# Brent Musberger as a sportscaster **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 8, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109 "2010-01-08T01:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/1 "2010-01-08T01:35:22Z")
How do you feel about Brent Musberger as a sportscaster? I can’t stand him. His biases are so obvious that it’s ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/2 "2010-01-08T02:01:09Z")
I don’t know any broadcaster that I dislike more. I remember back in the late 70’s, the “NFL Today” pre game show with Brent Monotone, Phyllis George, Irv Cross, and Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. My mom, a big sports fan, thought he was best suited to do broadcast funerals. 35 yrs later, I think it is an appropriate description. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/3 "2010-01-08T02:05:12Z")
What biases in particular? He’s always been solicitous of Ohio State, which I appreciate, considering that nearly everyone on ESPN does nothing but bash them. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/4 "2010-01-08T02:10:16Z")
I just don’t know that Musberger has any clue what he is talking about. Bob Costas once told a story about the first sporting event he ever called being a minor league hockey game where he literally knew none of the players. So he picked a guy out of the media guide and decided that this guy would have the game of his life. He was involved in every play, assisted on his own goals, etc. I get the feeling that Brent Musberger does that in every game. Kickoff: Kirk, the quarterback for Ohio State is Joe Smith. Smith is playing with a heavy heart today because he just found out that his mother is very ill, so I know he will be playing hard for her. Q1 - 10:00 - There’s a touchdown by Ohio State! Joe Smith, who we know is playing with a lot of pain is celebrating with his teammate who ran that ball 52 yards nearly untouched for the score. Q3 12:00 - Michigan kicks a field goal to go up by 15. And we look at Joe Smith who will be taking the field after this commercial break to try and lead his Buckeyes back, clearly thinking about his very ill mother back in Bugtussle. Q4 1:30 - Michigan is driving for a score that will put them back in the lead. (Camera pans to Smith) Joe Smith is hoping for one more chance to lead Ohio State down the field, his thoughts…clearly with his mother back in Bugtussle. We see Smith’s father in the stands now on one hand thinking about his wife and on the other hoping that his son can have one more shot to win this game. Now this is clearly an exaggerateed, fictional account. Its hard to believe Michigan taking a 15 point lead over Ohio State. But we will assume it can happen for the sake of the post. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/5 "2010-01-08T02:11:29Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > What biases in particular? He’s always been solicitous of Ohio State, which I appreciate, considering that nearly everyone on ESPN does nothing but bash them. Notre Dame, USC and Tebow are the ones that immediately come to mind. Probably Northwestern too but I can forgive that one. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/6 "2010-01-08T02:16:56Z")
He could put a speed freak into a coma. He is the most unexciting announcer in sports. Yet, he gets a lot of the big games. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/7 "2010-01-08T02:21:20Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Notre Dame, USC and Tebow are the ones that immediately come to mind. Probably Northwestern too but I can forgive that one. Just how many games has Musberger done on Tebow? I don’t think ABC broadcasted any Florida games this past year. He might have done the UF at FSU game 11 months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/8 "2010-01-08T02:32:58Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Just how many games has Musberger done on Tebow? I don’t think ABC broadcasted any Florida games this past year. He might have done the UF at FSU game 11 months ago. I don’t know but don’t assume that he can’t brag on him even though he’s not in the game. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/9 "2010-01-08T04:11:18Z")
I picked “love” but mainly because “like - but don’t really need him” was not a choice. I like his style of calling, especially when he’s excited - see Crabtree v. UT. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/10 "2010-01-08T05:17:09Z")
Meh: I think he fancies himself a successor to Keith Jackson, but you, sir, Mr. Musberger, are no Keith Jackson. But I don’t _hate_ him. ---
**Author:** ![Jilaad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jilaad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jilaad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/11 "2010-01-08T06:11:22Z")
Haaaaaaaaaate. Point 1 - He always sounds so smug and arrogant. Whenever he did any games where Major Appelwhite was playing he’d always call him “The MAJOR” with this tone that said “oh I’m so clever and smart for thinking of that!” Point 2 - This is hard to explain in text. He ends almost every sentence on a “half up” tone. Not a “full up” like asking a question, not a “no up at all” like someone talking normally would, but a “half up”. Point 3 - His pacing is very strange and it makes him infuriating to listen to. Shatner-esque random pauses in mid-sentence or even mid-word, but with no change in tone after the pause. At least with Shatner you can tell that he’s doing it to try to add dramatic emphasis. With Musberger it’s like he had a mini stroke for three seconds and then picked up like nothing happened. Point 4 - There is a slight delay between when something happens on the field, and when he’ll say it. Most competent play-by-play guys will provide a nearly realtime description of what’s happening, but with Brent it’s like there’s a quarter second delay. Point 5 - Another poster mentioned this, but he will “lock on” to one event or piece of information and bring it up constantly. Point 6 - Doesn’t really know football. In tonight’s game he called a screen pass something wrong, a swing pass maybe? I don’t remember for sure. It could have been a slip of the tongue, but it happens too often. Point 7 - This might just be a side effect of his weird tone (ending on the "half up"s) but it seems like he’s trying to add extra importance to every little thing, as though whatever game he’s calling is The Most Important Thing Ever, and that we’re witnessing history in the making. 80 years from now our grandchildren will be talking about this day and we should feel privileged that we were able to see it with our own eyes. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/12 "2010-01-08T06:18:28Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > What biases in particular? He’s always been solicitous of Ohio State, which I appreciate, considering that nearly everyone on ESPN does nothing but bash them. When Miami was good and Ken Dorsey was quarterback he could not stop talking about him. Endless, on and on “what a fine young man he is”, etc. Having said that, I’m not sure which is worse, him or all of Fox, it’s a close call. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/13 "2010-01-08T06:20:29Z")
> [@Jilaad](#): > > Point 6 - Doesn’t really know football. In tonight’s game he called a screen pass something wrong, a swing pass maybe? I don’t remember for sure. It could have been a slip of the tongue, but it happens too often. I think I heard him say “shuttle pass” tonight and then Herbstreit seemed to correct him by soon after calling it a “shovel pass”. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/14 "2010-01-08T15:14:14Z")
I’ve never liked him, and for me it’s more tone than content. He sounds like a sitcom parody of an egotistical sports announcer, over-hyping every game and himself in the bargain. (I must be important because I’m announcing such a _premier event_!) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/15 "2010-01-08T15:23:25Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Notre Dame, USC and **Tebow** are the ones that immediately come to mind. Pretty much everyone is biased toward Tebow, except when it comes to his pro prospects. I am a Florida alum and I find it annoying; I can’t imagine what it would be like for other fans. That said, I should point out that this is not Tebow’s fault. He didn’t ask all of these guys to suck his dick. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/16 "2010-01-08T15:28:30Z")
What really drives me crazy is how he calls the teams by their team names instead of the school. Sometimes i have to sit and think now which are the “Gators” and which are the “Noles” again? Last week it was the “Ducks” (Oregon)vs the “Bucks” (Ohio State). They should do away with announcers and just hve a couple of ex players analyzing each play. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/17 "2010-01-08T16:37:12Z")
I’m not in love with Musberger by any stretch, but I have a hard time feeling much animosity towards play-by-play guys. It’s the color analysts who tend to irritate me. I think Musberger and Herbstreit have good chemistry in the booth. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/18 "2010-01-08T16:59:07Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I think Musberger and Herbstreit have good chemistry in the booth. I like Herbstreit on Game Day. Last night, all that went through my mind was “STOP YELLING AT ME! YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE!” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/19 "2010-01-08T17:07:32Z")
I don’t like his phony enthusiasm and lack of any sort of insight in his analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109/20 "2010-01-08T21:37:27Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > They should do away with announcers and just hve a couple of ex players analyzing each play. Then you end up with Joe Morgan. No, what they should do is put one fan from each team in the booth, and have them bicker and fight each other the whole time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brent-musberger-as-a-sportscaster/524109.md?page=2)