Awful Interning: CBS Sports Doesn't Know Who Wally Szczerbiak Is

How da hell ESPN gets a D with Jaws and Tirico. C MINUS FOR ME. This blog article is bullsheit

I love how Sam Rosen gets no love in this article. He really is the best play-by-play announcer on fox, IMO. When Albert/Johnston did the Cotton Bowl this year, you could obviously tell that Goose completes that commentating team. My list of worst fox announcers would consist of Brennaman, Rose, Myers(Better at Sideline reporter), Pitts, Davis, and Mora

I disagree about Siragusa. I think his antics and commentary breathes life into the pointless "sideline reporter" job. Give me a dozen Siragusas and send arrogant non-babe Pam Oliver to the glue factory.

Eagle and Fouts are great, Gus Johnson is fantastic, I'm impressed with Collinsworth these days (and your comments on him are dead on), Deirdorf is classic, and I was shocked at how much I DIDN'T hate Kurt Warner in an analyst position.

Simms can't go five minutes without uttering the phrase "we talked about it" or some variation. Aikman and Buck sound perpetually bored, I can't stand either of them. Get off my tv if you hate your jobs so much! Does Kenny Albert speak like that in real life? He's finally shown a tiny amount of personality even though he is still made out of wood. Ron Jaworski has crafted an annoying persona for himself over the last decade+ at ESPN, but he's broken a lot of bad habits as part of the MNF booth team, thank God.

Too many media critics worry about things like Buck saying that Reid is hard to miss while completely ignoring Aikman in the same clip saying "I don't blame him" when Reid took an idiotic timeout there.

To me an analyst not understanding what is going on is way worse than a pbp guy making a bad joke.

I lost a bit of respect for Nantz this weekend. He seemed to be acting like a Pats homer and villifying the Jets at every turn. I'm a Jets fan, but other fans also noticed this

"Self-aggrandizing" is breaking up with your wife because of a picture of yourself.

I think most need to remember is that a lot of these 'over the hill' broadcasters have been around as long as the executives/executive producers that employ them. As terrible as Stockton has become or vanilla Hammonds is, guys like that have been around since the 70's/80's and have strong relationships with these network guys. I'm sure guys like Dick Eberol or David Hill fill these spots by guys they know or golf with or rely on the game producers to recommend ‘their guys'. Moral of the story: just like any other job, it’s who you know and who knows you.

But the truth is, in Football and even more so for baseball, there appears to be no crop of future stars or heir apparent in the booth. Today play by play guys are looking for that 'niche'. Unfortunately, that niche is fake style over substance. Too many people trying imitate Berman, Stuart Scott bogus catch phrases or Joe Buck snarkism. Young announcers trying to put their antics or personality ahead of the game (I give Gus Johnson a pass because the guy really shows enthusiasm for the game and it doesn't appear forced). ESPN's college football broadcaster really epitomize how the awful announcing (DING DING DING) has become. So for every Bob Papa (and you really can’t fault him for the ass hats he is saddled with), Spero Dedes and Ian Eagle, you have ten Chris Rose, Rob Stone, Ron Pitts.

As for the analyst to me it appears these guys are getting OLDER and CRANKIER before our eyes, ala Joe Morgan. As much as they love the game, I really believe after at least 10 years away from the game these guys really hate how it’s played. Or the players that play them. Also, another problem the personality trait again. Deion Sanders started this and Charles Barkely perfected it. And there’s way too many of them in the booth or in the studio trying too hard or too forced to be colorful or controversial (Shannon Sharpe is the first that comes to mind) but really have ZERO substance to their argument as boisterous they try to sound.
So I guess what I’m saying is – there’s no hope for change anytime soon. Executive see the BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE guy and think that’s what’s out there in new talent. And jump at the first flavor of the month jock that ‘appears’ outspoken enough to be placed on television.

Thanks for all the comments and observations. For the record, Spero Dedes did do a few games this year for CBS and may be someone to watch at the network. He's another broadcaster in CBS' impressive stable of play by play men. I can't imagine Don Criqui will be around too much longer, so maybe he gets in the regular rotation next year.

Interesting notes on the Harlan/Tirico radio broadcasts.

In writing this article, I was really surprised at just how big the gap is from CBS to Fox announcers. It'll be interesting to see what if any changes the networks make heading into next year (assuming there is football, please God...)

Great article. Mayock is a find, enthusiastic and insightful. Knows the Draft like no one else. Disagree with you on Tirico. On TV, his impact is lessened by the visual, but I had the displeasure of listening to his radio broadcast of the National Championship game. Awful...that big, fake voice wore me down by then end of first quarter.

Millen: What is the NFL Network thinking? He has no credibility with the listener. When he talks about talent, I immediately think of his draft record, where he drafted about 60 players during his run in Detroit--only 2 made pro bowl, and about half his draftees had washed out of the NFL before he even left the team in 2008. It is an insult to the listener to have him broadcasting.

Buck: What a pain this guy is. A nerd and a prima donna rolled into one.

Very interesting comparison Fox vs. CBS teams. Fox needs help.

I can't agree with your high opinion of Gus Johnson. I think he looks too much for the big play so he can use his "talents." He's not steady throughout the game. But I agree with much of what you write, especially on the Stockton (I think he's been there way too long) and Siragusa (what does he do during the game?).

you forgot to list the excellent spirro dedes as the cbs fill in guy. He's like 28 and calls the Lakers radio. Definitely a name for the future

I noticed on the Jets-Patriots Westwood One broadcast that Kevin Harlan's PBP cadence is reminiscent of Jack Buck's.