Best Game announcer?

[BahamaDukie]

Gotta love Gus Johnson and his "passion"....certainly not boring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlJfQqvVg24&feature=related

[Cormac]

Gus Johnson will always, always be one of my personal favorites (right up there with Rafftery), but that OSU - X game will haunt me to my grave. FOUL FOUL FOUL!!!!! Under 5, you never let them get a three off!!!! Argh!!!!

[RainingThrees]

DICK VITALE BABY!!! No not really, my favorite is Bill Raftery. Send it in Jerome!!

[Cormac]

DICK VITALE BABY!!! No not really, my favorite is Bill Raftery. Send it in Jerome!!


about that play is who threw the pass to Jerome?






None other than Sean Miller, head coach of Xavier! Sorry, I'm a nerd. Maybe one of the greatest combination of great play and great call of all time. BTW, if you are listening Jamie Dixon, please do not take the Arizona job, Xavier really, really likes Coach Miller! Thanks!!

[BlueDevilBaby]

Gus is way too over the top for me. But I'll take anybody but Mike Patrick - it's just painful to hear him mess up players' names time and time again.

[captmojo]

Ian Eagle and his usual NCAA partner.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Ian is good. Didn't he just do a game with our own Jim S? I like Ron Franklin as well.

[captmojo]

Ian is good. Didn't he just do a game with our own Jim S? I like Ron Franklin as well.

NCAA network always pairs Eagle and Spanarkel.

[tele]

Al Mcguire was always fun, sharp, had a great love of the game and was an early pioneer in disparaging Billy Packer.

G-man is as good as it gets right now.

[BlueintheFace]

Gus Johnson for the NCAA tournament. Hands down.

[3211]

I'm growing a bit tired of the G man every night. If I hear him say that someone is "seeing a big basket" one more time I will explode.

I wish we could get a bit more of Dan Bonner during the reg. season.

I will miss Billy Packer calling the big games in the ncaa's.

[jv001]

I'm growing a bit tired of the G man every night. If I hear him say that someone is "seeing a big basket" one more time I will explode.

I wish we could get a bit more of Dan Bonner during the reg. season.

I will miss Billy Packer calling the big games in the ncaa's.

The G-Man is my favorite..Elmore my least favorite
I don't miss Billy Packer at all. His ego could fill the Grand Canyon.
Dan Bonner is another of my favorites. VA Alum but you would never know it the way he calls the game. Go Duke!

[JDev]

I have really enjoyed Coach Knight's calls this year. He has an inherent credibility that virtually no other announcer can touch, and his knowledge of the game is unparelleled. Plus, say whatever you want about his anger issues, he is a funny and interesting guy when he wants to be.
I also like Vern Lundquist, but that goes back to the early ninties run of Final Fours and two NC's. I loved his line during a Duke run in the famous 1992 Duke v. UK East Regional Final: "They will break your heart." That has certainly held true with UK fans to this day.

[gw67]

My favorite college basketball announcer over the years has been Dick Enberg (articulate, easy to listen to and very knowledgeable). He is closely followed by Nantz and Lundquist. My sons like Johnson but he can be loud and over the top, IMO. I set the bar pretty low for the color men but Raferty, Bilas, Spanarkel and Elmore are my favorites. I didn’t like Kellogg several years ago when he did color but it seems as though he has settled down and tries to add to the telecast rather than just drop some quotes that he obviously worked all week to develop. Of the “young” announcers/color men, I like Gannon/Bardo.

gw67

[SushiChef]

Bob Harris hands down...

[coldriver10]

Gus is way too over the top for me. But I'll take anybody but Mike Patrick - it's just painful to hear him mess up players' names time and time again.
haha, I love Mike Patrick. Not because he says the most eloquent things but because he has the perfect voice for commentating.

I like Jay Bilas and, of course, Dick Vitale. I wish I had been able to listen to the NBA guys do our game (was it NC State? MD?), but I was at the game. I'm a Wilbon fan.

[aro24]

I will list my 2 favorites.......as a sort of student of the game I always enjoyed listening to Brad Daugherty do a game. If you were a kid wanting to learn the nuances of the game (esp. from the point of view of a post player) I always felt you could learn from listening to him.
And along those same lines, I have really enjoyed listening to Coach Knight calling games this year. After the game, you almost feel as if you just got finished watching 2 hours of game film with one of the most brilliant basketball minds to have coached in college.

ARo24

[Huh?]

Gotta love Gus Johnson and his "passion"....certainly not boring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlJfQqvVg24&feature=related

Before I even read your post I was hoping someone gave love to Gus Johnson. He is GREAT! Passion is there, great voice, seems unbiased (he loves everyone).

RISE.....AND FIRE!

CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MARCH MADNESS!!!

[vango]

Perhaps I'll be vilified for this but until he went to NASCAR I really liked Brad Daugherty (sp?). His call during the "Gone in 54 Seconds" game was, in my opinion, great.

Otherwise, Dan Bonner, MIke Patrick, G-man, and I"m forgetting the name of the guy who says, "Throw it down big fella" while sounding like he's having chest pains......

[coldriver10]

I"m forgetting the name of the guy who says, "Throw it down big fella" while sounding like he's having chest pains......
That would be Bill Raftery. I can't stand the guy, personally.

[Newton_14]

So I love "And Duke opens in man-2-man!" Bill Raftery

I got criticized on the online chat Sunday but I also like Tim Brando. Brando also gives alot of interviews on local radio shows here and is always straightforward with his comments on the game and the ACC. And in my view he does not appear to show any homerism towards any ACC team.

Like others I always enjoyed games that Brad Daugherty called as well.

[Papa John]

haha, I love Mike Patrick. Not because he says the most eloquent things but because he has the perfect voice for commentating.

I disagree... Mike Patrick is awful! And I don't give a rat's patootie if he's had health issues... Hang 'em up! He doesn't know players names... Can't follow the basic action on the court... I mute it whenever Patrick is doing play-by-play, regardless of who is doing color--yes, he sucks that bad!

[coldriver10]

I disagree... Mike Patrick is awful! And I don't give a rat's patootie if he's had health issues... Hang 'em up! He doesn't know players names... Can't follow the basic action on the court... I mute it whenever Patrick is doing play-by-play, regardless of who is doing color--yes, he sucks that bad!
haha, I don't disagree that he doesn't know what he's talking about. I just meant I love his voice.

That sounds kinda creepy, doesn't it?

[SharkD]

Bob Harris
Verne Lundquist
Jim Nance
Dan Bonner
Al McGuire

[weezie]

After last night's TERRIBLE announcing by Patrick, who runs over anybody he works with, I've decided that Brando and Gminski are the best. Measured, humorous and spot on with their comments.
You're welcome!

[pamtar]

Woody Durham. ;)

[BlueDevilBaby]

I have to give a shout out to Beth Mowins as well, particularly since she was my classmate in college.

[RainingThrees]

I owe Mike Patrick my user name, but normally I can't stand him. If I ever watch one of his games I know that I'll eventually hear "Holy Cow!" Give me Raftery or G-man any day.

[dukegirlinsc]

I can't say I'm a huge fan of anyone in particular, but I've enjoyed Bobby Knight lately. I'm just getting to the point to where I can't tolerate Jay Bias. :mad:

And thank god Mr. Packer is no longer with us.

[sagegrouse]

Here are my favorites in no particular order:

Bill Raftery is a cheery guy who treats basketball like it's a game, not life and death. Ah, refreshing.

My homeboy Verne Lundquist, who is a really good guy and doesn't get in the way of the game, whether it is football, hoops or golf. He even dealt good-naturedly with Billy Packer for over a decade.

The G-man, who comes across as slightly bemused and above it all; it works for him.

Jay Bilas is as crisply analytical and intelligent as anyone in the business. I am always pleased when he is on a game. Lighten up a bit, however, Jay.

Bob Knight -- I'm really getting hooked on his commentary. Why do I feel that we are just two or three weeks away from a total meltdown? I guess that's part of the attraction.

Those are the ones that come to mind.

sagegrouse
'I don't feel like ragging on the miscreants, who are numerous'

[dukemath]

I found Coach Knight's insights refreshing. It is nice to hear from someone who knows so much about the game.

My favorite of all time is the late Chick Hearn who was a local announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers. I enjoy a play-by-play announcer which is rare on tv these days. Chick is credited with coining the terms "air ball" and "slam dunk".

"This game's in the refrigerator: the door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O's jigglin'!"

[dukeballer2294]

Dickie vvvvv babyyyy

[Jim3k]

I found Coach Knight's insights refreshing. It is nice to hear from someone who knows so much about the game.

My favorite of all time is the late Chick Hearn who was a local announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers. I enjoy a play-by-play announcer which is rare on tv these days. Chick is credited with coining the terms "air ball" and "slam dunk".

"This game's in the refrigerator: the door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O's jigglin'!"

Uhh...Hearn is the popcorn machine guy, but he certainly did not invent the term 'air ball.' It was in use in the Fifties, if not before, common to ballplayers everywhere. It was used in the DIS in 1960 for sure and I heard it as a high schooler in Colorado before that and in summer camp in upstate New York before that. Chick no doubt heard it from ballers. Plus I doubt he was the first announcer to ever use it. And, I bet he never used it while announcing for Southern Cal. His flamboyance was a Laker thing.

Dunno about 'slam dunk,' either, though it came later. Again a baller's phrase, so he probably heard that on the floor, too. And, yes, I know what Wiki says. But Hearn had been around college basketball for a long time before he got to the Lakers and I have no doubt he knew what the players said to each other. h-o-r-s-e is an easy game to play and even easier to razz each other over.

[gumbomoop]

.... as a color commentator. Can't recall in the occasional threads re announcers whether he's been much mentioned, but over the years I've come to think of him as among the best. He's jovial, but not cloyingly silly; he seems to have fun talking about what's happening, and his analysis pretty much makes sense. Doesn't seem full of himself. He jokes around a bit, not too much, and always seems to be laughing with the play/players he's discussing, not at them.

You agree, disagree?

[Reddevil]

Presently: Coach Knight is terrific.

Fantasy: Al Maguire and Jim Valvano for just one game. Of course they would not be talking about the action much, but who cares....just once.

[Matches]

.... as a color commentator. Can't recall in the occasional threads re announcers whether he's been much mentioned, but over the years I've come to think of him as among the best. He's jovial, but not cloyingly silly; he seems to have fun talking about what's happening, and his analysis pretty much makes sense. Doesn't seem full of himself. He jokes around a bit, not too much, and always seems to be laughing with the play/players he's discussing, not at them.

You agree, disagree?

I've always liked Bonner but he has one of the goofiest grins I've ever seen. He's never annoyed me during a game though.

[oldnavy]

Knight and Lundquist are very good. I really used to like Billy Packer and Jim Thacker in the JP days, but Packer got way to bitter toward the end.

Bonner said one of the dumbest things last night. It happened when McClure got called for an illegal screen/block. The reply showed that it was a bad call, so Bonner said "You can't just go up to a guy and lean on him when setting a screen, you have to give him room. I think that is why they called the foul" Really? I always thought the idea of setting a screen was to not give the guy room. Is it really a screen if you set it 3 feet from the guy??