Do The Announcers Really Matter?

[sonnyboy]

I was reading the Madden thread when an interesting thought occurred to me: I am for the most part indifferent to both the color and play by play guys. I suppose it has to do with my focus on the game itself and in the case of the Cowboys, my intense focus.

I don't think this was always the case. I guess it's been a gradual thing as the years have gone by ( I'm 37) and I have a better handle of whats going on. At this point I just don't care what they have to say and almost don't hear them anymore.

How about you guys?

 

[theogt]

I find myself watching the spanish channels on mute -- in other words, sound isn't that important.

 

[Hostile]

I was reading the Madden thread when an interesting thought occurred to me: I am for the most part indifferent to both the color and play by play guys. I suppose it has to do with my focus on the game itself and in the case of the Cowboys, my intense focus.

I don't think this was always the case. I guess it's been a gradual thing as the years have gone by ( I'm 37) and I have a better handle of whats going on. At this point I just don't care what they have to say and almost don't hear them anymore.

How about you guys?

There are announcers who drive me batty and there are some I really enjoy. I already can't stand the MNF crew. I could listen to Troy Aikman all day, and I like Madden because he has fun. Yeah he says goofy stuff, but so what? Phil Simms is very good IMO.

There will always be sportscasters who just make me want to turn the sound off. Conversely there will always be some who I pay attention to.

 

[ZeroClub]

From time to time, announcers can point out interesting details on replays that weren't obvious from the live action camera.

But most coverage is aimed at more casual fans - and so announcers make points that are already obvious to the avid fans.

"From where that flag was thrown, it's probably holding."

 

[Doomsday101]

I was reading the Madden thread when an interesting thought occurred to me: I am for the most part indifferent to both the color and play by play guys. I suppose it has to do with my focus on the game itself and in the case of the Cowboys, my intense focus.

I don't think this was always the case. I guess it's been a gradual thing as the years have gone by ( I'm 37) and I have a better handle of whats going on. At this point I just don't care what they have to say and almost don't hear them anymore.

How about you guys?

Same here, I don't pay much attention to the announcers. I understand what is going on. I do tend to pay a bit more attention to the sideline reporters on TV when talking about what is happening down on the sidelines especially with injuries but the banter in the booth most of the time it is meaningless and I tend to just drown them out.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I was reading the Madden thread when an interesting thought occurred to me: I am for the most part indifferent to both the color and play by play guys. I suppose it has to do with my focus on the game itself and in the case of the Cowboys, my intense focus.

I don't think this was always the case. I guess it's been a gradual thing as the years have gone by ( I'm 37) and I have a better handle of whats going on. At this point I just don't care what they have to say and almost don't hear them anymore.

How about you guys?

There are a few that just annoy me a great deal, but at the end of the day I just don't care as long as I get to watch the Cowboys play.

If they bother me too much I can always hit the magic button on the remote called the mute button.

Now If I can just get that button to work on the wife.

Seriously though, some people IN MY OPINION are way way way to sensitive if anyone says even the slightest thing that does not put the cowboys in a positive light.

People rag on Troy because he does not kiss the cowboys butts when he is calling a game.

 

[MS17]

Same here, I don't pay much attention to the announcers. I understand what is going on. I do tend to pay a bit more attention to the sideline reporters on TV when talking about what is happening down on the sidelines especially with injuries but the banter in the booth most of the time it is meaningless and I tend to just drown them out.

I'd agree with that, like Detective Friday says, "Just the facts, ma'am." I could also listent to Troy and Moose all day, they bring a lot to the booth. I may be one of the very few here who enjoys Joe Buck. The MNF crew is just horrible, the worst assemblage ever. Chattering magpies would do better.

 

[bobtheflob]

For me they rarely add much to the game because, as has been said, they gear their observations towards more casual fans. I've just gotten used to the fact that they usually state the obvious and it doesn't really bug me or anything. I would love it if they had an alternate broadcast of a game that was meant for more avid fans, but that's not going to happen.

They can detract from the game though. Some people just annoy me enough that I have to mute it, Theismann sometimes and especially Tony Siragusa (technically a sideline guy I guess). The worst thing for me is interviews, either in the booth or on the sideline. Those softball questions and cliche answers just grind at me sometimes.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

I always read about some saying to just put the game on mute, but the sounds of the crowd and hits is all part of what i enjoy. Announcers i think are kindof like woman, can’t live with em and can’t live without!

 

[dougonthebench]

arguing with the announcers is half the fun!!

 

[Doomsday101]

I'd agree with that, like Detective Friday says, "Just the facts, ma'am." I could also listent to Troy and Moose all day, they bring a lot to the booth. I may be one of the very few here who enjoys Joe Buck. The MNF crew is just horrible, the worst assemblage ever. Chattering magpies would do better.

Believe me if they are talking about something that I find interesting I'll pay attention but when I start hearing all the 2nd guessing like I would have done this or that instead of what coach so and so just called I get tired of hearing that BS because it is after the fact so we really don't know what that announcer may have done in the same situation. A guy like Madden I can take only so much before it gets a bit old. I don't know how many times I have heard him say "This guy is the best (name position in the NFL) then the following week some other guy is the best in the NFL at that same position, come on John make up your mind buddy. :laugh2:

 

[DallasEast]

Slightly off-topic, but I've always found it interesting that commentary can be manually turned off within the Madden video games. It's funny to me that Madden, who loves to talk, would give EA permission to provide gamers the option to mute him like that at will.

Of course, I don't mute the game commentary because of Madden. I can tolerate him. It's Al Micheals who I can't stand at all.

 

[ZeroClub]

They can detract from the game though. Some people just annoy me enough that I have to mute it, Theismann sometimes and especially Tony Siragusa (technically a sideline guy I guess). The worst thing for me is interviews, either in the booth or on the sideline. Those softball questions and cliche answers just grind at me sometimes.

Yeah.

I believe that every announcer should be wired with a device that administers a painful, but not life-threatening, electric shock whenever the word "braut" is spoken.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I actually like the Madden-Michaels combination... when Michaels call the TD's and big plays... it just sounds better to me... Theeesman and Tony Toni Tone and the other guy just dont do anything for me...

no uummpph!

 

[Yakuza Rich]

The play by play guys do.

I want to know who made the tackle, the right call, who the penalty was on, and correct down and distance. Makes the game a lot easier for me to watch.

I generally don't have a problem with Madden. He's definitely not as good as he used to be, but I think he does an okay job.

Part of the problem with the color guys is that football is a very tough game to quickly analyze as it's being played. Even when Parcells is asked questions about players after a game, he usually reverts to the "I'll have to watch the film to get a better idea of how he did" line, which is perfectly honest way of putting it.

The other problem is that TV has this dying need to have likeable personalities and funny people. The problem is that it's incredibly tough to be funny on a constant basis when it comes to sports. And since football is just a fraction of the sporting world, it becomes even tougher to be humorous about.

Why? Because sports are pretty cut and dry for the most part whereas general life....where most comedians, comedic films, and sitcoms base their material on is so ambiguous that they can put their own humorous take on rather easily.

I often go to a sports bar to watch Cowboys games and most times I don't get the sound and I've gotten by rather fine for years doing this.

I think network execs need to focus on finding color guys that are either astute at giving quick analysis of the game or find guys that are funny and likeable when it comes to the game of football.....instead of relying on getting some type of comedian or a guy like Kornheiser who can be humorous, but in general it's about other sports and every day life.


YAKUZA

 

[Stautner]

Madden was great when he first got into broadcasting. He was fresh off being a successful coach and provided insights TV viewers had never been subject to before. Now he's just annoying as hell. Whenever he calls a game I end up yelling "SHUT UP" at the screen at least 3-4 times during the game.

The MNF group is going to be very annoying. Theismann is one of the worst in NFL history - and if his commentary wasn't bad enough, the fact that he is a hated Commander adds to it. Mike Patrick is ok, but Tony sucks as bad as Theismann. Those guys detract from the game and take attention away from it rather than blend with it as happens with a good TV crew.

My brother always turns down the TV during Cowboy games and listens to Brad Sham on the radio as he watches. That may become more difficult this year since I understand Charlie Waters is going to be on the radio with him. I loved Waters when he played, and he knows the game very well and can provide a lot of insight, but frankly he has a hard time spitting out a complete and coherent sentence.

 

[lurkercowboy]

A cousin and I used to watch games with the sound off and provide our own announcing.

 

[Doomsday101]

Madden was great when he first got into broadcasting. He was fresh off being a successful coach and provided insights TV viewers had never been subject to before. Now he's just annoying as hell. Whenever he calls a game I end up yelling "SHUT UP" at the screen at least 3-4 times during the game.

The MNF group is going to be very annoying. Theismann is one of the worst in NFL history - and if his commentary wasn't bad enough, the fact that he is a hated Commander adds to it. Mike Patrick is ok, but Tony sucks as bad as Theismann. Those guys detract from the game and take attention away from it rather than blend with it as happens with a good TV crew.

My brother always turns down the TV during Cowboy games and listens to Brad Sham as he watches. That may become more difficult this year since I understand Charlie Waters is going to be on the radio with him. I loved Waters when he played, and he knows the game very well and can provide a lot of insight, but frankly he has a hard time spitting out a complete and coherent sentence.

I have done that from time to time as well and really think they do a great job in large part because they have to go the extra mile to give the listener a better ideal of exactly what is happening. As for Charlie Waters I'll never forget when he was in the booth while on the injury list telling Sham how Roger would lead the team from behind telling him you gotta believe. I think Charlie will do fine working the booth.

 

[ZeroClub]

As for Charlie Waters I'll never forget when he was in the booth while on the injury list telling Sham how Roger would lead the team from behind telling him you gotta believe.

Yup. For his performance in the booth during that game, I give Waters a lifetime pass.

I think Charlie will do fine working the booth.

It was preseason for him too. He'll be fine.

 

[baj1dallas]

I don't think they add much but they can definitely take away. Paul McGuire was so dang irritating that I basically had to mute the game, and thus miss out on things that are hard to see. As long as they're not buffoons (aka McGuire or Dan Dierdorff) I can take it, even Joe Thiesmann. I mean if you want to say something stupid, just say it and get it over with, don't go on and on about it for 10 minutes until I want to put my head through the tv.