# The BEST Sports Broadcaster ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2002, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815 "2002-08-14T09:58:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/21 "2002-08-16T04:10:06Z")
Another resounding endorsement for Bruce McAvaney who clearly impresses all the sports stars he speaks to. He has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of sport. Very impressive recently during the World Cup was English commentator Martin Tyler. He could say things like, “Right now you feel that we’re at the heart of the game.”, without sounding like an idiot. Very smooth and very informative. I remember years ago when American football was on late at night (no pay TV then), one of my favourite ever bits of commentary. The clock has nearly run down, it’s third down just outside field goal range and the team in possession trails by 2. The commentary team discuss how the team with the ball will pick up a few yards for a field goal attempt. When the QB fades back into the pocket and looks way down field the commentator simply said, “Why, he’s going for the whole thing” and then shut up while the reception was made for a TD. The crowd went nuts. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/22 "2002-08-16T07:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PatrickM \* > **You ever hear of Joe Tait? Tait has broadcast Cleveland Cavalier games since the beginning of time (well, since the franchise was founded in the early 1970s), and used to do Indians’ games until the Cavs signed him to an exclusive contract. I’d wager that Tait is every bit Hearn’s equal.** Hardly. Did you ever hear of the terms ‘air ball’ ‘finger roll’ slam dunk’ ? Pretty common terms, right. Well now they are. Do you know who coined them? Joe Tait. No. [Chick Hearn](http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/chick_hearn_020805.html). Yes, we have a winner. I’m glad that you think very highly of Tait, but he is no Chick Hearn. My favorites Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, Dick Enberg. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/23 "2002-08-16T07:47:26Z")
Bruce McAvaney? I don’t agree. The best? Richie Benaud. Without a doubt. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/24 "2002-08-16T08:28:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asahiJpx \* > \*\*We know Chick Hearn is going to be in everybody’s list. > \*\* Personally I have never heard of him. I’d have to go for Jon Motson, but I doubt you know who he is. You see, these thigns are very dependent on where you come from and what sports you like to watch. For some bizarre reason I quite liek Kenneth Wolstenholme too 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/25 "2002-08-16T11:27:46Z")
I’ve heard of Chick Hearn… and don’t care for him…sorry. Jon Miller is one of the best. Baltimore lost a treasure when he went to San Francisco. Howard Cosell was…well…unique. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/26 "2002-08-16T11:30:43Z")
I’ve heard of Chick Hearn… and did’t care for him…sorry. Jon Miller is one of the best. Baltimore lost a treasure when he went to San Francisco. Howard Cosell was…well…unique. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/27 "2002-08-16T12:18:14Z")
Oh oh! I forgot the best soccer commentator in the world, Martin Tyler. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/28 "2002-08-16T13:21:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by imthjckaz \* > \*\* > Hardly. > > Did you ever hear of the terms ‘air ball’ ‘finger roll’ slam dunk’ ? > > Pretty common terms, right. Well now they are. > > Do you know who coined them? > > Joe Tait. > > No. > > [Chick Hearn](http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/chick_hearn_020805.html). > > Yes, we have a winner. > > I’m glad that you think very highly of Tait, but he is no Chick Hearn. > > My favorites Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, Dick Enberg. \*\* An obit for Mr. Hearn which I saw also erroneously credited with inventing the term “give and go”. Does anybody have a source, other than a recent Hearn obituary, which credits him with inventing these terms? ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/29 "2002-08-16T13:25:54Z")
As a NYer I would add Marv Albert (Knicks) and Bob Murphy (Mets). ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/30 "2002-08-16T16:21:51Z")
Along with Marv Albert, I have to add my main man Walt “Clyde” Frazier. He’s just flat out fun to listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/31 "2002-08-16T20:09:03Z")
My favorite Frazier line: “The Knicks need more cohesion on offense and more adhesion on defense.” ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/32 "2002-08-16T21:35:08Z")
for me, the best ones are the ones I don’t notice during the broadcast. I think the TBS combo of Joe Simpson and Don Sutton do a great job of not imposing themselves on the broadcast. [hijack]most insignificant job in the world: the “journalists” who critique the perfomances of the broadcasters in the following day’s newspaper. I’d rather that space be used for another block of massage parlor ads…or Tank MacNamara reruns. Blech![/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/33 "2002-08-17T16:18:23Z")
Oh, you children… Some day listen to Red Barber. Do that, and you will hear good anouncing pure and simple. He was an announcer when an announcer created the pictures for the audience…and the pictures were glorious. “The old red head” brought you into the park like no one else (well, on a good day Mel Allen could do it too) and for years he held the nation in the palm of his hand. He put you in the “Catbird seat” as the game came alive. ---
**Author:** ![Jibby7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@Jibby7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jibby7)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815/34 "2002-08-17T16:36:44Z")
While I am not prepared to call him the greatest, I think a very under rated broadcaster in this country, deserving of Hall of Fame status for his broadcasting is Bob Uecker. I sometimes wonder if Wisconsin wouldn’t have long since forgotten about the Brewers if it were not for Ueck’s broadcasting style. For those of you who have not heard Uecker, you must first divorce the image Uecker the Miller Lite spokesman and sitcom star from Uecker the announcer. He adapts well to any situation in a game. In the days when the Brewers actually had a chance of winning, Uecker’s style was very informative, yet also very exciting. Today, while Ueck remains informative and exciting, he also keeps fans tuned in during absolute snoozer of baseball games because he has such rich repetoir of baseball stories to weave into those games. In addition, he conveys the fans disgust with the current team from time to time, giving us a voice in the broadcast. Unfortunately, he’s largely stuck in Milwaukee. I hope the Hall can recognize him while he’s still with us, because he is deserving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-sports-broadcaster-ever/123815.md?page=1)