NFL Radio guys...and observation... (1 Viewer)

[sho nuff]

So...driving back from Wisconsin, I listened to sirrius NFL Radio.  Their Sunday drive is sort of like Redzone for Radio.  When teams are driving, they cut to that team's radio guys.

What it highlighted to me...is there are very few good duos in NFL Radio.  Either the play by play guy...or color guy for each one of them are just bad.  Really bad. 

I knew here locally in Nashville that Mike Keith is over the top...but still very good.  McGinnis as the color guy is just terrible.  He is a good radio guest to talk about things...but as a radio color guy he is just so bad.  And highlights how bad some of them are as just so homerish.  There were several calls yesterday from multiple teams where the color guy is just screaming YES YES YES where you could not even here the play by play guy's call.

And if they weren't being over the top homers...they were trying so hard to be dramatic radio voice guy.  Just the stereotypical style of talking. that makes you think radio guy...like strange modulating the voice up and down.

And then there are guys...I think it was Arizona's color guy...strange voice...but everything seemed to be a WOW! to him.

The worst I heard yesterday were both guys for the Bengals.  So they get the penalty late..Burrow limping and goes out. And they both were stating, well that penalty brings run back to the table...and its ok if Burrow is out because the backup would just have to hand off.  When it was obvious (under a minute I think...KC with zero timeouts) that they would just kneel and kick the winning FG.  Neither of them even thought of that as an option...until the QB knelt.  It was insanely bad.

So...who are the good ones?  Im sure that all sort of depends...some people may like their guys while other people think they are too over the top.  Like I do like Mike Keith for the Titans, but think plenty probably find him annoying.  I do like Wayne Larrivee for the Packers as well.  

 

[Amused to Death]

I don't listen to much NFL on the radio, but Merrill Reese has been the play by play guy for the Eagles since '77. I don't have much to compare him to but I like him. He's pretty much a Philly legend at this point.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

 MNF on Westwood One has always sounded good in terms of overall production.

 

[sho nuff]

 MNF on Westwood One has always sounded good in terms of overall production.

Yeah...the generic ones seem ok.  Its the team's broadcasts I found pretty bad.

 

[jabarony]

Dan Miller does play by play for Detroit. He’s fantastic. He was with Jim Brandstatter for years, who was an annoying homer (and10x worse on Michigan games) They replaced Brandstatter a few years back with Lomas Brown, who was really bad at the beginning. Sadly he hasn’t improved very much. 

 

[sho nuff]

Dan Miller does play by play for Detroit. He’s fantastic. He was with Jim Brandstatter for years, who was an annoying homer (and10x worse on Michigan games) They replaced Brandstatter a few years back with Lomas Brown, who was really bad at the beginning. Sadly he hasn’t improved very much. 

Yeah...seems to be a theme I found.  Either the play by play guy was bad...or the color guy was awful.  There were very few where both were decent or good.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

The current Packers radio team (Wayne Larrivee on play-by-play with former Packer center Larry McCarren) are fantastic. They've been doing it for over 20 years. When I was much younger, we used to play the radio while turning off the television sound to listen to Jim Irwin and Max McGee. That's no longer possible - with streaming, the TV signal is over a minute behind the radio broadcast. I suppose I could try to delay the television and get it timed just right, but that's too much work for me for what its worth.

 

[sho nuff]

The current Packers radio team (Wayne Larrivee on play-by-play with former Packer center Larry McCarren) are fantastic. They've been doing it for over 20 years. When I was much younger, we used to play the radio while turning off the television sound to listen to Jim Irwin and Max McGee. That's no longer possible - with streaming, the TV signal is over a minute behind the radio broadcast. I suppose I could try to delay the television and get it timed just right, but that's too much work for me for what its worth.

Yes...they are great.

I got sirrius trial in October for our Beach trip just to listen to them do the Packers/Bengals game while in the car.  Trial runs out in Feb....so I need to cancel it as I don't have much use for sirrius stuff...though, I guess I could listen to the McAfee stuff with Rodgers tomorrow.

 

[rschroeder1]

Another vote for Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren.

I do enjoy Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer for the Bears.  Both are homers but tell it like it is and aren't afraid to start criticizing from the first snap (which is most games this year).

The Westwood One national broadcasts are generally very solid.  Football on the radio is an underrated way to spend a Sunday outdoors.

 

[HW_53]

Another vote for Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren.

I do enjoy Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer for the Bears.  Both are homers but tell it like it is and aren't afraid to start criticizing from the first snap (which is most games this year).

The Westwood One national broadcasts are generally very solid.  Football on the radio is an underrated way to spend a Sunday outdoors.

^^this.  Nothing better than being able to listen to play by play and wait for updates on your players while actually getting something done - then stopping periodically in the garage for a cold one..  Way more satisfying than experiencing the cold sweats sitting on the couch as you see Saquon go down awkwardly again and again..

 

[SEA425]

Steve Raible is great as the Seahawks play-by-play guy. Former Hawks WR, so understands the game well, has ties to the team/area, etc. He calls a well balanced game, not overly biased towards the home team.

 

[Boston]

Pats have a good team...play-by-play guy Bob Socci is one of those consummate-professionals who does an excellent job...he never has an off day and is always well prepared...former Patriot QB and local Sports Radio Host Scott Zolak does color..."Zo" is a legit character (and it is absolutely no act, he is the real deal) and definitely has homer tendencies (which I want from my home announcers) although not in a blind way...he is also kind of a savant when it comes to football and can break things down with the best of them...he does weekly interviews with BB and you can see the respect BB has for him...got a feeling these two will be together for decades just like the previous duo (Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti) were.