Best Media Member Relative to his/her success in the sport

Watching random collections of NBA and NFL players comment made me wonder.

Perkins is surprising. He was bullied by Garnett and Pierce when he was in Boston. He didn't seem like a guy to do well on tv. How Dan Orlovsky ever got a job is stunning based on his career.

Joe Garagiola and Bob Ueker would be my votes.

 

I interviewed Orlovsky in 2004 for the cover story in the premiere issue of the short-lived Connecticut Sports Magazine. He certainly didn't have the charisma then that he displays now. But what 21-year-old does?

 

From Wikipedia:

 

I always liked Al DeRogatis. He was an All-Pro defensive tackle with the Giants, but that was way back in 1950 and 1951, and a knee injury ended his NFL career after only four seasons.

Good, smart football analyst in the booth. Solid insights every week, and easy on the ears, too.

 

I could never figure out if his name was Al DeRogatis, Aldie Rogatis or Al D. Rogatis.

 

Pat Summerall going away. Gifford took a lot of crap, but he was very good on TV, I think he was hurt when he had to do more color analyis later in his MNF career, showed he was more "smooth" in giving down and distance than he was on insightt.

 

Partial to the Braves, of the big five voices who worked through the '90s heyday (and some beyond), three played in MLB, and only one could probably say he had more success on the field:

Don Sutton was a Hall of Famer of course, so that would be his claim, despite how long he worked in the booth.

Ernie Johnson Sr. had a serviceable if unspectacular career as a relief pitcher.

Joe Simpson's career highlight was trailing George Brett out of the dugout at Yankee Stadium to prevent Brett from obliterating Tim McClelland in the pine tar game.

 

Eh, he shoveled some shit.

Does that mean I am derogating DeRogatis?

 

Are you also gowding Curt Gowdy?

 

Duane Kuiper?

 

Billy Packer was a good college basketball player who helped Wake Forest to the 1962 Final Four, but he was never a pro. And he became one of the most successful broadcasters and entrepreneurs in his era of television. Successful in part because he was willing to speak his mind. Also a great analyst of what he watched. I'd give him consideration here.

 

Should you be eligible if you never went pro? If you only got as far as college ball, you didn’t really have a career. You had a part-time job in college.