Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

[BGarrett7]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

It seems that almost everyone you talk about, especially the well known ones, there is a negative reaction. Why is that?

Why? It's pretty simple, they are cartoon characters. They function as a personality, not as someone who actually does their job effectively. Madden used to be a good commentator, many years ago. But he has fallen off greatly as the years have passed. As much as I enjoy listening to Al Michaels, it became a grueling task to even watch MNF when he was working with Madden.

And for those of you who think Chris Berman or John Madden or whoever else is "awful," who, in your eyes, is a "great" commentator/announcer and what makes him/her so?

I think Gary Thorne is the best national play-by-play man going right now. I'll watch a game on ESPN just to hear him call it. He is probably the only announcer that I have ever been able to say that about. I don't care for when Steve Phillips is in the booth with him, but the dynamic that Thorne and Stone have is very, very good. Thorne does his job perfectly, and he doesn't entertain to the level where the broadcast becomes more about him than the game itself. The same thing cannot be said about the likes of Berman, Madden, Morgan, and the rest of the clowns who man the national televised games. Each of them somehow manages to shift the focus away from the game itself and onto their own agenda -- themselves.

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

He's horrible, but in his defense, I feel like 90+% of sports announcers nowadays are brutal.

[snepp]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

I think Gary Thorne is the best national play-by-play man going right now. I'll watch a game on ESPN just to hear him call it. He is probably the only announcer that I have ever been able to say that about. I don't care for when Steve Phillips is in the booth with him, but the dynamic that Thorne and Stone have is very, very good. Thorne does his job perfectly, and he doesn't entertain to the level where the broadcast becomes more about him than the game itself. The same thing cannot be said about the likes of Berman, Madden, Morgan, and the rest of the clowns who man the national televised games. Each of them somehow manages to shift the focus away from the game itself and onto their own agenda -- themselves.

That describes it perfectly. Here's another prop for Thorne, he's the only reason why I can watch a hockey game (on tv anyway).

Summerall is/was an excellent play-by-play man. Not overpowering in the booth, providing maximum information with the fewest words possible. Which is the exact opposite of the douchebags today, who provide a pathetic amount of info while using an astonishing amount of words. (Buck is beyond awful, he needs to shut his yap now and then)

"Aikman.....Irvin.....touchdown." <-- Classic call

[heavyXBLLN]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

Summerall is/was an excellent play-by-play man. Not overpowering in the booth, providing maximum information with the fewest words possible. Which is the exact opposite of the douchebags today, who provide a pathetic amount of info while using an astonishing amount of words. (Buck is beyond awful, he needs to shut his yap now and then)
"Aikman.....Irvin.....touchdown." <-- Classic call

If I am reading your sarcasm correctly, then you have contradicted yourself. If you want maximum information with as few words as possible, then Joe Buck's infamous call fit your description quite well. Quarterback to receiver for a touchdown, simple and direct.

There is also an obvious point that needs making. Most of the people we are talking about are TV commentators/announcers, which function MUCH differently than radio. In Tv, you need much less description of the action taking place (which you can presumably see on screen) and more of the analysis and "entertainment.") This leaves a good amount of room for individual style and personality to come through. Radio on the other hand, especially during a game that is not simulataneously televised (and therefore moves much more quickly) has very little room for improvisation, since ALL of the action must be described for the listener.

I've watched and listened to sports for a while, too, and I've found John Madden's insights into the game quite good as an analyst and Chris Berman's style of play-by-play quite entertaining as well. Perhaps their personalities are not to your liking, but to me, as TV broadcasters, they are both entertaining AND informative.

[sportsdude]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

Berman does baseball games because his Q rating is the highest of all the on-air talent at ESPN, and baseball is a slow-enough paced game that he can do commentary without coming off as an inexperienced ****** to the common viewer/fan. That's what it all boils down to.

[snepp]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

If I am reading your sarcasm correctly, then you have contradicted yourself. If you want maximum information with as few words as possible, then Joe Buck's infamous call fit your description quite well. Quarterback to receiver for a touchdown, simple and direct.

There was no sarcasm in my post, that call is Summerall, not Buck. Though I can see how it would look that way given the way I typed it up.

Buck would go off on a tangent talking about Irvin's alleged drug use, Barry Switzer's indiscretions in college, and Jerry Jones's most recent facelift, then maybe get around to giving the actual play-by-play. Now that was sarcasm.

[rpac44]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

he would be tolerable if he wasnt so obviously biased toward the red sox; the famous line from last year's division series: "... off-speed, Graffanino-Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Through his legs... EVERYONE's safe!!!"

[shrinkydink]

Re: Chris Berman as a baseball announcer?

To me, Berman is a bit more bearable than Ken Harrelson. "You can blah blah blaaaah YYYYYES!"