ESPN announcing crews released (Brian Griese to do noon ESPN games)

Submitted by orobs on

 

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…

Wolverine Devotee

August 5th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^

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.

Jacoby

August 6th, 2012 at 12:23 AM ^

I agree that Spielman should be kept far from Michigan games, but I'd like to know if anyone knows a good way to get an alternative audio feed to complement the game on TV. Maybe some young whippersnapper on this board can explain how to sync a decent radio broadcast with the visual. Anyone out there manage to do this? It used to be that one could simply turn down the TV volume and turn up the Ufer broadcast on radio.

turd ferguson

August 5th, 2012 at 9:07 PM ^

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.

QVIST

August 5th, 2012 at 9:12 PM ^

Beth Mowins is just as much of a puker as Pam Ward. Guh. I'm not anti-woman commentator, it's just that they're all so pukey when they speak (same with Doris Burke). Not to mention Amy Lawrence on ESPN Radio speaks like she's always smiling. Seriously...talk normal and people will like you.

stephenrjking

August 5th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^

Ward and Mowins have voices that physically sound similar, but are in every other way completely different. Mowins has a superior grasp of game events and situations, effectively uses the expression of her voice, and expresses proper excitement for significant events. She is in every way a superior announcer to Ward.

mGrowOld

August 5th, 2012 at 9:23 PM ^

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)

Magnus

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.

shep4569

August 5th, 2012 at 9:22 PM ^

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.

Zone Left

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

BiSB

August 5th, 2012 at 9:25 PM ^

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"

 

Wolverine Devotee

August 5th, 2012 at 9:29 PM ^

Made me just spit up my water. Hilarious.

I can just hear him calling UTL. "Robinson throws, jump ball.....TOUCHDOWN!! ROY ROUNDTREE SCORES"

UM Indy

August 5th, 2012 at 9:51 PM ^

The Desmond punt return again recently and what never gets mentioned is the little gasp Jackson makes when Desmond jukes the first guy. You really never hear that sound from an announcer. Utter disbelief and amazement at what he's seeing on the field. Classic!

I Bleed Maize N Blue

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?

bdog073

August 5th, 2012 at 9:31 PM ^

Is okay when Michigan isn't playing. However when he calls UM games he is terribly biased. Just watch BTN's replay of the UM/OSU game....he's terrible. A good announcer overcomes his own bias, which is something Spielman cannot do. I respect him for his time in Detroit, but he should not be calling any Michigan games!