worst and favorite sports announcers

[paul secor]

A couple of favs first (always good to be positive):

Loved listening to Red Barber when I was a kid, even though I was a Giants fan and not a Yankee fan back then. Great voice, and knew how to turn a phrase.

Miss hearing Jim Kaat now, but he deserves a well earned retirement after all the years he spent in baseball. I learned things from comments he made, though I felt that when he was broadcasting for the Yankees, he might have held back sometimes because there were people from the front office listening. Besides his baseball knowledge, he always came across as a truly nice guy.

Can't stand:

Dick Vitale - THE WORST - the asshole of assholes. I change the channel as soon as I see/hear him.

Brent Musburger - had to look him up on google to find the correct spelling of his name - If there were such a thing as talking Wonder Bread, he'd be it.

Phil Rizzuto - RIP, but he talked about everything but the game.

Bob Murphy - BORING

Tom Seaver - Just as BORING

Walt Frazier - If he didn't bring his dictionary and/or thesaurus with him, he'd have nothing to say.

[alocispepraluger102]

A couple of favs first (always good to be positive):

Loved listening to Red Barber when I was a kid, even though I was a Giants fan and not a Yankee fan back then. Great voice, and knew how to turn a phrase.

Miss hearing Jim Kaat now, but he deserves a well earned retirement after all the years he spent in baseball. I learned things from comments he made, though I felt that when he was broadcasting for the Yankees, he might have held back sometimes because there were people from the front office listening. Besides his baseball knowledge, he always came across as a truly nice guy.

Can't stand:

Dick Vitale - THE WORST - the asshole of assholes. I change the channel as soon as I see/hear him.

Brent Musburger - had to look him up on google to find the correct spelling of his name - If there were such a thing as talking Wonder Bread, he'd be it.

Phil Rizzuto - RIP, but he talked about everything but the game.

Bob Murphy - BORING

Tom Seaver - Just as BORING

Walt Frazier - If he didn't bring his dictionary and/or thesaurus with him, he'd have nothing to say.

comments at once hilarious and apt! amen.

when the winter is deep, the nights are long, and there is no fresh monk or jean phillipe rameau for the turntable, when one longs to hear the crack of bat on ball accompanied by ancient cherished voices, suddenly fresh, describing the antics of heroes of long ago, this site is a cherished island:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/baseballs_best/index.jsp

Edited November 13, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Tim McG]

Any Bay Area resident remember that idiot who did the Giants games for a few years? If you were there, you know who I mean. I want to say it was Ron Fairly, but I'm not sure. The guy who made such classic calls as the one when the outfielder's head hit the fence and then rolled back into the infield...

Ron Fairly....and ex-[hated] Dodger would be the correct answer.

Figures.

[Tim McG]

Can't stand:

Dick Vitale - THE WORST - the asshole of assholes. I change the channel as soon as I see/hear him.

The biggest.

Al Micheals would be a close arrogant second.

[Christiern]

I don't follow sports, but I generally find the sportscasters to be loud-mouthed and obnoxious. That said, I have worked with a few sports people in my time (Kyle Rote, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford come to mind) and they were all nice guys. I think Bob Costas is a good interviewer and I used to enjoy his non-sports interview show. I also worked with John Facenda, who was the Cronkite of Philly (without he brain) and, I understand, a sports voice (football?). He was also a nice guy, but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

[alocispepraluger102]

I don't follow sports, but I generally find the sportscasters to be loud-mouthed and obnoxious. That said, I have worked with a few sports people in my time (Kyle Rote, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford come to mind) and they were all nice guys. I think Bob Costas is a good interviewer and I used to enjoy his non-sports interview show. I also worked with John Facenda, who was the Cronkite of Philly (without he brain) and, I understand, a sports voice (football?). He was also a nice guy, but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

costas had a fine nonsports radio interview show, as did howard cosell(speaking of everything). howard conducted the interviews in a very low key, most thoughtful way, without any of the b.s and hype, and he did the show for years. that was the side of howard cosell i like best.

[Randy Twizzle]

I don't follow sports, but I generally find the sportscasters to be loud-mouthed and obnoxious. That said, I have worked with a few sports people in my time (Kyle Rote, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford come to mind) and they were all nice guys. I think Bob Costas is a good interviewer and I used to enjoy his non-sports interview show. I also worked with John Facenda, who was the Cronkite of Philly (without he brain) and, I understand, a sports voice (football?). He was also a nice guy, but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

John Facenda was the Voice of God for NFL films. He's been dead for over 20 years but that voice has NEVER DIED.

[Tim McG]

I don't follow sports, but I generally find the sportscasters to be loud-mouthed and obnoxious. That said, I have worked with a few sports people in my time (Kyle Rote, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford come to mind) and they were all nice guys. I think Bob Costas is a good interviewer and I used to enjoy his non-sports interview show. I also worked with John Facenda, who was the Cronkite of Philly (without he brain) and, I understand, a sports voice (football?). He was also a nice guy, but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

John Facenda was the Voice of God for NFL films. He's been dead for over 20 years but that voice has NEVER DIED.

Neither has Mel Allen's voice as the announcer/voice-over for This Week in Baseball..

"How about that...?"

RIP.

Edited November 14, 2007 by GoodSpeak

[Christiern]

He had some difficulty with words. I remember time when he was delivering the TV news (at WCAU, where we worked) and he mentioned an East European politician. "It was he, as you may recall, who last year defecated to the West."

[Tim McG]

He had some difficulty with words. I remember time when he was delivering the TV news (at WCAU, where we worked) and he mentioned an East European politician. "It was he, as you may recall, who last year defecated to the West."

We all trip over words from time to time.

I do HS football and baseball games as the stadium PA announcer. Sometimes the names are just plain unpronounceable.

It happens.

[Patrick]

Perhaps only folks in Ohio will recognize the name, but one of the current all-time greats for basketball radio play-by-play is Joe Tait. Legitimately in the same category as Chick Hearn and Johnny Most (...just in a much smaller market with much less NBA success). Initially recommended to ownership by original Cleveland Cavaliers coach Bill Fitch. After the '80-'81 season, was fired by the all-time worst owner in any team sport, Ted Stepien (RIP). Returned to announce Cavaliers games two seasons later (after working for the Nets and then Bulls), and is still doing games today. Tait works by himself and tells you everything you need to know about the game, and little else. If you turn on a game midstream, you will know the score very quickly and how the teams are performing with no guesswork. It's unfortunate that the radio and television feeds are not in sync. After listening to both, you have great reason to believe that this incongruence is on purpose (...so that folks will actually listen to the tv guys).

Great Joe Tait calls

[Aggie87]

He had some difficulty with words. I remember time when he was delivering the TV news (at WCAU, where we worked) and he mentioned an East European politician. "It was he, as you may recall, who last year defecated to the West."

We all trip over words from time to time.

I do HS football and baseball games as the stadium PA announcer. Sometimes the names are just plain unpronounceable.

It happens.

I think you should re-read Chris' post. It has nothing to do with mispronouncing someone's name.

[alocispepraluger102]

Perhaps only folks in Ohio will recognize the name, but one of the current all-time greats for basketball radio play-by-play is Joe Tait. Legitimately in the same category as Chick Hearn and Johnny Most (...just in a much smaller market with much less NBA success). Initially recommended to ownership by original Cleveland Cavaliers coach Bill Fitch. After the '80-'81 season, was fired by the all-time worst owner in any team sport, Ted Stepien (RIP). Returned to announce Cavaliers games two seasons later (after working for the Nets and then Bulls), and is still doing games today. Tait works by himself and tells you everything you need to know about the game, and little else. If you turn on a game midstream, you will know the score very quickly and how the teams are performing with no guesswork. It's unfortunate that the radio and television feeds are not in sync. After listening to both, you have great reason to believe that this incongruence is on purpose (...so that folks will actually listen to the tv guys).

Great Joe Tait calls

agreed.

i thought the younger joe was even better.

[Christiern]

He had some difficulty with words. I remember time when he was delivering the TV news (at WCAU, where we worked) and he mentioned an East European politician. "It was he, as you may recall, who last year defecated to the West."

We all trip over words from time to time.

I do HS football and baseball games as the stadium PA announcer. Sometimes the names are just plain unpronounceable.

It happens.

I think you should re-read Chris' post. It has nothing to do with mispronouncing someone's name.

Thank you Aggie87. Besides, John's slip-ups were frequent.

[Tim McG]

He had some difficulty with words. I remember time when he was delivering the TV news (at WCAU, where we worked) and he mentioned an East European politician. "It was he, as you may recall, who last year defecated to the West."

We all trip over words from time to time.

I do HS football and baseball games as the stadium PA announcer. Sometimes the names are just plain unpronounceable.

It happens.

I think you should re-read Chris' post. It has nothing to do with mispronouncing someone's name.

Got it.

I was referring to the difficulties an announcer sometimes encounters when speaking during a game. Mispronounciation is but one aspect of that. Word jumble happens, too.

[7/4]

but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

I know someone like that.

[Christiern]

I wasn't referring to Brokaw , but there are many like that--they love the sound of their own vice.

[7/4]

but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

I wasn't referring to Brokaw , but there are many like that--they love the sound of their own vice.

Nah...I was thinking of someone around here.

cough, cough...Dan....cough, clears throat...Dan...

[Dan Gould]

but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

I wasn't referring to Brokaw , but there are many like that--they love the sound of their own vice.

Nah...I was thinking of someone around here.

cough, cough...Dan....cough, clears throat...Dan...

What the hell are you talking about? I don't get VO gigs because of my 'radio voice' - I get them because of my ability to deliver different reads for different copy. Hardly anyone in voiceovers gets jobs because of their "announcer voice" anymore. The John Facenda "Voice of God" thing is no longer what most producers want.

[7/4]

I wasn't referring to your voice Dan.

[Dan Gould]

I wasn't referring to your voice Dan.

Then what does this refer to, fuck face?

but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

I know someone like that.

[7/4]

I wasn't referring to your voice Dan.

Then what does this refer to, fuck face?

but somewhat full of himself and clearly in his position due solely to a good radio voice.

I know someone like that.

[Tim McG]

Um.

I'd like to think I have a nice sounding voice....