Back when I was coming up, Brent, I thought, was pretty good-- he’s the main reason why I thought that his version of “The NFL Today” was better than today’s (not to mention Irv Cross and Jimmy “The Greek,” et al.). It’s today’s NFL pregame people that I can’t stand, especially on FOX. The people that FOX has in the studio are very much why I dislike the NFL as it’s covered now.
On the other hand, the hands-down best sideline reporter in the media - the only one who asks the intelligent questions that the players and coaches don’t want to answer - is Michelle Tafoya.
For me, the worst is Tim McCarver by a mile. Haven’t had to hear him in years, but I could never stand Bob Costas, who seems to think every thing he says is so profound. Another current announcer I can’t stand is Josh Lewin.
This perhaps stretches the boundaries of “sport,” but I have to say Jerry “The King” Lawler in the WWE. The real shame is that he and Jim Ross were arguably the best announcing team in wrestling for many years.
Well, SI did a review of the NFL announcers today.
Amen!!! Sooooo glad he is no longer announcing.
Agree on Musberger and Vitale; I put the tv on mute when they are calling a game and listen to either the radio or an on-line feed.
As far as Button goes, haven’t seen him for a few years but he was so horrible. Love Scott Hamilton as an analyst as well as Kurt Browning when he’s announcing for CBC.
An up and comer jerk who is getting on my nerves this year is Dan Dakich. Just so impressed with himself, arrogant bastige. Hey Dan, can you tell us what you think of the transfer rule for 5th year seniors; I believe that I have missed it the last 200 times that you have went on about it ad nauseum this year so far.
Favorite basketball announcer - Bill Raftery, hands down! ONIONS!!!
and for the poster defending Millen, I don’t believe anyone said he shouldn’t be allowed to work. We just don’t believe he should be announcing MSU, UM or Lion games. As far as we are concerned, he can eat shit and die. So, send him to announce the ACC or the SEC or the Big Twelve or the PAC Ten or the Big Least, anywhere but a game whose home is in Michigan.
I like Bob. He’s full of himself but he knows his material and he knows how to call a game.
He’s not working CBC anymore, but for hockey, Harry Neale. Harry might have been good once but for most of the time I’ve bee watching hockey, when he was on, he was drunk, and he got drunker as the playoffs went on. He pretty much cheered for the Leafs - he’d actually sometimes slip and refer to them as “we” - and by the third round was so shickered you got the sense he was still cheering for the Leafs even though they’d been eliminated in a previous round.
Dewayne Staats-Tampa Bay Rays announcer. I first ran across his somnambulent delivery with the Cubs in the early 90’s; now, since I am a Florida resident, I’m usually forced to hear his lifeless voice anytime the Rays play the Red Sox (rarely do I get a NESN feed here). I mean seriously if you are that bored with your job go find something else to do already.
The reason he wasn’t mentioned before you is because I just found the thread.
Thats a very racist thing to say! It’s also true. Especially Irvin, who slides back into 'hoodspeak immediately when he’s in a conversation with someone else who also speaks like that.
However, nonone has mentioned the worst father son team. The Alberts. Every time i see or hear marv, I think of his hotel sexcapade (how did he EVER get his job back at NBC after that?). Kenny Albert looks like he takes tolls from under a bridge between names. That mug and lazy eye makes me realize that, just like mom said, sometimes when you makeva face, it DOES freeze like that.
McCarver is a marvel. He is beyond suck. the man had a MLB career thanks to Steve Carlton. Being a great pitchers personal catcher, valet, and ball scrubber has paid well for McCarver. He’s so in love with himself, he jerks off to pictures of himself.
Dan Dierdorf inhales, and always has.
mike mayock is a good choice. He has a weird speech thing going on. I don’t know what it is, or how he makes the sound, but I instantly recognize his voice.
Pam Oliver is frightening. The TEETH. The hair. Actually, all sideline reporters suck, but it’s not their fault. It’s a useless job.
Susan Waldyn of the Yankees has made me a John Sterling fan. What a butchy voice.
Joe Morgan has the personality of a 10-lb bag of fertilizer.
Dick Vitale, good lord what a tool.
Theres more. That’s enough.
I did not say “disqualify him from ever working again”. I said “announce a game involving MSU or UofM”. That’s just two teams.
The question in the OP is “Who do you detest most as a sports announcer?”, and that’s my answer. You don’t have to agree with it.
Interesting observations.
As for Cris Collinsworth, I don’t like his voice but i don’t find the content of his commentary annoying. To me he’s tolerable.
Millen and Bob Davie: If you are so smart why were you such failures as coaches? Not saying that you can’t be a bad coach under difficult circumstances and not be a good analyst, but still, why should we believe you?
Cosell was so, so bad that he was almost good. Remember, I said “so, so bad”. He was never good. At some low point there was an entertainment value. Sort of like listening to a drunk Don Meredith when you yourself were drunk. “Hey Don, see you at the bar because this night is already wasted.”
Dick Button, Chris Schenkel and guys like that were blatantly gay before people could ever come out of the closet. No problem with them doing figure skating. Schenkel doing football took some acting on his part. It was like Liberace commenting on boxing. Not that there aren’t gay boxers, but still, I don’t want the event commentated upon with a gay agenda. “Oh, look at that six-pack. His trunks are soooo marvelous! Doesn’t it make you feel good when they hug at the end of the fight.”
Back to the OP, nobody in my mind has ever been more ill-informed, front-running, cliche happy, overall annoying, badly dressed, full of himself and totally despicable than Musheadburger.
Lou Holtz. Shut-fucking-up you marble-mouthed, senile old fart!
I agree with all the people who said Brent Musberger, but I have to add: it’s even worse when they pair him up with Bob Knight for a college basketball game. It’s like neither one of them are watching the game, and neither one is paying attention to the other one, they’re both just off rambling away on their own tangents. Drives me crazy!
Love this. Marble mouthed is a perfect description.
I wonder how much spit is on that mike foam
He dosen’t even call games, but Goddammit! I want him* OFF MY TV!*
Brent Fucking Musberger. Games are nearly unwatchable when he is an announcer. He rambles on about things and makes no coherent point. His pacing and intonation simultaneously make me want to take a nap and kick my TV. He comes up with obvious nicknames for people, like “The Major” for Major Applewhite, and says them with this weird combination of gravitas and smug self satisfaction.
Dick Vitale. Remember those Bucky Larson Born To Be A Star commercials with that guy screaming at you with his annoying fucking voice? “BUCKY LAHHSON! BOAHN TO BE A STAAH!” That man sounds exactly like Dick Vitale. Remember how those Bucky Larson commercials made you want to jam an ice pick in your ears after 3 seconds? Well imagine listening to that for two straight hours. That is the Dick Vitale Experience. DIAPER DANDY BAY-BEE!
Phil Simms. He is a stupid fucking moron.
My least favorites are the Cincinnati Bengals radio broadcast team of Brad Johansen and Dave Lapham.
Both (Lapham is the worst offender) are revolting homers/cheerleaders, to the point where they become incoherent* when something good happens to the home team (or even during an exciting moment that could go either way).
Interestingly, one of the “flagship Bengals stations” they broadcast on is WCKY, “1530 The Homer”. 
In baseball I will go out of my way to avoid Jon Miller, whose attempts to create excitement by punching up ordinary moments during a game get tiresome.
“Bottom of the second, no one on, two out. It’s a high fly ball to left field! The outfielder settles under it! And makes the catch to end the inning!!!”
Yowzah.
*My classic incoherent broadcasting moment of all time was on the small market radio station I used to work at. The boss (a terrible announcer) was doing a high school football playoff game, the home team had a yard to go for a touchdown, and the broadcasting call went like this: “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”…confused cheers from the crowd…silence in the broadcast booth…
It took something like 30 seconds to find out what happened.
With Joe Morgan gone, thankfully. It is now Tim McCarver as the reigning champion as the worst.
I don’t know how you say this in a world where Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling remain unstrangled.
Oh, yes, I do. You’re a fan of the team that they propagandize for.
Oh, for those unacquainted with Waldman’s Yankees-uber-alles rah-rah gushing, here’s a typical example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdtn0Z4o8cM