ESPN announcing crews released (Brian Griese to do noon ESPN games)
The top ESPN/ABC team of Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit returns for ABC's Saturday primetime games, with no replacement announced to replace Erin Andrews, who left for Fox.
Changes on ABC Saturday afternoon games:
—Chris Spielman, who last year worked with Dave Pasch and the departed Meyer, this season teams with Sean McDonough, who last year worked with Matt Millen. (Millen moves to ESPN primetime games.)
—Ed Cunningham, on ESPN2 games with Mark Jones last year, will work with Mike Patrick, who had teamed with the departed James.
—Danny Kanell moves from ESPNU games with Rob Stone, who left for Fox, to pair with Bob Wischusen, who had worked with Davie.
And, Brian Griese, who'd been on ESPNU games, moves to work ESPN noon ET games with Pasch. Joey Galloway, a rookie game analyst, will call ESPN2 noon game with Beth Mowins - the only woman left calling national TV college football since ESPN droppedPam Ward.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/story/2012-08-05/N…
And I was excited for the season......
And naturally, Michigan has no noon games announced before November.
I wish Michigan had their own network like texas and just matched the radio play by play with the broadcast.
That damn troll spielman should be banned from calling all Michigan games too.
Now get off my lawn.
Yeah, we're not really the ones to talk, but OSU is certainly well represented this year (Spielman, Herbstreit, Galloway, ... anyone else?).
August 6th, 2012 at 12:23 AM ^
As one who tends to watch the afternoon games at home (with volume) and the night games at a bar (without volume), I am very pleased with this Matt Millen move to primetime.
I'm fine with it as well, but it's perplexing as to how in the world he got promoted to prime time games. He really should have been relegated to strictly ESPNU MAC Games....he's terrible.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:34 PM ^
...but not more perplexing than his ability to retain employment as Lions GM for 8 years.
August 6th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^
wonder if they have matt millen do penn state games this year. not sure if want to see him do one now or not. sure don't him defending psu, but if he could look at it openly and honestly, as an insider viewpoint it may be interesting.
Are Blackledge and Nessler still together?
His PSU loyalty has swayed me a little but he's stil the best color commentator that ESPN has to offer. I would gladly listen to the Nessler/Blackledge combo over Musberger/Herbie any saturday night.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:47 PM ^
Am I the only one who doesn't mind Beth Mowins? She seems like the kind of woman who would bring you breakfast in bed and it would be brats and Leinenkugel's. Pam Ward on the other hand would be like "What's for breakfast?".
pam ward could kill you with her beefy voicebox
I will have reached a new low in life.
August 5th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^
We need Nessler, where has he gone to??
does NFL Network Thursday night games.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:16 PM ^
Personally I like Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore on the Friday night games. They should call more primetime games.
August 6th, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^
"THE BODY SNATCHER! is proving that IF YOU LEAN IN AGAINST A COUNTERPUNCHER, YOU'RE GONNA GET COUNTERED!"
for a female commentator who doesn't sound like she has odd-shaped object crammed in their throats? Or who actually sound like women?
I may be alone on this one but I honestly don't give a shit who announces because if it's a Michigan home game I'm almost always there and if it's a Michigan away game then I'm usually yelling myself at the TV in pain over some injustice or in joy when good things are happening.
And if it's a game not involving Michigan I usually don't give a damn about it anyways (unless it's MSU, Notre Dame or OSU and then see above but just not as loudly and the reasons for my yelling is reversed-screams of joy when bad things happen to them and pain over the injustice of it all when they accomplish something)
August 5th, 2012 at 10:14 PM ^
I think most dedicated readers of this blog could provide just as valuable content as most of the play-by-play guys. We might stumble over our words more or we might be uglier, but I don't need to be told anything that Sean McDonough (and McDonough is the best ESPN has to offer, in my opinion) has to say, really. And even some of the analysts are too full of hot air (like when Spielman broadcasts an OSU game) to be reliable, although I'm sure he and all the other analysts know more than me about the game of football.
I wish McDonough could call all our games. IMO he just has that voice you want in someone who's commentating. I can still hear "TOUCHDOWN!! GREG MATHEWS!!!" in my head every time I think of McDonough.
I'll take Keith Jackson over anyone.
I also think Keith Jackson was the best TV guy of all time, but I sure wish the "powers that be" would send Bob Ufer down from football Valhalla to call one more game on the radio.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:16 PM ^
I, for one, would enjoy strictly partisan announcing teams, as long as they weren't bitter tools to each other. Bob Ufer paired with Notre Dame's announcers (except Tom Hammond) would probably be a lot of fun to listen to this fall.
/perfect excuse
Personally I always liked this one better:
I always like him because he's one of the announcers to show emotion at great plays
I agree. I love Sean McD. I actually wrote a blog post (link below) about the best announcers, and I put him 3rd for the exact reason you just said. He is great at showing emotions at the appropriate times.
Haven't we reached the point with our technological advancement that we can make every play-by-play guy's voice sound like Keith Jackson? Is that asking so much?
That, or flying cars. With Keith Jackson's voice in the GPS system. "Whoa, Nellie. Make the next legal U-turn"
Made me just spit up my water. Hilarious.
I can just hear him calling UTL. "Robinson throws, jump ball.....TOUCHDOWN!! ROY ROUNDTREE SCORES"
Can you just imagine Ufer doing the UTL game? Holy S***, he'd have been hoarse for the rest of the year!!! 8)
Goodbye........Hello Heisman!
"Helloooo Destination, on the right."
Someone get his agent on the phone. This needs to be a thing
I'd love that! I am sitting here right now just rehashing all the place names I remember him saying. "AL LA Bama", Ok La Homa". I'd love to have him as my gps voice!!
August 5th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^
No flags.
August 5th, 2012 at 11:17 PM ^
You're on the right track, but I think the question should be: Haven't we reached the point in our technological advancement that we can do away with the play-by-play guys and have Virtual Keith Jackson, an AI which will do every game?
Pasch and Griese should be a great pairing, especially with the Michigan/Detroit connections for both. It's a shame they won't be doing more 'M' games.
Ehhh he's pretty good, but when he made the same point about Devin Gardner like 20 times in one game I wanted to punch him..
August 5th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^
Spielman's analysis is ok, I just wish he could deliver it without sounding like he's being assfucked by a gorilla. I know the guy has had a rough last couple of years, but at least try to sound like you don't hate everything and everyone.
Matt Millen to primetime?? How does this assclown keep his job, let alone get a promotion?