BTN Hosts

No, they all for the most part suck. The play by play guys are even worse.

Seems like at the first chance, any of those guys would jump ship to ESPN or ESPN Radio. Charissa Thompson, which was the reason most BTN games were enjoyable (sooo hot) left for ESPN. Most of them probably won't make it there, so they seem pretty settled there at the BTN. I'm not saying Pam Ward is great or anything, but "pound for pound" when you put her up against some of the commentators on BTN, she ain't so bad. Some of the guys on BTN get excited on every play, "HE'S GOT A CHANCE!" doesn't mean anything if there is somehow a "chance" on every single play.

That I forgive* the commentators more than most around here...

I have gotten used to Doyle, the northwestern dude, and find him funny sometimes.  Better during basketball season.

Revsine and Griffith are good.  I always laugh at Revsine's "NOOWOOWWWWrrgghrgg!!!"

Jansen was horrible for the Eastern game, haven't really seen him since.

The color commentator that did the Michigan game last week, and against Eastern, Rackley is his name actually said a lot of semi-interesting things, especially when contrasted to Chris Martin, who may be the dumbest human being on the planet.

*Chris Martin is unorgiveable, not only is he a terrible color commentator, but even his *prepared* pieces are incoherent, rambling, uninformative, and usually wrong.

EDIT-agree that all the play by play guys are bad.  Fox owns Gus Johnson, and I usually find him doing some random big 12 game on fox...why can't they let him do a big ten game each week?

Dhani Jones is the host of live big. Keith Jackson does Big Ten Icons. I know it's quite what you are looking for but you said BTN hosts.

They are the reason the word "Mute" is wearing off the button on my remote.

Chris Martin - worst person on tv period



Dinardo - he's ok and knowledgable but I flat disagree with a lot of his opinions (sheridan over threet anyone?)



Revsine - ok host but the overenthusiastic intros sound stupid



Mason - I think he's just on tv to get noticed for another coaching gig. Doesn't say much and seems content to put on his hair spray and smile on camera.



Eric Collins - sooooo annoying



Tim Doyle - hilarious. More doyle please

One of the studio guys (Tim Doyle?) said last week that Michigan had 0% chance of beating Northwestern simply for the fact that it was the first road game.  How can you collect a paycheck after that shitty kind of analysis?

I haven't seen Jansen on BTN, but I saw him plenty as an analyst during ESPN's draft coverage for a few years, and thought he came off pretty well.

I think Howard Griffith is alright, and Glenn Mason isn't embarassing.

Chris Martin is the worst professional broadcaster in the history of television.

GET GERRY DINARDO OFF MY TV!

is the one reason that I wish HDTV did not exist.  His face terrifies me.

I really don't understand why they can't get better play-by-play people. Why can't you hire someone that does the following a) knows which team is leading b) can figure out how to pronounce names and c) at least makes their talking points factual? Am I missing something where this is so difficult? There are thousands of college students studying communications, and the best the BTN can come up with was whoever was calling the M-NU game?

I really hope in my later jobs I can mess up as much as these guys do and not get fired. Even my girlfriend, who does no independent reading about Michigan, just hears my ramblings and watches games, was laughing at how terrible they were.

Every time DiNardo starts talking my head flares up in pain

Dave Revsine is okay.  I like when he growls out "NOW"!

Mason was annoying last year, seemed like he was always yelling vice talking, like Doyle still is.  Mason has calmed down this year and adds value to the programs.

coined the phrase butterfly for Darius Morris should be voted off the island

Since some people have mentioned play-by-play announcers as "hosts," I would say Gus Johnson is the best BTN host.  No explanation needed.

I wish they just used Frank Sinatra singing as audio instead of actual announcers.

I hate denardo!

Tim Doyle = nails on a blackboard

I don't think Mike Hall is bad. I kind of like Step Into My Office and think he's good on that show.

make fun of the other "experts" or hosts. 

Overall when four of them sit together on the panel, seems like the View, but only with a little more testosterone. 

The volleyball play-by-play. Seriously, you'd think a conference with over 100 years of football tradition and excellence could get better play-by-play and studio talent. Are these just guy who live around Chicago? 

Dinardo is a pompous blowhard. Martin is seldom right, but never in doubt - I scream everytime he starts that "as a player, which I was,..." crap. Mason's not too bad , but he comes across like an insurance salesman. The play-by-play calling is generally mediocre, even worse than Brent Musburger. 

But, to the earlier point. It is a very new network and this is part of the growing pains, I guess. 

DiNardo did a piece on the Saturday morning show a week and a half ago I think on the LSU defense.  It wasn't particularly heavy lifting, showing 1st how gap sound the d-line is, then how great one player is and then how disciplined a corner was in forcing a guy with the ball back inside and off the sideline.  Standard UFR stuff, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

Tony Banks is awful

Mason is OK as long as they 3 aren't jibber-jabbering and being silly.

Not a Howard G fan

Revsine and Hall are fine

Some of their produced pieces, however, are excellent.

Every time DiNardo talks, you can see why he took LSU and others down the tubes.

Howard G. is OK.

At least Mason knows the Big Ten, so he comes off as credible.

I like Revsine and Hall.  They aren't grating.  They can make a good quip every now and then.

Tony Banks needs a wardrobe consultant.  Did you see the velvet smoking jacket (in MSU colors) he wore on the show a few weeks ago.  I guess he snuck that one past the wife.  Looking past that, he's as insightful as watching a game with my uncle.

The rest of them are a faceless mob that hardly register.

They might do better to develop interns from BiG schools. At least there would be reasons for the bad commentating. We might even get lucky. Even some of our more accomplish alum over on ESPN could mentor for a short period. I would think ESPN would not see the power of the BTN as a threat. This would give these alum a way to give back.

Yes, DiNardo is the world's oldest Juggalo. He balances BTN and managing the Vu in East Lansing... Class job over there, stopped allowing pregnant girls, that sort of thing...

Samantha Steele, Longhorn Network is the rising star we need .... She makes Erin Andrews, who is overrated IMO, look like a HS cheerleading advior/Applebees hostess.

The announce teams are almost unlistenable, however.