NFL Announcer Tiers: All-time & Current

Bowhemian

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Nov 10, 2015
5,701
Bow, NH
Yeah, I think he's one of the best going right now. A bit surprised by some of the reactions to him. For those who are saying he's overly enthusiastic, do you also feel like this drops Madden down a few levels?
Ohhhhhh Jim I don’t know. Could it be......ohhhhhh. They’re going to take a look at at Jim.
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
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Jul 15, 2005
32,620
I realize reading thru this that I cannot separate who I like from who is good.

For example. I guess Collinsworth, Buck, and Fouts are good but I have always disliked these guys, as men. I have disliked Collinsworth since I was very young watching him on HBO Inside the NFL, Buck is also just a clown I’ve long wanted to slap and the peak of this was his crying about Randy Moss.

I guess Simms isn’t good but I never minded him. Seems like a cool guy.

I like Romo and I think he is good.

Nantz is fine and honestly how much JohMD hates him has made me laugh every game or golf broadcast I hear him do.

Think Riddick is not good but good compared to the other guys he is in the booth with who are really bad yet miles better than Tess, Witten Booger.

Love Aikman, don’t know how insightful he is but I like him. Similar vibe to Simms. Greg Gumbel was enjoyable too.

Michaels is the best, has it all, the voice, cadence, wit, timing...just a master of his craft.

Madden knew he was doing a TV show and wanted to teach not to show how smart he was but to share the game. Loved his work.

I only remember Summerall as having lost it. Good voice but don’t remember his prime

Don’t remember Howard but like the old stuff I have seen.

Really hated Randy Cross, just another one of those guys I’m like oil and water with.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
Lifetime Member
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Dec 30, 2003
61,996
New York City
I realize reading thru this that I cannot separate who I like from who is good.

For example. I guess Collinsworth, Buck, and Fouts are good but I have always disliked these guys, as men. I have disliked Collinsworth since I was very young watching him on HBO Inside the NFL, Buck is also just a clown I’ve long wanted to slap and the peak of this was his crying about Randy Moss.

I guess Simms isn’t good but I never minded him. Seems like a cool guy.

I like Romo and I think he is good.

Nantz is fine and honestly how much JohMD hates him has made me laugh every game or golf broadcast I hear him do.

Think Riddick is not good but good compared to the other guys he is in the booth with who are really bad yet miles better than Tess, Witten Booger.

Love Aikman, don’t know how insightful he is but I like him. Similar vibe to Simms. Greg Gumbel was enjoyable too.

Michaels is the best, has it all, the voice, cadence, wit, timing...just a master of his craft.

Madden knew he was doing a TV show and wanted to teach not to show how smart he was but to share the game. Loved his work.

I only remember Summerall as having lost it. Good voice but don’t remember his prime

Don’t remember Howard but like the old stuff I have seen.

Really hated Randy Cross, just another one of those guys I’m like oil and water with.
Thank you.

Nantz is Tier 98, just above that high school guy who dropped the N bomb on a hot mic 10 days ago and that baseball guy who dropped the f bomb last summer, also on a hot mic. I can't say Nantz is worse than those two, they are the worst. But that's about it.
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,620
Here is a weird take. I loved Sean McDonough calling Sox games when I was a kid but am not crazy about him doing football (college or pro). Not sure what it is.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
Ohhhhhh Jim I don’t know. Could it be......ohhhhhh. They’re going to take a look at at Jim.
Romo is the only team I actively mute and put on the radio for. I can’t take him and my wife says the same thing and she couldn’t care less about any announcer. If he spoke 33% fewer words he’d be great but he actively takes away from games with his nonstop chatter.
 

Bowhemian

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Nov 10, 2015
5,701
Bow, NH
Romo is the only team I actively mute and put on the radio for. I can’t take him and my wife says the same thing and she couldn’t care less about any announcer. If he spoke 33% fewer words he’d be great but he actively takes away from games with his nonstop chatter.
i know ours is an unpopular opinion here on SOSH, but I’m sure glad to see this
 

EvilEmpire

paying for his sins
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Apr 9, 2007
17,179
Washington
Yeah, I think he's one of the best going right now. A bit surprised by some of the reactions to him. For those who are saying he's overly enthusiastic, do you also feel like this drops Madden down a few levels?
No, I don't think it drops Madden at all. I think Madden is a more refined version of what Romo could be some day if he sticks with it.

With Romo, I think the talent is there, and he's very good now, but still has plenty of room to learn and grow. The insight is great, but I think a little less (and more focused) enthusiasm will serve him better. He has a little too much of a good thing.
 

103mph Screwball

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SoSH Member
Jun 9, 2010
873
Upstate NY
Just chiming in to say how much I love Tony Romo. I loved Maddens shtick when I was younger, but it wore on me. Big fan of Nantz, Al Michaels and Troy Aikman too. But Romo brings some corny enthusiasm, and I love that.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Jun 27, 2012
9,827
Needham, MA
Joe Buck is the toughest one to rate for me. Trying to be objective he’s very good at his craft and I like games when he and Troy are at the helm. But I also agree with @luckiestman that his Moss tirade was beyond childish and it seems like he’s a pompous blowhard who needs to get punched in the face.

Tier 1 for me are Michaels, Romo and Madden. Love Romo, do not understand the hatred. Love his enthusiasm and analysis. Brings more to the table than anyone since Madden. Michaels is just the perfect combo of smooth and knowledgeable, it’s always comforting when he’s in the booth.
 

Humphrey

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Aug 3, 2010
3,163
Chris Schenkel handled the Giants broadcasts for thirteen years including the famous 1958 Championship Game which was broadcasted nationally. (When Ed Sabol debuted his first film for the NFL in 1962, he hired Schenkel to do the voiceover of that years CG.) He possessed a great voice coupled with a silky-smooth delivery. He was also one of the most versatile broadcasters of his era, covering golf, boxing, bowling, basketball and the Olympics.

Agreed, Ray Scott is a legendary figure. Hearing him intone "first down Green Bay" could somehow raise goosebumps. He had a voice full of gravitas and possessed a unique economy of words to describe the action. A touchdown pass might go something like this: "Starr........to Dowler....six!

Scott was, of course, at the mic for the famous Ice Bowl. He insisted on watching the action with the window open in the press box because he believed he got a better feel for the action that way. Frank Gifford was alongside him that day doing the color when he famously remarked "I'll take another bite of my coffee."
Schenkel was from the era (regular season pre-merger NFL Sundays) you got the same guy at the same stadium most of the time. Of course, he did the Giants so we heard him a lot in Boston. Scott was the Packers guy, Chuck Thompson (longtime Oriole radio guy) had the Colts.

He did a lot of NBA and college football stuff when he moved over to ABC. Did the famous Knick Game 7 in 1970 (the "Willis Reed Game"). Also, at least one of the college "Game of the Century"s, the OK/Nebraska game that fall.
 

Bowhemian

Member
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Nov 10, 2015
5,701
Bow, NH
Joe Buck is the toughest one to rate for me. Trying to be objective he’s very good at his craft and I like games when he and Troy are at the helm. But I also agree with @luckiestman that his Moss tirade was beyond childish and it seems like he’s a pompous blowhard who needs to get punched in the face.

Tier 1 for me are Michaels, Romo and Madden. Love Romo, do not understand the hatred. Love his enthusiasm and analysis. Brings more to the table than anyone since Madden. Michaels is just the perfect combo of smooth and knowledgeable, it’s always comforting when he’s in the booth.
Romo would be better if he didn’t talk so much. It seems like sometimes he talks just for the sake of talking, even when he doesn’t have something of value to add. He really just needs to let the game speak for itself at times.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
Thank you.

Nantz is Tier 98, just above that high school guy who dropped the N bomb on a hot mic 10 days ago and that baseball guy who dropped the f bomb last summer, also on a hot mic. I can't say Nantz is worse than those two, they are the worst. But that's about it.
i just had to explain to my wife why the hell I was laughing so hard. (Our son hates Jim Nantz with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns, so once I told her why I was laughing, she got it.)

Edit: Fixed a typo that changed the meaning of the post.
 
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luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
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Jul 15, 2005
32,620
i just had to explain to my wife why the hell I was laughing so hard. (Our son hates Jim Nantz with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns, so once I told her why I was laughing, I got it.)
Oh my!
 

Humphrey

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Aug 3, 2010
3,163
Special high mention for the team of Jack Buck and Hank Stram. They only did radio, however.
 

bibajesus

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Jul 15, 2005
965
Joe Buck is the toughest one to rate for me. Trying to be objective he’s very good at his craft and I like games when he and Troy are at the helm. But I also agree with @luckiestman that his Moss tirade was beyond childish and it seems like he’s a pompous blowhard who needs to get punched in the face.

Tier 1 for me are Michaels, Romo and Madden. Love Romo, do not understand the hatred. Love his enthusiasm and analysis. Brings more to the table than anyone since Madden. Michaels is just the perfect combo of smooth and knowledgeable, it’s always comforting when he’s in the booth.
This is Randy Moss telling his version of the Joe Buck incident. It's pretty great.

https://thespun.com/nfl/nfc-north/green-bay-packers/randy-moss-story-about-his-lambeau-mooning-is-going-viral
 

jaytftwofive

New Member
Jan 20, 2013
1,182
Drexel Hill Pa.
I know Vin Scully did a decent amount of football for CBS. Of course more known for baseball but I thought he was better then average to very good for football. And he did the play by play for the 81 NFC Title game with the Niners and Cowboys which of course had the dramatic Montana to Dwight Clark TD pass.
 
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