Favorite Sports Broadcasters

[Lights Out]

Also: Ralph Lawler, who unfortunately doesn't have a "best calls" video yet. He's basically the Clippers' version of Chick Hearn, a guy who's been calling Clipper games forever and has plenty of recognizable catchphrases. Clipper games just wouldn't be the same without Lawler calling them.

[Brave-Bird 08]

Has to be Verne Lundquist. I think most SEC football fans would feel the same way. A Saturday is not complete without sunny weather, good grilled food, brewskies, and the voice of Verne coming through the house speakers...and of course, the CBS jingle!

Verne is just so chill and jolly! He's so endearing, he's like every SEC fans' second grandpa.

and of course Larry Munson, if he was still doing it.

I'm also a huge fan of Georgia Tech broadcaster Wes Durham, who does the Falcons games now.

[charger77]

Bob Cole and Harry Neale

[Cujo]

ALL-TIME

Baseball: Harry Caray

Football: Pat Summerall

Hockey: Gary Thorne

Basketball: Gus Johnson

[infrared41]

My favorite sportscasters are the broadcasters that call all my favorite team's games on local TV or radio <-- archetypal CCSLC response, that is all.

Not in my case. The Indians announcers managed to drive me away from the team. They are the most annoying PBP and color guys in all of sports. Especially that douchebag Rick Manning.

On topic:

Brent Musburger. Say what you want about him but he makes every game seem like a big event. I like that.

Charley Steiner

Vin Scully

Bob Costas

[mania]

The one that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned is Eric Nadel... a true living legend, perhaps better than anybody in sports at being able to paint a picture with words, putting you right there.

Vin Scully, Gus Johnson, Josh Lewin, Jim Nantz, and Jon Miller would also be pretty high on my list.

[mania]

My favorite sportscasters are the broadcasters that call all my favorite team's games on local TV or radio <-- archetypal CCSLC response, that is all.

Not in my case. The Indians announcers have managed to drive me away from the team. They are the most annoying PBP and color guys in all of sports. Especially that douchebag Rick Manning.

Although he was fired recently, thank god, John Rhadigan was a :censored:ing dreadful play by play announcer. He was hired completely inexperienced in the role, had no idea how to read a ball, no idea how to keep conversation going throughout the game, had no on-air chemistry with the color guy, Tom Grieve, no emotion... it was just the worst. I stuck to listening to Eric Nadel and Dave Barnett (who took over for him for the rest of the year) on the radio or even watching the opposing team's broadcast because of how awful he was. Similarly, Barnett will NEVER be in my list of favorites, he's average at best, but man, he sounds like Vin Scully in his prime compared to John :censored:ing Rhadigan.

[smzimbabwe]

I miss Dave Niehaus, best ever...

Keith Jackson was great I thought. I like Dan Fouts, Brent Musberger, and Al Michaels...

God help me, but I didn't mind Dennis Miller at all...

The list of who I can't stand is much, much longer, but I'd have to say that Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, and Gus Johnson all get on my nerves more than anyone else. I'm looking forward to the day when someone invents a device that allows me to reach through the screen and punch an announcer...

[KDubK414]

Speaking locally, I will second the Brian Anderson nod. It took a little while to get used to him because we had the cool laid back, pop culture dropping, excitable Matt Vasgersian when we started getting a majority of the games on TV. Then we had the over the top stylings of Darron Sutton, watching Braves games, I couldn't believe he is actually Don's son. When BA took over he brought a more polished professional style, and I think he needed to adjust into a little more of a homer role. Plus the only thing I heard is that he came from the Golf Channel, so I thought boring right away. But his calls are starting to become iconic, hearing them in ads for MLB Network and on the top plays on either FSN, MLBN, or the four letter. I really like him in the booth paired up with Bill Schroeder is a great tandem. I just fear the other shoe is going to drop one day and he's going to be lured away for a more permanent national gig. As a whole, I think Wisconsin sports fans have been spoiled as of late with excellent broadcasters. Having BA & Rock for TV and Bob Uecker and whoever else in the booth for radio for the Brewers. Ted Davis calling the Bucks on the radio and Jim Pashcke and Jon McLocklin on the TV side. Matt LePage as the voice of UW sports. All the while we've got Wayne Laravee and Larry McCarren voicing the Packers on the radio. I feel we might actually take for granted what we have hear. /end local diatribe

My favorite non-local broadcasters are as follows:

Baseball: Vin Scully, he still hearkens back to the days of baseball's golden age. I hear the voice and get goosebumps. Also Bob Costas for his passion to the game and his knowledge of the history and present day. Aslo Harry Caray, 'nuff said.

Football: Three way tie between John Madden, when he's not playing up the bumbling idiot, although it is good comic releif. Al Michaels just screams big time NFL game. You hear his voice after the intro and you know an epic match-up is going down. Keith Jackson is Football period whether college or pro.

Hockey: Gary Thorne PERIOD.

Basketball: Marv Albert....YES!

[FrankCostanza]

In random order: Ron MacLean, Mike Lange, Bob Costas and Marv Albert.

[neo_prankster]

Charlie Jones

Marv Albert

Pat Summerall

Dick Stockton

Mike "Doc" Emrick

Chris Berman

James Brown

Vin Scully

Dick Enberg

Kevin Harlan

Gus Johnson

Nick Halling (English announcer featured on some WLAF games that FX showed in 96 and 97)

[dfwabel]

My favorite sportscasters are the broadcasters that call all my favorite team's games on local TV or radio <-- archetypal CCSLC response, that is all.

Not in my case. The Indians announcers have managed to drive me away from the team. They are the most annoying PBP and color guys in all of sports. Especially that douchebag Rick Manning.

Although he was fired recently, thank god, John Rhadigan was a :censored:ing dreadful play by play announcer. He was hired completely inexperienced in the role, had no idea how to read a ball, no idea how to keep conversation going throughout the game, had no on-air chemistry with the color guy, Tom Grieve, no emotion... it was just the worst. I stuck to listening to Eric Nadel and Dave Barnett (who took over for him for the rest of the year) on the radio or even watching the opposing team's broadcast because of how awful he was. Similarly, Barnett will NEVER be in my list of favorites, he's average at best, but man, he sounds like Vin Scully in his prime compared to John :censored:ing Rhadigan.

The Rangers should not have gotten rid of Josh Lewin, but since they did they should have at least brought in a guy with a PBP background. Rhadigan was never really cut out to for PBP. While he worked in the Metroplex as a sportscaster for over a decade at KXAS and Fox Sports Southwest, but it was an error to have him try to carry an entire game rather than a pre/post-game show. He can barely fill in for radio shows for three hours. One cannot expect him to be able to do that for 150+ games.

[winghaz]

Of all time, my favorites:

1. Vin Scully. Anyone who doesn't have him on this list needs to listen to him. He has every reason to be a homer, but isn't. Funny part about Vin is he's a native New Yorker and went West with the Dodgers, but comes across as a lifelong Californian. (And I say that in a good way.) One could put up a good argument that Scully is the best sportscaster of all time.

2. Herb Carneal. I'm biased here, being he was the voice of the Twins, but Herb really was fantastic, and the Hall of Fame recognized him as such. Smooth tone. Also every reason to be a homer, but wasn't.

3. Keith Jackson. Just hearing him say Alabama (AAAALLLLLL-uhbama) is enough reason.

4. Pat Summerall. He played in the NFL, but sounded as if he was trained in broadcasting school.

5. Ray Scott. Covered all sports well. I have a personal bias because he was a Twins broadcaster in the 1960s along with Herb Carneal.

One for the fun of it: Lindsey Nelson. I just loved the crispness in his tone. I don't know if I'd put him in my top 10, but he's worth remembering.

[njmeadowlanders]

Vin Scully

Al Michaels

Marv Albert

---

Howie Rose - He's an excellent pxp man for baseball on the radio, and he'd be great for anyone because he's that good, but the fact that he grew up and is a die-hard Mets fan and actually calls their games he can add so much to the broadcast just having such an in-depth knowledge about the history of the franchise. He probably knows more about the Mets than anyone on the planet.

[CS85]

Baseball: Joe Buck. I know some don't like him for whatever reason, but truth of the matter is that he's been the "big game" broadcaster throughout my lifetime, so I usually associate him with great baseball.

Joe Buck could make the greatest, most exciting moments in sports the most flaccid unexciting moments in sports. He's so bland, vanilla, and unresponsive to the amazing things that unfold around him that it ruins everything. He's the Buzz Killington of broadcasters.

They put him on the NFL Pregame show and he was so god awful and clearly not genuine about his energy and passion that they dumped him for Curt Menefee and paired him with equally wooden and concussed-into-emotional-numbness Troy Aikman. This way Buck's colorless and empty broadcasting will only ruin the most anticipated game of the week, instead of relying on him to paint all the week's NFC games with all the zest and excitement of a doorknob.

I don't understand why people love Buck, or even remotely like him. Hearing guys like Gus Johnson bleed their passion through the screen leaves no room for anything less during the heat of an exciting game. Buck basically reads the action on the screen like a court stenographer while his partner self-installs a morphine drip to keep pace with Buck's lifeless murmuring.

For baseball games, sure there's times when you just gotta relax and all that, but for the NFL -give me anyone else, and I mean ANYONE else. I'd rather watch the game on mute.

The only other announcer who is comparably as awful and drab is Bryant Gumbel. He made Thursday Night Football into Thursday Night Yawn. Plus he had no idea who anyone on the field was, how to pronounce their names, or basically anything else.

[marlinfan]

Felo Ramirez. Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Latin Vin Scully. He's been calling games since the 1940s. It is a real joy to listen to him on a nightly basis. He saw Babe Ruth play and once got in a scrum with Humphrey Boggart over a foul ball during the World Series at Yankee Stadium....while he called the game!

[CS85]

Felo Ramirez. Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Latin Vin Scully. He's been calling games since the 1940s. It is a real joy to listen to him on a nightly basis. He saw Babe Ruth play and once got in a scrum with Humphrey Boggart over a foul ball during the World Series at Yankee Stadium....while he called the game!

I can't even understand what he's saying in the slightest and he's still superior to Joe Buck.

[Cosmic]

To me, hockey sounds like Rick Jeanneret.

[FiddySicks]

My favorite sportscasters are the broadcasters that call all my favorite team's games on local TV or radio <-- archetypal CCSLC response, that is all.

Actually, this is not entirely true on my part, because I despise Jon Miller.

Yeah, I think that's pretty obvious. I think a lot of fans like broadcasters who they associate with their team.

I actually really like Jon Miller. I loved him on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball with Joe Morgan, and I loved him on O's radio in the 1990s. He's way better than our current radio guy (Joe Angel) and the current boring guys who do ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Miller and Morgan provided some character.

I wish the O's would take Miller back. I can't stand his style and I can not for the life of me understand why he is revered the way he is. Angel worked for the Giants briefly as well and no he really isn't anything special either.

Gotta disagree with you there, ICS. Miller was great on Sunday Night Baseball and I'm extremely bummed they didn't return this year. The current Sunday Night Baseball team makes it hard to watch games they're so awful. But nobody is better than Kruk and Kuip, IMO. They make Giants games what they are.

[DrAwesomeberry]

The one that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned is Eric Nadel... a true living legend, perhaps better than anybody in sports at being able to paint a picture with words, putting you right there.

Vin Scully, Gus Johnson, Josh Lewin, Jim Nantz, and Jon Miller would also be pretty high on my list.

It's amazing how Nadel is able to convey more statistics and stories than most TV guys despite having to also describe the action.