OT: Favorite Sports Broadcaster of All Time

Submitted by brewandbluesaturdays on

Yesterday afternoon, I was boredf watching the 1997  M v. ND game (Oh, how I miss a dominating defense) on BTN. The game was being announced by Keith Jackson and Bob Griese.

 I found myself being reminded of why Keith Jackson was my favorite announcer of all-time and how much I miss his call on a Saturday afternoon. The way he told the story that was happening on the field, the quirky things he would say, and just the fond memories I have of him announcing Michigan games really stand out for me. 

So, I wanted to know from the MgoBlog community, who are your favorite sport announcers/broadcaster of all time? 

 

J. Lichty

June 23rd, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^

while I generally like him - he has a few trademarks that annoy me.

His execessive use of "knifed" and "spirited" into the corner

I think he is the one who started referring to every country's team as "Team USA"  Team Canada" "Team Kasakhstan"  Why cant it just be USA, Canada, Kazahstan?

 

 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

June 24th, 2010 at 12:20 AM ^

Well, that's certainly not an Emrick invention.  I do like his weirdnesses though: "waffleboarded" and "DRIVE!" and all those.  And he's really got a talent, more so than most hockey announcers, for following the puck.

J. Lichty

June 23rd, 2010 at 10:31 PM ^

1) Baseball - Vin Skully; I liked Jim Kaat and Ted Robinson when they did Twins games in the eighties and 1990's as well

2) NFL - Howard Cosell

3) College Football - Keith Jackson

4) Hockey - Gary Thorne

5)  Soccer - the spanish Gooooooooooaaaaallllll guy (Andres Cantor?)

6) Pro Basketball - Bitey Albert

7) College Basketball - Al McGuire

charliebauman

June 23rd, 2010 at 11:45 PM ^

Favorite national broadcaster: Howard Cosell. For those old enough, who could forget his Monday Night football highlights.

Favorite local broadcaster: Bob Ufer

Favorite basketball broadcaster: I got a kick out of Boston Celtics' Johnny Most.

Tater

June 24th, 2010 at 1:26 AM ^

Ernie Harwell, Bob Ufer, and Keith Jackson.  Harwell was the ultimate classy gentleman.  Ufe was the ultimate Michigan Man.  And Jackson was the ultimate College Football TV announcer.  I feel blessed to have grown up in a market where Harwell and Ufer worked. 

UMxWolverines

June 24th, 2010 at 1:45 AM ^

Gotta be Keith ("one man...goodbye...hello heisman"). Wasn't even close to being alive durig Bob Ufer's time, but I've listened to him on CDs and YouTube clips and he's great ("..."He throws down field to Carter, Cater to endzone, he gets there! OH MY GOD CARTER SCORES!"). Shout out to Ken and Mickey too.

the_big_house 500th

June 24th, 2010 at 1:39 AM ^

Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan is our site for tonight's action between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings for this Game 7 match-up of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Gary Thorne here along with my buddy Bill Clement for tonight's action, so glad you could join us for this one!

THE MAN IS A LEGEND!

03 Blue 07

June 24th, 2010 at 1:54 AM ^

I am a Cardinals fan, and he was phenomenal. He also did pretty damn good when on the national stage.

I'll be damned- I can't find his singular calls on YouTube as stand-alones. But he was the one who said, "I don't believe, what I just saw" when Kirk Gibson hit the home run in 1988; he also had a great call when Ozzie Smith hit a highly improbable home run in the 1985 NLCS- "Go crazy, folks, Go crazy," and he had "We'll see you...tomorrow night" in 1991 when the Twins forced game 7. For a little taste, here are some tribute/montage videos if anyone is so inclined ( i just watched these and got some goosebumps on some of these calls; it includes the above-referenced calls). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6GUnX7qMGk&feature=PlayList&p=E4B8AAEA769D2AAC&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=10

Also, here's the Kirk Gibson home run (found it): http://www.entertonement.com/clips/kysprpbklw--Jack-Buck-calls-Kirk-Gibson's-Home-RunBaseball-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-World-Series-Kirk-Gibson-

You gotta love those golden pipes the old-timers had- Ernie, Jack, Vin Scully, etc., from smoking those Camel non-filters for so many years.

EDIT- Sorry the first link is so absurdly long. I have no idea how to fix it because YouTube says embedding has been disabled by request.

GVBlue86

June 24th, 2010 at 7:37 AM ^

I know a lot of people think he is a Michigan hater or what not, but when I think college football I think of him because Jackson was mostly doing west coast games during most of my years watching UofM. "You are lookin live at the Big house!"

JeepinBen

June 24th, 2010 at 8:17 AM ^

But I really do enjoy listening to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo do the Cubs' Radio. Pat is possibly the best radio play-by-play man I've ever heard in any sport - paints a great picture. And Ron is a true blue Cubs fan. At 18 he left high school and became the Cubs' third baseman. He knows nothing but baseball. 

He was the Cub circled by the black cat in 1969, and it was in his radio contract that he never went to Shea. He's lost both his legs to Diabetes and his prosthesis are white with blue pinstripes, with images of Cubs baseball and Wrigley. 

Any chicagoans (natives or transplants) turn on AM 720 sometime to hear this great pair

Noahdb

June 24th, 2010 at 9:22 AM ^

I second the nominations for Jack Buck and Harry Caray. As a kid, listening to Caray attempt to call the games from the bleachers was absolutely hilarious. By the third inning, he'd be completely drunk.

"Gary Matthews at the plate....Sarge really is a beautiful, beautiful man....so sexy...*burp*....ground ball up the middle! It's outta here! A home run!"

Steve Stone would manage to wrestle the mic away from him a few innings later and have to do the last half of the game alone.

He and Mick Mixon were a great tandem for UNC sports and Mick is now doing great things as the play-by-play guy for the Carolina Panthers.

I can't help you there. I frigging HATE Mick Mixon. We lost THE best NFL radio guy in Bill Rozinski and replaced him with an absolute turd.

stmccoy

June 24th, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^

Jackson or Costas are easily my favorites.  Doc Emrick is amazing with hockey.  Watching a game Doc calls and then a game someone else calls, you really start to appreciate how no one else is close to as good as he is.  At least that I have heard. 

goblueram

June 24th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^

The obvious pick in football is Keith Jackson.  Growing up a hockey fan in metro Detroit watching CBC, the best announcer of hockey (or any sport in my opinion) is CBC's Bob Cole.