Best / worst sportscasters?

Keith Jackson. Woaaaa, Nellie!

'nuff said.

 

Vin Scully is the best in baseball.

The worst in baseball is Chip Caray. "It's a hit and he's out!" :laugh:

Al Michaels is the best in football and I don't think there's a close 2nd. I'll go along with Phil Simms and throw out Dan Dierdorf as well.

Kyle Petty has done 6 Nascar races each of the last 2 years and has surpassed everybody else in that short time. Wally Dallenbach is a close 2nd. The worst is the Rusty Wallace/Brad Daugherty combo. Every once in a while Rusty brings something to the table, but Daugherty continues to bring nothing.

 

I like Joe Morgan for baseball, but Scully is by far the best. He knows when to just be quiet and let the moment speak for itself.

I used to like Madden, but the last few years before his retirement he became a caricature of himself.

Of course I like Don Meredith, Frank Gifford and almost liked Howard Cosell ... so my taste in sports casters is suspect.

The one guy I hate passionately (in Christian love, of course) is Dick Vitale! :BangHead:

 

Best:

Al Michaels
Joe Buck
John Miller
Vin Scully
Ernie Harwell (when he was active, of course)
Bob Costas (great interviewer and statesman)

Worst:

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson - and there isn't a close second. He is a disgrace to the profession and to humanity in general.

 

I think his son is better. Thom has the ability to not come across as so crotchety when he is being critical. Maybe that's just the age difference, but Marty can be a sour puss at times, and I don't think it comes across very well over the air. But I suppose to some fans that is an endearing quality.

Plus, I'll never forget Thom's classic call when Magglio's homer in game 4 of the 2006 ALCS won the pennant for the Tigers. :thumbsup:

 

2 reasons for my dislike of Vitale
The first is his mega over excitement about every basketball player and coach.

The 2nd is because he's from here in town and he's used the phrase "do you all know who I am" in my hearing to get in front of a line. Once I was with a group of children from church, the other was with some friends. It didn't work either time.

He's not as nice as he appears on TV.

 

I want to submit the name of Verne Lundquist of CBS. He's quite versatile, can do more than one sport, and owns two of the most famous lines in sports TV history.

One, 1986 Masters, Jack Nicklaus, age 46, leads. He putts, and Lundquist says "maybe.......yes SIR!!!"

The other, a couple of years ago, Masters, Tiger is chipping on the 16th green. He aims 20 feet above the hole to a shelf, where the ball hits, takes a right turn, rolls toward the hole, appears to hesitate on the lip, then falls in. The crowd goes crazy and so does Lundquist.

"Ooooohhhhh myyyy good-ness! In your LIFE did you ever see anything like that?!!!!!!"

Lundquist is my man.

 

An obvious trait of an excellent broadcaster:

The sense of when one should keep one's mouth shut.

An example: Al Michaels..."Do you believe in Miracles? Yes!!"

(followed by a silent shot of the crowd)

 

For the most part I turn the sound off and watch game only.

For a Gator the best I've ever heard was from all people a Bulldog man, Larry Munson. I would listen to a Ga. game just to listen to him. Did he make mistakes, yes and he would point them out. I always felt he call a game fair, not as so many homers do.

I just don't need all the talk, talk, talk, I just wish they would let me watch the game and point out what might needs to be pointed out, not something on every play.

For a color guy I used to like Bob Trumpy, but haven't heard of him in a while.

 

Ugh. Please don't mention ESPN's Sunday Night Football. Joe Theisman and Paul Maguire were abominable and made the games completely unwatchable.

BTW, what was up with NBC putting together an announcing team of Tom Hammond, Joe Theisman and Joe Gibbs for a playoff game? They were horrendous. It's one of the worst announcing performance I've ever heard in the playoffs.


Mike Lombardi told a great story about Nantz in one of his columns this week. He was watching the game with the CBS crew and, in the middle of the 3rd quarter, Jim Nantz proclaimed that Favre would throw an interception, forcing the game to overtime, and the Saints would win the toss, then march down the field for the game winner. Everybody I've ever read or listened to says that Jim Nantz is even nicer in person than he seems on TV.

 

Best

Harry Kalas - the gold standard by which all other announcers should be measured

KeithJackson - there's a reason why even people who hate football love Keith Jackson.

Merrill Reese - the Eagles' most passionate fan, he makes absolutely no attempt to hide the fact that he's a homer

Jim Fyffe - loved to hear him call touchdowns

Richie Ashburn - comic foil to Harry Kalas for years it's still hard to think of one without thinking of the other.

Larry Anderson - Harry Kalas' protege. Combines a player's knowledge with a fan's passion. Our season tickets are in the next section over and one of the highlights of Phillies' games is always Larry hanging out of the broadcast booth window and interacting with the fans between innings.

Worst

Chris Wheeler - doesn't know the first thing about baseball or when to keep his mouth shut, but thinks he's Joe DiMaggio and Red Barber all rolled in to one.

Gary Matthews - I actually know Gary Matthews a little because he did several charity events my mother put on and he's a really nice guy. Unfortunately, while he's a really nice guy, he's a truly horrific analyst. I've been embarrassed for him many times.

Tony Siragusa - I just can't believe somebody gave this nitwit a job. He doesn't add anything to the game and most of the time what he says is nonsense.

Eli Gold - Eli used to broadcast Barons' and Stallions' games when I was a kid. Stunningly awful.

Anybody who's ever been on TBS.

 

You should have heard some of the games Harry Kalas and Chris Wheeler broadcast together.

There were times Harry refused to even talk to Wheeler on the air.

 

Vin Sully is an awesome annoucer as are Dick Vital , Dick Embreg Orel Hershiser & Pat Haden
The worst announcers: I am not sure.

 

The analysts who irritate me are those who state the obvious.

"You know, you just can't fumble the football when its first and goal at the 5 with the game on the line." THEY KNOW THAT! WE ALREADY KNOW THAT!

There are way too many out there to name. Most don't last long.

Lanny Watkins had this signature line for those situations: "You've just GOT to make putts like that if you're going to win this thing." REALLY? T I HAD NO CLUE!

In golf, I like Gary McCord because he has an irreverence about the game. It was that irreverence which got him barred from CBS' Masters coverage.