Vote below:
Pat Summerall
Dick Stockton
Dick Enberg
Don Criqui
Charlie Jones
Marv Albert
Al Michaels
Frank Gifford
If your favorite isn't listed, embed a clip of them doing play by play in your answer.
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Comments
Anyone not named Joe Buck.
Although he is funny on Brockmire :)
Is Brockmire coming back or what?
Yep, in March
Oh thank God. I was afraid it had been quietly cancelled. I love waiting until everyone's asleep and pour myself a bourbon and watch Brockmire. My wife has her trashy polygamist and gypsy shows. I have Brockmire.
I'll never understand the Joe Buck hate. One of the best currently doing it.
Except for golf, but that is more of a Fox thing in general.
Summerall or Michaels for me...Where's John Madden?
he is color, not play by play.
Of the above, I always enjoyed Summerall and Gifford, but I'll throw Curt Gowdy in the mix.
I love Michaels but it's recency bias. Summerall was amazing as well, great combo with Madden.
Tie between Pat Summerall and Dick Enberg.
Hands down the best duo was Madden and Summerall. In the 90's they were the voice of the NFL.
Tirico was hands down the best in college ball. Wish he still called VT games.
Hard disagree on college football. Sean McDonough is tops on the list for play by play. Gus Johnson is really starting to grow on me too. Kieth Jackson will always be an all time great as well.
Sean McDonough is amazing. I like Tirico a lot too, as well as Fowler.
I don't remember the olden days well enough to discuss Summerall and Madden, though I do recall hearing them a lot back in the day. Same for Jackson.
This is an all star list by me.
I have a soft spot for Gus Johnson, he called AFC South games a ton when I was growing up watching the Titans and he's eccentric but I irrationally love him.
Solid list.
This is one of the greats for me.
^^winner^^
Keith Jackson was the shit.
Jackson did the first season of Monday Night Football, and I seem to remember he did some AFL games (kinda fuzzy on that since I was only 8 or 9) but really did his best work in college ball. I think he's the best ever in college football.
College - Keith Jackson for sure
NFL - John Madden. He was just too damn funny. Plenty of character.
Yeah I'm going to have to agree with Jackson for college ball, though I know the question was for NFL.
It wasn't just his voice that made him great, it's the grandeur with which he presented the game. "When the team comes out of the tunnel, you're going to hear a roar that knocks the pinecones off trees"
Who talks like this anymore? We'd be better off as listeners if there was someone, anyone, who could present the game with the imagery that Jackson regularly employed.
Summerall
No love for the Mus? I honestly couldn't stand him for a while but I always did enjoy a game starting and hearing "You are looking live"
My mom and grandfather were so excited when mush mouth as they would call him was let go by CBS, so he remains near the bottom of my families list haha
my brother and i once heard him say "Sacked in the backfield for a loss" and we've used it as an inside joke ever since. it's redundant! twice!
Can I say I dislike them all, I don't need someone to tell me what I am watching.
Side tangent, why is it the only people wearing suits at a football game the people you arent supposed to see only hear? Seems kind of stupid to over dress to call a game where people are in sweats on the sidelines.
You must currently be team cake.
We have a big tent at team pie and we'll turn that frown upside down.
Team Pie all the way
Announcers are holdovers from the days of radio. They did an experiment in the 80s or early 90s broadcasting games without announcers and, if I recall correctly, ratings decreased. I personally believe they add some value.
Oh I love a good radio announcer that describes what's going on. But the TV announcers are terrible in comparison.
I realize I'm an odd duck. I understand that people like then, I just dont understand why they like them. They really take me out of the game and I hate when they cut over to them instead of keeping the camera on the field, I want to watch football, I want to see the formations and plays, not the only two people dressed up in the entire stadium.
I get it. It's annoying when the announcers become the focus of the game instead of the game itself. When done well, it can be a nice complement to the game.
Gotta admit, I kinda miss that aspect of the game....
Blame Belichik for the loss of suits on the sidelines.
Was kind of secretly rooting for a P.J. Fleck dynasty in Blacksburg...
That wardrobe is the fusion cuisine of coaching atire.
Before there was Belichik, there was Bud Grant...
I think Bud could be forgiven, since the Vikings played outside (Metropolitan Stadium) while he was there. Lots of very cold games played there. Fun side fact: both teams were on the same sideline at the Met.
He had nothing to do with it, it's all marketing. Coaches arent allowed to wear anything that is not NFL sponsored gear.
I remember Del Rio and some other coach had to get special suits made by Reebok/Nike (whoever held the contract at the time ) when they wanted to wear suits.
I don't have it in me to pull clips and am going to be the guy who sub threads this thing, how about baseball (forgive spelling):
Bob Uecker
Marty Brennamen
Harry Carey
Vin Scully
(open to suggestions as I think the last two are meh but people seem to love them)
I always considered baseball to be the hardest play by play job because of all the down time between action.
Found one for Ueker. I think it holds up well
Vin Scully was the best, while Harry Carey was the most entertaining. With Harry, you got a ball game and a comedy show. You were either laughing with him, or at him.
Pat Summerall for me, probably purely from a nostalgia reasoning.
A good play by play guy should go unnoticed if they do a good job, which is a hard job to do.
The color analysts can really make a broadcast. I think Herbie is far and away the best in college football. Madden was iconic even if annoying at times. Aikman does a decent job but can be too boring. Collinsworth has always rubbed me wrong even though his content is ok. Romo has emerged as a good one and should get better.
Summerall. I turn off the sound when Al Michael is on.
Al Michaels for me with a tie at second place between Summerall and Enberg.
And to think, only 5 years ago this game was only played in neighborhood driveways.
And only 5 years ago those girls were in grade school.
Damn not a single Baseketball fan?
Oh and nobody did it better that Pat Summerall. His golf commentary was top shelf also.
He was the master of subtlety.
As one who grew up listening to staticky am radio for sports and gained an appreciation for painting the picture, one of the best ever is Dave Sims. Absolutely tremendous.
I always liked Summerall's low key delivery. He was there to inform the viewer, not be the star of the show.
Dick Enberg hands down! "Whoa Nellie!"
Whoa Nellie was Keith Jackson.
OH !@#$! You are right! Yeah yeah i meant Keith Jackson. That's the ticket!
Because I've listened to him a lot lately, i'm going to put Kevin Harlan up there...especially his call on the cat on the field...
If we're strictly talking about NFL, I'm going with Al Michaels, Mike Tirico, Sean McDonough...
On a side note, I was actually surprised how bad Rich Eisen was when I watched him call games this past season..
Fowler and Herbstriet are an awesome duo but for me Michaels is top notch but Summeral And Madden were absolute class.
Keith Jackson was the GOAT. Summerall and Brookshier in the NFL were great. Summerall on golf too.
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson. My best friend and I still use the term Barn Burner. Especially when it's on the bayou.
I like the play by play guys from the 70s and 80s more because the voices were so unique. Honestly, Summerall Madden/Michaels-Madden were two of my least favorites. I liked Summerall's voice and the chemistry he had with Madden, but I looked for insight from the color guy, and Madden was the least insightful color guy not named Jerry Glanville. I loved Madden's video games. His analysis stunk, and that I believe was by design.
Enberg with Merlin Olsen, Albert with Paul McGuire, and my favorite Criqui with Bob Trumpy were the tops. They balanced insight with inflection and drama. Charlie Jones had an amazing voice, but generally he got stuck with crap partners (Todd Christensen... yuck)
Does this have to be NFL only, cause...Doc Emrick...he did call some NFL though.