Talking Heads

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

Originally Posted by Manny A

ESPN doesn't monopolize that philosophy. Why the heck TBS/TNT actually believes that Shaq and Barkley are the right folks to do NBA pre- and post-game analyses is beyond me.

Practically every MLB team has a former player in the booth. So we get dipwads like Rob Dibble in Washington (who never played for the Nats, so I never could understand the rationale behind that).

NBC always uses former Gold Medal champions to cover the Olympics. Very few are really worth hearing.

And on and on...

Luckily, I guess, most of the Yankee and Met ex-jock announcers, have been pretty good:

Rizzuto at his peak was a FINE announcer - despite the caricature. If you ever can see the 78 Sox/Yankee playoff game, you will see. No birthday announcements, no cannoli...just a good straight PBP. Its only when he started getting older, and the Yankees got real terrible in the late 80s, the jumping on the GWB....got a box of cannoli schtick started. Bill White was also excellent, intelligent, but not afraid to have a little fun with the Scooter. Fran Healy was also good, and when Seaver was there he was OK also.

Kiner was good, and when McCarver was with the Mets, he was OK. In fact, due to our early cable setup, we got the Phillie games when Timmy Mc was brand new in the booth there. And he was fine with Andy Musser and Ashburn - another fairly decent jock on the air. Hernandez is quite good these days for the Mets, as is Ronnie Darling.

The current Yankee situation is bizarre - almost a rotation of about five or six people - with Michael Kay the only 'Pro' Otherwise its Ken Singleton, David Cone, John Flaherty, Paul O'Neill sometimes, and they even tried Lou Piniella last year! Kay only works home games, plus the short trips to Baltimore and Boston. Usually on the road its Singleton, who is a bit dry but good, and either Flaherty or Coney - usually Flaherty, who needs to rest his mouth once in a while, as he expounds WAY too much on things. Cone, who was an intelligent pitcher, is good, and when him and O'Neill get together it CAN be interesting.

One thing nice about both the Met and Yankee announcers is that there is no Hawk Harrelson screaming over umpires and calls. Both teams seem to have a 'treat the umps fairly' policy. Everything is done in a calm and sane manner. So to hear Harrelson and other yahoos scream over close calls is pretty amazing sometimes. I have the MLB.tv package and find myself tuning out the sound mostly - except for Scully of course! Ill listen to him in bed at night very relaxing!