OT: American Sportscaster/play-by-play Mount Rushmore

Submitted by stephenrjking on

Prompted by the retirement of Brent Musburger, Mike Hall tweeted this:

 

Here's an impossible task: American Sportcaster Mount Rushmore. You only can put up 4. I think Brent's in there. Who ya got?

— Mike Hall (@BTNMikeHall) January 25, 2017

Someone in response pointed out that one needs to differentiate between "sportscaster" and "play-by-play" guy, which is probably wise.

It's not easy. I don't think Brent is there (he would make the college football mount, along with Keith, Verne, and... hard to narrow down a fourth. Maybe Joe Tess in a few years). 

Focusing on just play-by-play guys, I would list Al Michaels, Vin Scully, Howard Cosell, and Keith Jackson, even though I'm not a big fan of Cosell even granted the generational differences there.

Brent actually has a better case if you expand the field beyond play-by-play, because he was an iconic studio host for CBS for years. Cosell fares well there, too. Jim Nantz becomes a legit candidate, even though I don't like him, as do guys like Chris Fowler.

Who ya got?

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ijohnb

January 26th, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^

think that what may seen as bias can really be attributed to being really knowledgeable regarding the sport.  Some poeple thought he was favoring Mayweather in his call of the Pacquio fight, but it was really the fact that Mayweather was utterly dominating all technical aspects of the fight while Pacquio was drawing huge roars from the crowd everytime he landed an ineffectual body shot.  Sometimes the energy in an arena and how the crowd views the fighters goes a long way in how an oridinary viewer sees the fight, while the reality of the fight itself is far different.

Joined: 09/21/2009

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scanner blue

January 25th, 2017 at 5:55 PM ^

I grew up listening to Ufer on WJR and thought he was "the" voice of UofM football. Then as a student in the late 70's and early 80's I found WUOM with Tom Hemingway for the away games in my dorm, never went back to WJR. Didn't miss the Patton horn, multiple homerisms, etc that everyone else loved. Neg away.

Joined: 07/14/2014

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1VaBlue1

January 25th, 2017 at 6:59 PM ^

You and Scanner Blue cannot be Michigan fans.  No love for Ufer?  UnAmurcan!!!!

I won't neg because I believe in the First Amendment.  But that doesn't make your thoughts right.

Joined: 01/31/2016

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Oregon Wolverine

January 25th, 2017 at 8:55 PM ^

So much love for Ufer for his "homer" calls, but really when I go back and listen to tapes of his play calling, it was incredibly descriptive, players, formations, movement.  Something that makes today's radio announcers generally un-listenable.  I love Brandy and Dierdorf, certainly, but not for how they call the game.  Frank Beckmann was much better -- even if his career ended on a downslide and an unfortunate newspaper column controversy.

As a youth, I seldom watched M football, but almost never missed Ufer calling the game on the radio.  When I did turn on the tube, the tube's volume was off and Ufer was on the radio.

WTKA had a great feature on M's bye week last season where they played an entire game from the Ufer era.  I'm looking forward to the bye week next season -- highly recommended!!!

Joined: 09/30/2014

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1VaBlue1

January 25th, 2017 at 4:32 PM ^

Bob Ufer, Keith Jackson.

After those two, I don't really care anymore.  But I'd put Michaels, Enberg, and Cosell  right up there.  Musberger would be on the second tier for me, and so would Albert.

Yessss....

Joined: 01/31/2016

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SteamboatWolverine

January 25th, 2017 at 4:35 PM ^

I can still hear him call the Rose Bowl "The Granddaddy of Them All" when Bo's teams played there.

Verne Lundquist is 2nd on my list because Steamboat.

3rd is Howard Cosell -  I know he was great but I never was able to listen to him.

The final spot is left empty for Desmond Howards, Brian Griese, Charles Woodson or some other sportscaster to be named later.

Joined: 01/23/2017

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uferfan

January 25th, 2017 at 4:43 PM ^

Here's one that's not usually mentioned with the greats, but I loved Charlie Jones' delivery. He called tons of NFL games (mostly AFC West games) in the 80's and 90's, did some tennis and golf as well for NBC. I believe he called a lot of Orange Bowl games as well. 

He's long gone, but I thought he was one of the good ones.

I'll also add:

Paul Allen- Minnesota Vikings: "Caught....touchdown.....NOOOOOO!!!!!". 2003 Cards-Vikings. Still makes me laugh every time I hear that call on Youtube.

Mark Champion...the Lions version: was never affraid to speak his mind....which eventually got him booted. Never speak the truth about the Lions.

Harry Caray: Great in the 70's and 80's, but got a little sketchy toward then end when he was forgetting names, but there was a reason he was liked so much.

Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, Jack Brickhouse and Jack Buck: My baseball radio Mount Rushmore. Makes me wish I was a kid on a porch swing on a summer night with the radio on.

Rick Jeanneret- Buffalo Sabres: May Day!!!!

Mike Lange- Pittsburgh Penguins: kinda hokey, but scratch my back with a hacksaw anyway.

Joined: 02/04/2015

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mjv

January 25th, 2017 at 10:58 PM ^

"Ernie Harwell, Vin Scully, Jack Brickhouse and Jack Buck: My baseball radio Mount Rushmore. Makes me wish I was a kid on a porch swing on a summer night with the radio on."

I think that the reason baseball was knocked from the top rung of American sports by football was that baseball is the perfect sport for the radio.  And your Rushmore of baseball announcers were amazing story tellers.  The relatively slow pace (ok, really slow pace) of baseball lent itself to having stories woven into the game.  And when you went to a game as a kid, getting to see what you had been imagining / visualizing made it so much more impactful.

The advent of TV killed that aspect of baseball and made sports with more action better suited for TV.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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flashOverride

January 25th, 2017 at 4:37 PM ^

Some people didn't like how loud he was, but for hockey I loved Gary Thorne. "Centered, shot, SCORE!!!" just takes me back to so many Wings playoff runs.

Also, Brad Nessler is probably my favorite just in terms of voice sound. And memories like, "His favorite target, Jason Avant, trots out to the right side...final play, at Michigan Stadium..." we know what comes next.

And Keith Jackson because obviously.

Joined: 08/04/2013

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PoseyHipster

January 25th, 2017 at 4:42 PM ^

I don't know, I love Vin Scully but should he be in there over Red Barber?  I would also put Ernie Harwell before him, but that's because I'm a homer.  I'm sure there are a bunch of other radio broadcasters from the old days that I don't even know about.

Edit: Two seconds of googling brought up Mel Allen, who along with Red Barber was one of the first recipients of the Ford Frick award.  This is too hard to do across sports.

Joined: 02/02/2016

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5th Van Tyne

January 25th, 2017 at 4:38 PM ^

Too many people here are forgetting how great Mike Emrick is at his job.

 

I'd go: Keith Jackson

Al Michaels

Vin Scully

Mike Emrick

 

HM: Jim Nantz during the Masters, Howard Cosell, and Gus Johnson during March Madness (not too keen on Gus doing any other sports).

Joined: 01/03/2017

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Big House Fair

January 25th, 2017 at 4:43 PM ^

If we're going with play-by-play, I'd go with: Vin Scully Dick Enberg Keith Jackson Al Michaels I'm not sure why Cosell gets so many mentions. His only real call was in boxing, and he was constantly upstaged by Clay/Ali in those events. But, that's what is so great about opinions!

Joined: 03/28/2011

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SAM love SWORD

January 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PM ^

Keith Jackson, Vin Scully, Al Michaels are locks.

Ufer, Harwell and (to me at least) Dickerson are all great local guys but from a national, historical perspective Red Barber deserves some real consideration. 

I've never liked Musberger, so sensationalist and self-involved.

Joined: 12/11/2014

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enlightenedbum

January 25th, 2017 at 4:46 PM ^

Let's go one for each major sport:

Jackson's obvious.  He's the best ever who had a national platform for a long time.  Runners up: Michaels, Sean McDonough is my favorite current guy, Summerall.  Last place: Musberger.

After that I think you take one of the classic baseball radio play by play guys: Harwell, Jack Buck, Scully.  I'm biased towards Ernie because I grew up in metro Detroit, but Scully is probably the most nationally recognized.  Last place: Joe Buck.

Bob Cole from like 1990 to 2008 was the best hockey guy I've ever heard.  Last place: Doc Emrick.  If everything is exciting, nothing is.

And Marv Albert is clearly the best for basketball, it's not even really a contest.  Gus for the NCAA tournament.  Last place: everyone who has called a game for BTN.

I like Verne a lot in both football and basketball, but he never called a game all that well, he was just excited to be there and likeable and embraced the CFB internets really early which endeared him to me.

I'll do analysts too just for shits and giggles: Spielman (last: Mack Brown), baseball analysts are almost always terrible so let's ignore that except to say that Joe Morgan and Tim McCarver get dishonorable mention, Harry Neale is obvious for hockey (last: Pierre Maguire), and I'm taking Raftery for basketball (last: Vitale, obviously)

Joined: 06/06/2009

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SyracuseWolvrine

January 25th, 2017 at 4:51 PM ^

Keith Jackson

Al Michaels

Ernie Harwell

Bob Ufer

Ken Kal - homer vote here.  Some people find him annoying, but I grew up listening to him call Wings games, and I like his enthusiasm and his delivery.

Joined: 10/20/2008

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