Best not-Buffalo play-by-play / commenters?

[Eleven]

Why not?  We've nothing else to do.

One of my favorites always has been Gary Thorne.  And not for hockey--he was good at that, but he's an amazing Baltimore Orioles guy.

[Stoner]

Verne Lundquist at the Masters. "Oh wow! In your life!"

[Buffano DeBoom]

Dan Kelly

[Buffano DeBoom]

Jim Gordon 

[Marvin]

Dan Kelly, Foster Hewitt, Bill Hewitt, Danny Gallivan.  Yes, that was predictable.  They plus Ted Darling and Rick Jeanneret shaped what I think play-by-play of hockey should sound like.

However, anyone who can keep up with the play is acceptable.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Bob Cole ... 'what a shot, there, scoorres'.

Tom 'touch 'em all Joe ...' Cheek

 

[Taro T]

Danny Gallivan and Dick Irvin were an incredible tandem.

[Weave]

Curt Gowdy, Jim McKay, and I really enjoyed Jackie Stewart on the Indy 500.

[Taro T]

Just now, Weave said:

Curt Gowdy, Jim McKay, and I really enjoyed Jackie Stewart on the Indy 500.

Would add Dick Enberg and the young Al Michaels to that list.

Also, liked Costas when he actually did play by play and didn't just sit at a desk.

Probably pop Keith Jackson on the list as well.

Through the years, there were a lot of good ones.  Miss those that realized the broadcast was about the game they were watching and not themselves.

[SwampD]

I don't know his name, but when the Sabres played the islanders, I remember thinking that their new pbp guy was excellent. Burke, maybe? Too lazy to look it up.

Edited April 11, 2020 by SwampD

[Eleven]

15 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Al Michaels

He's the idiot who once, while announcing a Lions game where several (Yzerman et al) Red Wings were on the sideline, said that he couldn't recognize hockey players because they wear masks.

 

That's right.  The Miracle on Ice guy thought that hockey players in the late '90s / early '00s wore *masks*, while announcing a game in a sport where the players *actually wear masks.*

[Taro T]

31 minutes ago, Eleven said:

He's the idiot who once, while announcing a Lions game where several (Yzerman et al) Red Wings were on the sideline, said that he couldn't recognize hockey players because they wear masks.

 

That's right.  The Miracle on Ice guy thought that hockey players in the late '90s / early '00s wore *masks*, while announcing a game in a sport where the players *actually wear masks.*

Interesting.  Have heard other announcers complain that they don't really know how non-goalue hockey players are hard to recognize because of helmets.  Which always seemed absurd because you see more of their face than that of a football player wearing a facemask.  But never the mask angle.

Always chalked it up to the US based announcers preferring basketball to hockey for some inexplicable reason.  They don't watch hockey, they don't know hockey.  They therefore don't know hockey players.

Michaels may be an idiot, but he was good at pbp, which was the subject of your thread.

[SABRES 0311]

Jack Edwards 

?

[thewookie1]

The SF Giants announcers are really good, especially when its Kuip and Kruk. Regardless of the situation, they bring some humor and fun to the game, while also being very knowledgeable about the game. The Giants sucked the last couple years so they've at times had the camera man scan the crowd and they'll just talk about them lol.

The Chicago Blackhawks announcers are rather good as well; knowledgeable and make nice quips. Plus, "happy humans" is one of my favorite lines I've ever heard.

Every teams' announcers tend to have some homerism which is a given and needed; its when you can be a homer yet still respectful and knowledgeable about the opponents that makes a tolerable broadcast.

Jack Edwards I just can't listen to, yet he's no where near as bad against the Sabres nowadays due to Eichel. Otherwise its just Boston everything for 2.5 hours.

Toronto is unbearable and informative simultaneously; they know stuff but talk up the Leafs to a point of madness that would likely drive me away even if they weren't our rival.

Most groups are tolerable for non-Sabres games; although that may just be due to my love of watching hockey as a whole.   

 

[#freejame]

Gary Thorne will forever be my favorite announcer in all of sports. He’s one of the best hockey commentators of all time in his work for ESPN and his work for the Orioles is among the best in all of baseball. 

[Sabel79]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

Gary Thorne will forever be my favorite announcer in all of sports. He’s one of the best hockey commentators of all time in his work for ESPN and his work for the Orioles is among the best in all of baseball. 

I remember that time he had a conversation with Curt Schilling.  He was fine...

[#freejame]

9 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

I remember that time he had a conversation with Curt Schilling.  He was fine...

His “had it, lost it” has to be among the most famous calls in hockey history, right? 

[sabremike]

 

[sabremike]

And of course Chuck Kaiton:

23 years later and it still hurts. I pray every day for that rat bastard Karmanos to die a horrible death so that I may have the pleasure of dancing on his grave to the tune of the Brass Bonanza.

[Randall Flagg]

I loved Dave Strader.

i love Chris Cuthbert

[Eleven]

7 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Jack Edwards 

?

Leave.

[Rico7]

Gus Johnson

[Stoner]

13 hours ago, sabremike said:

 

That was a huge part of my youth in the mid to late 70s. Murphy, Ralph Kiner and Lindsay Nelson taking turns at the mic. Channel 9 on a warm summer night.

[Kruppstahl]

Gary Thorne was a GREAT hockey play by play guy.  When ESPN gave up on the NHL we really lost something there.

In addition to the names already mentioned, and keeping the discussion to hockey...

No one has mentioned Mike Lange (Penguins) or Pat Foley (Blackhawks) yet?!?!??!

I think Pat is just about the best TV play by play guy in the business now that RJ is well past his prime and Lange has been relegated to radio broadcast work only.  

Ex-CBC man Ken Daniels is in Detroit these days and one of the better voices of the league.  I really enjoy the team of Daniels and Mickey Redmond, who always sounds like he is nursing a steady line of Martinis in the broadcast booth.

Jim Hughson, #1 announcer for HNIC is absolutely fantastic as well, as is Chris Cuthbert.  

I would also give honorable mention to the Caps' team of Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin, who are excellent. 

There are a lot of good announcers around the league these days.

Unfortunately, I genuinely believe we have one of the worst pairs in the league right now in Buffalo.

That mostly falls on Rayzor, but RJ should have retired several years ago and it shows every night.  

 

 

 

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

Gary Thorne was a GREAT hockey play by play guy.  When ESPN gave up on the NHL we really lost something there.

In addition to the names already mentioned, and keeping the discussion to hockey...

No one has mentioned Mike Lange (Penguins) or Pat Foley (Blackhawks) yet?!?!??!

I think Pat is just about the best TV play by play guy in the business now that RJ is well past his prime and Lange has been relegated to radio broadcast work only.  

Ex-CBC man Ken Daniels is in Detroit these days and one of the better voices of the league.  I really enjoy the team of Daniels and Mickey Redmond, who always sounds like he is nursing a steady line of Martinis in the broadcast booth.

Jim Hughson, #1 announcer for HNIC is absolutely fantastic as well, as is Chris Cuthbert.  

I would also give honorable mention to the Caps' team of Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin, who are excellent. 

There are a lot of good announcers around the league these days.

Unfortunately, I genuinely believe we have one of the worst pairs in the league right now in Buffalo.

That mostly falls on Rayzor, but RJ should have retired several years ago and it shows every night.  

 

 

 

I mentioned the Blackhawks crew lol