Who are the best and worst college football announcers/analysts?

[buckeyemania11]

the bad-

pam ward

and Petros Papadakis (he usually does the late FSN Pac 10 Game)

[BB73]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Favorite- Danielson and Blackledge by far. They watch the game and comment on the game, a rare thing these days, and they're both good at it. None of that cutesy flirting Mussberger and Herbstreit do and they aren't jerks either.

Honorable mention for best- Spielman. His love for the game comes across every time he speaks. He even gets pumped up for Nevada-New Mexico St. games. Also the guy who worked the Washington and Northwestern games with Ron Franklin. Don't remember his name but he doesn't bash any teams which is refreshing. Mark Jones(IIRC) and Bob Davie who did the Minny game are enjoyable as well. I'd like to see Dick Vermeil come back and do some games. He was so fun to listen to on the last minute drive against ASU in the '97 Rose Bowl. Oh, and Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis.

Worst- Tim Brant. I've hated his guts ever since the '06 Oregon-UCLA game when he blatantly rooted for UCLA the entire time.

Honorable mention for worst- Sean who does the weeknight games with Spielman. I can't remember his last name but he is so dull and can be a real prick sometimes. Reece Davis, Lou Holtz, Mark May, Brent Mussberger(now. He used to be much better just a few years ago), Kirk Herbstreit, and many, many others make this list. There are just too many to count.

Sean McDonough.

[7 Heismans]

Originally Posted by generaladm

I like Musburger, except for the collection of maize and blue ties.

Fouts was close to being my worst. When I watch the OSU/Miami game and hear him shout, "Bad call! Bad call!", in the 1st OT, I just want to punch him in the face.

I don't care for either Musburger or Fouts.

Keith Jackson is my favorite.

[NightmaresDad]

Originally Posted by cincibuck

I grew up in Dayton (Kettering) listening to Marv Homan call the Buckeye games on radio and Ken Coleman doing the Browns on Sundays. Loved 'em both. Marv was not adverse to pulling for the Bucks at some peak moment, nor was he afraid to say something when the team was not playing well. Coleman was the complete professional, like Vin Scully he never cheered fromthe pressbox. I respect that.

You want the worst? Go back and watch the '69 Rose Bowl DVD and listen to Curt Gowdy. The fifties and sixties were filled with some horrible announcers; Curt, Chris Schinkle and Mel Allen. Guys who did very little research and tried to call all the sports in each season.

Equally bad are the guys who can't keep from rooting as they call the game, so no, I don't like listening to Greg Lushutka and that a-hole in the after game show and I really can't stand Dave Lapham doing the Bengals--of course the fact that I hate the Bengals may have something to do with that.

I always enjoyed Keith Jackson. Al Michales comes to mind as a consumate professional today. Calls the game, knows the background and the history and doesn't try and fill the air waves with the sound of his own voice.

Agreed on Gowdy, Cinci.

It wasn't only college football, though.
Remember the '75 world series? His disappointment whenever the Reds would hit a home run or score or win a game was blatantly obvious in his voice.

I'll have to disagree on Schenkel, though. I always thought he was a pretty good averall announcer, no matter what the sport.

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

Worst : Charlie Jones /Al Deragodo (sp?)

Going waaaayyyy back for that one, LitlBuck!
I think DiRogado (sp?) worked a lot with Gowdy.

Originally Posted by UpNorthBuckeye

Keith Jackson is past his prime, although he did an admirable job keeping Fouts in his place during the NC game.

Worst? Curt Gowdy doing the 1968 Rose Bowl NC game. Bruce Jankowski became "Janowicz" and he never knew who had the ball!

Of course, the cameraman didn't either.

I know that goes back a ways... I was only 13 that day, but I remember how mad I was at Gowdy for making so many mistakes.

It was not only the incredible number of mistakes Gowdy always made, but also the incredible bias he always showed as well.

The name he kept butchering during the '69 RB was Mike Sensibaugh. He called him Sesinbaugh virtually every time.
But, hey, his hunting/fishing show actually was pretty good.


Another old-timer that nobody has mentioned that always did very well with the analysis was Kyle Rote.
Also remember Darrell Royal being very good back in the day.

Lindsey Nelson was a pretty good PBP man, although I think he was a Notre Dame homer.

Current:
Spielman is the best. He's nowhere near "polished" enough to hit the big time, though.

Paul Keels: Man, that guy must get paid by the word. I've never heard another announcer talk half as much as him besides maybe Jim Lampley. If he would tone it down a couple of notches instead of sounding like the "terms and conditions" guy at the end of a commercial, he would be awesome. Basketball, in particular, is virtually unlistenable when he is announcing.

[BUCK3YE5]

Jackson is my fav. I HATE Brent Musburger and that guy who commentated the fiesta bowl between Ohio State and Kansas State a few years back. If anyone remembers that game, the announcer couldnt stop blabbin about ksu's qb Ell Roberson the whole game!!! And Brent is just incredibly annoying and has no idea what he is talking about.

[generaladm]

Originally Posted by BUCK3YE5

Jackson is my fav. I HATE Brent Musburger and that guy who commentated the fiesta bowl between Ohio State and Kansas State a few years back. If anyone remembers that game, the announcer couldnt stop blabbin about ksu's qb Ell Roberson the whole game!!! And Brent is just incredibly annoying and has no idea what he is talking about.

The crew for the 2004 Fiesta was Tim Brandt and Ed Cunningham. You are absolutely correct, terrible announcing. Almost as bad as the 2003 season opener against Washington, when they showed Clarett on the sidelines between every play. The announcers in that game (Tirico?) were so preoccupied with Mo, they barely called the plays. Thanks for giving me an excuse to watch an old Buckeye game!

[TheIronColonel]

I have to admit that I'm not a Spielman fan. His analysis is pretty good, but his color commentary usually consists of some variant on "They're out there testing their manhood." Any time there's a crucial play or 3rd down or the play by play guy has stopped talking for 15 seconds, Spielman chimes in with the testing-your-manhood-jock-talk. I genuinely like his analysis, but he really needs to get past this one metaphor that he harps on.

[Buckeye Nut]

Originally Posted by generaladm

Almost as bad as the 2003 season opener against Washington, when they showed Clarett on the sidelines between every play. The announcers in that game (Tirico?) were so preoccupied with Mo, they barely called the plays.

Keith Jackson did that game.

[generaladm]

Good call! Just pulled out the tape, Jackson and Fouts. I seem to remember a third guy at some point. I just remember getting really [censored]ed off because they kept showing the guys in the booth talking about MoC while there were plays going on. John saunders, maybe? Luckilly, the tape has no sound.

[generaladm]

Originally Posted by generaladm

Good call! Just pulled out the tape, Jackson and Fouts. I seem to remember a third guy at some point. I just remember getting really [censored]ed off because they kept showing the guys in the booth talking about MoC while there were plays going on. John saunders, maybe? Luckilly, the tape has no sound.

It was Herbie! Now I'm really glad there's no sound. I must have been thinking of another game from that year when all they did was talk about Mo.

[BUCKYLE]

Mother[censored] Dan [censored]face Fouts. I'd like to step on his throat. I think he said "Daddy" oh, about 7,647 times during the NC. Damn I hate that prick.

The best, imo, is the team of Daniellson and Musberger.

[OregonBuckeye]

Anyone else hate listening to Lisa Salters and Rachel Nichols? The way they talk really gets under my skin.

[Buck33Eye11]

best: Keith Jackson and it's really not close for me. I've never had a huge problem with Mike Patrick..idk I just love his enthusiasm. "Ho-ly COW!". I used to hate Musburger with a passion but he's starting to grow on me a little bit. As far as analysts go, I've always liked Herbie. He may be a little too unbiased at times, but he is really a fan of the game and he knows what he's talking about..same with Fowler (but I may just like him because he went to Colorado)

worst: Fouts is beyond bad as a play-by-play guy and as an analyst. I always thought Madden was just retarded, but I think I'm coming around. I really don't like Griese because it seems like he's always the first to criticize the Bucks and the Big Ten (retarded..didn't he go to Purdue?). I would love to stick a stake in Ivan Maisel's throat as well..I've hated him for years. And Mark May is just lol stupid.

EDIT: OMFG. HOLTZ AND MARK MAY BOTH JUST PICKED OHIO STATE. WTF IS GOING ON?!?!?!?!

[BuckeyePride]

Originally Posted by OregonBuckeye

Anyone else hate listening to Lisa Salters and Rachel Nichols? The way they talk really gets under my skin.

I could never pay attention to what Rachel Nichols says...specially when her hair are colored red.

[gemsweater]

Gus Johnson has my vote for the best...for sure!

There are unfortunately too many choices for the worst. I'd have to go with Dan Fouts cuz he's a hater.