Gentlemen,
As I sit here catching a little of the ALCS on my dinner break, I'm forced to face the fact that we must suffer through yet another baseball post-season with the always terrible Joe Buck and Tim McCarver (see www.shutuptimmccarver.com). Fox sports in general is amateur at best and downright bumbling at worst. Combine that with the addition of TBS - the network that for 4 and a half hours a day airs nothing by Home Improvement and Yes,Dear...followed by The Worlds Funniest Wedding Outtakes ("outtakes"? really?).
When will they realize that America HATES these two guys and deserves far better coverage of their national pastime.
Now, I'm far from an expert on baseball or baseball coverage, but I happen to be good friends with guys who are. So my questions are:
1) Who would you want calling the Championship Series and the World Series? This can be a current tandem or a dream team living or dead.
2) Any announcers from other sports that you'd like to see cross over? (N.B. Mike Tirico doesn't count because if we decided right NOW to race vacuum cleaners pulled by teams of Welsh Corgis, he would be called in to be the announcer...and be OK, I think).
3) Who is the absolute WORST announcer of all time in any sport?
Here are my picks:
1) Bob Uecker (maybe just because it's the Indians...but seriously he is a HUGE hero up here) and Vin Scully. I know they are both play-by-play guys, but who cares. I guess Mary could drop in, but it's been so long since he's called a game that matters I worry that might hurt himself.
2) I would love to hear Keith Jackson call a game from the frozen tundra of Coors Field.
3) Though there are many candidates (I'm sure you'll post them), I would like to nominate Dan Hoard, the play-by-play announcer for UC. His annoying "Touchdown Beaaaaaaarcats!" has me almost regretting that the Cats are going to win the Big East and go to a BCS bowl game. Hoard also overshadows Chuck Machock who personally invites you down for a burger in O'Brianville a least a dozen times over each basketball broadcast. Also the rise of Dan Hoard correlates perfectly with the decline of UC basketball...coincidence...I submit that it is NOT.
These are my humble picks...what are yours?
And Hanley...realize that it is possible to pick Harry Carry for questions 1 AND 3.
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7 comments:
I love this discussion.
For number 1) I would like to see Marty call a game with my pick from number 2 which is
number 2) That "Boom goes the Dynamite" kid from the Ball State video which you've all seen. Google it if not. It never gets old. I think Marty could really give that kid some pointers, and on a national stage.
For number 3) I would like to see Dennis Miller, Rush Limbaugh and Tony Kornheiser call a MNF game, because it would be the first time in the history of televised sports that not ONE of the announcers said anything about what was happening on the field. the ENTIRE game would pass without even being commented on. It would be the perfect storm.
Also, I have to say that since my number three was a hypothetical, my ACTUAL most hated announcing team is Musberger and Fouts. Those guys make me want to strangle a puppy.
For everyone who is reading these or posting while the game is going on can we all take a moment and realize that the announcers of the Bungles game today are not actually watching the game, but reading from a script they wrote last night. (eg. they missed a fumble that ended up being overturned without ever showing a replay and never showed a replay of the KC DB go crazy and get 20 yards of penalties because they both coincided with a TV break and they couldn't stray from the schedule) and I think this raises a bigger issue which is the networks decide who they are going to rrot for before the games ever start, and cannot change their minds, just recall the coronation of tony Romo eventhough he singlehandedly almost ruined their chances with 6 turnovers, just a week after the MNF game where they gave us a breakdown of everything in Randy Moss and Tom Brady's closets and how great of kissers they are while just calling the Bungles thugs and disjointed all game. What ever happened to unbiased journalism?
anyway, back to the questions
1: I want to see Bob Costas with the hometown color men of each team in the series (thus making 3 total people with the potential of the 2 color men fighting eachother, could you imagine Joe and Ron Santo going at it?). Besides I think people sleep on how good Costas was in the 90's before NBC lost all relevant non olympic sporting events.
2: Gus Johnson, I know this is poaching from Bill Simmons, but he could make watching paint dry exciting.
3: Brent Musberger and Tim Macarver, no questions asked. Musberger because he only roots for the Big 10 and acts like every 1 yard run is the greatest or worst play in the history of time. and Macarver because i legitimately think he has no idea whats going on.
Gentlemen,
Yes, Harry Caray is a possible answer to questions 1 and 3.
But to answer question number one...
There would be no better tones to hear on a cool crisp autumn evening than the banter of the duo of Bob Costas and Keith Jackson. Of course, we are all Bob Costas fans, but he is excellent and is the only man other than Keith Jackson that epitomizes fall sporting events. For those who watched the "Bronx is Burning", Keith Jackson actually did the World Series for ABC in the 70s.
*Honorable mention for Steve Stone...who may putt from the rough, but is hands down the best color man in baseball.
#2. Give me Michael Hanley...part-time announcer Brentsville District High School Athletics...to do the Cubs and ND games. Can you imagine a more knowledgable or passionate voice?
#3. The worst out there would be Musberger and Joe Morgan. Overexcitement and overanalysis.
Quote Morgan: "Ramirez was able to hit the game winning HR due to his extra application of saltin his pregame meal giving him the needed electrolytes to turn on the baseball."
Responding Quote of Musberger: "ELECTROLYTES JOE! ELECTROLYTES! THATS AMAZING!"
I would pay anything to see Craig Sager announce a fashion show. That would be my pinnacle. Especially if Marv Albert was also doing the play-by-play and starring in the women's lingerie line.
Ian, good call on this subject. Here is an article on the very subject of terrible announcing, this one indicting the TBS crew:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/sp...9sandomir.html
To answer the original questions of the post:
1) Bob Costas, at night, in cold, October weather is what playoff baseball for me is all about. I don't really care who he is paired with, but since I can pick anybody, let's go with the majestic stylings of Vin Scully.
2) My FAVORITE announcers in the world are English soccer announcers. Any of them really (except Tommy Smythe). The way they use hyperbole is utterly breathtaking (wink, wink). They turn every soccer match into a full-fledged dramatical production. And I love it. They need to announce everything. Also, ironically, the one American announcer I love also does soccer. Eric Wynalda is so blunt, so cocky, so apathetic to the announcing norm that it is very refreshing. Football shoutouts to Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Collinsworth, and especially my boy Verne Lundquist. And of course to Miami sports announcers Tim Bray and Steve Baker. I have grown up with them. And David Faherty in golf. I'm done.
3) Worst? Anything Cub, Bearcat, Buckeye, or Steeler related.
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