# Who do you detest most as a sports announcer? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 10, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012 "2012-01-10T03:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/41 "2012-01-10T17:36:59Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > **Cheesesteak** , oh yeah, I forgot about him. “Mmmmngit is high, Mnngit is far! Mnngit is gone! An A-bomb! From A-Rod!” > Plus he’s paired with mush-mouth Susan Waldmyn. The two of them put together drove me from being interested in the Yankees, my best friend’s favorite team and who was responsible for kindling my interest in MLB during their 1996 championship post-season run… to becoming a Mets fan by April of 1997. I kid you not. ETA: They have a LOT to atone for, let me tell you. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/42 "2012-01-10T17:37:17Z")
God, I forgot Dick Vitale, the #1 reason to not watch college basketball. I’d rather watch Stephen A. Smith call games, which is saying a LOT. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/43 "2012-01-10T17:51:12Z")
I do not like it if I have to listen to Dan Dierdorf or Dick Stockton. And I’m beginning to wonder about Tony Dungy or maybe I already did before but didn’t know it (I know he’s not exactly an announcer). ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/44 "2012-01-10T18:47:58Z")
John madden. Jon gruden. Especially Dick vitale. Fingernails on a chalkboard. Turn off tv every Tuesday when he’s on mike & mike. Put ten penny nails in my ears. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/45 "2012-01-10T18:51:43Z")
At least Billy Packer has been away from CBS for a few years now. He was the worst. Am I alone in disliking Mike Pereira on Fox? Not that I think he’s bad himself, I just hate that Fox is always cutting to him to tell us rules that most of us know, and we can figure out what happened on our own with enough replays. And any announcer that says, “And remember, they need indisputable evidence to overturn the play.” Any reference to the play stands, is overturned, or confirmed drives me nuts. Replay’s been with us for years now. I know how it works. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/46 "2012-01-10T19:00:46Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Joe Morgan and Tim McCarver. Blowhard know-it-alls who are proud of the fact that they don’t know a damned thing. > > Friggin Morgan actually says “Well I haven’t had a chance to see much of the \ play.” Ass, your job is to watch and comment on baseball. > > For football it’s Pheeel Seeems. During the Den-Pit game on Sunday he actually came out and said that “This is what the Broncos do so well, throw the ball down the feeeeld.” after a 30 yard gain. Followed immediately by his booth partner contradicting him with “That was the longest play of the year for the Broncos.” > > These dumb fuckers get a story line and stick to it no matter what is actually happening. Your baseball picks I wholeheartedly second. I do like Phil though. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/47 "2012-01-10T19:08:18Z")
I’m guessing that the only reason Shannon Sharpe’s name hasn’t emerged as worst commentator is that nobody is offended by him because you can’t understand what he’s saying. I’ve heard toothless drunken prospectors with better diction. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/48 "2012-01-10T20:22:28Z")
I must follow with those who have brought forth the name of Joe Theismann. He just yammers on, and on, and on… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/49 "2012-01-10T21:12:48Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I’m guessing that the only reason Shannon Sharpe’s name hasn’t emerged as worst commentator is that nobody is offended by him because you can’t understand what he’s saying. > > I’ve heard toothless drunken prospectors with better diction. Then you really don’t want to watch Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin on the Sunday evening highlights show on NFL Network. When the two of them get going, they sound like a pair of rap singers on a 50/50 mixture of helium and nitrous oxide. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/50 "2012-01-10T21:43:33Z")
My Packer friends and I mock Troy Aikman’s biased coverage, I have not remembered the end of games when we’ve turned his back handed compliments and miscalls into a drinking game. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/51 "2012-01-10T21:46:21Z")
Add in Jimmy Dykes for college basketball. He sees something early in the game, and boy, you’re going to hear about whatever it was the entire game, whether it makes any sense or not. Example: There is a small nail in the court at the free-throw line to allow people to line up. During one Kentucky game where he had seen UK run several plays with the nail as the crossing point, he then proceeded to say the word nail around 900 times the rest of the game. Or if an underdog is playing a bigger school and they’re leading, he’ll say “They’re playing with house money”. Then repeat it hundreds of times the rest of the game. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/52 "2012-01-10T22:14:23Z")
Assuming we’re including only national-level broadcasters, which I think you sort of have to… look, it’s gotta be Musberger. Dont get me wrong. I hate Joe Morgan. I despise Tim McCarver. I’ve heard Joe Theismann once and his talents are uglier than his leg was after L.T. Chris Berman is an insufferable, unfunny jackass. I’m surprised it’s even legal to be Dick Vitale. And who was that guy who used to host the Winter Games and was obviously drunk for the last one? But none of them has ever said… [“This is for aaaallll the Tostitos.”](http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81261665/) Game, set, and match. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/53 "2012-01-11T01:33:46Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > …though Joe Morgan is the first name that leaped into my mind. And mine as well. That man is dumb as a rock, and not as interesting. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/54 "2012-01-11T01:56:26Z")
I’ll go with Matt Millen. I can’t get past how bad he was as GM for the Lions, and having him announce a game involving MSU or UofM seems like a slap in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Sundrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sundrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sundrop)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/55 "2012-01-11T02:21:44Z")
Bullshit. The worst announcer in history is Mike ‘Drunken Micro-encephalitic’ Patrick. Here is my cite: [Awful Announcing: Mike Patrick Has Important Things On His Mind](http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2007/09/mike-patrick-has-important-things-on.html) ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/56 "2012-01-11T05:25:45Z")
Thankfully you only get to hear him in the Chicago area or on the few Chisox games on WGN, but Ken Harrelson is outright unlistenable on Chicago White Sox broadcasts. He’s the very definition of a homer; when the Sox lose the other team was lucky/benefitted from bad umpiring, never because they played a good game. ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/57 "2012-01-11T12:53:15Z")
Cris Collinsworth. I just don’t like him. He sounds smarmy. Although I admit I’m warming up to him but it’s like a very mild luke warm. Chris Evert. That woman wants Federer’s jock so bad that she can’t even objectively call matches with him in it. It’s doubly worse if he’s playing Rafa at Wimbledon. I put her on mute or watch on ESPN 3 where I can at least hear John McEnroe. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/58 "2012-01-11T13:25:03Z")
Tim McCarver, easily the worst baseball guy I’ve ever heard. I miss the old Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek days. Hell, I even miss Curt Gowdy. I hate to be sexist, but women suck at sports announcing. Exhibit A: Pam Ward of ESPN. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/59 "2012-01-11T13:41:06Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > I’ll go with Matt Millen. I can’t get past how bad he was as GM for the Lions, and having him announce a game involving MSU or UofM seems like a slap in the face. I was wondering when someone was going to bring him up. He was calling a college game about 3 weeks ago and some of his observations were actually pretty astute, but then he’d cancel their benefit by following with something quite boneheaded. So while watching I Googled him on the iPad and reviewed his history. I already knew much about his dismal failures as GM but there was so much more to loathe about him. The rest of the game I then found his voice and comments to be truly cringeworthy. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012/60 "2012-01-11T15:57:55Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > I’ll go with Matt Millen. I can’t get past how bad he was as GM for the Lions, and having him announce a game involving MSU or UofM seems like a slap in the face. If you don’t like his voice or his mannerisms or think his commentary is wrong-headed… THOSE are perfectly fine reasons to hate a sportscaster. But what does his (undeniable) failure as the Lions’ GM have to do with anything? The guy was a great linebacker and a successful (opinions vary, of course, as to whether he was good) broadcaster. He tried his hand at a different job and did poorly. Does that failed tenure as GM of the Lions disqualify him from ever working again at a job he’s better suited for? I mean, suppose a very good software engineer takes an executive job at Apple, turns out to be a bad manager, and gets fired. Would you consider it “a slap in the face” if he got another software engineering job somewhere else? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-detest-most-as-a-sports-announcer/609012.md?page=4)