Best NFL Play-by-Play man ever? (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Enberg and Summerall were top notch before they each lost their fastball and began to badly misidentify players late in their career. Michaels is fantastic, but he likes hearing himself talk way too much with all his fancy words.

When each was at the top of their game, I'll take Summerall. Succinct, accurate, professional and great pipes.

My current favorite is Gus Johnson. His enthusiasm is unrivaled. Johnson can make a Rams/Browns game exciting.

 

[SSOG]

Enberg and Summerall were top notch before they each lost their fastball and began to badly misidentify players late in their career. Michaels is fantastic, but he likes hearing himself talk way too much with all his fancy words.

When each was at the top of their game, I'll take Summerall. Succinct, accurate, professional and great pipes.

My current favorite is Gus Johnson. His enthusiasm is unrivaled. Johnson can make a Rams/Browns game exciting.

Michaels would be great if he wasn't such a corporate shill. Gus Johnson is fantastic in moderation, but if you listen too much to him you begin to lose your sense of scope (with that said, I'd be lying if I said I didn't still replay OH GOD! STOKLEY! DOWN THE SIDELINES! every so often). I'd go with Sumerall, as well.

 

[gethugefast1]

Keith Jackson, we know he was the decades-long voice of college football for ABC Sports, BUT, he also was the very first play-by-play man for Monday Night Football where he first worked with Howard Cosell.

 

[Mentos]

When each was at the top of their game, I'll take Summerall. Succinct, accurate, professional and great pipes.

There was no extra talking from him. He let the game breathe. He told you what you had to know and that was it. Too many announcers today feel they have to talk constantly.

 

[CataclysmicThunder]

For me, Al Michaels is the voice of football. I voted for him. However, Summerall was fantastic as well.

 

[obxlegends]

I kinda like Joe Buck, but Summerall gets my vote as best of all time.

 

[zed2283]

What about Frank Gifford when he did the play-by-play on MNF?

 

[DeCleater]

I would rank them,

Summerall

Ray Scott

Enberg

Micheals

Gowdy

Summerall's voice WAS football, you knew you were watching the best game of the week when he did the broadcast.

Ray Scott was a legend, most of you are to young to remember him but he was also the best for a time.

Enberg was a pro, very smooth.

Micheals is the best right now with Joe Buck close behind.

Gowdy was the voice of the AFL, loved those games.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Keith Jackson, we know he was the decades-long voice of college football for ABC Sports, BUT, he also was the very first play-by-play man for Monday Night Football where he first worked with Howard Cosell.

 

[Raider Nation]

What about Frank Gifford when he did the play-by-play on MNF?

He's right there in the "OTHER" category.

 

[Raider Nation]

When each was at the top of their game, I'll take Summerall. Succinct, accurate, professional and great pipes.

There was no extra talking from him. He let the game breathe. He told you what you had to know and that was it. Too many announcers today feel they have to talk constantly.

What a novel concept, eh?

 

[Raider Nation]

I kinda like Joe Buck.

I'm torn on Buck.He is clearly skilled. He has the voice and he knows the game. But he'll forever be compared to his pops, and that's a battle he can't win. And he tries way too hard to be a stand-up comedian. I want you to call the game -- I don't want cutesy. I find myself wanting to punch him in the face more often than I say "Wow... he's a great announcer!"

 

[SSOG]

I kinda like Joe Buck.

I'm torn on Buck.He is clearly skilled. He has the voice and he knows the game. But he'll forever be compared to his pops, and that's a battle he can't win. And he tries way too hard to be a stand-up comedian. I want you to call the game -- I don't want cutesy. I find myself wanting to punch him in the face more often than I say "Wow... he's a great announcer!"

It doesn't help that he frequently gets paired with the worst color commentators known to man, too. I feel like the network wants him to be "the play-by-play man for the casual fan", which is all well and good except I'm not the casual fan. In fact, I hate the casual fan for existing and causing the networks to lower the quality of the product that I receive in a disgusting effort to pander to him.

 

[MarshallRob]

Kind of surprised Marv Albert's not on the list. The man always called a great game even when paired with the likes of Joe Namath and Paul Maguire.

The very underrated Charlie Jones' delivery was not dissimilar to Pat Summerall's but unlike Summerall he would inject a little passion into his play-by-play. You know, back in the 80's NBC really did have a fantastic lineup of play-by-play men: Enberg, Albert, Jones, Criqui. Good times.

 

[Jeremy]

I couldn't stand Summerall. He'd make the immaculate reception sound like a 3 yard gain.

 

[SSOG]

I couldn't stand Summerall. He'd make the immaculate reception sound like a 3 yard gain.

Not the play-by-play guy's job to give us a sense of scale, imo. IMO, his job is to call the game as it happens- names, distances, yard marks, etc. It's the color guy's job to make the immaculate reception sound as big as it really is... hence the name COLOR commentator.

 

[Zoomanji]

Keith Jackson

the best play by play guys are the ones you don't remember.

Gowdy and Summerall were good. Enberg was good back in the 80s but he's become unbearable (as well as his partner Dierdorf). I'm guessing Scott was good too because I don't remember him

Michaels and Buck are unbearable. Buck should stick to baseball and yeah Al, I believe in miracles cause its taken one to keep you in prime-time.

 

[azgroover]

NFLN was showing Pats/Pack Super Bowl yesterday. I tuned in for longer than I planned on just because it was so soothing to hear Summerall call the game, even though he was clearly past his prime at that point.

 

[moleculo]

vote for Curt Gowdy, the hometown choice. Also, he's probably the only one to have a state park named after him, so there's that.

 

[dmac37]

I voted Enberg, he was always the professional but must admit it is a nostalgia pick. I was a huge Dolphin fan growing up and just loved the old AFC battles with Miami, Oakland, SD, Pittsburgh, and the Jets. Good times, whenever I hear Enberg calling a game I recall those great Sunday afternoon AFC games during my childhood!

 

[Ghost Rider]

I couldn't stand Summerall. He'd make the immaculate reception sound like a 3 yard gain.

Not the play-by-play guy's job to give us a sense of scale, imo. IMO, his job is to call the game as it happens- names, distances, yard marks, etc. It's the color guy's job to make the immaculate reception sound as big as it really is... hence the name COLOR commentator.

Yes, but a little enthusiasm on a big play would be nice. He called a game-winning TD with the same enthusiasm he called a 2-yard run on 2nd and 7 in the first quarter. Remember Al Michaels' call of Antonio Freeman's OT TD against the Vikings? "He did WHAT?" Calls like that become legendary, a part of sports history. I have been watching football since the mid 80s and honestly cannot think of one memorable Summerall call.Anyway, I voted for Enberg. I think he has the perfect voice for football, and I am sucker for nostalgia. I will always remember his words while Elway was kneeling down to finish off the Broncos SB32 win.

 

[pollardsvision]

Enberg and Summerall were top notch before they each lost their fastball and began to badly misidentify players late in their career. Michaels is fantastic, but he likes hearing himself talk way too much with all his fancy words.

When each was at the top of their game, I'll take Summerall. Succinct, accurate, professional and great pipes.

My current favorite is Gus Johnson. His enthusiasm is unrivaled. Johnson can make a Rams/Browns game exciting.

I voted "other" and by "other" I mean Gus Johnson.If I could pick one man, past or present, to call a game I'm watching, I'd pick Gus and it wouldn't be close. Pretty much all other play-by-play guys range from (best case) completely forgettable to (worst case) really annoying. The networks obviously prefer "completely forgettable" and that makes sense.

 

[Jason Wood]

So many great ones to choose from, but I always loved Summerall. He was the unsung hero of the "Madden Mania" and is the one guy I actually looked forward to hearing do play-by-play when I had the chance.

 

[Zoomanji]

Yes, but a little enthusiasm on a big play would be nice. He called a game-winning TD with the same enthusiasm he called a 2-yard run on 2nd and 7 in the first quarter. Remember Al Michaels' call of Antonio Freeman's OT TD against the Vikings? "He did WHAT?" Calls like that become legendary, a part of sports history.

Problem with that was Al made that call on the replay. I remember watching it live and as Freeman gets up and starts running, everyone assumes the play is over including Al. Ref calls a TD and Al makes that call on the replay. Creative editing so it sounds like he made the call but its not how it happened.Good ole Al, best in the business

 

[Ghost Rider]

Yes, but a little enthusiasm on a big play would be nice. He called a game-winning TD with the same enthusiasm he called a 2-yard run on 2nd and 7 in the first quarter. Remember Al Michaels' call of Antonio Freeman's OT TD against the Vikings? "He did WHAT?" Calls like that become legendary, a part of sports history.

Problem with that was Al made that call on the replay. I remember watching it live and as Freeman gets up and starts running, everyone assumes the play is over including Al. Ref calls a TD and Al makes that call on the replay. Creative editing so it sounds like he made the call but its not how it happened.Good ole Al, best in the business

That was just one example. Go back and watch the last two plus minutes of SB34. Michaels' call of both Bruce's TD and Dyson being tackled at the 1 are terrific. Summerall's calls of those plays would have been so ho-hum. And Michaels has many, many other great calls. How about this: can anyone give me a list of Summerall's great sports calls? Because I cannot think of one memorable one.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Summerall, Michaels and Gus: all great in different ways.