John madden

[quantum]

In his last year, Pat Summerall was painful to watch.  I thought he was good in his prime.  He probably should have quit a couple years before he and Madden split up.

As far as the best commentating team, you have to go with the ESPN crew.  The guys just seem to complement each other's skills and personalities.

[NJTank]

ESPN announcer I cant stand Joe Thiesman he annoys the hell out of me.

CBS Phill Simms is good, but he would be better witha better PBP guy Gumbell makes allot of mistakes.

FOx Aikman sounds good, Collinsworth is a blithering idiot and Joe Buck shows us why Nepatism is a very bad thing. He is without a doubt the worst announcer in the history of network sports. He is irritating in basbeall, nad clueless in football. I just wish someone would shove that cell phone he calls cleberties with during games where the sun dont shine.

ABC Al Michales is a legend and him and Madden work great togther. Madden was gret with Summeral he is better with Michaels. MNF is great again as long as they keep this team together.

[Stampman]

You want bad--check out CBC coverage of the CFL--at least they've started to get some new people in--now if I never see or hear Don Wittman or Steve Armitage broadcasting another sports event again--that would make me happy.

BTW Madden can wear on you, but overall I like him.

[Puckguy14]

Collinsworth is brutal.  He's only there because Bradshaw couldn't stand him in the studio.  Plus you can hear a little bias coming out of that guy especially during 49er games.  He's still bitter over the two Super Bowls he lost.    

Madden is great, but he can get a little old at times.

[Pat]

Sure maddens sometimes obvious, and simple but i like him. Listening to a football game with John Madden and Al Michaels is awesome. Hes a great football personality.

I hate cris collinsworth as well. Hes so dumb, He says dumb things, you can tell joe and troy want to kick his ass(like all of us) and he talks just for the sake of hearing his own voice.

CBS is sorta plain, theyre okay i guess, and I like ESPNs coverage. They sounds good together.

[Brian in Boston]

As someone who has worked in the field of sports journalism/broadcasting, IMHO John Madden is THE most over-rated analyst in the history of sports broadcasting.

Madden is the classic example of what is wrong with modern sports broadcasting as a whole: the "Broadcaster as Center of Attention Syndrome". There was a time when John Madden was nothing more than a reasonably informative diversion on the broadcasts of the games he worked. Then he began to "amp up" the eccentricity of his signature style ("Boom!") until he finally became a gross caricature of himself. This begat the smug, "amateur hour" comedy of ESPN's SportsCenter (which can never be forgiven for foisting the insufferable Craig Kilborn on the world) and has now gone too far when the likes of Madden and his "dog-and-pony show" are considered the epitome of quality sports broadcasting. The viewing audience has been led to believe that the broadcasters and their antics are bigger than the games they're covering. WRONG! I'm a sports fan and I tuned-in to WATCH THE GAME, not some lame-@$$ sports version of "MAD TV".

Speaking of which, you know that you have made the transition from so-called sports broadcast "icon" to a parody of yourself when the likes of "MAD TV" cast-member Frank Caliendo is impersonating you in a less-than-flattering manner on a "car-wreck" like "The FOX NFL Pre-Game Show". Sure, Al Michaels and John Madden seem like the zenith of sports broadcasting... but only when you compare them to "James Brown and the Famous Lames" (with apologies to "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business" and his "righteous R&B crew"). Then again, compared to the "Four Stooges", a game broadcast entirely by Eric Dickerson would be a treat.

You know that this so-called "sports broadcasting" has gotten out of hand when FOX Sports Net produces an abberation purporting to be "The Best Damn Sports Show", and it "stars"... Tom Arnold. Please! Tom Arnold's career is one of the Seven Signs of the impending Apocalypse.

Bottom line: When I want comedy I'll tune to Comedy Central or head out to a comedy club. When I want sports, just give me the pertinent information in a professional manner... PERIOD!

Brian in Boston

[Phil]

Come on now BIB, tell us how you really feel.

I disagree with you in that you seem to think that's a bad thing, whereas I find it relatively entertaining. Sports and humor go well together I find. But hey, you may not like it, and that's your right.

CBC's CFL coverage is pretty weak... Chris Cuthbert is the only saving grace, what with his interestingly high voice, he's still a great PBP man.

However, TSN's football coverage is excellent. The in-studio panel of Climie, Dunigan, and Schultz isn't bad (not outstanding, but they make some good points), but I've never like Dave Randorf. The gameday guys are quite good though... John Wells and Glen Suitor call a solid game.

[bods39]

I agree Gary Thorne does a great job, as well as Steve Levy. John Davidson color work is palatable but he misses a lot.

I also like Darren Pang, his genuine enthusiasm is contagious

as you watch the game. I've always thought ESPN's Jack Edwards does great job with everything he does, little league baseball, sumo or log rolling, he's always knowledgable

and makes things interesting.

[Brian in Boston]

Now, you're talking! Jack Edwards is one of THE most under-rated sports broadcasters working in the industry today. However, you won't see him get showered with accolades because he's all about substance... as opposed to "schtick".

Brian in Boston

[bods39]

ditto to you BIB, glad to see someone else notices and appreciates him.

[KingGoose]

John Madden  Is nothing but a FAT BLOB that Likes to PLay with his Pen and show how he would run pLays,  P.S. THANK GOD HE's NOT on FOR THANKSGIVING ANYMORE

WE KNOW  JOHN THE TURKEY HAS 6 LEGS

[JQK]

John Madden Is nothing but a FAT BLOB that Likes to PLay with his Pen and show how he would run pLays, P.S. THANK GOD HE's NOT on FOR THANKSGIVING ANYMORE

WE KNOW JOHN THE TURKEY HAS 6 LEGS

ooooooh Logos your pushing it.....

[KingGoose]

John Madden is a really really bad football commentator, he's just so stupid, anyone agree?

Just Going with the Flow

The Man Is bad.

 

Now his Games  they Rock

But He Don't.

I wonder How they get thoes extra 4 legs on that Turkey?

[slapshot]

two words: mutant turkeys

[JQK]

Tur-Duck-en. The man is a genius.

And one hell of a football commentator. He knows more about football than everyone on this board combined.

[Stampman]

Come on now BIB, tell us how you really feel.

I disagree with you in that you seem to think that's a bad thing, whereas I find it relatively entertaining. Sports and humor go well together I find. But hey, you may not like it, and that's your right.

CBC's CFL coverage is pretty weak... Chris Cuthbert is the only saving grace, what with his interestingly high voice, he's still a great PBP man.

However, TSN's football coverage is excellent. The in-studio panel of Climie, Dunigan, and Schultz isn't bad (not outstanding, but they make some good points), but I've never like Dave Randorf. The gameday guys are quite good though... John Wells and Glen Suitor call a solid game.

I agree TSN is much better, unfortunately I may not have cable next season--AARGH!

[NJTank]

Sportscenter has really gone down the tubes. I compltly agree, half the time the catch phrases seemed forced, and Stuart Scott is terrible.

When he first did Boo Ya it was not bad, but now it has gotten old and tired.

[JQK]

Sportscenter has really gone down the tubes.

Tubes?

What Tubes? I don't see any tubes.

I havn't seen Tube One...

We are essentially, tubeless...

[paynomind]

I like Madden. A successful coach, insider info, greta insight, distictive voice, fun catch phrases. Over-rated? Probably. Increase my enjoymen tof the game? You betcha.

Al Michaels, I like. Summerall - incredible voice, not a lot interesting to say. Collinsworth, knows his stuff, but whata  huge . Aikman, occational good point, mostly nothing. I thought the best was when Boone commentated for baseball playoffs. He said, like, three words. I think Buck had to kick him to get him to respond. Buck will be around a long time in baseball and football. He's young, talented, with a great voice. I love his sence of humor.

Speaking of annoying... Call me sexist, but when i turned on bowl games this year, and whoever that butch woman is who was doing the announcing, I had to turn off the sound. I could not STAND her. Suzy COlber is the only women in sports coverage who has any damn idea what the piss she is talkign about.