Fumbling the Mic: Football's 10 Worst TV Commentators

Gray Ghost by Senior Writer Written on August 19, 2008
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The main job of the man behind the microphone at a football game, or at any other sporting event, is to contribute information that is vital to the viewers understanding of the game.

 

Sometimes this deals with more than just what takes place between the lines. Interviews, history, injury reports, and game day analysis -- how the teams match up and what is at stake, all add to the viewers insight and enjoyment of the game.

 

Today, with twenty-four hour coverage just a click-of-the-remote away, we get more opinion and prediction than we do viable information.

 

With so much air-time, we can expect some filler that will contain more fluff than content. It keeps us entertained until the game begins.

 

That brings us to the subject at hand: the personalities that man the microphones and face the cameras during football season.

 

The best TV commentators leave you talking about what you saw during the game, not what you heard from the booth.

 

Radio, of course, is different. The man behind the radio mic has to make you see what is happening down on the field.

 

Some of these camera-loving TV guys would starve to death if they had to paint a picture with words.

 

The broadcast booth and studio are there to assist the fan -- to be an extension of the game, not to provide a platform where has-been players and former coaches jockey for the spotlight.

 

Even the interview should provide information for the fans rather than seeking to advance the personal ego and agenda of the person conducting the interview.

 

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written on August 19, 2008 Rankings/List

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