Thom Brennaman, welcome to the unemployment line

In Detroit in the 60s/70s there was Ernie Harwell and a somewhat rotating cast of No. 2 guys -- Ray Lane and then Paul Carey for many years -- but really those guys were PBP guys too -- the lines between "game announcer" and "color commentator" were kind of fuzzy.

 

On the Canadiens radio games at one point in the 80s or 90s, they didn’t take a colour guy on the road. Dick Irvin would have a local media guy sit in as his partner. It was a good way to get info on the opposing team and things going on around the league. I think Stu Hackel sometimes sat on for Islanders, Devils and Rangers.

 

I lived in Cincinnati for a brief time in the mid-‘90s, and I don’t recall Marty Brennaman being exactly beloved. He was an institution, but I met as many Reds fans who were merely tolerant of him as those who loved him.

I grew up with Buck/Shannon and Matthews/White in Missouri. Loved Buck, thought Shannon was a buffoon. A Matthews/White Royals broadcast had as much dead air as informative commentary. Listening to Matthews now, it’s very clear he has hung on too long.

 

Vin was also an excellent football announcer, better than anything going now.

 

Hawk Harrelson is a Frick winner. I can't take that award very seriously

And John Sterling is going to get it some day soon

 

I once heard Bob Costas fill in for Jack Buck on some random midseason game in the early ‘80s. He was just perfect; so obviously on another level from the typical broadcaster.

 

A couple of years in the early 1980s, Fred White did ACC basketball games.

 

Paul Carey had incredible pipes, and could have been a top banana anywhere if not for his other Detroit commitments. So did Chuck Thompson of the Orioles and Harry Kalas of the Phillies. I would pay to listen to those guys read the phone book. And then there was John Facenda.

 

I have dealt with Stu some in my current gig, great guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of hockey - and probably other sports - in New York.

 

He was on a package of UNLV basketball games in the 80s as well.