Favorite Nationally Known Sports Broadcasters

[homer]

One of my all time faves is Gus Johnson. I love how excited he gets in those March Madness games. The way he crescendos his calls is almost legendary.

[brettac1]

Dick Enberg (not so much recently, as age has kind of robbed him of his quickness)

Ron Jaworski

[fondybrewfan]

I always liked Keith Jackson doing football games. I think Al Michaels does a pretty good job as well. I am not a huge fan of anyone over at ESPN but I really like the intensiry that Dickie V brings. I am not really in love with any of the baseball TV guys. Some are good but not so good that I remembered they called the game. I think Troy Aikman is decent but I hate Joe Buck. Dont get me started on Kasper or Brenly.

[PKBadger]

MLB - Jon Miller

 

NBA - Pretty much all the guys on TNT are good - Harlan's my favorite. The caveat here is that I don't care much for the NBA at all, but Harlan (and to a lesser extent, Marv Albert) can make a game more compelling to me.

 

College sports - Musberger/Lavin/Erin Andrews are great. So is Lundquist/Raftery. Gus Johnson, obviously....CBS should pair him with a better color guy though (like Jay Bilas). For football, I like Lundquist/Danielson on CBS the most, it just sucks that they call SEC games that I don't care about. They always make jokes about going out to the bars and getting plowed. Nessler/Griese is good too. Herbstreit is annoying, which disappoints me because I like Musberger so much. Best of all time was Musberger/Danielson with sideline reports from Jack Arute.

[The Active 33]

Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery are the best by far. Raftery's best line is "(insert team)....goes man to man!"

[brettac1]

I like "send it in, (insert player)!". Or "with the kiss!".

 

I should definitely include him on my list, because he's great. Same for Verne.

[TerraceReserved]

Vin Scully is the man.

[GAME05]

as brettac said, i'm a huge fan of Ron Jaworski. what i really like so much is he doesn't talk down to you at all and talks to you like you already understand the game. Jaws makes me smarter by listening to him. he's my Bizarro John Madden.

 

i'm spacing on his name, but the former ESPN guy who does the Dodger games on the radio is pretty good, too. no other comments on him, i just think he's good.

 

the downside to having XM is I don't get to hear Uecker call an away game, but the upside is i get to hear so many different people call games and catch so many different styles.

[trwi7]

Gary Thorne

[Baldkin]

Gus Johnson

 

Hands down.

 

Gus Calling the NCAA's Last Year

[brettac1]

i'm spacing on his name, but the former ESPN guy who does the Dodger games on the radio is pretty good, too. no other comments on him, i just think he's good.

 

Charley Steiner?

 

He just over-romanticizes everything, IMO, and that's the one thing (outside of false excitment) that I hate with announcers. He also makes bizarre analogies like Larry Merchant does.

[BrewCrewForever]

Honestly I like Al Michaels and John Madden on Sunday Night Football. Michaels is very good and Madden is Madden. For baseball I do enjoy Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.

[bucks2281]

Definitely Madden and Michaels on SNF. Al Michaels has a big game voice.

 

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman did a superb job at the Super Bowl last night, too.

 

And, to echo KegStand, TNT does a great job on the NBA. Albert and Harlan do a great job, and the studio team is excellent. I'm not a big NBA guy whatsoever, but TNT's production of the NBA is light years better than ESPN/ABC.

[wisconsinfan47]

Gus Johnson / Bill Raftery would be the most enjoyable CBB broadcast team, by far, for me.

 

From what I've heard, others feel the same way...why doesnt Gus do more March Madness games?

 

I used to like Keith Jackson when he was a regular, too.

[saget]

Gus Johnson and Jaws are my favorites.

[Glennron]

Gus Johnson. I also like the Musburger/Lavin/Andrews team, and not just because of Erin. I'm a Jay Bilas fan, and unlike a lot of people I kind of like Dickie V. Andy Katz, even though he's not really an announcer, is a favorite too. He usually has interesting articles/reports/etc. I guess I mostly watch college basketball...

 

Phil Simms!

[burniebrewer]

I will also pile on in the Gus Johnson love-fest. There were 2 NFL games I'd watch each week on Sunday Ticket--the Eagles game and whatever game Johnson was calling.

 

Some of my favorite announcers are hockey announcers: Mike Emrick, Gary Thorne, Sam Rosen and Steve Levy (when ESPN had hockey).

 

My favorite NFL radio announcer is Eagles voice Merrill Reese.

[Oldcity]

He just over-romanticizes everything, IMO, and that's the one thing (outside of false excitment) that I hate with announcers.

Isn't this called 'pulling a Nantz?'

Guess I'm in the minority when it comes to Raftery. I find him pretty obnoxious. What is 'onions' supposed to mean, anyway? I do like Gus though, especially the maniacal laughter.

[PaulRigdon]

Dick Enberg (not so much recently, as age has kind of robbed him of his quickness)

Dick Enberg is a curse to Wisconsin sports.

 

1:) He did the play by play for the 1982 World Series=Brewers loss

2) Play by Play for Superbowl XXXII=Packers Loss

3)Play by Play for the Marquette v Kansas Final Four game=Marquette Loss

 

Anyone see a pattern here?

 

Stay away from us Dick Enberg!!

 

but he is fantastic!

[TooLiveBrew]

Bob Uecker? Add another vote for Raftery.

 

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman did a superb job at the Super Bowl last night, too.

 

I don't even know what to say... never before have I watched the majority of the Super Bowl with the sound turned off. I kept wishing there was a way to mute just the announcers, as I love the crowd noise(s) of a sporting event. I loathe Buck's son, and Aikman is just... well, no point in me being any more of a jerk than I already have been here.

 

EDIT: On the flip-side of the Fox NFL coin, I think Curt Menefee is spectacular.

[brewcrewreview]

What is your specific problem with Aikman? I think he has been great ever since he started out.

[TooLiveBrew]

Aikman imo just demonstrates every game he does that just because you played (or were really good at) a sport doesn't mean you have any idea how to explain why teams have success or meet with failures. He alway seems to be talking about things like a player's 'mentality' & how guys are 'winners.' I just get tired of him - sure, those things are important to a degree, but coming from what's sure to be a HoF former QB, I'd love to hear about a guy's throwing mechanics or footwork or progression on certain plays' reads (or O-line protections & schemes)... he just brings fluff so much more than substance imo.

[brewcrewreview]

You got to remember though with guys like Aikman and Madden, they are coloring the number one games for their network. These games attract the most casual fans, so many of the fans watching are not into, understand, and even care about mechanics and the specifics of the game.

The thing that creeps me out about Aikman is how freakishly long his fingers are when he's on camera. It's especially scary on HD.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Although he was overshadowed by the atrosciously bad Bryant Gumbel, Cris Collinsworth is an exceptional color commentator. He alone made games covered by the NFL Network watchable. I really wish either Fox or CBS would hand him a huge paycheck to join their #1 game team. Maybe pair him with Dick Stockton or Enberg.

[brewcrewreview]

Excellent point Ralph. I agree that Collinsworth is exceptional.