The Mount Rushmore of Play-by-Play

[Doohicksie]

With the passing of RJ and the wide acclaim on the forum that he was the GOAT of hockey play-by-play, I started thinking:  Who are the best announcers for each sport?  This is a bit tricky because some announcers covered multiple sports.  But if I had to pick one from each of the major four sports, I think I would go with:

• Hockey:  RJ of course.
• Basketball:  Marv Albert.  I'm not much of a basketball fan but it seems like his voice is associated with some of the greatest plays.
• Football:  Curt Gowdy.  The voice of the old AFL.
• Baseball:  Vin Scully.  In my opinion he had no peer.  The best of the best.

Who's on your Play-by-Play Mount Rushmore?

[LabattBlue]

4 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

With the passing of RJ and the wide acclaim on the forum that he was the GOAT of hockey play-by-play, I started thinking:  Who are the best announcers for each sport?  This is a bit tricky because some announcers covered multiple sports.  But if I had to pick one from each of the major four sports, I think I would go with:

• Hockey:  RJ of course.
• Basketball:  Marv Albert.  I'm not much of a basketball fan but it seems like his voice is associated with some of the greatest plays.
• Football:  Curt Gowdy.  The voice of the old AFL.
• Baseball:  Vin Scully.  In my opinion he had no peer.  The best of the best.

Who's on your Play-by-Play Mount Rushmore?

IMO…I would replace Gowdy with Enberg. 

[Doohicksie]

3 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

IMO…I would replace Gowdy with Enberg. 

Yeah, not argument.  He was in the mental conversation in my head, but I decided I preferred Gowdy's raspier voice to Enberg's polish.  It really is a personal preference.

[Marvin]

9 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

With the passing of RJ and the wide acclaim on the forum that he was the GOAT of hockey play-by-play, I started thinking:  Who are the best announcers for each sport?  This is a bit tricky because some announcers covered multiple sports.  But if I had to pick one from each of the major four sports, I think I would go with:

• Hockey:  RJ of course.
• Basketball:  Marv Albert.  I'm not much of a basketball fan but it seems like his voice is associated with some of the greatest plays.
• Football:  Curt Gowdy.  The voice of the old AFL.
• Baseball:  Vin Scully.  In my opinion he had no peer.  The best of the best.

Who's on your Play-by-Play Mount Rushmore?

Hard for me to argue with this list.  I am old enough to remember Brent Musberger doing a pretty good job with Braves' playoff games and have heard Chuck Hearn in basketball.

[mphs mike]

3 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Yeah, not argument.  He was in the mental conversation in my head, but I decided I preferred Gowdy's raspier voice to Enberg's polish.  It really is a personal preference.

I'm a little partial to the old team of Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson

[Stoner]

I'd rather put Rick up there with three other hockey announcers. There have been so many greats. To say Rick was the best is a bit over the top.

He stands among Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Mike Emrick and few others. I think of Pat Foley in Chicago, Mike Lange in Pittsburgh and Chuck Kaiton in Hartford/Carolina.

[Marvin]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

I'd rather put Rick up there with three other hockey announcers. There have been so many greats. To say Rick was the best is a bit over the top.

He stands among Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Mike Emrick and few others. I think of Pat Foley in Chicago, Mike Lange in Pittsburgh and Chuck Kaiton in Hartford/Carolina.

You need Dan Kelly too.  Also, the guy from Detroit in the Dead Things era deserves praise.

[LabattBlue]

I agree on Danny Gallivan.  Great memories growing up watching HNiC.  I would put him right up there with RJ.  

[mphs mike]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

I'd rather put Rick up there with three other hockey announcers. There have been so many greats. To say Rick was the best is a bit over the top.

He stands among Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Mike Emrick and few others. I think of Pat Foley in Chicago, Mike Lange in Pittsburgh and Chuck Kaiton in Hartford/Carolina.

Also include the Voice of the Sabres - Ted Darling

[msw2112]

6 hours ago, Doohickie said:

With the passing of RJ and the wide acclaim on the forum that he was the GOAT of hockey play-by-play, I started thinking:  Who are the best announcers for each sport?  This is a bit tricky because some announcers covered multiple sports.  But if I had to pick one from each of the major four sports, I think I would go with:

• Hockey:  RJ of course.
• Basketball:  Marv Albert.  I'm not much of a basketball fan but it seems like his voice is associated with some of the greatest plays.
• Football:  Curt Gowdy.  The voice of the old AFL.
• Baseball:  Vin Scully.  In my opinion he had no peer.  The best of the best.

Who's on your Play-by-Play Mount Rushmore?

I can't argue with this list, although RJ never did national broadcasts (in the US or Canada), so although he's well-known and beloved to Buffalo fans, he's not as well known as some of the other names mentioned (Dan Kelly, Foster Hewitt, Doc Emerick, etc.)  Despite my disdain for New England sports, Tommy Heinshon has to be up there along with Marv Albert (who I also really like) for basketball.  For football, Dick Enberg was one of my all-time favorites (paired with Merlin Olsen), and although he's starting to slow down, Al Michaels has to be considered one of the all-time best.  I'm old, but not old enough to remember hearing much Curt Gowdy.  I did love his Genesee Beer commercials when I was growing up....Finally, for baseball I love Vin Scully, but was also a big Joe Garagiola fan.  I think that Joe worked WITH Scully at one point, and maybe Tony Kubek too, who was also a favorite of mine.  Great thread!

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by msw2112

[K-9]

Nobody captured the intensity of PBA bowling like Chris Schenkel.

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, Marvin said:

You need Dan Kelly too.  Also, the guy from Detroit in the Dead Things era deserves praise.

Bruce Martyn?

[Taro T]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I'd rather put Rick up there with three other hockey announcers. There have been so many greats. To say Rick was the best is a bit over the top.

He stands among Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Mike Emrick and few others. I think of Pat Foley in Chicago, Mike Lange in Pittsburgh and Chuck Kaiton in Hartford/Carolina.

Dan Kelly should be ahead of Emrick.  Other than that, nice choices.  Hewitt, Kelly, Gallivan, and Jeaneret are THE 4 in hockey.

[Night Train]

Van Miller doing Braves BB games in the 70's. Keith Jackson doing College Football. Junior Samplers doing rodeo. :-).

[mphs mike]

On 8/22/2023 at 3:20 AM, Night Train said:

Van Miller doing Braves BB games in the 70's. Keith Jackson doing College Football. Junior Samplers doing rodeo. :-).

Brings back old times:

http://www.staffannouncer.com/wben73/audio/braves202feb73.mp3

[IKnowPhysics]

Al Michaels for SNF.

Bob Uecker honorable mention for MLB.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, IKnowPhysics said:

Al Michaels for SNF.

Nah.  Enberg is the guy for football.  Michaels couldn't even keep Gifford and Dierdorf off of the mic.

[JoeSchmoe]

No love for Bob Cole? He's my #2, far above any of the others mentioned. Especially in the playoffs... Him and his newfie accent.

I think Emrick is just average... Keep him off. I kind of remember Gallivan and think he was pretty good. Don't remember Foster Hewitt, but I guess you got to put him on.

[Pimlach]

Jack Buck -> baseball. 
 

Howard Cosell MNF and boxing

[Marvin]

13 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

No love for Bob Cole? He's my #2, far above any of the others mentioned. Especially in the playoffs... Him and his newfie accent.

I think Emrick is just average... Keep him off. I kind of remember Gallivan and think he was pretty good. Don't remember Foster Hewitt, but I guess you got to put him on.

There are videos of HNIC on YouTube with Foster Hewitt's early work, where he is pretty stilted, to the Summit Series, where he is old and gets winded in long periods of action.  He is at his best in the early 1960s.

I liked Bob Cole, but Hewitt, Kelly, Gallivan, and Jeanneret are a clear tier above -- which says something about how good they were.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Marvin

[LabattBlue]

13 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

No love for Bob Cole? He's my #2, far above any of the others mentioned. Especially in the playoffs... Him and his newfie accent.

I think Emrick is just average... Keep him off. I kind of remember Gallivan and think he was pretty good. Don't remember Foster Hewitt, but I guess you got to put him on.

Bob Cole was also very good.  👍🏻

[shrader]

I feel like you have to put John Madden up there thanks to the massive influence of the video games. 

[Weave]

16 minutes ago, shrader said:

I feel like you have to put John Madden up there thanks to the massive influence of the video games. 

Madden wasn’t really a play by play guy though.  He was definitely there for color and analysis.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Madden wasn’t really a play by play guy though.  He was definitely there for color and analysis.

I should actually read the title. My mind just saw announcer. 

[#freejame]

Gary Thorne is of top five quality in both baseball and hockey. There’s not a voice in sports I’d rather listen to.