This isn't about choice of style and pace; it's not about delivery or credibility; it's much more than that. It's about being real and delivering a quality broadcast. Papa and Ryan don't do any.
Papa has the mechanics down and there's no question he knows football, we don't have to debate any of that but his excess outbursts and crazy descriptions have become too irksome and over-the-top. Ryan too knows football and has first-hand knowledge having played the game, but Ryan's crazy, loud, accounts are no longer interesting and more just plainly ridiculous, blood-curdling dreck to be more precise.
I grew up on Bill King's fantastic pbp with the Raiders and Warriors; Hank Greenwald doing the Giants (and Warriors); Lon Simmons and Don Klein and Wayne Walker broadcasting the 49ers. Those guys got excited and were enthusiastic and rabid but they didn't go crazy and scream into the mic and act outrageous. They didn't SHOUT out plays and go nuts. They were aware of the moment and set the proper tone. They kept in mind whether it was the first quarter, the fourth quarter, the 2nd inning, the ninth inning--they knew the time and again, they were aware of the moment. It was evident on the broadcast.
Not a popular opinion but Wayne Walker was not a good broadcaster nor was he good at KPIX doing sports.
ReplyDeleteI always thought he was kinda' bland.
DeleteGoooooooooooooooooo Niners!!!
ReplyDeleteAt least until next weekend
DeleteWayne Walker was OK as a sports broadcaster on the evening news but he did a great job doing play by play and color commentary both for the 49ers and CBS iirc. But my main point here is to express my appreciation for all these Bay Area sports people. We truly lived in a "Golden Age" and I loved listening to Russ and Lon, Hank and Bill, Don Klein, Ted Robinson, even Joe Starkey who was not everyone's cup of tea but had great enthusiasm. Holy Toledo, What a Bonanza!!
ReplyDeleteAmen. Anyone that had the pleasure to listen to the old timers were fortunate.
DeleteI would not put Joe Starkey in this group. He was terrible at giving you basic information about a play choosing instead to just yell "B0nanza".
DeleteWatching the Montana documentary - have no memory of Vin Scully calling (the catch) game on TV.
ReplyDeleteVin Scully's call of The Catch was the best of them all. Classic call.
Delete111pm
DeleteI agree! Do you remember how Vin reacted...and the yelling and whooping/hollering he did after "The Catch?"
I don't either...because Vin and Hank Stram just shut up...and let the video and crowd roar "breathe" for a good minute...before they both started talking. It remains one of the most beautiful TD calls in history.
'The Catch' was Scully's last NFL game, after about a decade at CBS. Summerall and Jack Buck did the radio broadcast. CBS gave Madden extra time to prepare for the Super Bowl.
DeleteRich, Papa will never tone it down because the game is more about him and his insecurity and not the 49ers. I sure miss Ted Robinson.
ReplyDeleteI think they are tolerable,and tim ryan sees the game really well,greg tends to repeat himself too often with mundane facts..
ReplyDeleteI just can't stand Papa's Voice and his touchdown call is as irritating as Car for kids commercial. You know that I have the sound off right now for Fits right now , watching the Warriors.
ReplyDeleteCurrently...the best play by play commentators is Romo.
ReplyDeleteNance and Romo seemed to be rooting for the Cowboys to make a comeback, but I have to admit: Nance's call at the end of the game communicated the urgency of the moment. "Whoa, I don't think this is going to work out." Yesssssss . . .
DeleteBut Papa’s hair is so beautiful. Even on the radio it looks good!
ReplyDeleteCraig in San Carlos
Papa asking every guest what they think of his TERRIBLE touchdown call made me really dislike him. What an insecure little prick!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the Papa style screaming and ridiculous TD call is how it is done all around the country. It appeals to a younger, more impatient demographic. In the Bay Area we've been able to hold off this kind of thing...until now with the 49ers. Sad...because the Bay Area is not the rest of the country. We are a tad more educated and sophisticated.
ReplyDelete@9:48. Spot on.
DeleteAgree, but the radio was about 20 seconds ahead of the TV so one could turn on the radio and know to look up from the computer when something worth watching happened.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Greg is an always will be a Raider to the 49ers Fan. His TD call (as you noted was stolen from KC) takes longer at times then the play itself. We will here all week replays of his calls.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Hank Greenwald calls...happened during some mundane, middle-of-June game that the Giants were getting blown out.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the top of the 8th or 9th....and the Giants broadcast had this "and THAT's your Giants replay" hilight every game. But Hank realized he hadn't done this yet. So the next Giants batter (I forgot who) hit a routine grounder to the shortstop (again--forgot who. Hanks "replay" went something like, "...grounder to short...picks it up...THROWS to first...IN time, for the out. And THAT"s your Giants replay! Tune in to Mike-and-Mike tomorrow morning, blah, blah, blah." God, I miss Hank!
Best "real" call by a Bay Area PBP announcer, Bill King. Warriors game in late 1960's as I remember. Refs made a horrible call, King 'thought' he turned his Mike off. He had not. The Bay Area then heard King call the refs a m'fer. Thereafter, King referred to its anniversary as Mothers Day.
ReplyDeletePapa's TD call the worst this side of Joe Angel's "Wave it bye-bye" home run call!
ReplyDeleteNo offense Rich, but Papa knows football better than Bill King and Lon Simmons put together.
ReplyDeleteSame with basketball. But King was a more entertaining (i.e. homer) basketball announcer.
The Hank Greenwald wit: describing a player with an injury, he said, "I'm not allowed to pull a hamstring."
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