loved that White Sox announcer back when...Harrelson i think?

"put it on the boooaarrrdddd....yes!"

"he's grabbin' some bench!"

They still say that, not sure if it's the same guy or not.

sorry, i was referencing football

Yes Hawk Harrelson is still calling White Sox games and is possibly the biggest homer currently in announcing.

Is it Dan Dierdorf? If not, he does the same thing. He was an offensive lineman and every play he would praise the line for their great work. I can't stand watching games he announces.

"They're going to need more defense in this second half"
"They're going to need more offense in this second half"
"The're really being manhandeled out there"
"They're really manhandling them out there"
"What did you think about the first half coach?"
"How do you feel about the game coach?

Yeah, I could do this.

What i don't get about the whole "athlete-turned-announcer" thing is: to be a good announcer/commentator, you need to be able to speak well. That isn't a quality that's absolutely mandatory to play the game well. Why networks think that an athlete who can't speak well will make a good announcer/commentator, simply because they played the sport well, is mind-boggling. It's kinda like finding the guy who owns every album ever made and giving him a recording contract, since being an expert on music must make you a great musician.

Are they overrated if they get canned from announcing? Some of ESPN's Monday night football crew were awlful.

I think you're talking about one of the 3 Dave's from the old JP Sports regional SEC broadcast. Dave Rowe, maybe?

Just practice some more, and you'll hear her say: "So that's what a perfect drive looks like."

Ok I was out today so this thread should begin and end with bob costas

When did the blasted announcers become so important that they get to hog HalfTime? I wish they would do away with the halftime shows and let us see the bands like they used to. They could keep the little ticker tape on the bottom of the screen with the scores of other games. Who cares what these dufus guys think?

The late, great Howard Cossell -- People hated him, but they had to listen to him.

My take on Howard Cosell:

Great at boxing poor at everything else.

Pre-game shows drive me nuts too. Like I need to listen to 5 doofuses sitting around a table telling me that the team that plays a better game is going to win (notwithstanding extremely poor officiating).

I don't know if Matt Millen is highly rated, but obviously someone thinks enough of the guy to keep putting him on TV. He was the absolute worst GM in the history of the NFL, and now we have to listen to his opinion during games, give me a break!

And this just in......speaking of loving to hear himself talk.....

Keith Olbermann is back with ESPN starting August 26. He will have a nightly sports show on ESPN2 at 10:30pm ET. I wonder how long until he brings politics into his sports show.....

I had really hoped that he had slipped into a swamp somewhere.

While I can see Olbermann throwing in a few veiled references, I don't recall him getting political either during his prior stint at ESPN or during his sports appearances on other networks.

His appearances on ESPN in the past were mostly as a news anchor and 20 years ago, he was just reporting the news and talk radio/TV was in its infancy. His other appearances were for specific sports and were not an hour in length 5 nights a week. I liked Olbermann on SC with Dan Patrick, I like reading his tweets now, he is entertaining. I just don't know how he is going to fill 5 days at 60 min per and not go past the reporting of the news and into the opinion pieces that will inevitiably show his political leanings. I am sure ESPN considered that before hiring him, I doubt they will be surprised if it happens and they may well be expecting it.

Being from around Philly, pretty much all the sportscasters on CSN are pretty horrible.

espn says he will be commenting on current sports and cultural events, but not politics...yeah, i watch espn to see non-sport commentary...please

"Turn out the lights....the party's over!"

ESPN needs to implement BOL's politics ban-problem solved.

I refuse to watch anything Chris is on. He sucks.