Marv Levy Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Too much overexposure for him. "Gumble & Gumble"
ROCCEO Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Little football news not related to the bills could satisfy me as this has. Gumbel is a clown. His play-by-play was atrocious, among the worst I've ever heard. He made me yearn for Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. What was worse, was that they put him next to Collinsworth, one of the most well-versed announcers in pro football today. Hopefully they replace him with someone decent. It remains one of those situations where pretty much anything would be an upgrade, addition by subtraction has already occurred. If you were to make a drinking game out of how indecisively and inaccurately he called a game, you'd find yourself intoxicated by 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Good luck Bryant, have fun interviewing hyperactive coaches, homeless soccer players, jockeys and whomever else is the flavor of the week for sports investigative or feature journalism.
R. Rich Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 They should get this guy to take over. Seems to be the only one people won't whine 'bout.
UConn James Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 BTW- I heard Ben Maler the other night (FOX Sports Radio, sorry no link) saying that NBC was trying to lure Brett Favre to their broadcast team....can you imagine, Brett Favre and John Madden on the same "team"? Somebody might have to file a restraining order.... They'd have to switch the broadcast over to the soft-core porn channels on cable.
The_Philster Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Good to hear...he never impressed me. As far as Tasker, I think he's feeling his way through his career. When he started out, I thought he was pretty good...maybe a bit of a homer but I wasn't complaining so much about that. There were complaints though and he adjusted...a bit too far at times but I think he's drifting back towards the middle where he should be of late.
buckeyemike Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 You're not way off. The truth is, it's really just a matter of taste. One of my favorites is Al Michaels, but I also really enjoy John Madden, which isn't a very popular statement. He's a nut, but I like nuts. One of the reasons I can sit and watch any game, regardless of the quality of play, is because as a kid I used to sit through any game, regardless of the quality of play, just to listen to what was, at the time, the MNF half-time version of "the fastest three minutes" from Howard Cosell. Couldn't wait for him to inject one of his "...and THEN.." or "...but WAIT..." I loved him. I loved that whole goofy group. Madden is like that. I can't believe how many people here hate Madden. But I unabashedly dig him. He truly puts the color in "color guy." Seriously. It's a matter of taste. But seriously...Gumbel and Tasker suck. Could they take one day during the week of preparation and learn the players' names and positions? Please? This is gonna be unpopular here, but my favorite broadcast team is the same duo, Michaels and Madden. John Madden may be a caricature of himself, but he hasn't lost his knowledge of the game. And Michaels is simply the best play-by-play man I've ever heard...in ANY sport. The only guy that even comes close is Pat Summerall (and Summerall and Madden were the best team ever). I wish I could have heard Al Michaels do Cincinnati Reds games during the Big Red Machine years. Football announcing is not brain surgery or rocket science. We're supposed to have fun watching the game and not overanalyze the announcers. True, some are bad (the appalling Joe Theismann comes to mind), but it seems that we criticize everything in our society today...and some things simply do not need to be criticized.
UConn James Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 This is gonna be unpopular here, but my favorite broadcast team is the same duo, Michaels and Madden. Michaels' pairing with Madden has worked wonderfully. What Madden lacked for a while was someone to keep him 'on message' so to speak. I think Michaels realized how well they work together and followed Madden to NBC a short time later.
SouthTownBills51 Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Never really enjoyed his play by play anyway...he should stick to REAL SPORTS, that show was pretty decent.
/dev/null Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Never really enjoyed his play by play anyway...he should stick to REAL SPORTS, that show was pretty decent. Gumbel is at least somewhat tolerable when he has a teleprompter and time to practice his script. He just can't handle live TV
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Anybody else think he was shown the door? He really sucked.
Astrobot Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 We should all ask ourselves this question each year: "Do I suck at my job to the point where my organization would be better off without me?" Then this question: "Do I care?"
ExWNYer Posted April 12, 2008 Posted April 12, 2008 Little football news not related to the bills could satisfy me as this has. Gumbel is a clown. His play-by-play was atrocious, among the worst I've ever heard. He made me yearn for Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. What was worse, was that they put him next to Collinsworth, one of the most well-versed announcers in pro football today. Hopefully they replace him with someone decent. It remains one of those situations where pretty much anything would be an upgrade, addition by subtraction has already occurred. If you were to make a drinking game out of how indecisively and inaccurately he called a game, you'd find yourself intoxicated by 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. Good luck Bryant, have fun interviewing hyperactive coaches, homeless soccer players, jockeys and whomever else is the flavor of the week for sports investigative or feature journalism. 100% agree with you on Gumble but not on Collinsworth. He, too, is an annoying blowhard and should have been sacked years ago, as well; however, if I could only choose one it would definitely be Gumble. Hey, Collinsworth...why the long face?
Buftex Posted April 13, 2008 Posted April 13, 2008 This is gonna be unpopular here, but my favorite broadcast team is the same duo, Michaels and Madden. I agree...I thought Madden suffered with Summerall in his final days, but the pairing of he and Michaels has been great. IMO, the NBC Sunday night broadcasts (mainly becasue of Madden & Michaels) is the closest any network has come, since MNF was in its' prime (late-1970's, early 1980's) to making the evening games seem "special". I never hated the old ESPN guys as much as others (Patrick/Theisman/Maguire), but I really hope NBC just sticks with the two man booth...I don't want to hear anyone else. Madden has a great way, IMO, of keeping things simple, but making them interesting, and sometimes, he is just funny...he still breaks down plays as well as anyone. I don't get too worked up over announcers, unless they are really bad (ie: Randy Cross). As for Steve Tasker, he improved a little this past season, as far as being able to complete sentences, and be consistant with his tenses (something a lot of ex-jocks have a lot of trouble with- think Emmitt Smith!), but I am always impressed by how little insight he has, considering how smart he was on the field. He went from being a little too critical at times, to being pretty bland. BTW, after copying 14 of this past seasons Bills games, over the last few weeks, I had a chance to listen to bits and pieces of games again. I came away thinking that Rich Gannon is not too bad a color guy. Articulate and insightful. He did quite a few Bills games this past season. And, I know this won't be a popular sentiment, but Dan Dierdorf does a really good job on the Sunday afternoon games. He has really toned his act down a lot, since his MNF days. He knows the game. I like Troy Aikman as a color commentator, but I cannot stand Joe Buck. He strikes me a pretentious little putz. His little diatrib a few years ago, about Randy Moss, and his fo mooning, ass-whiping in front of the Green Bay fans was the final straw for me.
The Cincinnati Kid Posted April 13, 2008 Posted April 13, 2008 I cannot stand Phil Simms. He is an arrogant idiot. I can't believe that he is the No. 1 for CBS. It makes me glad the Bills are a 2nd or 3rd tier team sometimes when I am forced to listen to Simms. He should be shown the door too, IMO.
Steely Dan Posted April 13, 2008 Posted April 13, 2008 I agree...I thought Madden suffered with Summerall in his final days, but the pairing of he and Michaels has been great. IMO, the NBC Sunday night broadcasts (mainly becasue of Madden & Michaels) is the closest any network has come, since MNF was in its' prime (late-1970's, early 1980's) to making the evening games seem "special". I never hated the old ESPN guys as much as others (Patrick/Theisman/Maguire), but I really hope NBC just sticks with the two man booth...I don't want to hear anyone else. Madden has a great way, IMO, of keeping things simple, but making them interesting, and sometimes, he is just funny...he still breaks down plays as well as anyone. I don't get too worked up over announcers, unless they are really bad (ie: Randy Cross). As for Steve Tasker, he improved a little this past season, as far as being able to complete sentences, and be consistant with his tenses (something a lot of ex-jocks have a lot of trouble with- think Emmitt Smith!), but I am always impressed by how little insight he has, considering how smart he was on the field. He went from being a little too critical at times, to being pretty bland. BTW, after copying 14 of this past seasons Bills games, over the last few weeks, I had a chance to listen to bits and pieces of games again. I came away thinking that Rich Gannon is not too bad a color guy. Articulate and insightful. He did quite a few Bills games this past season. And, I know this won't be a popular sentiment, but Dan Dierdorf does a really good job on the Sunday afternoon games. He has really toned his act down a lot, since his MNF days. He knows the game. I like Troy Aikman as a color commentator, but I cannot stand Joe Buck. He strikes me a pretentious little putz. His little diatrib a few years ago, about Randy Moss, and his fo mooning, ass-whiping in front of the Green Bay fans was the final straw for me. Madden used to be the best in broadcasting but he's too old now. It's been a long time since he's been great.
buckeyemike Posted April 13, 2008 Posted April 13, 2008 Madden used to be the best in broadcasting but he's too old now. It's been a long time since he's been great. How's this for a theory? I posed this to a friend just today. Brett Favre will be groomed to replace John Madden in the broadcast booth, once Madden reaches, say, his 75th birthday (Madden turned 72 last week). He could start out on Football Night in America. NBC has the Super Bowl this coming season, so the anticipation would be high. I could see Brett Favre turning into the new Madden quite easily...and considering the former's worship of the now-retired QB, wouldn't that be something to see? If you've ever listened to Favre in his weekly pressers with the Packers as I have, you realize he would make an excellent color commentator. He knows the game and most football fans have a high opinion of Favre, so you know his Q rating would be off the charts.
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted April 13, 2008 Posted April 13, 2008 I think Buck is okay, not great. But Gumbel was hands down the worst. You couldn't get worse. Touche. I had to remind myself that I was actually watching a football game half the time Gumbel was on...As far as Task goes, I think he's average, but he's also pretty new to the business so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. His partner Gus Johnson is by far one of my favorite play by play guys though, no matter what sport it is. Gotta love his call when Roscoe took that punt to the house against the Broncos last year. Roscoe...With the seam...BANG, LIGHTS OUT! Roscoe Parrish! NO FLAGS.
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 14, 2008 Posted April 14, 2008 How's this for a theory? I posed this to a friend just today. Brett Favre will be groomed to replace John Madden in the broadcast booth, once Madden reaches, say, his 75th birthday (Madden turned 72 last week). He could start out on Football Night in America. NBC has the Super Bowl this coming season, so the anticipation would be high. I could see Brett Favre turning into the new Madden quite easily...and considering the former's worship of the now-retired QB, wouldn't that be something to see? If you've ever listened to Favre in his weekly pressers with the Packers as I have, you realize he would make an excellent color commentator. He knows the game and most football fans have a high opinion of Favre, so you know his Q rating would be off the charts. Do I really have to wait that long? Is Madden still blowing Belichick?
Gordio Posted April 14, 2008 Posted April 14, 2008 Hooray! Gumbel was atrocious to say the least. Joe Buck is horrible too. Too monotone and bland for my taste. I like to hear enthusiasm in commentators. They don't have to be fans of the teams but they can at least have some gitty-up and spice it up at the appropriate times. Gus Johnson is one of my favorites...I remember on opening day when Roscoe returned that punt for a TD...he was great... "Here comes Roscoe....BANG! Touch...Down...Buffalo! NO FLAGS! Gus Johnson gets a bad rap, I dont understand it. I like him too. Especially for the NCAA tourney. At least he brings some emotion to the game, not like some of these stiffs.
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