Gus Johnson and the Fox Broadcast
I’m admittedly not a fan of Fox Sports’s on screen product and prefer ESPN. Having said that and acknowledging Gus Johnson is a Michigan fan as well, but he’s a trash broadcaster. He’s absolutely a frontrunning announcer. His broadcast team discounts and attempts to overplay targeting when it’s a very clear that CTE and head injuries could destroy the sport. I can’t stand him or their crew. Whenever they cover UM games I watch the games in silence. Anyone else have thoughts?
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
I feel like the whole LaUnCh HiS hEaD thing people obsess over is such a silly misdirection.
Who cares if the guy takes one to the dome from the head or shoulder?
And if you're lunging after someone in pursuit to tackle them, your head is going to be leading the way. That's just physics. Rugby players don't wear helmets and they still propel themselves forward to tackle with their heads leading the way.
And you can play the cute "well if you can't hit him without targeting, then you won't be able to tackle him and he'll get extra yards!" game all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that, as long as it's legal to hit people who put themselves in a dangerous body position (such as a defenseless receiver with their head down), coaches aren't going to want to give up 5 or more extra yards every play and people are going to make hard but legal hits to knock balls loose and stop people in their tracks, but sometimes they're going to hit people hard in the head with a lot of force.
If they want to stop the hits, they need to change the rules. None of this, "well we said you couldn't hit him in the head, so why are you still doing it???" nonsense. Make it that you have to tackle below the waist of a defenseless receiver or something. Or the refs blow the whistle if they think a big collision is coming.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:44 PM ^
Gus is awful, just like the entire Fox CFB experience - presented to you by 38 hours of commercials. He is a front runner and also climaxes over every little play because it’s become his thing. Klatt isn’t as bad and can be enjoyable at times. However, I think they should find a way to pair Gus with Beth Mowens and see how many ears will bleed.
*Insert Fox Commercial Break*
Btw let’s take a moment to applaud Fox on putting together the worst studio team I’ve ever seen on a major network - truly the AM shift strippers of college football broadcasting.
Matt Leinert looks like Matt Gaetz, Brady Quinn looks like he got work done by the guy who performed plastic surgery on handsome Squidward, and Reggie Bush is 2+ years into being a studio analyst and has yet to not read directly from a teleprompter.
September 3rd, 2021 at 1:44 AM ^
I usually like Joe alot. But tonight was out of control OSU hyperbole. How "bold" it was of Ryan Day to call for a deep shot to an elite WR against an out of position and slow safety! I personally was stunned by the moral courage Joe was applauding. It was like George Washington crossing the Delaware it was so bold...
At least Joe stood up for the obvious and egregious targeting hit which is probably going to leave the receiver with a concussion.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:44 PM ^
Gus Johnson would be a great hype man
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:45 PM ^
The production crew is the worst part of Fox broadcasts. Awful camera choices, poor camera work, misidentify players and the score. Just the absolute worst.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:45 PM ^
I don't know enough about him, or at least don't remember enough from other broadcasts, to corroborate that.
But I'm pretty furious on behalf of humanity that targeting wasn't called.
And even more so at the "that's just American football talk."
They asked what else he could have done. He should have hit him with the right shoulder, not the left, so that you don't have even an incidental helmet collision.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:51 PM ^
That comment specifically is what caused this thread. I played the game into college and that bullshit fake macho bullshit is why less and less kids are playing. Limiting hits to the head is what will allow us to keep this amazing game Fox’s lead CFB broadcaster trying to puff out his chest is dumb and a bad look.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:24 AM ^
There was also some ultra-lame commentary about fist-fighting, something about "I'd bring him to a fist fight" about one OSU player. Just. . . sorry and irresponsible. But more stupid that irresponsible. It's like you're caught in Gus Johnson's very pedestrian fantasy life every time he's on the broadcast.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:46 PM ^
No, sorry, I’m a huge Gus fan. He’s hilarious.
He and Klatt are the best tandem CFB broadcasting. I mean, most of sports color commentary should absolutely be *muted* but I don’t do it when they’re in the booth.
September 3rd, 2021 at 6:50 AM ^
I agree, I used to hate his broadcasts, but over time the total ridiculousness of it won me over.
plus… espn sucks, so it’s all that’s left.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
I like Joel Klatt but I am not a big fan of Gus' play by play announcing. Klatt seems to be pretty fair and has a good eye for the game and will call out a BS penalty, or missed penalty, and he's usually correct.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:49 PM ^
I'd rather listen to Pony Conquerer, Gus Johnson is terrible....always has been.
September 2nd, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
Let’s not get carried away.
September 3rd, 2021 at 6:51 AM ^
I can't imagine the voice of the aforementioned banned ThePonyConquerer who couldn't even spell conqueror, as any improvement over any announcer.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
Eh, I actually like Gus and Klatt. To each their own.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:06 AM ^
The best broadcasting duos we have had in the past say 5 or 6 years would have been: Nessler and Blackledge & McDonough and Spielman.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
Man... I do miss Todd's Taste of the Town!
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:08 AM ^
It is amazing how I am starting to learn to mute everything these days…..sports broadcasts, news, my kids at times, Bosses, etc. Life has been great recently. Go Blue!
September 3rd, 2021 at 6:44 AM ^
Welcome to the mute club! I've been doing it for years. The verbal diarrhea gets very old. I just wish the announcers would shut up and breathe once in a while.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:12 AM ^
I just don't know how many orgasms the guy has in him. He has one on every play. On top of that, he really doesn't know the game. I thought he was charming when he first came along, but Gus Johnson really believed his press clippings, as they say. I've started to mute him.
And I have to say that it makes me crazy when announcers sit on their hands or openly deny PIs and other fouls as the viewer sits and watches them happen, sometimes for several replays!
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:14 AM ^
Not a huge Gus fan but Klatt is pretty good. Fair judgement and calls out garbage. Fox’s broadcasts are pretty bad and gimmicky. Killed me when they said 41-24 when it was 38-24. At least it’s better than Herbstreit salivating on air. Only two crews I’ve ever muted was Fowler/Herbstreit and Buck/Aikman.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:00 AM ^
Freaking can’t stand Joe Buck and his disgusting ego. Lucky sperm club member and it bothers me that they use him as their “prime” NFL and MLB play-by-play.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:17 AM ^
OK. I’ll be that guy. I say Gus is the best guy going. He is today’s Keith Jackson. Who would you rather? Jim Nantz? Joe Buck?
Roll with his enthusiasm. He’s next. He’s great.
neg away
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:22 AM ^
Jim Nantz is fine.
Despite both being play by play guys, I think Joe Buck would pair nicely with Gus if only for the fact that they would balance each other out similar to cocaine and sleeping gas.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:55 AM ^
The 4 NFL lead-PBP guys are all mediocre at best. Buck, Nantz, Michaels, and Levy. When Jim Nantz is the runaway best…you have a problem. Why NBC hasn’t booted Michaels for Tirico is beyond me.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:21 AM ^
The mute button is a thing
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:21 AM ^
What I hate most about FOX Sports CFB is their insistence on marketing BIG Noon Kickoff and putting marque games like Wiscy vs. PSU and Wiscy vs. ND at 12 noon ET rather than at 3:30pm ET. It's completely insane. Why are they running scared of the SEC game of the week at 3:30pm ET. Go head to head and let the better game win. Don't freakin' concede the 3:30pm ET time slot.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:24 AM ^
I like Gus and Klatt, both.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:36 AM ^
You people clearly don’t watch Gary Danielson (possibly the worst professional quarterback of all time) simultaneously slobber over all things SEC while definitively opining about the technical aspects of a position he was objectively terrible at playing.
September 3rd, 2021 at 1:55 AM ^
I could not agree more. He is truly the worst, in my amateur opinion.
Where do the networks find so many mediocre announcers?
I think Spielman is one of the best. I enjoy listening to his games, no matter who is playing.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:42 AM ^
I generally don't mind Gus TBH.
He was flat out wrong on that targeting non call however...
Even Klatt said that before walking it back a bit when Gus disagreed with him...
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:49 AM ^
I grew up listening to Ufer,
Gus is a history professor by comparison.
Plus GoCubs!
September 3rd, 2021 at 1:56 AM ^
I don't get the Gus Johnson hate. His calls are the epitome of excitement. I can still hear his call on DPJ's long touchdown vs MSU in 2018. Full disclosure - my wife and I met Gus Johnson when we were checking into a hotel in Beverly Hills, and Gus was checking out. Super nice guy, he saw us first in our Michigan gear and he started a conversation. I had always been a fan because... hey, sports is supposed to be fun!
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:14 AM ^
agree
the thing they say about M fans is true sometimes.
they aren't happy unless they are complaining.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
If he held that excitement back for really big plays, he'd be great because he conveys the excitement of the moment. And he used to do that. But I think over the top excitement has become his calling card and when he lets it go for a 6-yard gain on about 45% of the plays in a given game, it gets pretty tiresome.
September 3rd, 2021 at 2:11 AM ^
It's an interesting dynamic because I absolutely love Joel Klatt. But Gus Johnson is like WAY WAY WAY over the top, and it's beyond annoying. Especially when he's defending a completely reckless targeting hit. I actually felt bad for Klatt in that moment. It seemed like he thought it was obvious a bad hit, but Gus wouldn't back him up. And he backed off to avoid the conflict.
September 3rd, 2021 at 2:27 AM ^
Gus is not trash.
September 3rd, 2021 at 2:27 AM ^
Bad post. He's fine.
September 3rd, 2021 at 3:16 AM ^
I grew up loving Gus Johnson calls, and while he can be a bit much I prefer his bombastic orgasms over a monotone and generic commentary. Fox is pretty bad as far as broadcasting goes, but I really like the Gus-Klatt combo
September 3rd, 2021 at 5:32 AM ^
Gus seemed unbearable this game. Joel Klatt is ok. Not the best, but ok.
can we say we like Gus calling basketball, but it’s not the same hearing him call football? To me, it would be like Dickie V calling an SEC game. That actually would be more unbearable than Gus.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:50 AM ^
He's better in sports when there's more continual high-paced action, as in basketball. It means his enthusiasm builds as the play proceeds rather than staccato bursts every 40 seconds.
He was really bad broadcasting soccer (partly because he didn't really know the game) but also because soccer broadcasting works best when the broadcasters are reserved until specific attacks arise (which he couldn't really recognize because of his lack of knowledge). Baseball would also be terrible for his style.
September 3rd, 2021 at 5:38 AM ^
I for one, love Gus and how he makes the boring games seem exciting. One thing that can’t be disputed is that he’s light-years better than Fowler. I enjoy both Klatt and Herbie but F Fowler and his fake enthusiasm. His spot should’ve been Nessler’s.
September 3rd, 2021 at 6:14 AM ^
Bugs the hell out of me. He seems to get caught by surprise on some big plays and way over dramatizes mundane ones.
Heaves it downfield, receiver is wiiiide open. TOUCHDOWN!!
Contrast with:
Runs up THE MIIIIDDDDDDDDLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEE!!!!!! And he falls forward for a yard, gets close to the first down.
September 3rd, 2021 at 6:51 AM ^
He completely is over the top but I enjoy it. That is, until Michigan is on the opposite end. I suppose most ppl hate him bc that's usually the case but I like his energy.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:46 AM ^
Hahahahaha people actually don’t like Gus Johnson?!?!?
I won’t argue he is way better as a basketball announcer(NCAA Tourney isn’t the same without him) but the amount of hate in this thread for him is hilariously bad.
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:46 AM ^
He jumped the shark a few years ago when he would fellate Chase Young on plays where he had no impact.
Justin Fields throws a 12 yard TD pass after a long 80 yard OSU drive....
"The presence of "the best defensive player in America" on the sideline gives the Buckeye offense so much confidence and allows them to drive down the field."
September 3rd, 2021 at 7:58 AM ^
Thanks for posting, I can’t stand Gus Johnson and his schtick. He tends to get really excited at the most minor “big plays” and sounds like a clown when he does. The great ones (Keith Jackson) never got so excited and used their vocabulary to describe what’s on the field instead of weird pronunciation and raising his voice with the call. I also agree with the production, the panel on the sideline with fans directly behind was just weird, and seems like they are trying too hard to copy the ESPN game day “feel.”
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:11 AM ^
he does what the network tells him to do.
they WANT him to do that
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:12 AM ^
This topic and thread sums up the Michigan fan base.