Commentator Grades are out
Perhaps my favorite column of the year, the commentator rankings by Dr. Z, hit the interweb on Thursday. The rankings occasionally seem random, but I trust them almost completely. I love that guys like Solomon Wilcots and Phil Simms can lose 1 and a half stars depending on the year. And that Joe Buck gets hammered every season.
The grades are mostly based on the announcers being able to tell the audience something they don't know, which is all I ever care about a sports commenter, writer, or analyst.
Here are a few quibbles
I wouldn't be as hard on Jaws as Z, he still upgraded the Monday Night booth. We just have to get Kornheiser out of there and everything will be fine. I'd put Dick Enberg and Randy Cross as low as possible. I'd put Wilcots and Ian Eagle a bit higher, and the same goes for Gus Johnson, who can make Buffalo-Miami in the middle of December seem fun. That's worth something.
Z doesn't trust how smart Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk sounded in the booth, but I do. If allowed, you can learn a lot from any of the NFL Network crews, as long as Gumbel doesn't muck it up.
***
Back with some thoughts on Chad Johnson, Dan Henning, and Edgerrin James in a bit.
Comments
Kornheiser is the only good part of the MNF crew. Without him, it would be humorless, dull broadcasting. Kornheiser is a great color guy.
Posted by: jimmy teal | February 8, 2008 02:09 PM
Good to see Kornheiser's son is on this post. FYI, your dad and Bryant Gumbel are the worst announcers in the NFL.
As for Dr. Z, he's a moron who needs to get his teeth fixed.
Posted by: Kornheiser? | February 8, 2008 08:49 PM
Kornheiser is one of the worst! If you just want to be entertained then go watch some more American Idol auditions. He has absolutely no clue whats going on most of the time. He twists the stats on someone to fit his perception of them. The ESPN crew is biased and they don't call a fair game. Its almost like they are rooting for one team over another. Its been that way for years. And the guest interviews have to end, get those done in the pregame package. This might be shocking but the people who are there to watch the game might want to know whats going on in the game!
Posted by: Jacyln | February 9, 2008 06:05 PM
Kornheiser may be a fish out of water on Monday Nights, but he is brilliant and hilarious on PTI. He and Wilbon definitely have one of the best sports shows going there.
Too bad Tony can't translate that to the MNF booth.
Posted by: Josh | February 10, 2008 10:36 AM
I like Kornheiser on PTI, loved his radio show, but somehow it just doesn't work on MNF.
Posted by: gregg | February 11, 2008 10:37 AM
IMO, Michaels and Madden are ranked too high. Madden does not bring any great insight into the game and Michaels has been living off of his " Do you believe in miracles" call during the Olympics for far too long.
Posted by: CdnFan | February 12, 2008 12:50 PM
IMO, Michaels and Madden are ranked too high. Madden does not bring any great insight into the game and Michaels has been living off of his " Do you believe in miracles" call during the Olympics for far too long.
Posted by: CdnFan | February 12, 2008 12:50 PM