Favorite Sports Announcers

[Hostile]

I was curious who you guys feel are the best sports announcers? Could be play by play guys, color commentators, beat reporters, even other sports if you wish. Someone in the media who brings you sports and you enjoy.

Not really looking for who you hate, but if someone mentions someone you do hate, by all means feel free to tell us.

Mine...

In football right now my favorite guys to listen to are in college football. I really enjoy Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. Herby is IMO, the best college football guy in the game. Corso just entertains me.

I enjoy Troy Aikman as the color guy and I still like John Madden (I know many hate him). I really loved Keith Jackson announcing college games. I miss him a lot. Pat Summerall is still my favorite NFL announcer. I currently am not crazy about any of the announcers. I suppose I'll disappoint people and say Al Michaels is the current best.

In the studio I really miss JB on Fox. Him along with Howie, Terry, and Jimmy is the best football show out there. I still like Irv Cross, Brent Musberger, Jimmy the Greek, and Phyllis George on the old CBS broadcasts as the best all time. I wish Brent would come back to NFL football.

Some will hate this, but I really like Dick Vitale a lot. He's a total kook, but he entertains me every game he calls.

Baseball, there's no one like Vin Scully.

Oh, and the greatest sportswriter of all time IMO was Jim Murray. The best sports article I ever read was William Nack's eulogy of Secretariat. I posted that on this site if you are curious.

These guys have an impact in our lives and how we learn to love the games. So I was curious as to who you like.

 

[Rampage]

favorite: john madden,al michaels,troy aikman, jaws(best since espn took over mnf)

least favorite: michael kay(yankees),tony kornwhatever, bill walton(had the nerve to say basketball involves more strategy than football and football is just 11 guys colliding with another 11 guys each play)

 

[theebs]

Well currently for me...

Brad Sham and Babe Laufenberg are the best in the business.. Just my two cents. Laufenberg is absolutely terrific as an analyst in the booth and brad sham is as important a part of my sundays as the players themselves.

I enjoy aikman and buck and I really like Phil simms and of course madden and michaels. I do tire of Al Michaels by the end of the season though.

As for all time. For football its Pat summerall and John Madden on cbs and Phil Rizzuto and Bill white for baseball.

Doc emerick is great calling hockey, growing up a New jersey Devils fan I really loved and still do love to hear him call games....

Vin scully and Joe garagiola were great on the old nbc game of the week on saturday afternoons for baseball.

and as a side note, I really enjoyed Al, frank and dan on monday night football. They were perfect together and I still dont understand why they broke them up... Dan dierdorf is still good on cbs along with dick enberg.

 

[lane]

i miss the days of summerall and madden together so much.

summerall was the man.

i think joe buck does a great job announcing football and baseball....there is something about him i don't like though.

i like moose and siragusa.

i liked greg gumbel and phil simms too.

brent musberger does a good job in college football.

 

[Hostile]

FYI, if Kirk Herbstreit ever left college for the NFL I think he'd be the absolute best. But I would miss his knowledge of the college game a lot. I swear he knows every player who will play for every college team. A true professional.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I thought the best team out there where there were just two in the booth was Summerall and Brookshier(sp). Absolutely loved the two of them together.

As for the best three man team it has to be Gifford, Meredith and of course Cosell. They were great for the game and made Monday Night Football what it is today. That whole crew should be in Canton for their contributions to the game from the booth.

 

[theogt]

Summerall hands down.

For a team, I've always really liked Michaels and Madden.

 

[tecolote]

I´m a Dodger fan (unfortunatelly) and although I like football a lot more than baseball, when I listen to Vin Scully, as corny as it sounds, I feel like I´m listening to a member of my family, it takes me back to watching an listening to Dodger games with my Dad and my brother, I can hear hear his call after the Gibson homer (she is gooone), he is by far my favorite sports announcer.

As for football, Madden, Michaels, the Fox Studio guys and I´m starting to warm up to Rich Eisen.

 

[Manster68]

First of all, Aikman is horrible!

Moose is the best Color analyst hands down.

I would love to see Darren Woodson try being a color analyst, I think he would be great.

Irvin and Emmitt just were not made for television.

Theismann is horrible too.

Dan Fouts I thought was pretty good.

Boomer Esaison and Joe Namath had to have been the absolute worst.

The best play-by-play guy around just might be Verne Lundquist.

Best play-by-play guy of all time is the late Curt Gowdy.

The late Howard Cosell never bothered me.

Dan Deirdorf I though was pretty good.

I admired Al Michaels for his performance in the 1980 Winter Olympics (US Hockey Team), and the 1989 World Series (earthquake), but I lost all respect in the late 1990s when he referred to the 49ers as the "Holy Roman Empire."

Don Crique has done well.

Merrill Reese's voice just grates on me. (the voice of the Eagles)

I do like Dick Stockton.

 

[CaptainQuint]

All time favorite: Chick Hearn.
Vin Scully was great, when he had the Dodger crowd say, synchronously, 'Happy Birthday Harry' to the home plate umpire(who turned in disbelief to look at the crowd).
The Titans' radio guy is amusing when he says, 'Manning drops back to pass...SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKED!'

 

[Achozen]

Dan Fouts.

 

[JackMagist]

I'm a big John Madden fan...If you listen to him he has a lot of football knowledge but you do have to sort through the big goofy lineman jargon to get it. I like Al Michaels as Big John's sidekick...he's not Pat Summerall but he is pretty good.

I like Troy Aikman (he is not anti-Cowboy as some claim...he's just honest) but I wish they could lose Joe Buck.

I like Daryl Johnston as well...He is intelligent and articulate and has a sense of humor. He works well with his new partner and Goose is starting to annoy me less (a little less anyway).

I really like Jaws...especially after suffering through Joe Thiesman last year. Jaws breaks the plays down better than anyone in the game and he stays on point and keeps up with the game when Kornholeo brings in one of his guest and tries to play Jay Leno (still the most annoying aspect of MNF).

The CBS pregame show is not as good with JB gone but it is better this year with no Joe Buck. Frank McAfie (sp?) is doing a pretty solid job in JB's old spot. It is still the best pregame show.

 

[Concord]

Pro-Summerall and Madden.

There's never been anyone like Summerall...he was just great.

Also liked Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen.

Also Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy.

College-Obviously Keith Jackson.

But I really don't miss him so much because I think Brad Nessler is great and Griese isn't a bad partner.

I also really enjoy Bret Musburger ...Love how the shot fades in and he says "You are looking Live"

And Kirk Herbstreit is very good and he makes a nice partner with Musburger.

And he's a Buckeye!

 

[ZeroClub]

My all time favorite: Verne Lundquist calling the Cowboys on the radio.

Of course Sham is outstanding too.

As far as the network types go - I don't have anybody that I really like all that much today. I'd like to see what Woodson could do in a booth ....

 

[mwj473]

i think joe buck does a great job announcing football and baseball....there is something about him i don't like though.

Is it the way he glares into Aikman's eyes all the time what bothers you?

 

[kingwhicker]

My favorites are Pat Summerall, John Madden, Aikman, Moose, Brad Nessler, Ron Franklin, Todd Blackledge, Verne Lundquist, Dan Fouts, Jim Nantz, Chris Fowler, Craig James, Kirk Herbstreit, Ken Squire & Ned Jarrett (racing).

 

[J-DOG]

Some of my favorites...
Curt Gowdy-The guys voice was just made for broadcasting in my opinion.
Verne Lundquist-I don't think he does football games anymore but I am old enough and lucky enough to remember him calling Dallas Cowboys radio with Brad Sham doing color before Verne left for the CBS network. Great announcer for golf too.
Pat Summerall-the guy was announcer in an understated way. Summerall was the master at saying just enough and then letting the moment take over.

As for today's announcers...
Aikman-I thought when he first started that Moose was better than him. But Aikman has improved a lot since his beginning and to me he is the best color guy working in the NFL.
Phil Simms-Just a solid analyst. Well prepared and his enthusiasm for what he does comes across really well.
Ron Jaworski-This guy should have been announcing for a long time now. The only thing holding him back is kornholio.
Moose-Well prepared and does a great job considering he has to work with Siragusa. I think Jaworski and Moose would be better off with just a 2 man booth.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

While wrestling is not considered a sport I thought the late Gordon Solie was the best announcer I've ever heard...

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Yeah... Old Man Pat Summeral was the best. His delivery is 2nd to none.

I like Al Michaels and John Madden.
Followed closely by Troy Aikman and Joe Buck.... alot wont give Buck any credit... he is perfect for football and baseball... maybe baseball more...

I liked the old team on Fox with Terry, Howie, JB.... didnt/dont care too much for Collinsworthless.... I like Jimmy Johnson... just not for the show...

 

[theebs]

While wrestling is not considered a sport I thought the late Gordon Solie was the best announcer I've ever heard...

What Gorilla monsoon Cant get no love...?