his engineer had once worked. The Jazz's TV team of Craig Bolerjack and Ron Boone, meanwhile, will remain at the floor for all regular-season home games.
"I can't understand why the money is more important than the broadcast," Hundley said. "You're talking about throwing away millions on players — and they're talking about two seats on press row? That's a big mistake, I think."
Now, Hundley — who says he decided to call radio instead of TV when the Jazz separated their simulcast coverage prior to last season — is forced to sometimes guess what's going on.
"Our team is pretty easy, because you see them every day. You can tell who they are by mannerisms," he said. "Great players, you can tell them. But the young guys — it's 'Who is the guy?'
"I guess I'll have to start (watching) the monitor more and the video more."
Or there is one other option, suggests Hundley, who clearly is depressed about the disrespect he is receiving.
"It's gonna be tough," he said. "My kids want me to retire. This may hurry it up."
MILLER TIME: According to a recent Rocky Mountain News report, current Nuggets point guard and former University of Utah star Andre Miller "reported to (training) camp overweight" and the development "has not gone over well with (Denver coach George) Karl, especially in view of his more up-tempo offense."
"I don't think he's in the best of shape ... He fatigues quicker than (before)," Karl told the Denver newspaper. "Andre is at the stage of his career where he's going to have to spend more time on conditioning.
"I think he'll be ready to play 30 minutes (to start the season). I don't know if he'll be ready to play 40."
Miller, according the paper, "said he lifted weights and played basketball during the offseason but didn't do enough conditioning." The ex-Ute also said he needs to shed about 10-to-15 pounds.
Miller dropped just one point Tuesday on the Jazz, but did dish 10 assists in his 26 minutes.
BIG BOOK: This year's Jazz media guide is out, and its cover features ... well, no one. Rather than picture a player or players on the widely distributed publication, the team opted to feature only its logo.
The book is 32 pages longer than a season ago, but this year its inside is entirely black-and-white rather than color — an apparent cost-cutting measure.
MORE MEDIA: Ex-Jazz guard Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns will be keeping a regular journal throughout the season for ESPN.com. His first entry, already posted, features tales of how Bell spent his summer vacation.
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com