Best Color Analysts Ever

[Sam Mills 51]

Billy Packer and Al McGuire are in the conversation, both together and separately.

Billy Packer started off well, but then turned into nothing but a gripe and moan machine. Turned into another coach grousing about missed calls.

Not sure McGuire fits the bill, but was infinitely more palatable. Usually knew how to be entertaining without going too far over the line.

If you want a really good color guy who gets zero credibility, try Dan Bonner. Informative, insightful, zero schtick. Substance and more substance. Not schtick-y enough for the bigwigs ... which, why it's probably a big reason he never got the bigger gigs, makes him exceptional.

 

[Regan MacNeil]

People know Madden as the "Boom" guy, but he really elevated people's expectation of what color people should be providing. Line play, plays that "set up" other plays, etc. Also not sure how much tape color people watched ahead of a game pre-Madden. Shoot even calling them "color" people now (a throwback to when they were merely expected to provide "personality" to the broadcast or an old story or three) is a misnomer. The best watch hours of tape, spot "tells" and tendencies. I still like to hear an old baseball story on a broadcast though - I've heard enough and seen enough on pitch sequencing in my lifetime.

Wait, that's who Boom is? Can't believe it took this long.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Wait, that's who Boom is? Can't believe it took this long.

No outing!

 

[goalmouth]

Gary McCord.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Gary McCord.

Bingo. Should have known what we were watching when the stuffed shirts at Augusta National were offended by bikini wax and body bags ...

 

[heyabbott]

Billy Packer started off well, but then turned into nothing but a gripe and moan machine. Turned into another coach grousing about missed calls.

Not sure McGuire fits the bill, but was infinitely more palatable. Usually knew how to be entertaining without going too far over the line.

If you want a really good color guy who gets zero credibility, try Dan Bonner. Informative, insightful, zero schtick. Substance and more substance. Not schtick-y enough for the bigwigs ... which, why it's probably a big reason he never got the bigger gigs, makes him exceptional.

I really enjoyed the Packer McGuire and Enberg days. But I also watch a lot of ACC games when Packer was doing them, I think it was Raycom. He was really good when he did those l 'local' games. And yes, Bonner, very good.

 

[dixiehack]

Billy Packer started off well, but then turned into nothing but a gripe and moan machine. Turned into another coach grousing about missed calls.

Not sure McGuire fits the bill, but was infinitely more palatable. Usually knew how to be entertaining without going too far over the line.

If you want a really good color guy who gets zero credibility, try Dan Bonner. Informative, insightful, zero schtick. Substance and more substance. Not schtick-y enough for the bigwigs ... which, why it's probably a big reason he never got the bigger gigs, makes him exceptional.

Jon Sundvold does a nice low-key job on SEC basketball. Informed about the teams, can explain what's going on but doesn't make himself the star attraction. And so naturally he's buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Jimmy Dykes and (sigh) deck Vitale.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I really enjoyed the Packer McGuire and Enberg days. But I also watch a lot of ACC games when Packer was doing them, I think it was Raycom. He was really good when he did those l 'local' games. And yes, Bonner, very good.

Packer was decent when he was doing Jefferson-Pilot (later known as Raycom) with Jim Thacker as the play-by-play guy. When Packer's profile grew, so did his ego and his skills went to crap. Or he listened to some dunce who brainwashed him into thinking that griping about officials and other stupid crap would enhance broadcasts.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Jon Sundvold does a nice low-key job on SEC basketball. Informed about the teams, can explain what's going on but doesn't make himself the star attraction. And so naturally he's buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Jimmy Dykes and (sigh) deck Vitale.

Of course. Sundvold actually analyzed what was going in the game. Those silly analysts ...

 

[Octave]

Football - Bob Trumpy
Baseball - Joe Garagiola

 

[heyabbott]

Packer was decent when he was doing Jefferson-Pilot (later known as Raycom) with Jim Thacker as the play-by-play guy. When Packer's profile grew, so did his ego and his skills went to crap. Or he listened to some dunce who brainwashed him into thinking that griping about officials and other stupid crap would enhance broadcasts.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Wait, that's who Boom is? Can't believe it took this long.

That's a very good point!