Best NFL Radio Broadcaters

[PonyExpress]

There was a post here a while back that suggested we take a look at NFL field pass on NFL.com, where for free you can replay past radio broadcasts of NFL teams. I dived in and listened to quite a few games as background noise, but couldn't help making some judgments about the quality of various broadcasters. From my listening here are the best of the best...

Best overall broadcast: Dallas Cowboys (play-by-play Brad Sham, Color Babe Laufenberg) Excellent chemistry between the two principals, plus informative and intelligent sideline reporting on occasion. Throw in pre-taped quotes by players peppered in at relevant points in the broadcast explaining the Cowboys approach to various opponent players, such as how to handle Dante Hall, and you have a first class, innovative broadcast with professional production. babe Laufenberg just retired.

Best Play-by-play: Steve Savard, St. Louis Rams. This former player NFL player (had a cup of coffee) came from Montana and must have taken a sip from the same mountain streams as Curt Gowdy, because he is polished, smooth and well spoken. Reminds me somewhat of Dan Shulman, ESPN's baseball radio play-by-play man.

Best Color Commentator: Tunch Ilkin, Steelers. Hardnosed honest ex-player gives heart felt commentary about his own team and opponents. Never flinches to criticize or commend when appropriate. Excellent job in Pittsburgh Indy playoff game. I imagine Steeler fans are probably not as happy with him as I am, since he is replacing Myron Cope. But as an objective listener this guy is golden.

Our boys: Gil's pipes compare to anyone, but I think he lost something off his fastball the last year or two with incorrect yardage, score, etc. Gino is still holding his own. I only pray when Gil decides to hang them up the Krafts don't resort to the horrendous DALE ARNOLD. PLEASE NO!!!! (In case you didn't know, that's why Arnold never offends anyone on his show; he's hoping to hook on to one of the teams, Red Sox, or Patriots, when the current guys hang them up. Say it aint so...)

 

[Buddylove]

my vote

Play by play is Merlin Reese of the Philadelphia Eagles. I also love the guy from K.C and his "Touch-down Kan-Sas City".

 

[patsox23]

Color-wise, I like Phil Simms for the most part.

 

[zippo59]

Color-wise, I like Phil Simms for the most part.

Phil Simms is T.V., and he's national. The other guys are exclusive to a specific team like Gil and Gino (meaning they actually know what they're talking about.)

 

[zippo59]

Maybe I am biased,but no one beats Santos and Gino.

Back inthe early days of the AFL, Bob Gallagher did the Pats and was awesome.

On TV, AFL days, Curt Gowdy was the best.....PERIOD

I love Gil and Gino too. There's so much history of the Pats they bring. Something I really appreciate about Gil as a play by play man is he doesn't start yelling if even the slightest exciting thing happens. I'm not that big a Red Sox fan but I was listening to one of their games the other day on the radio and I don't know who commentates them, but whenever a routine, infield ground ball was hit he would start screaming as he was saying the play by play. I can understand somewhat if it was a homerun but he would do it during common ground outs. It got so annoying I had to turn it off. Gil keeps his composure and just follows the play.

 

[PonyExpress]

I love Gil and Gino too. There's so much history of the Pats they bring. Something I really appreciate about Gil as a play by play man is he doesn't start yelling if even the slightest exciting thing happens. I'm not that big a Red Sox fan but I was listening to one of their games the other day on the radio and I don't know who commentates them, but whenever a routine, infield ground ball was hit he would start screaming as he was saying the play by play. I can understand somewhat if it was a homerun but he would do it during common ground outs. It got so annoying I had to turn it off. Gil keeps his composure and just follows the play.

I couldn't agree more. Gil is old school and the ultimate professional. You would think the Red Sox would have a great broadcast team, but actually for years they have been sub-par, to the point it is difficult to listen. Boring, and then suddenly comically overblown. They definitely need an infusion of new blood. As for Gil, he is aging gracefully, but even a fan like myself has to acknowledge he has been blowing a lot of down distance and score calls in recent years.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

It was national but the old MNF radio crew of Howard David, Matt Millen and Boomer Esiason from a few years back was absolutely killer to listen to. David is an expert play by play guy with a razor wit that could provoke very entertaining exchanges between Millen and Boomer. Millen was very good at color commentary and Boomer is much better on the radio than on TV. I believe he still does MNF with Musberger who is also very good on the radio.

 

[RoadGrader]

It was national but the old MNF radio crew of Howard David, Matt Millen and Boomer Esiason from a few years back was absolutely killer to listen to. David is an expert play by play guy with a razor wit that could provoke very entertaining exchanges between Millen and Boomer. Millen was very good at color commentary and Boomer is much better on the radio than on TV.

B-B-B.......

I could not agree more on Howard David and Boomer Esiason the REAL Boomer

I've only caught David a few times and he was killer on play-by-play.

Boomer I have loved on the D&C WEEI Monday AM shows for years now

I would definitely want to have either boyos love child if I were able.

 

[AFPatsFan12]

Aside from Gil and Gino, I like the two Jets guys, and also agree with Steve Savard in St Louis. The Ravens team was tremendous in Super Bowl XXXV. Solid anouncing teams there....

However, what I have also noticed from NFL Network/other shows are the number of godawful radio broadcast teams. The worst have got to be:

(1) Cincinatti -- Typical call of a pass play:
Play-by-play guy: "Second and 8 from the 30, Carson drops back to throw..."
Color Analyst: "Come on baby, come on...."
PBP: "Looks deep for Chad Johnson..."
Color: "Got him, GOT HIM, GOT HIM!!!!!!"
PBP: "And, HE'S GOT IT!"
Color: "YEAH, BABY!!!!! GET IN CHAD, COME ON BABY"
PBP: "Dropped at the..."
Color: "WOOOOOOOOO!"
PBP: "2 yard line!! First and Goal BENGALS!"

Unlistenable.... oy....

(2) Seattle -- The play-by-play guy might have the worst voice in the NFL. Plus he constantly refers to Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander simply as "Matt" and "Shaun" during play calls ("Matt, play action, back to throw, dumps it underneath to Shaun, Shaun has it and he gets in!")

(3) Tampa Bay -- Biggest homers in the league. Plus, the play-by-play guy excessively uses the term "we." ("Our defense got us to this game, and they're trying to win it for us." "That's it, the daggers in! We're going to win the Super Bowl!") blah....

I'm sure there are others that I'm just forgetting at the moment, but it seems like the number of bad broadcast teams outweighs the number of good ones nowadays....

 

[rabthepat]

Lee "Hacksaw" Hamiliton...

 

[pats60]

Gil and Gino are the best.When i`m not at the game and have to watch it on
tv i lower the volumn and listen to the best.

 

[PonyExpress]

Gil and Gino are the best.When i`m not at the game and have to watch it on
tv i lower the volumn and listen to the best.

For sentimental reasons I agree. But Gil gets stuff wrong pretty often these days.

 

[groundgame]

Bob Trumpy as a color man has a great radio voice. I have also heard Kevin Harlan on radio and he is quite good. On a side note, one of my favorite football announcers is NBC's Tom Hammond who does the Notre Dame games.

 

[alexhb]

A guy I was very impressed with last season is Tim Ryan. He did a really good job of diagnosing the key aspect of a play right and then pointing it out on the replay.

 

[groundgame]

A guy I was very impressed with last season is Tim Ryan. He did a really good job of diagnosing the key aspect of a play right and then pointing it out on the replay.

I like Ryan also in Winter Olympics downhill skiing calls.