Posted without comment (though bold is mine), a highlight from SI. Because I know DMQ will do so in the comments.
2. Which college football announcer/s are the least appealing for you and why?
Mandel: Craig James and Jesse Palmer. James’ glaring conflict of interest (more on that later) aside, it’s still two ex-jocks glad-handing each other and spewing clichés for three-and-a-half hours. I feel bad for Rece Davis, a true pro, who spends Thursday nights wedged between those two and Saturdays moderating the Mark May-Lou Holtz circus act.
Staples: Craig James, because he adds very little to the broadcast, and ESPN has sacrificed much of its journalistic integrity to protect him in the wake of his campaign to get Mike Leach fired at Texas Tech. If ESPN replaced James with any random ex-jock, viewers wouldn’t complain a bit. Yet for some reason the network has bent over backward to protect James. It makes no sense.
Schroeder: Other than Craig James? Even aside from the helicopter-dad/Mike Leach/Texas Tech stuff, I’m not a big fan. And how can we leave aside that stuff? Since he is still employed, can we at least eliminate the weekly weird-workout feature with James (and Jesse Palmer) and the home team’s strength coach on those Thursday night games? We get it, James was a big-time athlete and he’s still able to toss around big tires.There are a lot of forgettable announcers out there. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. As much as I enjoy listening to him, Musburger walks a fine line. When he crosses it, he can override the game. I’ll take a dialed-back, who-was-that-announcer broadcast and be more than satisfied.
Deitsch: That Craig James gets such prominent assignments remains a mystery on the D.B. Cooper scale. He is unpopular by any fan metric you choose, including performance and likeability. The fact that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is suing James merely adds noise here. ESPN management says it values James for his relationships with coaches but what that ultimately leads to for viewers is little more than backslapping commentary. The network deserves to get crushed for keeping him on the air. I’m not as bothered by Palmer as some of the other guys but I agree with everyone on Holtz, whose act wore thin around the time Ron Powlus graduated from Notre Dame. Again, Holtz is an example of Bristol management having a tin ear with a broadcaster whose name far exceeds his value. Same with James.
Don't take me, yourself, or life so seriously. This is supposed to be fun.
Biscuit co-founded HerLoyalSons in partnership with his ND roommate (Dillon Hall baby!), MQ, in 2006 and has been ranting about ND Football and everything Notre Dame since. He strongly believes in the mission of ND and its football program. Biscuit expects logic and data in arguments and will absolutely crush you if you come to a debate missing one or the other. He despises everything Michigan, and his favorite pastime is mocking Purdue.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
Jesse Palmer is Pepper Brookes from Dodgeball.
I actually enjoy Palmer for that very reason, he’s unintentionally hilarious.
saw a commercial for the “Palmer and (David) Pollack” show on ESPNU. As terrible as Palmer can be, Pollack is on another level. He looks like a sleazeball.
The other interesting part for me was an interesting insight into the mind of Stewart Mandel “Pam Ward has taken a lot of criticism — probably too much so — and I’m sure much of it was gender-based. But for me it was more that she just wasn’t very good”. So basically everyone who did not like Pam Ward calling games was a meathead who didn’t want womenfolk calling games, except me, I just didn’t think she was good. Really Stewie? She sucked, everyone knew it, did not matter that she pees sitting down. Nice.
I’ve turned many games off because of Brent Musburger.
That whole article is a good read. Nice to hear some positive opinions of Mike Mayock. I don’t pay all that much attention to the announcers no matter who they are. But i guess these guys as professional media types have stronger opinions about this.
I’m torn here. One one hand, he sucks.
On the other hand, I kinda like James because he’s totally incompetent but still has a job. This fact always helps me remember that… no matter how useless an employee is… as long as he has pictures of his boss laying face down in a gutter wearing a pair of assless chaps… that employee has a a job for life.
That HAS to be why James still has a job in the football media.
It’s funny how just about everything that’s being said about James could be said about Davie too.
I would disagree on Davie. He certainly is annoying with all the “footbawwww” shit, but he has actually turned into a pretty good announcer over the years. His knowledge of schemes and x and o’s allows him to give really good insight to the game. Annoying, but gives great points.
I know they are icons, but I also have issues with Musburger and Lundquist because they literally have to correct 50% of their initial calls. At least Tom Jackson realized he was going senile and left.
Musburger also creeps me out with all his references to “fine lookin’ youngsters” and saying “snaps it off” every pass. How do they let him into the little league world series?
With Hammond in South Korea for track the next 9 days does anyone know who will be in the booth with Mayock for USF? Tom Papa again?
Keith Jackson is who I meant.
I would definitely agree about Jackson but I thought he retired. Right now, I agree with everyone about James. Mayock is very good.
Dan Hicks I think.
Didn’t T-Willy have a job as a TV person for a year or so… or was I just wishing too hard in 2004?