Biggest Homer Announcer
Watched football all day today, flipping through many games like most of you I'm sure (after the UM game of course).
I generally enjoy Klatt and Gus (Klatt is knowledgable and not really a homer for any team and Gus has great enthusiasm when calling games - which is sweet when UM has big plays and is winning (OSU 2021), obviously sucks if we're losing (MSU 2021))
Anyway, is it just me, or has Kirk - who used to be a pretty solid and knowledgable announcer gone full OSU homer. I get they were destroying MSU, but that's the shittiest secondary in the league. Herbstreit has gone from a credible announcer to a full on OSU slappy, Ryan Day ball licker. Today was the worst I've seen it, to where even Fowler was getting in on the action.
That said, Danielson has now jumped the shark as well imo. He used to be an SEC slappy, always politicking for the league, but in fairness that league has won like 19 of the last 20 national titles or something crazy like that. But now, he's gone full Finebaum with the Bama/Saban cock gobbling. Watching the game rn and he is just full on shill mode for Bama. I haven't ever seen him this bad ever, not for UGA last year or LSU in their championship year.
Maybe I'm just catching a bad day of announcing.
What say you?
October 8th, 2022 at 10:40 PM ^
Gary Danielson has been brutal to listen to for years.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:45 PM ^
Absolutely horrible. Could never stand him.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
I mute everything without exception
October 8th, 2022 at 11:30 PM ^
Goldenrod Mandude,
Yes! I gave up on announcers years ago. I keep hoping for the setting where we can hear crowd noise but nothing from the announcing crew.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:49 PM ^
Yes! I’ve been shouting at the clouds for this for years.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:46 PM ^
....also Gary Danielson has been brutal to watch play qb for the Lions for years.
October 9th, 2022 at 12:13 AM ^
awful
October 9th, 2022 at 12:09 AM ^
What's he going to do when he has to call Big Ten games?
October 9th, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
Gus Johnson is horrible. He’s like Brent Musberger reincarnated. Obnoxiously melodramatic and won’t stop talking. He reminds of the aspiration I had with Musberger, which was that technology would eventually allow fans to watch games with our choice of announcers on or off, but still getting the game sounds. Hasn’t happened. But I’d rather mute it than listen to Herbstreit’s incessant self-importance.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:47 PM ^
Agree.Ive heard Danielson refer to A&M "they" a number of times but always refers to Bama as "Bama."
October 9th, 2022 at 7:27 AM ^
“Bama” definitely benefited when “they” came up with the most unimaginative play from the 2 yard line with the game on the line.
Every team complains about their offensive play-calling; we’ve been doing it ourselves since Tecmo Bowl. But with the game on the line, after a “Bama” timeout, “they” had nothing but a quick hitch to the short side that even if it was caught, the ball probably doesn’t cross the line.
October 9th, 2022 at 11:52 AM ^
Exactly, throwing the ball to a blanketed and stationary receiver SHORT of the goal line and to the outside of his body had to be one of the worst play calls to win a game I have ever seen. It was so bad that I was thinking the throw, or the route, had to both be off or wrong. I would've rather the A&M QB fired that into a mass of humanity in the end zone and pray for a good result. Or how about a play that provides an option for the QB to run it in?
October 8th, 2022 at 10:48 PM ^
I don't mind Herbstreit at all actually.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
He’s awful. And getting plump
October 8th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
I think Fowler's actually worse now. Calling all those OSU games seems to have made him an adoptive fan and he seems to get more excited by their big plays that Herbstreit does.
That said, when OSU is up big, Herbstreit's veneer of professionalism starts to slip and he forgets about the other team playing in the game. Granted, by that point the audience is probably mostly OSU fans.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
Fowler is brutal at PBP. ESPN has way better options as their premier lead guy (i.e. McDonough, Tessitore, maybe even Jones)
October 8th, 2022 at 11:49 PM ^
Herbstreit is miserable with a know it all attitude. I used to enjoy his commentary but I can't anymore. He gives a bad vibe. OK when he is not calling OSU game.. But, he becomes a SEC sloppy when OSU is not playing. Not sure what happened. Probably got too big and let it get to his head.
October 9th, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^
To be fair, I believe his son plays for them
October 9th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
He’s the worst. So self important that he often doesn’t even stop talking when the play is starting. Watch for it. You don’t see that with any other announcer. Most of them at least shut up when the QB starts his signals. And he’s faking it all. Klatt has way more football knowledge. Herbstreit is more like an armchair QB.
October 9th, 2022 at 12:14 PM ^
I was completely indifferent until he went full Qanon on the 2020 game.
October 9th, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
I used to enjoy the games he called but the last few years he seems to never stop talking. He is constantly talking.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:49 PM ^
I thought that about Kirk today as well. Always thought he was fairly balanced. Today it was just ridiculous how much he was gushing about OSU.
October 9th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
His son plays for OSU now as a PWO. I’m sure that has a lot to do with it.
October 9th, 2022 at 11:57 AM ^
I give you Bob Griese in comparison, when his son Brian played for us. Watch the 1997 game call vs OSU and see the difference.
October 9th, 2022 at 11:55 AM ^
To be fair, who wouldn't be gushing about the OSU passing game vs MSU? Stroud was lighting them up and the receivers were making great catches and runs after the catches, especially Marvin Harrison Jr. That dude is scary good. No doubt they have the best offense in college football.
EDIT: I agree with many others that Danielson is an Alabama and SEC homer, and he reeks of it. I can't stand his color analysis. Brad Nessler on the other hand makes up a little bit for Danielson's shortcomings. I certainly prefer Nessler to Verne Lundquist.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
It is not just you but Herbie is just doing his job - we hate Ohio State so we are not going to like anything he says about them.
If he were such a homer he wouldn't have been chased out of Ohio.
Danielson became an ess ee see homer but he's on their network. The Notre Dame broadcasts have been painful for years.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^
I actually like Herbstreit (although I admit I haven't watched a game he's done this year), I don't mind Danielson for the most part, but I always turn off the sound if I'm watching a Notre Dame game.
October 9th, 2022 at 8:47 AM ^
That’s beautiful. My son was a one month old baby during that game. I had to “quietly” scream because he was sleeping. Great memory.
October 9th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
Ha - I've been in that situation too Bill and had to avoid waking the entire house when Bama shanked the extra point in the 2000 Orange Bowl in OT to give Michigan the win.
What I love about this clip the most (other than him trashing Denard's arm 5 seconds before he beats ND with 2 passes) is Criqui having hope against hope at the end while Allen Pinkett is the voice of sad reality:
DC (as the crowd roars): incomplete......but wait
AP (glumly): touchdown
DC: there is a penalty marker down but he did catch the ball...did he catch.....we have no signal, I have not seen a touchdown signal
AP (cold hard truth): they did give a touchdown signal unfortunately
DC: 80 yards in 3 plays
I cannot measure the joy that schadenfreude has brought me. But it's a lot.
October 9th, 2022 at 9:23 AM ^
I never tire of listening to this. The disappointment is so palpable when the announcer says, . . . "I can't believe this . . . Michigan is going to score."
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
October 8th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
Not an announcer, but it always cracks me up how unapologetically Desmond Howard is about being a Michigan homer on his platforms.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:43 PM ^
He at least has turned that into his schtick. Doesn’t pretend to be neutral like Kirk “tries” to
October 8th, 2022 at 11:51 PM ^
Correct. And he is not doing games and especially not UM games.
October 9th, 2022 at 12:52 AM ^
Also the dude is Michigan royalty through and through. I would argue the average person doesn’t even know Kirk played football, let alone QB for Osu
October 8th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
Herbstreit is solid and I actually don’t mind him one bit. For what it’s worth, it would be hard for any announcer to not bust a nut when watching this OSU team operate on offense. Plus, you gotta fill up 3 hours of airtime with MSU-OSU, and it’s hard to say anything positive about MSU these past few weeks.
Gus Johnson is ok in small doses, but he’s really become annoying the past few years and has Flanderized himself. He’s a massive front runner - he’s the Drake or college sports announcers in that whatever team is winning or has momentum gets all the love from Johnson to a weird degree. I’m the last few years, it also feels like he’s always trying to set himself up for a memorizable call that’ll go down in history instead of just calling the game normally.
Klatt is solid and pretty good at calling games, though he can get a bit preachy and/or harp on something a little too long. Outside of last week when he had a stick in his ass all game, he’s arguably the best announcer out there in the sport.
Danielson and the whole CBS crew are pretty painful to listen to in general. I hope none of the current announcers are calling Big Ten games when their contract kicks in.
Finebaum is a professional troll. Nothing more, nothing less. Everything he does is to generate controversy and get clicks/listeners to a degree that would even make Screamin’ A. Smith blush with envy.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:06 PM ^
I see your point about Gus, but the glory of his calling of O-JA-BO last year and general hysterics during our victory over OSU, he holds a special place in my heart.
October 9th, 2022 at 12:12 AM ^
And this, my all time Gus favorite:
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FavoriteRealisticBoaconstrictor-mobile.mp4
October 8th, 2022 at 10:51 PM ^
October 9th, 2022 at 12:00 AM ^
I lost you at no link.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:53 PM ^
I’ve been saying that. People always say “herbstreit tells it like it is he doesn’t show his bias” and yeah sure he was that guy 10 years ago. But he’s been pretty blatant about his fandom for a few years now. He’s become big enough that he doesn’t have to worry about job security or perception
October 8th, 2022 at 11:54 PM ^
Correct. People have forgotten how he used to be. He was not this sloppy when he was upcoming. Now he has become CFB connoisseur and tries to show off to much. Forgot how he came up this far. Fame have a way of messing up people's psych.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
Just told mama bear that I can’t Gary D.he is a schill for Bama.The CBS halftime show is garbage,no highlights of Michigan or OSU in their first segment.Put car in the garage and got more champagne(of beer) so I don’t know if they even mentioned Big 10.
October 8th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
Herbie has broadcasted so many OSU games, I’ve become kind of numb to it. But I still want to change the channel when he’s getting so happy over how good OSU is playing, he’s practically giddy.
Then when they’re blowing out a team like Wisconsin and he’s trying to insist that the Badgers have an elite defense…just…STFU.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:07 PM ^
Lil herbie has been butthurt for so many years after losing to Meeeechigan that he can't stop knob slobbering osu
He gets paid to run his mouth......
October 9th, 2022 at 7:55 AM ^
He talks like he gets paid by the word
October 8th, 2022 at 11:00 PM ^
Agree here...normally Herbstreit is fairly partial with solid insight, but today seemed way over the top for OSU - almost awkward at times.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:02 PM ^
Im not sure the rules for starting new threads but im glad not using Cock Gobbling isnt one of them.
October 8th, 2022 at 11:13 PM ^
I have written to ABC/ESPN in the past to urge that Herbstreit not be assigned to do commentary on OSU or Michigan games. The rivalry is too bitter between the two schools and bias is going to quickly show.
Just goes to show that the networks don’t GAF how the viewing audience feels.