TV Announcers for Iowa Game Named (No Pam Ward!!!)
Not Matt Millen. Michigan has released it's Game Notes for the Iowa game (pdf). Among other things, there's this:
The Michigan and Iowa game will be televised regionally by ESPN on ABC. Any market not receiving the game on their local ABC affiliate will receive the game on ESPN. Ron Franklin will handle the play-by-play with Ed Cunningham serving as the color analyst.
So we've got that going for us, which is nice.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:26 PM ^
Millen the NFL executive BAD...
I love Millen and I like Spielman on football broadcasts....I like Herbie too...Franklin and Cunningham are ok.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:36 PM ^
I don't mind Millen, either, aside from renaming #32 to Kovox. Plus, there's just so much unintentional comedy when he's on the air. Every time he breaks down a player and tries to get all technical and scouty I can't help smugly thinking, 'sure, Matt. Suuure.'
October 11th, 2010 at 3:53 PM ^
I'm not sure if it was Matt Millen or the other commentator, but someone referred to Michigan's offense with Denard as "wild cat". I don't know why but I was starting to get annoyed with the commentary last game, but it's probably more indicative of the score of the game.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
October 11th, 2010 at 4:37 PM ^
Yes, it was him. I remember this because I kept yelling at the TV "It's not the wildcat!" and becoming increasingly annoyed also.
October 11th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^
College football announcers are conditioned to automatically associate a black person in the shotgun with the Wildcat formation. I notice this all the time, not just with Michigan. I'm not sure if any of them really know what Wildcat actually means.
October 11th, 2010 at 5:59 PM ^
...when he said Denard was growing up in front of our eyes. It's like he went all Musberger playing up the moment. He may have meant it, but it felt like a jinx was being put on.
October 11th, 2010 at 11:44 PM ^
I dread the game when Musberger does play by play and he calls DR "Shoelace" about a hundred times just like he did with Chris "Beanie" Wells...
"Here's the give to BEANIE! To the outside, BEANIE! There's BEANIE for ANOTHER six yard gain!"
Everything Brent knows about broadcasting a ballgame he learned from Keith Jackson's leftover hotdog wrapper.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
It came up once in the game that Drew Stanton was MSU's QB record-holder. I was waiting for Matt to make a comment.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^
You know who was a great receiver? That Charles Rogers. Man was he good. Perfectly suited for the NFL.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^
Matt Millen has vast football experience and knowledge, also knows an NFL player when he sees one. Millen just rated too many 7th round talents as early round picks, that shit will catch up to you in a hurry.
October 11th, 2010 at 5:00 PM ^
Don't these guys have lists in front of them with names and pronunciations? That's the number one thing with Millen, can't get a name to save his life. Could explain his draft choices as a NFL exec tho?
October 11th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
had to edit the title for EXCITEMENT!!!
October 11th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^
...superior editorial sensibilities for headline writing.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:40 PM ^
last week's dong punch plus pam ward and iowa this weekend = death
October 11th, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^
I sort of thought that No Pam Ward was understood being as how we aren't playing on ESPN6.
October 11th, 2010 at 11:47 PM ^
Cut the guy a break. I think he's scheduled for a vastectomy this Saturday.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
anxiously awaiting the first nessler-blackledge game. definitely the best crew right now.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
Agreed, but Spielman is very good too.
October 12th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
He's OK, but he gets a little too excited sometimes - especially when he says "slobberknocker."
October 11th, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^
They are up there as well...
October 11th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
I don't know about them doing only SEC games, but I think they generally do the evening games. So there's a chance they'll do the game at Penn State.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:48 PM ^
will be Kirk and Brent for sure.
October 11th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^
That's a likely possibility. A quick glance at the schedule shows both Oregon at USC and Ohio State at Minnesota at 8pm that night.
There's a good chance that Kirk & Brent go to Oregon-USC, but as I said it is also likely that you're right and they announce our game.
I'd have to guess that we get one of those two pairs. If you made me guess right now, I would probably say Todd & Brad would announce the Michigan-Penn St. game.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
Pretty sure they do the sat night game on espn. It just happens that a lot of the time that's an SEC game.
October 11th, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^
Have always him. I thought the Nessler, Griese, and Swann crew were pretty good a while back. Seems Nessler was pushed down a bit and is working his way back up.
<br>
<br>Whatever happen to Swanny?
October 11th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
If I recall correctly, Swanny ran for the governor of Pennsylvania. He lost. I'm not sure what he's been doing since then.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^
Gameday will be in Madison.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^
was the voice of ESPN Saturday night football in the 90's. Next to Keith Jackson, he's always been my favorite college football voice. He started to slip a few years ago, and makes too many simple mistakes during games, kind of the same way Keith Jackson started making mistakes. He's been pushed back to doing a lot of ESPN 2 games in recent years, and I even saw him do an ESPNU game.
Its nice to see him back doing some ABC games, and it will be a pleasure to hear him do a Michigan game. Other than a bowl game or two, I really can't recall him ever doing a Michigan regular season game.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:56 PM ^
I think hes done some michigan night games like at minnesota, or at Illinois (infamous anthony thomas no fumble call game in 2000).
October 11th, 2010 at 4:32 PM ^
He didn't slip, he was demoted because he made some patronizing comment to Holly Roe during a game after she said something dumb.
I think he did the NU-Mich game in the monsoon when Justin Fargas broke his leg. It may be his first trip to the Big House, le't make it one we will want to watch again and again!
October 11th, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^
be the lead play by play guy on Saturday afternoons. Him and Gottfried were a great pairing for years.
He has done Michigan hoops on ESPN in the last couple of years, just can't remember the specific games.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:51 PM ^
Pam Ward is the bane of my existence.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:54 PM ^
is actually an amazing play-by-play guy. Obviously he's a Buckeye so he loses some points there, but the guy still gets pretty fired up about football and loves the sport. Not sure though if I'm familiar with the two doing the game? Any thoughts on how they usually are?
October 11th, 2010 at 7:10 PM ^
I'd still like to see him as a LB coach. Great commentator and classy guy. Can't believe he went to that other school.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
Yay Franklin. Wish he was paired with someone more interesting than Cunningham, but oh well.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
Sweet. I love Ron Franklin. It's a crime how ESPN has practically put him out to pasture while keeping Musburger as the "A" game guy.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:06 PM ^
POSBANG FOR EVERYBODY!
October 11th, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^
ok,ok
October 11th, 2010 at 4:32 PM ^
we already know that Denard Robinson's nickname is shoelace, and we know the reason is because he doesn't tie his shoes. please spare us the explanation....again.
October 11th, 2010 at 4:39 PM ^
Here's the full ESPN announcing slate, so you can navigate your way around Ms. Ward and others you detest: http://es.pn/cfbweek7
October 11th, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
how about Bob and Brian Griese doing color together for Minnesota/Purdue.
October 11th, 2010 at 6:04 PM ^
I saw that too. I'll probably make that the primary game for a while when the noon games start. It might be a pretty competitive game too.
October 11th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
Is Brian there to provide counterpoint to his Dad covering his alma mater? If this is part of a "mentoring" program, it is definitely cool.
October 11th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^
and a sex beast. +1 ESPN.
October 11th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^
Seeing/hearing Millen is torture. He makes the first 0-16 team and golden parachutes right in to a lucrative announcing gig Lions fans deserve better.
October 11th, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^
Sorry to thread jack but I am driving 16 hours to see my first ever Michigan game against Iowa and I don't have the points to start my own thread. I am looking for some can't miss places to eat in Ann Arbor and any advice for where to park, what to see, etc. I will probably get there around 10 am Saturday morning and want to do all I can before the game. Any help is appreciated.
October 12th, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^
First game ever? I could recommend plenty of places to eat, but I would most highly recommend you get near the Stadium plenty early and just soak up the tailgating atmosphere/walk around alot/ strike up conversations with people who, upon hearing it is your first game, will probably offer you free drinks and food! The tailgate is awesome, and you should not spend an hour and a half waiting for your eggs and coffee in some diner at the expense of the Stadium scene on a day that looks like perfect sixty degree and sunny weather.
That being said, Zingermans Deli is a must-see at some point on your visit. A Blimpie Burger is a true A2 original, but you may be standing in line on game morning.