As far as one shot deals go as opposed to catchphrases (like Keith Jackson's, "Whoa Nellie!")? Nothing will ever top, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!"
Everything John Sterling has ever done, you couldn't have a more self-important announcer, which is nice, because you couldn't have a more self-important team.
"High fly ball into right fi-ield, she iiiiiiis...goooooooone!" --Vin Scully when Gibson takes out Eckersley.
More people listened to Jack Buck's call of this on the national TV broadcast so most of the people who heard this call were Californian. The fact that it's kind of my little secret makes it my favorite sports call of all time.
Best part of that is that next time you watch it on TV (and you will see it at least 10 times in the next few days), watch the parking lot. About half a second after the camera pans towards the parking lot you'll see red lights all at the same time. That's because the "fans" who left early all hit their brakes at the exact same time because they heard Vin Scully's call and are all feeling like the biggest idiots in the world.
Couple from the Australian Football League (greatest sport in the world) :
"Jesaulenko, you beauuuty!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBeHVLs3kdU
"Thirteen. Thirteen. Thirteeeennnnn!!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHglNVuJ4xc Upon Makybe Diva winning her third straight Melbourne Cup : "And the champion....becomes a legend!!" (minus points for obviously being worked out ahead of time"
For funniest, you go with, for instance John Arlott (cricket) who would say things like (after the batsman was smashed in the groin with one delivery left in the bowler's over) : "D'Oliviera to face Hall....one ball remaining..." Another time the cricket commentators were mentioning that Brian Lara (star West Indian) had named his daughter Sydney because he scored a great century there. One commentator : "Lucky he didn't score it in Lahore....." Or Dennis Commetti (again Australian football) with lines like :" "Barlow...passes to Bateman....the Hawks are attacking alphabetically..." or "
Doesnt really fit but McCarvers "Youre a real man Deion, ill say that" and the "you probably wont say it again...I bet I do, CHRIS" sports segmrnts are my favorite on the opposite side of the spectrum.
The word Mackinaw is not being called a spelling mistake.
The Canadian spelling of centre or colour is but Mackinaw is a word. That's how over the voice of the Maple Leafs is.
Bowen is also known for his creative alliteration when announcing the starting goaltenders (e.g. technicians of the tangled twine, watchdogs of the webbed wickets, officers of the oblong onion bags, etc.)
I love games on Leafs TV for every outlandish call he makes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5tUBtQt2c is my all-time #1.
Other favs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBlvjtfpPAg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaopXinn1Kw (Start at 16:15) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuAnVlRWf7o (While I usually have no use for Joe Buck, this was cool.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Iw2YejS9A (Fuck you Favre. ;) )
The ONLY reason Joe's works is it being the Cardinals... the team his dad had been the announcer for so many years. Other than them and the Twins, using that call would've been so full of failure.
My favorite Waldmyn EVER was just recently talking about Mo only crying one other time in his career, "when he walked off the field in Seattle in 2001 John and said to me, I never want to feel this feeling again, and you know what John, he never ever did!"
Um...Susan. He blew an even bigger series...AT THE SERIES in Arizona you mush mouth dunderhead.
Some people find hubie annoying because he's really long winded and can try and pontificate about basketball like he's talking about a Shakespeare play or something, and the whole constantly stepping into the 2nd person thing (which I liketo make into a ddrinking game.) I always liked Hubie though
You just gave me one more reason to be happy I didn't watch Saints-Pats... hearing him and Aikman slurp Brady after that last drive might have cost me a big-screen.
I've tried really hard as I've gotten older to learn to let go of things out of my control, let things just wash over me...but when I see his dumb Niles Crane face at the beginning of a game I just start getting so unreasonably angry. Just a pure hanger-on.
The video for this is gone, but the final weekend of the 1998 season, Cubs are battling it out for the wild card. Cubs had a 7-0 lead early in a game vs the Brewers, but Milwaukee scored 5 to get close in the bottom of the 9th when this happened:
HUGHES: "Two down, the Brewers have the bases loaded, and a 2-2 count on the hitter. Here's the pitch. Swung on. Fly ball to left field. Brant Brown going back. Brant Brown ... drops the ball!"
SANTO: "Oh, nooooooooo!"
HUGHES: "He dropped the ball!"
SANTO: "Nooooooooo!"
HUGHES: "Three runs will score, and the Brewers have beaten the Cubs." Santo's screams are like someone is about to shoot his entire family.
I'm noticing a theme here: Almost all the guys people have picked used natural speaking voices rather than that dumb over the top announcer voice that guys like Sterling use.
Amazing that people still stick to that fake garbage when it seems pretty obvious people find regular people talking about sports more compelling and memorable.
"There's a slow roller up along first base...BEHIND THE BAG! IT GETS THROUGH BUCKNER! HERE COMES KNIGHT AND THE METS WIN IT!!!" You know it's a huge deal when Vin Scully is completely losing his shit.
"To right field, and deep, and (voice cracks) Downing goes back, and it's (cracks again) GONE! Unbelievable! ... Anaheim Stadium was one strike away from turning into Fantasyland!" From that same postseason. What a fucking great postseason that was. I miss Al Michaels on baseball.
Brent Musburger: "HOLY BUCKEYE!" Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins on 4th and inches.
"Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!" Another Jack Buck classic, as Ozzie Smith hits one of the most improbable walkoff HRs ever.
Joe Starkey's call of the Cal/Stanford Play, which I can't do justice to in text form.
Lots of great Jim Ross freakouts, but I'll go with a non-obvious favorite: "PATCH ME THROUGH! GET SECURITY! GET THE POLICE OVER THERE AND GET OLE ANDERSON AWAY FROM THE SWITCH!"
Dude, he got opportunities due to his das but hes called WS and Super Bowls, so people in the know must think hes at the top of his profession. His dead dad isnt keeping him emoloyed at this point
When it comes to self-righteous disgust, no one can possibly outdo Thom Brennaman. And it's ten times worse listening to him on Reds games than doing football. Woe be to the hitter who fails to advance a runner or take a moment too long to circle the bases on a home run.
His stupid Clarice Starling face, his inflated sense of importance, his desperate need to try over and over and over and over and over and over to recreate his dad's most famous call, oh and his announcing. He's just a bore. A bore with no experience ever being in a locker room. At least guys like Aikman I can pretend they have some insight even if what they're saying is nonsense. Joe Buck is like your junior high social studies teacher telling you about athleticism. Blech.
I want to say it was the Saints/Vikes NFC title game, Joe's "calling" was so damn flat and void of any emotion that even the Sports Talk Football/Baseball guy could have done a better job.
But I'm pretty sure it's happened way more often than that.
I thought Buck did a fine job with Saints v. Vikings game. He didn't go crazy or anything, but I thought he did a good job on the interception and the FG.
Al Michaels was such a good baseball announcer. The way he remained calm during the earthquake before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series is incredible. Hopefully baseball returns home to NBC one of these years. With Michaels and Bob Costas, NBC would have an embaressment of baseball announcing riches.
Al and Musberger sound like they have a faint clue of what the sport is though, which probably just owes to the years and years of calling it. I'm sure Joe Buck will be super duper once we've gotten to listen to his trite nonsense for three decades.
I can't think of any, outside of the May Day thing Kyle mentioned below. Like with wrestling, I only notice the commentators if they're being funny or being terrible. And commentators in "real" sports rarely try to do comedy.
"Jordan shoots... Chicago takes the lead over Utah here in Game 6. Tomorrow night on Fox, it's America's #1 drama, Ally McBeal. Stockton gets the ball, shoots... he misses. Chicago wins it's sixth NBA Title. Also tomorrow night here on Fox, it's Beverly Hills 90210. What will become of Dylan? Tune in to find out."
There was a time when I drank so much Sailor Jerry's on Halloween on Chicago, I fell asleep on a park bench near Lake Michigan, and woke up with a swollen foot. I got home, and had to work (I worked from home at the time) and puked all over my floor, then stood up, but because my foot was hurt, fell over, into my vomit.
Me: So the Sabres haven't won a game yet, right? Joe: Don't think so. Me (wearing Avalanche at the time): Colorado us undefeated. Joe: Fuck you. (walks away)
Sabres fans are so sensitive... Fuck the Bills too, when they lose, we lose money.
Allow me to offer up some from the other side of the Atlantic
First the greatest try ever scored in Rugby where you can hear the disbelief rising in Cliff Morgan's voice with every pass (rip)
http://youtu.be/AwCbG4I0QyA
Damon Hill winning the F1 world championship with Murray Walker having to stop because he had a lump in his throat (about 1:50 in). Murray had known the Hill's since Damon's dad - and 2 time f1 champ - was killed in a plane crash & the family nearly went broke as a result.
http://youtu.be/pFsD9NElDa4
And finally England's greatest moment of sporting triumph accompanied by the greatest ever call
A little more obscure, but still a memory for me. The last day of the 1990 season, the Red Sox are at home to the White Sox, and are trying to clinch the AL East. The Red Sox are clinging to a 3-1 lead, when the White Sox put two men on with two out. Jeff "The Terminator" Reardon is the closer at the time, and Ozzie Guillen is the man at the dish. Sean McDonough is the play-by-play guy for the Red Sox at the time. Ozzie makes good contact, McDonough's call: "Lined down the right field line, hooking toward the corner...BRUNANSKY!!" Tom Brunansky made a absolutely beautiful sliding/diving catch, went out of view of the camera (not as many angles at the time), and essentially saved the season and clinched the division for Sox.
"HIGH FLY BALL INTO RIGHT FIELD, SHE IS GONE!.....*long silence to let the crowd take the moment*......In a year that has been so improbable, the IMPOSSIBLE has happened!"
Vinny calling a goosebump moment is like nothing else. Hell, his call on Uribe hitting that eventual come-from-behind game-winner in the LDS was awesome, after Uribe couldn't get the bunt down earlier in the AB: "Isn’t it amazing what someone will do when he can’t bunt?”
I count my blessings that I grew up listening to Vin Scully, instead of some fucking homer d-bag like Hawk Harrelson. Not all homer announcers are d-bags (I actually like the Bay Area duos of Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow for SF and Glen Kuiper and Ray Fosse in Oakland), but that guy represents the fucking worst for homerism.
Grew up in Chicago... and I had two homers who couldn't be more different--Hawk Harrelson and Harry Caray. Harrelson was a condescending d-bag who would constantly make fun out of the other teams (because, ya know, the White Sox are some sort of dynasty in his mind). Belittling opponents and umpires, he'd always be working on his next catchphrase.
Harry was just an unrelenting optimistic fan who always believed the Cubs could turn it around. Even towards the end when his playcalling was sloppier, he was still a joy to listen to...sometimes because it was so sloppy.
I'm going to second Vin Scully's call of Gibson's homerun in Game 1. Fantastic
Jack Buck's "And we'll see ya....tomorrow night!" homerun call of Kirby Puckett's Game 6 HR in 1991. Then the follow up in game 7 "The Twins are going to win the World Series.....the Twins have won it!"
There was one Cubs game I was watching back in the day, where Harry Caray thought Sammy Sosa made a sliding bare-handed catch and was just raving about it. Problem was it was clear on live TV and replay that Sosa caught the ball with his glove. Caray was saying how good it was when Steve Stone jumped in and said in a perfect dead-pan voice "Well Harry, he caught it with his glove." There was a brief pause and Harry goes "Either way, it was a heck of a catch!" and continued on.
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! AND THEY'RE GOIN' CRAZY! THEY'RE GOIN' CRAZY!
"If he hits one there we can dance in the streets the 2 - 1... SWUNG LINE DRIVE LEFT FIELD 1 RUN IS IN HERE COMES BREAM HERE'S THE THROW TO THE PLATE HE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS SAFE! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!...... BRAVES WIN!" (Still my favorite moment in sports)
Any moment where the announcer gets caught up with emotion, stops being an announcer and starts being a fan going apeshit is always great.
Also lucky to have Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren during the late 80's/90's with the Braves on TBS, before they ditched Atlanta to become Sitcom Central III (roughly).
One more thats worth mentioning is from the 1987 Tour de France and Phil Liggett's "Who's that coming up behind Delgado.... It looks like Roche... It looks like Roche.... IT's STEPHEN ROCHE!!"
If you can ignore the pharmaceutical implications of it, Roche's ride that day is one of the most incredible ever in Le Tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQojh-wqL04
Worth watching from about 1:40 and then sticking with as Roche collapses over the line and has to be given oxygen
Somebody already took my favorite - SB 25 Wide Right......so least favorite would be anything Joe Buck did in SB 42, particularly sounding like he just woke up from being roofied by Aikman during the helmet catch
Yep my favourite commentary moment of all time... such a critical moment that eventually led to us winning the Champions League and sustaining Liverpool as one of the top teams in Europe for the forseeable future, which also led to Gerrard not leaving the club.. such an important goal on many levels. Thank you Inno for this :)
I worked on a campaign in Pittsburgh once and I SWORE I was going to wear a Sid Bream jersey if we lost... sadly Sid Bream jersey's are not as easy to find as you might think.
Not so much for just one call, but for a career of them: Bob Cole should be calling playoff hockey till the earth falls into the sun: http://youtu.be/npkQlbPOJbM
Just as important to the St. Louis area as Jack Buck is our ol' buddy Mike Shannon. His calls are great because he's drunk 24/7. He used to come through my town on the way to fishing trips to fill his boat.
Me: early start, Mr. Shannon?
Mike: yep, gonna ($hg[arevxkdkgujhgnpebopqer, young man!
Dick Enberg is my favorite US announcer and love his trademark "oh my!" My favorite from him might be when he thought the Colts pulled off the hail mary vs.the Steelers in the 95 afc title game. (If they had it would have been a top ten moment in my life. hate the Steelers).
Bob Cole is my favorite ever. I read somewhere that while starting he learned to modulate his voice to different levels of excitement based on the action and to go up and down like a ladder when it got more or less exciting. If you listen for it, it's really awesome. Don't care for Hughson. Many favorites, esp from the 93 CCF, so I'd lean towards "Gretzky gets the pass, and *blasts* one by Potvin!"
Of course "back to Foulke! Redsox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston redsox are world champions!" will always be special.
" Elias center, shot score! The new jersey devils have won the Stanley cup, Jason Arnott with the game winning overtime goal!" too.
My favorite Skip Caray moment came at the end of a telecast. As he was signing off he casually mentioned that the Braves were going on a long road trip because Freaknik was coming to town.
He did a bowl game with Tebow playing. I can't remember which one but he said something like "You will be a better person just from being around Tebow" or some crap like that. Just the worst.
Keith Jackson got like that towards the end, but I chalk it up to being old. When Vince Young ran in the touchdown Jackson sounded like he already had the car warming up.
As far as one shot deals go as opposed to catchphrases (like Keith Jackson's, "Whoa Nellie!")? Nothing will ever top, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!"
ReplyDeleteDo you believe in miracles? YES!
ReplyDelete- Al Michaels
Vin Scully's call of the Kirk Gibson Homerun
ReplyDeleteBoom Goes The Dynamite!
ReplyDeleteThought you would pick Joe Bucks prediction of the Ortiz HR minutes ago...bastard...
ReplyDeleteDown goes Frayja! Down goes Frayja!
ReplyDelete"This is not Detriot man! This is the Super Bowl!"
ReplyDeleteAfter Brett Favre blew it for the Vikings.
"Thats gotta be...THATS GOTTA BE KANE! THATS GOTTA BE KANE!"
ReplyDeleteEverything John Sterling has ever done, you couldn't have a more self-important announcer, which is nice, because you couldn't have a more self-important team.
ReplyDeleteFor a more personal one, the call by Gus Johnson at the end of UCLA-Gonzaga tournament game.
ReplyDeletePatriots radio guy calling Vinaitieri's fg in the Pats 1st Super Bowl win
ReplyDelete"High fly ball into right fi-ield, she iiiiiiis...goooooooone!" --Vin Scully when Gibson takes out Eckersley.
ReplyDeleteMore people listened to Jack Buck's call of this on the national TV broadcast so most of the people who heard this call were Californian. The fact that it's kind of my little secret makes it my favorite sports call of all time.
Best part of that is that next time you watch it on TV (and you will see it at least 10 times in the next few days), watch the parking lot. About half a second after the camera pans towards the parking lot you'll see red lights all at the same time. That's because the "fans" who left early all hit their brakes at the exact same time because they heard Vin Scully's call and are all feeling like the biggest idiots in the world.
Ugh, my second biggest sports heartbreak of all time. I remember SCREAAAAAMING at the television and then promptly diving into a drunken blackout.
ReplyDelete"Touch 'em all, Joe. You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life."
ReplyDeleteAhh yes. Gil Santos. That was a pretty awesome call.
ReplyDelete"In a year that has been so improbable the impossible has happened"
ReplyDelete- AS GOD AS MY WITNESS, HE'S BROKEN IN HALF!!!
ReplyDeleteWILL SOMEBODY STOP THE DAMN MATCH?!
- IT'S NOT FAIR TO FLAIR!!!
- hulk hogan, you can go straight to hell
- lita jerks edge off... the ladder!
- cena's free!
...fired.
cena's fired!
- jamaican me crazy!
"Henderson made a wild stab toward the net and fell. Here's another shot, right in front, HE SCORES!! HENDERSON... HAS SCORED FOR CANADA!!"
ReplyDeleteCouple from the Australian Football League (greatest sport in the world) :
ReplyDelete"Jesaulenko, you beauuuty!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBeHVLs3kdU
"Thirteen. Thirteen. Thirteeeennnnn!!!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHglNVuJ4xc
Upon Makybe Diva winning her third straight Melbourne Cup :
"And the champion....becomes a legend!!"
(minus points for obviously being worked out ahead of time"
For funniest, you go with, for instance John Arlott (cricket) who would say things like (after the batsman was smashed in the groin with one delivery left in the bowler's over) :
"D'Oliviera to face Hall....one ball remaining..."
Another time the cricket commentators were mentioning that Brian Lara (star West Indian) had named his daughter Sydney because he scored a great century there. One commentator :
"Lucky he didn't score it in Lahore....."
Or Dennis Commetti (again Australian football) with lines like :"
"Barlow...passes to Bateman....the Hawks are attacking alphabetically..."
or
"
Doesnt really fit but McCarvers "Youre a real man Deion, ill say that" and the "you probably wont say it again...I bet I do, CHRIS" sports segmrnts are my favorite on the opposite side of the spectrum.
ReplyDeleteHell has frozen....pigs have flown over....THE SAINTS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE SUPER BOWL.
ReplyDelete"THE BAND IS ON THE FIELD!"
ReplyDeleteHOLY MACKINAW WHAT A GOAL and/or SAVE!!!
ReplyDeleteThe word Mackinaw is not being called a spelling mistake.
The Canadian spelling of centre or colour is but Mackinaw is a word. That's how over the voice of the Maple Leafs is.
Bowen is also known for his creative alliteration when announcing the
starting goaltenders (e.g. technicians of the tangled twine, watchdogs
of the webbed wickets, officers of the oblong onion bags, etc.)
I love games on Leafs TV for every outlandish call he makes
A Highlight from last season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO05qGp0kpI
LARCENY!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=569DaOPtHd4&t=1m45s
ReplyDeleteTo point out the blatantly obvious.
I like how he gets so excited for every Leafs game and then they fall behind 4-1 and he just gets beaten down by the end of the game.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell if that was supposed to be a shot at the Leafs or not -_-
ReplyDeleteI'm a Leafs fan.
ReplyDeleteMAY DAY! MAY DAY! MAY DAY!
ReplyDeleteI'm no Buffulo fan but it's always nice to see A guy an enforcer get to be the Hero.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxnDeb-TLhE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5tUBtQt2c is my all-time #1.
ReplyDeleteOther favs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBlvjtfpPAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaopXinn1Kw (Start at 16:15)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuAnVlRWf7o (While I usually have no use for Joe Buck, this was cool.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Iw2YejS9A (Fuck you Favre. ;) )
I'll stop there.
I've heard both calls, both are awesome in their own way.
ReplyDeleteThen never mind the above!
ReplyDeleteBowen is the good kind of Homer comentator, he loves his team but never undersells the other's talent
Unlike say, Jack Edwards.
He also doesn't confuse Athletes for War Heroes in terms of how courageous they are.
Unlike say, Jack Edwards.
TL/DR: Fuck Jack Edwards
Yes! And it counts.
ReplyDeleteI'll take Marv Albert in any sport over any other announcer. Except maybe Jim lampley for a boxing match. He's the absolute greatest.
I'll also vote any john sterling home run call as the worst call.
ReplyDeleteLove Marv. Ppl think Im nuts when I say it but I love Hubie Brown also. Hubies insight and analysis were awesome. van Gundys really good also
ReplyDeleteThat Joe Buck call is so forced and awful (like the man himself), it's like listening to Sean Lennon sing Imagine.
ReplyDeleteYea, I loved the original. The gesture for Joes was cool but it was so forced.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmmmmmmmRabby Cano! Weeelllllll uh don'tcha knooooooooow.
ReplyDeleteIT'S NOT ABOUT YOU JOHN HOLY SHIT.
Mmmhhh...its an a bomb...for a rod
ReplyDeleteWhaddya know canoe
Its embarrassing. Also Susan waldman going nuts about roger Clemens showing up in the owners box could be the dumbest thing I've seen in sports.
"OMG LOOK AT JORGE. HE KNEW THE WHOLE TIME!
POSADA KNEW JOHN.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY reason Joe's works is it being the Cardinals... the team his dad had been the announcer for so many years. Other than them and the Twins, using that call would've been so full of failure.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Waldmyn EVER was just recently talking about Mo only crying one other time in his career, "when he walked off the field in Seattle in 2001 John and said to me, I never want to feel this feeling again, and you know what John, he never ever did!"
ReplyDeleteUm...Susan. He blew an even bigger series...AT THE SERIES in Arizona you mush mouth dunderhead.
IT IS HIGH! IT IS FAR! Infield fly called.
ReplyDeleteI suppose, I just can't like anything about that man on principle. He represents every no talent baseball ring rat ever.
ReplyDeleteJack Buck. "I don't believe what I just saw." Simple, eloquent, amazing.
ReplyDeleteSome people find hubie annoying because he's really long winded and can try and pontificate about basketball like he's talking about a Shakespeare play or something, and the whole constantly stepping into the 2nd person thing (which I liketo make into a ddrinking game.) I always liked Hubie though
ReplyDeleteYou just gave me one more reason to be happy I didn't watch Saints-Pats... hearing him and Aikman slurp Brady after that last drive might have cost me a big-screen.
ReplyDeleteI've tried really hard as I've gotten older to learn to let go of things out of my control, let things just wash over me...but when I see his dumb Niles Crane face at the beginning of a game I just start getting so unreasonably angry. Just a pure hanger-on.
ReplyDeleteJoe buck feigning self righteous disgust when randy moss pretended to moon lambeau field made me dislike him to this day
ReplyDeleteThe video for this is gone, but the final weekend of the 1998 season, Cubs are battling it out for the wild card. Cubs had a 7-0 lead early in a game vs the Brewers, but Milwaukee scored 5 to get close in the bottom of the 9th when this happened:
ReplyDeleteHUGHES: "Two down, the Brewers have the bases loaded, and a 2-2 count on the hitter. Here's the pitch. Swung on. Fly ball to left field. Brant Brown going back. Brant Brown ... drops the ball!"
SANTO: "Oh, nooooooooo!"
HUGHES: "He dropped the ball!"
SANTO: "Nooooooooo!"
HUGHES: "Three runs will score, and the Brewers have beaten the Cubs."
Santo's screams are like someone is about to shoot his entire family.
I'm noticing a theme here: Almost all the guys people have picked used natural speaking voices rather than that dumb over the top announcer voice that guys like Sterling use.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that people still stick to that fake garbage when it seems pretty obvious people find regular people talking about sports more compelling and memorable.
Joe Buck has repeated that line 3 or 4 times now, and I think it's completely fucking crass at this point. Let it go.
ReplyDeleteBut if he doesn't say it you won't know that he was born to someone with talent!
ReplyDeleteNothing by Joe Buck should be mentioned.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is "Ballgame over! World Series over! Yankees win! TTTTTHHHHHEEEEEEEE Yankees win!"
"A DISGUSTING act by Randy Moss!"
ReplyDelete"Jordan... for the win... YES!"
ReplyDeleteMarv at the end of Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals
"Peter just for the record that was a totally farcical call he said something at the end there that was indicative of a certain radio personality."
ReplyDelete- Favorite Al Michael's call ever, during the OJ chase
Aikman and Thom Brennaman called the Pats/Saints game. Buck and the terrible Tim McCarver are calling the ALCS and World Series.
ReplyDelete"There's a slow roller up along first base...BEHIND THE BAG! IT GETS THROUGH BUCKNER! HERE COMES KNIGHT AND THE METS WIN IT!!!" You know it's a huge deal when Vin Scully is completely losing his shit.
ReplyDelete"To right field, and deep, and (voice cracks) Downing goes back, and it's (cracks again) GONE! Unbelievable! ... Anaheim Stadium was one strike away from turning into Fantasyland!" From that same postseason. What a fucking great postseason that was. I miss Al Michaels on baseball.
Brent Musburger: "HOLY BUCKEYE!" Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins on 4th and inches.
"Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!" Another Jack Buck classic, as Ozzie Smith hits one of the most improbable walkoff HRs ever.
Joe Starkey's call of the Cal/Stanford Play, which I can't do justice to in text form.
Lots of great Jim Ross freakouts, but I'll go with a non-obvious favorite: "PATCH ME THROUGH! GET SECURITY! GET THE POLICE OVER THERE AND GET OLE ANDERSON AWAY FROM THE SWITCH!"
Dude, he got opportunities due to his das but hes called WS and Super Bowls, so people in the know must think hes at the top of his profession. His dead dad isnt keeping him emoloyed at this point
ReplyDeleteVin Scully's call was on the national broadcast (NBC had the 1988 World Series. Vin was NBC's #1 guy). Buck's call was on CBS radio.
ReplyDeleteIt was unbelievably forces but I liked the gesture
ReplyDeleteThe Ozzie call is a great one.
ReplyDeleteAh, so only one slurper then. Still bad enough.
ReplyDelete"The waiting is over! The Rangers are the Stanley Cup champions! And this one will last a lifetime!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr0m5bWAgk0
ReplyDeleteEwww no, no one likes Joe Buck. No one. Ever.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to self-righteous disgust, no one can possibly outdo Thom Brennaman. And it's ten times worse listening to him on Reds games than doing football. Woe be to the hitter who fails to advance a runner or take a moment too long to circle the bases on a home run.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDsIaTmO_k
ReplyDeleteIs it his enormous head you hate so much?
ReplyDeleteThe "My Oh My!" is a nice callback to former Seattle Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus
ReplyDeleteI actually was going for a Harry Carey but got my phrases wrong!
ReplyDeleteLOL that was hilarious
ReplyDeleteThe Jim Henderson call of the Porter pick is amazing, since you can picture him and Hokie jumping up and down in the booth.
ReplyDeleteAikman did the slerping of four men
ReplyDeleteHave to wonder how much longer Toronto fans will have to wait for that kind of awesome moment...
ReplyDeleteHis stupid Clarice Starling face, his inflated sense of importance, his desperate need to try over and over and over and over and over and over to recreate his dad's most famous call, oh and his announcing. He's just a bore. A bore with no experience ever being in a locker room. At least guys like Aikman I can pretend they have some insight even if what they're saying is nonsense. Joe Buck is like your junior high social studies teacher telling you about athleticism. Blech.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xtns7mTdhQ
ReplyDeleteThis should be #1.
It's my second favorite piece of audio in history, the first being Tyson threatening Lennox Lewis: "I'll fuck you 'til you love me faggot."
ReplyDeleteThe Fuck is the southern guy saying!?
ReplyDeleteI want to say it was the Saints/Vikes NFC title game, Joe's "calling" was so damn flat and void of any emotion that even the Sports Talk Football/Baseball guy could have done a better job.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm pretty sure it's happened way more often than that.
That's Hokie Gagin. I don't understand half of what he says.
ReplyDeleteMost straight play by play guys aernt athletes tho. Tirico, Al Michaels, Musberger, etc.
ReplyDeleteMorris winning the College World Series > Saints first playoff win. But that is still a pretty damn great call.
ReplyDeleteI thought Buck did a fine job with Saints v. Vikings game. He didn't go crazy or anything, but I thought he did a good job on the interception and the FG.
ReplyDeleteBuck's call of Tyree is indefensible.
Al Michaels was such a good baseball announcer. The way he remained calm during the earthquake before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series is incredible. Hopefully baseball returns home to NBC one of these years. With Michaels and Bob Costas, NBC would have an embaressment of baseball announcing riches.
ReplyDeleteSo I came home from work today to a house that witnesses the Red Sox Rally, and Pats last minute catch. They drank wine, then Sailor Jerry's rum.
ReplyDeleteTake aways:
My sister's boyfriend sounds like Todd from breaking bad.
and he's drunk
and just fell down the stairs
carrying a bag of my sister's drunk vomit.
it has spilled onto the floor my room.
I'm in the living room with lasanga I can't eat because I'm afraid to move and be drafted into the chaos.
Life is strange friends.
Gajan... yeah, pronouncing his name is about as bad as whatever he's saying there.
ReplyDeleteThat might be the one I'm thinking of... I can't place it right now.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa1QIpbr9G4
ReplyDeleteAnother great one.
"Well folks, that's the greatest open in history, bar none. We'll be back, we think."
ReplyDeleteI nabbed the remote. Mom comes downstairs, asks me if I want to slide the TV to face me.
ReplyDeleteI say I don't care.
She moves the TV anyway.
Al and Musberger sound like they have a faint clue of what the sport is though, which probably just owes to the years and years of calling it. I'm sure Joe Buck will be super duper once we've gotten to listen to his trite nonsense for three decades.
ReplyDeleteTo repeat: No one likes Joe Buck. No one. Ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ExMR0c0aM
ReplyDelete4:30 on... still gives me goosebumps.
It led to this hilarious video of Joe Buck nonchalantly calling historical events that has since been lost to time.
ReplyDeleteBut yea..the greatest play in SB history is...caught by Tyree. Lame.
That one I have no excuse for forgetting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTIsWoQS8cs
ReplyDelete:30 seconds in is when the call comes in.
Having been in that utter dump of a stadium I can't imagine how absolutely terrifying an earthquake of that level must have been.
ReplyDeleteI still like the song ABC used for it's MLB coverage in 1988 and 1989.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Q7b-vHY3Q
ReplyDeleteThey'll still win one before the Sabres though.
Peter Gammons has a story about how Walt Weiss did his pregame warm-up during the earthquake because he didn't notice it.
ReplyDelete"Manning escapes...throws, it is...caught by Tyree." --Buck's call of the greatest Super Bowl play ever.
ReplyDelete"Cal with a lateral, and another...now they have to navigate through the band...and it's a touchdown. A victory for the Golden Bears."
"Gibson has some trouble standing up as Eckersley delivers...a swing, and a fly ball deep to right...and the Dodgers take Game 1."
"Five seconds to go, the crowd counting along, and the U.S. hangs on for the win. We'll see you tomorrow night for the gold medal game."
I HATE the Sabres (as I'm sure I've mentioned many, many, many times before), but that's probably my pick.
ReplyDeleteSailor Jerrys!!
ReplyDeleteIm a Buck defender but yea, that was so transparent.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any, outside of the May Day thing Kyle mentioned below. Like with wrestling, I only notice the commentators if they're being funny or being terrible. And commentators in "real" sports rarely try to do comedy.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Chris Berman can go suck on a bag of dicks.
"Jordan shoots... Chicago takes the lead over Utah here in Game 6. Tomorrow night on Fox, it's America's #1 drama, Ally McBeal. Stockton gets the ball, shoots... he misses. Chicago wins it's sixth NBA Title. Also tomorrow night here on Fox, it's Beverly Hills 90210. What will become of Dylan? Tune in to find out."
ReplyDeleteThe video of Buck calling the Hindenburg and moon landing is so good. Someone should've said it.
ReplyDelete"The eagle has landed see you tomorrow, get it? Do you guys get it? My dad said that."
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when I drank so much Sailor Jerry's on Halloween on Chicago, I fell asleep on a park bench near Lake Michigan, and woke up with a swollen foot. I got home, and had to work (I worked from home at the time) and puked all over my floor, then stood up, but because my foot was hurt, fell over, into my vomit.
ReplyDeleteNot a good time.
Still love Jerry's though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmvkBkYGJZA
ReplyDeleteHaha. Yea, sleeping in park benches then falling in vomit isnt ideal.
ReplyDeleteI remember splitting fifths with a buddy for a pregame of sailor jerrys in my wilder days. Its to cheap not to take advantage of.
Hold on I have a photo from that night. https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/7828_1140686485375_2166738_n.jpg
ReplyDeleteOn a "lighter" note.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-25s4uwFQ
3:55 for the best line IMO.
DUDE, I was just gonna ask if that was your real hair.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think you've mentioned it XD
ReplyDeleteThe Avs are kicking ass under Roy
lol It was...a wild night,,
ReplyDeleteEarlier at work...
ReplyDeleteMe: So the Sabres haven't won a game yet, right?
Joe: Don't think so.
Me (wearing Avalanche at the time): Colorado us undefeated.
Joe: Fuck you. (walks away)
Sabres fans are so sensitive... Fuck the Bills too, when they lose, we lose money.
Allow me to offer up some from the other side of the Atlantic
ReplyDeleteFirst the greatest try ever scored in Rugby where you can hear the disbelief rising in Cliff Morgan's voice with every pass (rip)
http://youtu.be/AwCbG4I0QyA
Damon Hill winning the F1 world championship with Murray Walker having to stop because he had a lump in his throat (about 1:50 in). Murray had known the Hill's since Damon's dad - and 2 time f1 champ - was killed in a plane crash & the family nearly went broke as a result.
http://youtu.be/pFsD9NElDa4
And finally England's greatest moment of sporting triumph accompanied by the greatest ever call
http://youtu.be/xzsOOLIsZ-U
Always loved his call of the homer that Mike Blowers predicted before the game.
ReplyDeleteA little more obscure, but still a memory for me. The last day of the 1990 season, the Red Sox are at home to the White Sox, and are trying to clinch the AL East. The Red Sox are clinging to a 3-1 lead, when the White Sox put two men on with two out. Jeff "The Terminator" Reardon is the closer at the time, and Ozzie Guillen is the man at the dish. Sean McDonough is the play-by-play guy for the Red Sox at the time. Ozzie makes good contact, McDonough's call: "Lined down the right field line, hooking toward the corner...BRUNANSKY!!" Tom Brunansky made a absolutely beautiful sliding/diving catch, went out of view of the camera (not as many angles at the time), and essentially saved the season and clinched the division for Sox.
ReplyDeleteDodger fan, so a little biased:
ReplyDelete"HIGH FLY BALL INTO RIGHT FIELD, SHE IS GONE!.....*long silence to let the crowd take the moment*......In a year that has been so improbable, the IMPOSSIBLE has happened!"
Vinny calling a goosebump moment is like nothing else. Hell, his call on Uribe hitting that eventual come-from-behind game-winner in the LDS was awesome, after Uribe couldn't get the bunt down earlier in the AB: "Isn’t it amazing what someone will do when he can’t bunt?”
That Damon Hill one is pretty great. Also, as someone who plays a ton of racing games, Suzuka Circuit can go straight to hell.
ReplyDeleteThis one, and nothing comes close.
ReplyDeleteI will say, I did love Joe's tip of the cap to his father during David Freese's walk-off in the '11 WS with "We'll see you tomorrow night!"
ReplyDeleteI count my blessings that I grew up listening to Vin Scully, instead of some fucking homer d-bag like Hawk Harrelson. Not all homer announcers are d-bags (I actually like the Bay Area duos of Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow for SF and Glen Kuiper and Ray Fosse in Oakland), but that guy represents the fucking worst for homerism.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, I still remember that call. I just felt so bad for Brant Brown, that dude never recovered.
ReplyDeleteI just love his emphasized enunciation. "YES! AND the FOUL! sha-QUILLE oh-NEAL...with the FAC-ial!"
ReplyDeleteSo disappointed in you, BoD... about 1 mention of Marv Albert and Jim Lampley, and no mentions of Harry Caray, Dick Enberg, early John Madden...
ReplyDelete...but we get dissertations on Joe Buck. smdh
'HIS COCK IS BRUISED AND BLEEDING BADLY' from Big Ron the commentator at the local illegal underground rooster fights circuit.
ReplyDeleteMiracle on Ice.
ReplyDeleteOr Monty when he takes over from Harry Doyle:
"Fly Ball...caught."
Foreman KO's Moorer.
ReplyDelete''It happened...IT HAPPENED!''
He also said it during Game 6 of the 2002 World Series.
ReplyDeleteGrew up in Chicago... and I had two homers who couldn't be more different--Hawk Harrelson and Harry Caray. Harrelson was a condescending d-bag who would constantly make fun out of the other teams (because, ya know, the White Sox are some sort of dynasty in his mind). Belittling opponents and umpires, he'd always be working on his next catchphrase.
ReplyDeleteHarry was just an unrelenting optimistic fan who always believed the Cubs could turn it around. Even towards the end when his playcalling was sloppier, he was still a joy to listen to...sometimes because it was so sloppy.
Pure hockey fan here so:
ReplyDelete"And after 22 years, RAYMOND BOURQUE!"
and
"SIDNEY CROSBY! THE GOLDEN GOAL!"
Excellent topic today. Loving reading these comments as the turkey cooks in the oven.
WIDE RIGHT!!!
ReplyDeleteWIDE RIGHT!!!
lol
I'm going to second Vin Scully's call of Gibson's homerun in Game 1. Fantastic
ReplyDeleteJack Buck's "And we'll see ya....tomorrow night!" homerun call of Kirby Puckett's Game 6 HR in 1991. Then the follow up in game 7 "The Twins are going to win the World Series.....the Twins have won it!"
There was one Cubs game I was watching back in the day, where Harry Caray thought Sammy Sosa made a sliding bare-handed catch and was just raving about it. Problem was it was clear on live TV and replay that Sosa caught the ball with his glove. Caray was saying how good it was when Steve Stone jumped in and said in a perfect dead-pan voice "Well Harry, he caught it with his glove." There was a brief pause and Harry goes "Either way, it was a heck of a catch!" and continued on.
And THAT was the worst baserunning in the history of the game! - Jon Miller on Ruben Rivera (SF Giants)
ReplyDeleteIF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T LIKE NBA BASKETBALL! - Grant Napier at pretty much any Sacramento Kings game from 1997-2001 or so.
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! AND THEY'RE GOIN' CRAZY! THEY'RE GOIN' CRAZY!
ReplyDelete"If he hits one there we can dance in the streets the 2 - 1... SWUNG LINE DRIVE LEFT FIELD 1 RUN IS IN HERE COMES BREAM HERE'S THE THROW TO THE PLATE HE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS SAFE! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!...... BRAVES WIN!" (Still my favorite moment in sports)
Any moment where the announcer gets caught up with emotion, stops being an announcer and starts being a fan going apeshit is always great.
Harry Caray, IMO, never had that GREAT call, even though he was one of the best overall.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything Enberg at the moment, and early Madden's also mostly unknown to me.
OHHHHH YA BEAUTY! WHAT A HIT SON, WHAT A HIT!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veKx_gJavuw
Also lucky to have Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren during the late 80's/90's with the Braves on TBS, before they ditched Atlanta to become Sitcom Central III (roughly).
ReplyDeleteSeeing the soccer ones just gave me three more:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K79srXQe6aI (Even as someone who doesn't care for Man City, this was a CRAZY game.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvGfV6qCiOI (FUCK YOU Brazil, bunch of cheap bitches. Just watch the whole game for the story on that one.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9lCmiH2XMY (Anyone who doesn't like Ian Darke can kiss my ass.)
One more thats worth mentioning is from the 1987 Tour de France and Phil Liggett's "Who's that coming up behind Delgado.... It looks like Roche... It looks like Roche.... IT's STEPHEN ROCHE!!"
ReplyDeleteIf you can ignore the pharmaceutical implications of it, Roche's ride that day is one of the most incredible ever in Le Tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQojh-wqL04
Worth watching from about 1:40 and then sticking with as Roche collapses over the line and has to be given oxygen
Somebody already took my favorite - SB 25 Wide Right......so least favorite would be anything Joe Buck did in SB 42, particularly sounding like he just woke up from being roofied by Aikman during the helmet catch
ReplyDeleteYep my favourite commentary moment of all time... such a critical moment that eventually led to us winning the Champions League and sustaining Liverpool as one of the top teams in Europe for the forseeable future, which also led to Gerrard not leaving the club.. such an important goal on many levels. Thank you Inno for this :)
ReplyDeleteThat Skip Caray call was my choice too. And on the 21st anniversary of October 14, 1992, no less.
ReplyDeleteStill get goosebumps thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI worked on a campaign in Pittsburgh once and I SWORE I was going to wear a Sid Bream jersey if we lost... sadly Sid Bream jersey's are not as easy to find as you might think.
Not so much for just one call, but for a career of them: Bob Cole should be calling playoff hockey till the earth falls into the sun: http://youtu.be/npkQlbPOJbM
ReplyDelete"LEBRON JAMES WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!"
ReplyDelete"Bosh with the rebound, back out to Allen. His three-pointer...BANG! TIE GAME WITH 5 SECONDS REMAINING!"
"Disguisting tactics by Mike Tyson...he bit his ear, he bit his ear."
ReplyDeleteI HATE Joe Buck. Buck and Aikman are terrible and have no business calling NFL.
ReplyDeleteI preferred Jack Ramsay.
ReplyDeleteJust as important to the St. Louis area as Jack Buck is our ol' buddy Mike Shannon. His calls are great because he's drunk 24/7. He used to come through my town on the way to fishing trips to fill his boat.
ReplyDeleteMe: early start, Mr. Shannon?
Mike: yep, gonna ($hg[arevxkdkgujhgnpebopqer, young man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH7pgMRefOA
Harland's "HE'S a FLAMETHROWER!!" always makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteLarry Johnson's 4-point play:
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/7xlCbpPN8rs
Dead-on. I miss Harry Caray.
ReplyDeleteKevin Harlan in general is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna assume whoever downvoted me is a Spurs fan.
Thanks for the source clarification. I've done my best never to avoid anything from One Night in Chyna, so I was worried for a sec
ReplyDeleteBob Cole is my favorite announcer ever.
ReplyDeleteLove this QOTD, so obviously i have a few.
ReplyDeleteDick Enberg is my favorite US announcer and love his trademark "oh my!" My favorite from him might be when he thought the Colts pulled off the hail mary vs.the Steelers in the 95 afc title game. (If they had it would have been a top ten moment in my life. hate the Steelers).
Bob Cole is my favorite ever. I read somewhere that while starting he learned to modulate his voice to different levels of excitement based on the action and to go up and down like a ladder when it got more or less exciting. If you listen for it, it's really awesome. Don't care for Hughson. Many favorites, esp from the 93 CCF, so I'd lean towards "Gretzky gets the pass, and *blasts* one by Potvin!"
Of course "back to Foulke! Redsox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston redsox are world champions!" will always be special.
" Elias center, shot score! The new jersey devils have won the Stanley cup, Jason Arnott with the game winning overtime goal!" too.
My favorite Skip Caray moment came at the end of a telecast. As he was signing off he casually mentioned that the Braves were going on a long road trip because Freaknik was coming to town.
ReplyDeleteHe did a bowl game with Tebow playing. I can't remember which one but he said something like "You will be a better person just from being around Tebow" or some crap like that. Just the worst.
ReplyDeleteKeith Jackson got like that towards the end, but I chalk it up to being old. When Vince Young ran in the touchdown Jackson sounded like he already had the car warming up.
ReplyDelete"SIMMONS IS THE CHAMPION! SIMMONS IS THE CHAMPION!"
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites: Harry Kalas finally gets to call a World Championship for the Fightin' Phils: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4IHefE3xgY
ReplyDeleteNot only because he was screwed in 1980 by networks, but also because...well...him passing away in 2009 in the booth.
While we're talking Harry...you can't forget this: Schmidty's #500 call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzYx5F2zItY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TUDx78lyC0
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome
I love Hughson, but I miss Bob Cole calling the 7 pm HNIC game.
ReplyDelete