I've been meaning to talk about our two major college football broadcast teams and their respective broadcasters and color analysts. I'm going to speak about Cal and Stanford; no knock on San Jose State, just a fair appraisal of the two big guys.
STANFORD: Dave Flemming/Todd Husak, (KNBR 1050) Flemming, the Giants announcer has grown on me. He sounds as if he's been doing college football broadcasts for many years. There's a nice fluidity to Flemming's work and he and Husak work well together, you can hear it on the air. Some would say, unjustly, that it helps the broadcast that Andrew Luck and Stanford football are successful. Not the case in any shape or form. The gist of the game dictates the broadcast; who's playing has little impact on the performance. In any event, Flemming is the ultimate pro and I enjoy his work. I have a feeling I'm not alone.
CAL: Joe Starkey/Troy Taylor, (KGO 810) Regrettably, I must say that Joe Starkey's broadcasts have deteriorated over the years. This is a tough deal for me as Starkey is a friend, (although probably not now). The problem with Joe is that he seems to mail it in each Saturday. The frequent "has his receiver" is simply lazy and frustrating. And the constant non-player references are not conducive to the broadcast, ("The 'USC defender makes the tackle") This is unfortunate because Joe is a HOF announcer--I thought he did a great job with the 49ers and was saddened to hear him at the end. Troy Taylor, on the other hand, is a welcome addition and quite knowledgeable color analyst. The ex-Cal QB is most astute on the replays and is quite adept at explaining to the listener what has transpired. He's getting better and better.
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You are spot on about Starkey being lazy. A few weeks ago Cal makes a great play and all Joe can say is "Well folks you had to see that one to believe it!". Dammit Joe, you're on the radio. His befuddled color man had to recreate the play ala Ronald Reagan!
ReplyDeleteI've been saying for a couple of years now,Fleming is the Giant's best announcer. He spends his time describing whats going on the field rather than who looks like a Giraffe,Panda or a Baboon's ass. And,unlike the other three-he noticed enough to say out loud Rowan and Huff were slumpers.
ReplyDeleteI've also said for year's Joe has two faults-One,he's a quitter...saying after many a failed early 4th quarter series when the Bears trailed "That should do it for the Bears"..and then of course,the Bears have been known to win late. Joe would do that for the 49ers too,to my aggravation. Second,he sounds so damn depressed..his face looks depressed. Up the Prozac Joe. It's college football,Joe-use the old college spirit on occasion....even between scores. Try it-you'll be happier and so will listeners.
Whens the last you and Joe had a sitdown Rich?
ReplyDelete"Alright here we go with the kick-off. Harmon will probably try to squib it and he does. Ball comes loose and the Bears have to get out of bounds. Rogers along the sideline, another one... they're still in deep trouble at midfield, they tried to do a couple of... the ball is still loose as they get it to Rogers. They get it back to the 30, they're down to the 20... Oh the band is out on the field!! He's gonna go into the endzone!!! He got into the endzone!!
ReplyDeleteWill it count? The Bears have scored but the bands are out on the field. There were flags all over the place. Wait and see what happens; we don't know who won the game. There are flags on the field. We have to see whether or not the flags are against Stanford or Cal. The Bears may have made some illegal laterals. It could be that it won't count. The Bears, believe it or not, took it all the way into the endzone. If the penalty is against Stanford, California would win the game. If it is not, the game is over and Stanford has won. We've heard no decision yet. Everybody is milling around on the FIELD!!! AND THE BEARS!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! Oh my God, the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heart rending... exciting thrilling finish in the history of college football! California has won... the Big Game...over Stanford.
Oh excuse me for my voice, but I have never, never seen anything like it in the history of I have ever seen any game in my life! The Bears have won it! There will be no extra point! Hold it right here, don't anybody go away...."
Joe was spot on as the announcer for the California Golden Seals on KEEN radio... "Ohhhhh, whattta BonanZAAAAAAAA!"
ReplyDeleteReally liked Starkey however he is approaching the same situation as the great Don Klein faced as he got older doing the 49er games. In their prime they were solid but later on.....sad.
ReplyDeleteStarkey has always been bad. Compare him to King, Simmons or Papa and you can hear the major difference in talent.
ReplyDeleteJoe has been milking The Play for a generation. Just because you called the "greatest play in college football" does not mean you are the greatest announcer in college football. Jiminy crickets, even the old and tired show Bonanza was mercifully put out to pasture.
ReplyDeleteThat is old time radio. Find a good announcer and ride him 'til he wears down and then keep riding him. I heard Bob Ueuker recently, same story.
ReplyDeleteBring in the young talent.
And yes Flemming has the guts to criticize the Giants when appropriate. May he broadcast their games for a generation.
Dave Fleming is good,he is so good that his time with the giants will soon be ending,if miller doesnt retire he will get a offer from someone else he wont be able to refuse,and that just sucks
ReplyDeleteYour comments about Starkey are not new. I believe it was Glen Dickey who wrote something similar about Joe ten years ago. Dickey chalked it Starkey's forget-a-name style to his days broadcasting Seals games. Personally it doesn't bother me much.
ReplyDeleteDead-on. Starkey is a hack. He benefitted from calling a classic team. If not for the Superbowls, he'd be calling junior college games in the midwest. Never could tell what's going on when he calls a game...not for years. Listen to his call of 'The Play'. Huh? A sorry excuse. Get it together, Joe. You ain't all that. Proximity to greatness doesn't always rub off.
ReplyDeleteDave Flemming is a very smooth, bright, likeable talent who has a great future. I actually like his college p-b-p more than his baseball calls, and he's a pretty good baseball announcer! Husak and John Platz on the sideline provide plenty of good insight and sidelight observation. It's a winning team and one of the better ones they've had since Don Klein worked with Bob Murphy back in the 1960s and 70s.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above assessments about Starkey. He's gotten a lot of work because of some breaks and hard work, but his best days are clearly behind him. I like him as a hockey announcer, didn't really like him as the Niners' announcer, and have accepted him as a solid, but less than spectacular long time voice
of the Bears. Joe's enthusiasm is a plus, but he frequently misses teeling the listeners where the ball is, who caught it, how much time is left in the quarter, and what the score is when he goes to a break (drives me craxy with that one!) I also think that although 'the Play' was a classic call from the college game, in reality, you really can't tell what is happening. Only one or two players were ever identified, and Starkey went totally bonkers when Kevin Moen got through the defenders and Stanford band into the endzone.
But Starkey deserves respect for surviving
for years in a tough profession and working hard.
Way past time for Starkey to retire. Tired of hearing him give the score (but, not which team is ahead), time left in quarter (which quarter?), fumble/catch/interception followed by "No", they call it down, or he dropped it, or it was blown dead, etc. Troy Taylor picks up the pieces well, and it's obvious he covers for Joe.
ReplyDelete