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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...

Fumbling the Mic: Football's 10 Worst TV Commentators

by Gray Ghost (Senior Writer)

99

2937 reads

Rankings/List

August 19, 2008


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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99 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. ...

    When Brent Musburger is calling a game I just turn the sound completely off, when Holtz talks I change the channel.

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      Thats funny! Who's your favorite?

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      I'm not sure Keith Jackson will ever really be replaced. I didn't like his analysis of the Terry Porter flag in the Fiesta Bowl when he said "ya' know Dan, it could have been a hold he saw". Fouts quickly replied "Keith, that was a bad call, he said pass interference"
      Mike Patrick, Herbstreit, Joe Buck when he doesn't gush over the moment too much....

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    I enjoyed the article, but how can you leave of Randy Cross? That guy is one of the worst color guys I've had to put up with. He can't even get players names right... I mean come on, I feel there must be some cardinal rule in sports broadcasting that the least you have to do is get players names right!

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    Whoa! You forgot one major broadcaster: Pam Ward. The absolute worst sportscaster out there. She was so bad she spawned the awfulannouncing blog.

    I remember last season, she was watching a running back lose the ball, and his knee was DOWN before the ball came out. Her take? (Paraphrased) No doubt, that's a fumble. he had control of the ball and then lost it." ESPN 2 must be so proud!

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      Lisa, I can see this should have been the top 25 list. Limiting it to just 10 is depriving some of well earned recognition among the worst.

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      does that mean we should kick ralph kner of the air as well?
      he has bells palsy and his tougher to understand then anybody
      but the man can tell a story

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      Couldn't agree more. Pam Ward is the worst, and to hear a female agree makes it even better.

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      I agree with Trey - I'm happy to hear a female agree that Pam Ward is completely worthless. I used to dread having her and Mike Gottfried do Illinois games on ESPN2 back when Illinois sucked. Dread.

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      Randy Cross is awful. Ron Jaworski is worse though. He accentuates every syllable and brings his voice to a uncomfortably loud pitch every sentence. He is very unnatural. Kornheiser has nothing to say but at least he doesn't use a fake voice like Jaworski.

      MNF would be so much more enjoyable with Tirico by himself. Who needs the extra blah blah blah.

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    funny stuff.....I like Gary Danielson however I hate Verne Lundquist

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    Great article Ghost. I agree with most of the list. Randy Cross would be a good addition... Ron Jaworski gets on my nerves too.

    I think Holtz should top the list.... he is absolutley TERRIBLE. It is an absolute JOKE that ESPN would put him on the air.

    Gumble is the most arrogant ever. I love the Lampley comments. Bob Costas is another one who can come across as arrogant, altough I like him for the most part.

    I miss Skip Carey too. He was always good for a chuckle, and always told it like it was.

    Keep up the good work.

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      Dawg, Lou is a genuinely nice guy that I think would do anything for you. Gumble is arrogant and sullen. Costas is smoother than most. He transitions from subject to sunbject very well.

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    Nice article Ghost. Couldn't agree more on #1. Lundquist can sure ruin a good game too.
    Unlike most, I can tolerate Lou on ESPN. Maybe its because Lou almost seems to be making fun of himself. For the others on the list, as you nicely put it, "the irritation of their 'I’m always right' personality" gets to me.

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    I actually like Holtz, lisp aside. I can't stand Herbstreit most of the time when he actually announces... Dennis Miller was hilarious to listen to, but Joe Theisman is probably a bigger tool than anyone else.

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    Lou is most intelligent college football announcer ESPN has. To deny this as truth is ignorant. Sure, he has a bias in his support of ND, but he almost has to in order to keep the constant bashing from Mark May at check.

    He has turned every program he has touched into gold, save for the Jets and South Carolina. His knowledge of the game is far more profound than you could ever fathom.

    Perhaps you should change the title of your article to annoying rather than worst, because listing Holtz's name in the ranks of one of the "worst" commentators reflects your lack of football knowledge. He actually understands the game and it's not his fault that you do not.

    Read a book or watch a game or two. Maybe then you could understand his commentary.

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      Brian-

      One can be truly brilliant in coaching and have a great mind, but have poor broadcasting skills. The guy has a lispy speech, and that impediment, unfortunately, doesn't play well on TV.

      Does that he mean he doesn't know what he's talking about? No. Does it mean he's hard to understand? Yes. And in the broadcasting industry, that's very important.

      I guess you have to give him credit for achieving as much as he has with that disability, but that doesn't mean we have to like his vocal takes.

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      Brian. What book would such a wise sage as yourself recommend for such a young pup as I?

      I am sure you realize that many people disagree with you on Lou. They are not all "ignorant", they just have a different opinion than yours. As you grow older you will realize that everyone doesn't have to see eye-to-eye with you. As you learn to respect others opinion, they will in turn respect yours.

      This list had a bit of humor to it, so don't get too serious about it. I would be interested in seeing the 10 you would have included if you have time to let me know.

      Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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      Brian,
      "He has turned every program he has touched into gold, save for the Jets and South Carolina"? What about Minnesota, which he left with multiple NCAA violations as he sailed off into better waters? The only gold he created at Minnesota was fools gold.
      Lou Holtz is the reason I'm a firm believer that the coach of a dirty program should suffer penalties just as harsh as the ones they saddle their programs with.

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      In Lou's first season at Minnesota they went 4-7: hardly call for cheer. Next season he turned things around, guiding them to a 6-5 record and a bowl appearance (which he did not coach) before leaving for Notre Dame.

      You might say that a 4-7 and 6-5 are not "gold" but he helped field a competitive team that actually drew fan interest. From 1984 to 1985 the increase in fan attendance was almost 10,000 per game!

      So from a coaching standpoint, yes he did about as good of a job as anybody could have done.

      I believe that coaches who leave their programs a mess should face some consequences, but do you have any suggestions for doing so? Also, what were the violations at Minnesota?

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      Holtz was accused of giving cash to a few of the players on the team in 1984 and 1985.
      My solution for punishing coaches is pretty straight forward - If a coach is found to have committed violations at a school, the coach should have an equivalent punishment follow him if he leaves to take a coaching position at another school. (Somewhat similar to what happened to Kelvin Sampson after he left Oklahoma for Indiana a couple of years ago.) In other words, if you're the coach of a team, and your program is found guilty of major NCAA infractions and loses 5 scholarships for the next two years and is barred from post-season play for two years, and you resign (or get fired) and then take a position at another school, those lost scholarships and post-season restrictions should be applied to the school that hires you as well. If you leave for another school before the violations come out, and the program is punished for things that occured during your watch, your new school should receive the same punishment until you resign or lose your job.
      I've never fully understood why the NCAA punishes programs years after violations occurred. In most cases all of the offending players are gone, and the coaches may be as well. I do think that the universities should be punished as a deterrent, and because they are ultimately responsible for policing their programs, but why punish athletes that had nothing to do with the violations? This would be like you buying a car that had been used in a bank robbery, and then having police put you in jail for the robbery and allowing the actual robber to live free with a new car.
      Also, in years past, coaches in charge when violations took place, were allowed to leave scot-free and take a position at a new school with no consequences. In my opinion, the coaches should be the final authority on the state of their programs. Ultimately, it is they who are either fully aware of what is going on, or turning a blind eye to the actions of boosters and alumni. They are also the ones who tend to benefit the most. Sure, alumni may get to brag about how well their alma mater is faring, but its the coaches who end up with the 7 figure salaries, shoe deals, speaking engagements, and camps. Shouldn't they also suffer the worst consequences?

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      A.J., excellent comment. I couldn't agree more! The coaches should carry the penalties with them when the high-tail it to another school. The NCAA has some wierd rules in my opinion.

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      The article was not about "who had the most football knowledge". It was about the worst commentators. And Lou Holtz is horrible, I think he is about 1-30 on his upset pics. He will not choose anybody playing against South Carolina. It is ridiculous. On a side note he talks like he's trying to keep his false teeth in his mouth. I am not questioning his knowledge of football, bc he is one of the best...

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      Couldn't agree more with your comment, AJ. Not all coaches who have left dirty programs have gotten away scot-free. Take a look at SMU's Bobby Collins (head coach during the death penalty).

      Rick Neuheisel had a hard time finding employment until just recently, even though his infractions merely consisted of participating in an office pool at Washington.

      You're right, though. For the most the people responsible for infractions are long gone by the time investigations are finished and punishments are handed out. It is unfortunate and perhaps unfair, but what would the alternative be? Lets say a dirty coach got a job at a new school. Would that school or the coach be punished?

      It's an imperfect system but until someone comes up with a better idea to hold those responsible for the infractions accountable the NCAA will stick with the status quo.

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    Brian. What book would such a wise sage as yourself recommend for such a young pup as I?

    I am sure you realize that many people disagree with you on Lou. They are not all "ignorant", they just have a different opinion than yours. As you grow older you will realize that everyone doesn't have to see eye-to-eye with you. As you learn to respect others opinion, they will in turn respect yours.

    This list had a bit of humor to it, so don't get too serious about it. I would be interested in seeing the 10 you would have included if you have time to let me know.

    Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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      Perhaps my comment was a little harsh, and for that I apologize. I still stand by my contention that Lou is one of the brightest minds in football, though. Lisa makes a good point about how having a great mind doesn't necessarily translate into broadcasting success.

      Wins, Losses, and Lessons is an autobiography written by Lou a few years ago. If you have spare time I would definitely recommend checking it out, especially since it is lisp free.

      As far as my top 10 goes I will have to get back to you on that. However, Steve Young and Dan Fouts would probably be included.

      Thanks for the remarks.

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      Thanks Brian. No problem. I really do like Lou personally, and he is definitely one of the good guys in the broadcast business.

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    I like Gary and Verne. Gery breaks down a game very well, though he tends to gush about the team in the lead. Verne is like your kind old great uncle who sometimes forgets your name; maybe a little senile, but still lovable.

    Pam Ward is indeed terrible, but those hideously boring 12:00 Big Ten games deserve her. Brent Musberger can be tolerable sometimes, but he loves Pete Carroll and Bobby Bowden way too much. I can deal with Lou Holtz, but Mark May's USC fixation is a bit much to stomach.

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    David, my guess is you like Verne because he "gushes" over Tebow like a school girl... I'm just sayin'.

    A couple to add... in my opinion.

    Bill Walton
    Keith Oberman

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    Great article, Ghost. There is nothing more painful than having to deal with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson during SEC games. They ruin it!

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    i'll watch any sport with jeff van gundy and bela karolyi as the color commentators. in fact, add gus johnson as your play by play guy and i'll watch water polo with them doing the broadcast.

    in all seriousness, i could not agree more with gumbel and collinsworth. randy cross too. i can't stand all three of them.

    and although i might take some flack for this, on the college end, i really liked ron franklin when he used to do espn evening games.

    if i had to disagree with one on this list, it would be lampley, i kinda like him.

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    I haven't much cared for Joe Buck ever since this moment.

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmqGg6Ccvw

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    I can't stand Joe Buck. I can't stand Lee Corso either. Gumbel is annoying, and I can't stand arrogance.

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    where is herbie? stop ghost writing herbie. come out come out

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    Lou has to be top of the list. I used to at least respect Mark May, but recently I think Lou has spit so much on May due to the lisp that May has been infected and is now a product of the Holtz disease, infecting anyone who fails to bring an umbrella with them to the studio. Watch out Reece Davis, you'll be next!

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    haha this was great. Any nominations for Rush Limbaugh?

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    Wait a second. Where was the ultimate idiot (John Madden) and the ultimate drunk (Larry Merchant)?

    Maddden broadcasts games as if he's speaking to 3-year olds. "If the Vikings score more points than the Packers, then the Vikings will win the game". "What they really need here is a touchdown". Really? Thanks John for the insight on how the game works. What a waste of space. And God forbid there is a penalty on the play. "Let's rewind that play for the 700th time and let me explain what happened to all the kids out there watching".

    And Number 1, without a doubt, hands down, no argument is Larry "The Lush" Merchant. How this guy has kept his job is beyond me. What a fool.

    It's a real shame that science can't clone Keith Jackson and put him on every station to cover every sporting event. I actually heard Keith Jackson say this prior to a college football kickoff, "The grass is green, the birds are chirping and everybody's happy". Keith, with you calling a game, you're damn right we're happy.

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      Jackson is in a class by himself. Your comments on Merchant were hilarious and true. I tried to confine this list to guys who covered football at some point. If we get into boxing -- what about Teddy Atlas? Absolutely horrible!

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    This article is great as well as hilarious. I must say my vote would go towards Lou Holtz. Great coach back in the day, but wow as a commentator, half the time i think he's drunk. Everytime i watch College Football Live and he's on there, it almost ruins my day. Haha, great article.

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    Pam Ward was THE WORST. i must agree with ur picks though. they deserve that title. how bout making the best commentators?

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    Ghost, you know you just put Todd Blackledge in there because he beat Georgia and Herschel Walker to win the national championship.

    I'll look at the remaining college football announcers and rate them from zero stars to five stars.

    Jim Lampley- I thought he was a boxing announcer. I know he broke the story in late '81 that put Clemson on 3 years of probabtion. He was the scoreboard man for college football back then. He reads college football scores well off the board. half a star.

    Gary Danielson- He equates everything to what happened when he was growing up in Michigan and playing Big10 football at Purdue. He seems out of his element around the southern culture. zero stars.

    Vern Lundquist- Typical numbers man, boring and you lose interest in what he's saying but, you don't want to be mean to him because he can't help it. half a star out of pity.

    Lou Holtz- I like Lou Holtz as a coach. 3 stars as a coach, half a star as an announcer.

    Good Announcers include Dan Fouts and Tim Brandt. Others are... well, I like Fouts and Brandt. 3 stars

    My all-time favorite announcers are #1- Lindsey Nelson, #2- Bill Fleming, #3- Keith Jackson. My all-time favorite color analysts are #1-Bud Wilkinson, #2-Ara Parseghian, #3- Frank Broyles. On the radio of today I like Eli Gold. Gold was born in Brooklyn, New York but became immersed in southern culture and is everything a radio man should be. I give all of these people 5 stars.

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      BT, That hurts! Did you have to bring up that loss?

      You were very gracious to give Lundquist a half a star -- even out of pity!

      Speaking of radio: One of the sad realizations for Georgia fans is that Larry Munsons days in the booth are winding down. He has been a great one! Thanks for the comments. I enjoyed them.

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      Munson was the best for a long, long time. He stayed under control. I remember listening to the Herschel beats Bo game in 1982 (19-14) on radio and he was insightful, emotional, and informative. All good qualities.

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      When we would gather to watch the DAWGS, we would turn thr TV down and listen to Munson on the radio. He always began with "Get the picture...", and would he ever paint one!

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    Nice shout out to Lindsey Nelson, first play by play guy for the Vol network, also has the baseball stadium named after him

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    What a few games on the Big Ten Network - especially if you can catch a really juicy one like Indiana vs. Northwestern. I don't even know who some of these guys are that do the games but they can be awful.

    Just wait until all the Big 6 conferences get their own networks. We'll have a bevy of employed, ex-jock, communications majors behind the mics. Oye vey.

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    I agree with this list. The main reason I don't like Jim Lampley is his arrogance. Lou Holtz is terrible. I would also add Mark May to the list. He never gives certain teams credit even though they deserve it. (example: UGA last year)

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      Scott, please go light on the UGA criticisms.............it could come back to haunt you this year. We shall see. VERY tough schedule for the DAWGS.

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    Lou Holtz is a national treasure.

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    This list has to include Kornheiser. He is beyond brutal in the booth. I am disappointed because i have always liked him everywhere else - on the radio, his columns and PTI. but for MNF, he does not belong and has not improved at all in his two years doing it.

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      My thoughts exactly. Whether people like Theismann or not, Kornheiser was the reason he left MNF because even he said Kornheiser was too full of himself. To be honest, ever since ESPN got MNF, I haven't been thrilled with any of their broadcasters. . . .

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    am i the only person who doesn't like lee corso? gumble is terrible as is kornheiser

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      Thanks DJ. Korso almost made my list for impersonating a broadcaster. He does attract those who are channel surfing for a sitcom.

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    The problem with a lot of these guys is they're not as good as who used to be doing it - I liked Sean McDonough more than Verne Lundquist (though I still like Verne), and say what you will about Blackledge, but no one makes more excuses for a quarterback than Danielson - he blames receivers more than anyone I know. And the fact that Ron Franklin doesn't get to call the primetime ESPN game anymore is a complete joke, especially when the guy that's doing it now wants to talk about Britney Spears during overtime.

    John Ward for life.

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      Brilliant, Will (as usual). Ron Franklin is indeed an outstanding announcer of college football and should be the prime time person for ESPN.

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      Will, agreed. Franklin is excellent. I am not sure why some of these guys are given the big mic. It's not like there are no good ones available.

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    have to drop Ron Jaworski's name out there. Anytime, anywhere, Oakland plays, and Ron shows up, he always has nothing good to say. Even when they were winning. I guess getting throttled by us in the Super Bowl, he still harbors ill feelings to being owned.

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    The best Bryant Gumbel screw-up is when he called called Tony Romo, "Rick"

    Rick Romo? I mean really? Do you call football games for a living?

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    If it is every being replayed, watch the Pats-Giants game at the end of the regular season, and count how many times Gumbel says of a third down play, "This is a big third down."

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    Amazing. Worst list I've ever seen. I agree re: Bryant Gumbel, but Blackledge and Danielson are THE two best color men on the planet.

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    Chris Collinsworth is the worst of all time. I now don't listen to the game when I play Madden, I just listen to music so I don't have to hear Collinsworth telling me about guys that used to run around in the dark.

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    Good calls on all these clowns. One exception though. Glanville was a lousy coach, but the falcons were correct in getting rid of Favre. Even Favre said the Falcons saved his career by trading him. Favre said that when he was with the falcons, he treated his job like it was a joke. Getting traded made him wake up and take it seriously because he realized he wasn't going to be handed anything.

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      True. I have heard Favre talk about his stint with the Falcons. It would seem that Glanville could have spotted his potential and tried some way to motivate him, but Jerry wasn't very good at those things.

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    Good calls on all these clowns. One exception though. Glanville was a lousy coach, but the falcons were correct in getting rid of Favre. Even Favre said the Falcons saved his career by trading him. Favre said that when he was with the falcons, he treated his job like it was a joke. Getting traded made him wake up and take it seriously because he realized he wasn't going to be handed anything.

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    Good list. Except I have to disagree on Todd Blackledge, he shows a good knowledge and understanding of the teams and players. And he's not a Homer.

    Herbie Homer Hurbstreet and Lee Corso should be on this list for being complete Homers.

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    GREAT stuff and my pick of the day. I wish you had Ron Jaworski on there somewhere. He is the most annoying person I've ever heard. I love football as much as the next guy but he takes it to another level!

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      Shaun, thanks for the comment and the POTD! Several people have mentioned Jaworski. This should should have been the 25 worst! There is room for more!

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    Does anyone remember when Todd Christianson was doing NFL games?... I once saw him count off the seconds that the offensive line gave the quarterback to throw while the replay was played in slow motion. He was absolutly horrible. I think the main reason we see such a overwhelming amount of poor commentators presenty is because of the vast increase of televised games. It's a double edged sword. And I also miss Ron Fraklin covering the Saturday night games Ron is a great commentator.

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    Not bad, but I agree with some other comments that Joe Buck should be on this list. He has a great voice, but his horrible playcalling wastes it. I guess good sportscasting doesn't run in the family.

    Good call on Collinsworth. I cringe every time I see his mug on camera. And Jim Gray just goes without saying.

    In terms of the best, I would say the team of Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts was the best. It's a shame that Fouts had to be on MNF at the same time as Dennis Miller: his crappiness really ruined what could have been a great pairing with Al Michaels (another great play-by-play announcer).

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      Michael, thanks for the comments. Jackson and Fouts were excellent. Good point about MFN -- Miller messed up the chemistry that could have been there.

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    As far as I am concerned, you can add John Madden. I don't understand the love affair with that guy.

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    "It seems to me that as a team, you just have to get points on the board."

    -John Madden

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    Holtz is always entertaining and very knowledgable. I also like Verne, and despise Mark May (not sure why he became such a USC supporter).

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    There needs to be a baseball version. Tim McCarver and Joe Buck are the worst and yet true baseball fans are insulted and patronized by their painful commentary every World Series.

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    This a great, hilarious list.
    I don't know if I'm alone on this, but listening to John Madden has actually caused me to lose half of my IQ points.

    It's also hard to tolerate Tory Aikman, but maybe its because I'm a Giants fan.
    What's your take?

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    I was flipping through my youtube favorites and stumbled upon this gem.

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EZUB3eJOTos

    ESPN's Mike Patrick at his finest.

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    A new category should be the Most Boring Announcer. Last Saturday, Sean McDonough covered the LSU - Appalachian State game and I mean he should be in the Boring Hall of Fame. I have never seen an announcer be more laid back.... no, that's not descriptive enough... they should have checked to see if he had a pulse.

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