Comparing TV Booths- Who’s better All time and Now?

[Whyjerry]

First of all, Im so anxious to hear some NFL football, I would settle for hearing almost anyone in the broadcast booth. Assuming we have a season starting in September, I thought it would be fun to handicap the best/worst broadcast teams.

Opinion Alert: This is all subjective, so don’t get your Cowboys boxers out of whack over broadcasters.

First of all, I’m going to throw down what I think are the BEST Of the Old NFL football booth teams:

1. Pat Summerall and John Madden- Summerall was the best at just presenting what happened without fluff or grandiosity. With the voice of God. Madden was the fun former coach with sound effects and fat guy jokes. These two together made any game interesting. THE BEST IMO.
2. Frank Gifford, Dandy Don Meredith and Howard Cosell- the Monday night broadcast booth from the early 70s was gold. Gifford was a boring play by play guy, but Dandy and Howard more than made up for it. Danny Don was the “OG” creative color analysts- funny and accurate. Cosell was the jerk everyone loved to hate. The back and forth between Howard and Dandy was greatness. This was when MNF was the best!
3. Jack Buck and Hank Stram- Joe Buck’s dad was one of the best at both baseball and football. He had that great gravelly voice that sounded like a general. Hank Stram was similar to John Madden- funny, unpredictable and a little crazy. Stram was calling plays out way before Tony Romo- (“Something left Jack”) Good chemistry between them.

The Current Best Booth Teams IMO:

1. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman- I know a lot of people hate Joe B but I’m not one of them. He’s funny, interesting, and all the haters wear “fan glasses”- meaning they don’t like him saying the opponents QB has had a good game against us...when they did. Aikman is the current best color analyst. Smart, insightful, and underrated in the funny department.
   
2. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth- Michaels is one of the smoothest and best prepared broadcasters. Collinsworth is annoying half the time, but he can occasionally be ok. Michaels is the talent here.
3. Jim Nance and Tony Romo- Nance is super smooth and great at transitions. Romo...I hate to say it- he wears me out with the constant over the top “Jim it looks like a deep out here against this soft zone” before each play. It was kind of novel at first, but now it’s a beating.

THE ALL TIME BEST COWBOYS RADIO BROADCASTERS:

1. Frank Gleiber- THE BEST- Gleiber did play by play from the late 60s to Early 70s. He was one of the all time great Cowboys announcers. Smooth, fun and always prepared. Died of cancer too young at 51 in 1985.
2. Verne Lunquist- before he gained national fame as a college football broadcaster, Verne did play by play for the Cowboys in the mid 70s hey days. His color analysis was provided by Brad Sham. They made a really good team.
3. Dale Hansen- He was the funny “color guy” -never play by play- but in the 90s, his honest and funny analysis made those 90s broadcasts so much fun. It’s never been the same without him.
4. Brad Sham- believe it or not, can’t stand this guy. Try tuning into a game midway through the second qtr and see how long it takes before he gives a score. On top of that, off the air, he’s a notorious jerk. Arrogant with fans while acting like the players are all his best friends. Saw him in person at a remote broadcast with KRLD back in the 80s. A complete jerk off the air. Not a Sham fan.

So who are your favorite broadcast teams....and least favorites? And why.

Its Madden and Summerall all day. They are the Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes to the announcing world. I agree Aikman and Buck are the best. Aikman is great, Buck hurts my ears though. Al Michaels is one of the top 5 all time. You could pair a monkey with him and it would work. I truly think Booger McFarland is the worst of all time. The original MNF crew was amazing you are spot on there. I liked Dan Dierdorf in the booth. He had his opinions. Call me crazy but I liked Thiesman too. He didn't care what anyone thought of him.

Love a couple college greats, and I know I will take some heat, by I am a big Brent Musburger guy. Loved Saturday nights with him. Also met him at a car rental in Charlotte once. Guy could not have been nicer. I never go up to celebs but I was standing right next to him and had to tell him I thought he was one of the greats. Guy was a 100 pct gentleman. Another was Keith Jackson. Loved that guy. To me he was the Madden of College FB - that voice and enthusiasm made every game seem big.

Most of the guys today suck. Bob Costas ruined SNF for me.

 

[quickccc]

My All Time NFL play/color duo

1 Summerall and Madden
2 Gifford, Cosell, meredith
3 Collinsworth and Michaels
4 Aikman and Buck
5 Diick Enberg ( "O' My !" ) and Merlin Orsen
6 Frank Gifford/ Diick Vermeil
7 Jim Nantz and Romo
8 Diick Stockton/Moose Johnston
9 Stram/Jack Buck
10 Burkhardt/Charles Davis

 

[quickccc]

Best Radio (local) Voices per Cowboys broadcast:
1. Brad Sham
2. Verne Lundquist
3. Babe Lafenberg
4. Dale Hansen
5. Bryan Broaddus
( i dont remember Frank Gielber in radio play)

 

[CouchCoach]

Its Madden and Summerall all day. They are the Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes to the announcing world. I agree Aikman and Buck are the best. Aikman is great, Buck hurts my ears though. Al Michaels is one of the top 5 all time. You could pair a monkey with him and it would work. I truly think Booger McFarland is the worst of all time. The original MNF crew was amazing you are spot on there. I liked Dan Dierdorf in the booth. He had his opinions. Call me crazy but I liked Thiesman too. He didn't care what anyone thought of him.

Love a couple college greats, and I know I will take some heat, by I am a big Brent Musburger guy. Loved Saturday nights with him. Also met him at a car rental in Charlotte once. Guy could not have been nicer. I never go up to celebs but I was standing right next to him and had to tell him I thought he was one of the greats. Guy was a 100 pct gentleman. Another was Keith Jackson. Loved that guy. To me he was the Madden of College FB - that voice and enthusiasm made every game seem big.

Most of the guys today suck. Bob Costas ruined SNF for me.

Greatest moment for any of them was when Musburger went loco for McCarron's fiancee at a Bama game on a Saturday night. Nobody knew what to do with him, he was losing it and I am dying, it was hilarious. He tops it off telling all the young boys in the audience to be QB's because that's what QB's get.,,,,girls like her. I laugh every time I think about it. She knew the camera was on her but had no idea Brent had gone wolfman crazy in the booth.

 

[Whyjerry]

Greatest moment for any of them was when Musburger went loco for McCarron's fiancee at a Bama game on a Saturday night. Nobody knew what to do with him, he was losing it and I am dying, it was hilarious. He tops it off telling all the young boys in the audience to be QB's because that's what QB's get.,,,,girls like her. I laugh every time I think about it. She knew the camera was on her but had no idea Brent had gone wolfman crazy in the booth.

The guy is a legend!

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I will say, some of the CFL commentators when the CFL is on ESPN2 are usually really good. Pity they can't draw a few of them for the Monday Night Football role. For example, Rod Black (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Black) is a play by play commentator for TSN when they do CFL games who I think is quite good when I'm watching CFL games. Same goes for Duane Forde who (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Forde) usually does a lot of the colour commentary for TSN. Together, I reckon they'd make quite a good combo for MNF. This would be the time of year I'd do that because I'd get bored waiting for the NFL preseason to start and the Premier League in normal years would have just finished. But yes, I do think ESPN should try and work out with TSN to bring in a few of their CFL lads for MNF.

 

[Whirlwin]

I can understand that.

I knew you would. You’re usually levelheaded. you know when it’s not personal

 

[dwmyers]

I'm going to be way off topic I suspect. My favorite voice all time is probably Vin Scully, who is best known for being the voice of the LA Dodgers, but I liked almost anything he announced.
I thought Summerall's old team, with Tom Brookshier, was very good. Summerall and Madden were good but in a very different (probably one of a kind) way.
Maybe it's because I loved the Houston Astros in the 1980s and hated the Dodgers, but the Atlanta Braves radio team of Jim Powell and Don Sutton is a great listen. I hated Don with a passion
when he was a Dodger and loved when he was an Astro for pretty much the same reasons. As a pitcher he could get in immense trouble and would pitch himself out of it.

But Don is great if you want someone who REALLY KNOWS BASEBALL. And he has a great radio voice.

Keith Jackson, which others have mentioned. A terrific listen. Whoa Nelly!!

D-

 

[Whirlwin]

And when he's wrong, what happens then?

He has been wrong more than once.

 

[CouchCoach]

He has been wrong more than once.

And the play worked. That style of color commentary doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

People act like he's a pioneer in that. Think other ex coaches and QB's couldn't do that? Broadcast teams are not in the business of predicting, they won't even let Herbstreit do that on games he's working. I don't want any more from the color guy other than why it did or did not work.

 

[Whirlwin]

And the play worked. That style of color commentary doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

People act like he's a pioneer in that. Think other ex coaches and QB's couldn't do that? Broadcast teams are not in the business of predicting, they won't even let Herbstreit do that on games he's working. I don't want any more from the color guy other than why it did or did not work.

I totally agree. Thank you for being an individual having a mind of your own.