OT: Matt Shepard out as Tigers tv play by play announcer; Karsch thoughts

My gold standard and yours differ... 

Gold Standard 1 for Radio: Ernie Harwell 

Gold standard 1a Frank Beckman 

I long to hear Frank call a Michigan game while in Northern Michigan during the fall again. I will never forget the Brabbs kick to beat Washington. Literally fell into the Northern Michigan sand rejoicing as Beckman nailed the call! 

I’ll take Doug over older Brandy any day . Once Brandy says “ Tarik Block Blacking “ instead of Tarik Black Blocking , I was like time to move on 

Keith Jackson?

Karsch is literally unlistenable. 

I knew there was a reason why I haven’t watched the Tigers in five years.

Karsch has the benefit of replacing Brando, who had the worst play x play call in history.

Remembering what it was like just a few short years ago makes tolerating Karsch a lot easier.

Ernie Harwell calling a foul ball caught by a fan from Hell, MI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5YkoJ1tQIA

Loved when George Swell on WRIF/W4 called Jaaaason Thompson. and who could forget

Al Foul-line and Dick the Bruiser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDNJyZ4jAo

I'm sorry to hear this. I got acquainted with Matt while he doing Michigan games during Amaker and Beilein eras, and the coach's show. He seemed like a really good guy. I don't follow the Tigers closely but he did a good job announcing Michigan basketball.

I also like Karsch. He doesn't have a classic radio voice, but describes what's happening well and can be funny (I liked his reference to Grant as "Kenny G").

Shepard was unlistenable.

A good pbp man can make a losing season tolerable and a winning season magical. It's a really difficult thing to pinpoint, but when you know, you know.

I also don't care for them constantly rotating analysts. Stuck with Petry, the best of the bunch..

I never listen to Michigan football on radio, so I don't have an opinion on karsch.

Michigan radio is unlistenable. I don't even try to look up the radio highlights anymore. Doug Karsch's voice sounds like he should be a hot dog vendor in the Bronx, not a PBP guy.

Matt was not a good fit, but in his defense having to work with a different partner every series did not allow him to develop a rapport with any of them.

I hear Jim Brockmire is available

I listen to nearly every game and I think Karsch is alright. He's not Frank Beckmann or Dan Dickerson but he is an upgrade from Brandy and nowhere near as annoying as Dan Miller.

I’m probably the rare person that dislikes Dickerson.  He’s always spouting numbers and he never paints the picture.  That was what made Harwell so good.  He’d actually describe the scene rather than tell you how many rpm’s were on that last slider.  Things like, “he leans over to get the signs, checks Gibson at first.  He comes set and delivers …”. Dickerson is fine, but just not my cup of tea.

Agree that Shep wasn’t very good and also agree that Karsch is subpar, though I either watch most of the games on tv or in person so I don’t have to hear him much.  He’s just slightly better than Brandstatter who was awful at play-by-play.

Funny thing was that when Shep was broadcasting Michigan hoops, I thought he was good.  But he just doesn’t seem to fit with baseball.

I was indifferent to Sheppard, but I didn't see any real reason to fire him.  I also don't know why UM never brought in Mark Champion for football.  

Shepherd seems like a nice guy and really enjoyed him doing basketball.

Baseball is just too slow for him.  He could never get the instinct what was a lazy fly ball and what was a No doubt HR.  Which is flabbergasting,  the sound is completely different.

He and Gibby butchered Sunday, when I rewatched it.

I think the rotating cast was trying to help him, he couldn't make it work.  I would listen to Morris on a National TV or Twins cast and it was night and day difference.

If you think every color guy was the problem maybe lets look at the common denominator.

The floor should be Mario Impemba back.  

Since you asked, I find Karsch’s voice Harsch and grating, as well as several octaves too high. Since OSU poached Mattison I think we should poach their radio play-by-play announcer, who’s the best I’ve heard for a college game. I wouldn’t have known this if someone hadn’t kindly posted the YouTube link to last years game with the OSU radio announcers dubbed in. To wit: https://youtu.be/VnPkS13mJ_s?si=Dh89cmKj1Us-yZC0
 

Karsch is really bad at PBP but a step up from the unlistenable Brandy. Go and listen to his pitiful call on JJ's second TD throw to Wilson last week. Ugh.

Other teams seem to all have really good to at least above-average PBP guys and Michigan's has been so, so lame since Beckman left the booth. 

We are a top notch university with one of the biggest bankrolls…..for the life of me, I don’t understand why we can’t get a play by play guy!!!

I work every Saturday. Have for the past 15-20 years….

I didn’t think anyone could be worse than Brandstatter…..and I love the guy!

Until Karsch….and I loved him and his sideline reporting….but a whole game of your frat brother yelling plays without any description is just awful…..I mean, awful!

I do like Jansen….only  I graduated in ‘00, so I may be biased as he was a fond memory as a player….

Go Blue always….but I do find it hard to listen to the games.

Karsch's voice is best suited for space - outer space. 

I didn't mind Shepard and even his cast of rotating commentators.  The ex-players add pretty good perspective.  Shepard obviously loves the Tigers, but did have trouble judging fly balls and sometimes let the conversations drift too far away from the game.

I wish Karsch had stayed in the sideline reporter role - his voice is just too grating for PBP.  He does have an excellent repoir with Jansen.  I think Jansen does an excellent job as color commentator, and even has the voice for a potential PBP announcer. 

One other thing bothers me about Karsch.  It is petty, especially since he is on the radio, but Karsch doesn't always wear a Michigan shirt or a Michigan hat (as seen in the Inside Michigan Football postgame analysis).  Some people like broadcasters to be unbiased, but after Ufer, Beckman, and Brandstetter, I want the Michigan PBP man to be totally biased toward Michigan football!  Wear a maize or blue shirt with a Michigan logo every game, please!

I don’t listen to Tigers radio or pay attention to baseball at all, but I have listened to Doug Karsch for years, whether it be on his older Michigan content or his play by play stuff today…. and all I can say is the guy is one of the biggest borefests I’ve ever heard in sports media. He might be a great guy, and maybe was once a good sportswriter or something, but his personality falls so flat on radio, and it’s really hard to engage with the game when he’s giving play by play. Also, his older content wasn’t much better, only slightly because it was on video. 
 

Just my 2 cents as a non-participator in baseball fandom 

Due to scheduling conflicts I have listened to about as much of Michigan games via radio this year as I have watched (thank you, Varsity App). Dough Karsh is fine. Jansen/Avant give the show character. Karsh has the voice.

Calling radio games is a lost art. You have to constantly give reference points (down, distance) and the plays happen so fast the listening knows by the crowd reaction whether it was good or bad. I personally get panicky when it's a road game and crowd reacts. Conversely you know when they are flat it is probably good. 

I didn't mind him, but I can't stand Gibson in the booth. Makes me switch to the radio feed for audio every time. At least the MLB app can do that!

No one loves Matt shepard more than Matt shepard

People are criticizing Doug's voice, but is it really any different than Gary Danielson's voice?

There used to be a great show on Detroit radio back in the day with Gary, Kirk Gibson and Eli Zaret. I loved that show. When Doug Karsch started working Detroit radio, I used to think it was Gary. Almost every time! 

As a Tigers fan I say: FINALLY!  Our long national nightmare is over.  
 

As a human being I say I’ve met Matt and he seems like a pretty good dude and I actually liked him doing Michigan sports. 
 

Just not the Tigers please for either Sheppard or Karsh. 

Matt was great at Michigan basketball play by play.   They should bring him back for Michigan football and put Karsch back on the field.

I like his radio show and is voice is okay for conversation.   His actual description of the plays is fine but as many others have pointed out his voice is tough in that setting especially when something exciting happens.

You can find the Nebraska radio guy superimposed over the TV plays on youtube.   What a difference.