Best Announcers of all time

[Rory]

Baseball, Football and basketball......

who's yours?

[John]

My knowledge isn't extensive enough to cover all time, but I know that one of my very favorites is Mike "Doc" Emrick, who is the primary play-by-play man for NBC's and NBC Sports Network's coverage of the NHL. I love his energy and I particularly appreciate his witty asides. They make an average game fun to watch.

[Shinkansen]

Joe Buck

[Lions]

I always enjoy listening to Jon Miller announcing baseball games.

[Bill]

Vin Scully is one of the best ever. He just makes it look so easy.

Not really one of the best ever....but someone I think is very underrated is Gary Danielson, who is the top color man for SEC football on CBS. He actually explains what is going on in a play sometimes, which is somewhat rare these days.

Gus Johnson is really good at transferring excitement to the fan. This translates really well during March Madness. Though he was doing FOX college football this fall and I found him to be a little "over the top" (Is that 8-yard gain REALLY that exciting if UCLA is up by 3 touchdowns?).

[Rory]

I dont know if these guys are the best all time, but these are my favorites.

Baseball: Vin Scully. He does games by himself without a commentator and describes everything that is going on and what he sees right down to a players shoe laces. And never misses a pitch. He's unbelievable. And a great Baseball voice to boot.
John Miller is awesome too. He makes you feel like your at the ballpark.

Football: You Guys might be too young for this cat but Ray Scott was my favorite. He's was a Green Bay Packer announcer from my childhood. Great football voice.

Basketball: Chick Hearin. A long time Los Angeles Lakers announcer.

Prolly my favorite overall announcer is Bill King. He announced football, baseball and basketball. Oakland Raiders - Oakland A's - Golden State Warriors. And he was awesome to listen to on the radio. And a class act. He wasn't a homer and announce a slanted for the home team type of game. He called it as he saw it. Great announcer.

[Borealis]

I could praise the virtues of the likes of Lon Simmons (both for the Giants and 49ers), Jon Miller and his Kruk & Kuip side kicks... Bill King was legendary with the Warriors (and he was a regular at the SF Opera)... But I'm going to throw out a seldom heard name who did the Giants for years, now is doing the Niners, and has been on the national scene for YEARS doing tennis and Olympics (amongs other stuff): Ted Robinson. As professional as they come, pleasant voice and über knowledgable on everything!

EDIT: I see Alan beat me to Bill King. He was at his best with the W's, but a close second doing Da Raidas...

[Lions]

I've been feeling a bit guilty for not saying this already, but Phil Rizzuto was absolutely one of my favorite announcers. Now I know he wasn't exactly considered good, but as a kid I watched a ton of Yankees games and he was so entertaining. It didn't matter to me at that stage of life that the game's nuances were described in great detail. I wanted entertainment from my announcer and he had it. I try to remember that when I see people rip announcers for various things. I can't stand Hawk Harrelson, but I bet there are south side kids who think there's nothing better than hearing him work a game.

[Jason]

I'm a huge fan of Tony Castiglione, who has done the Red Sox radio broadcasts on 1080AM since I was a kid. Like Frank mentioned about Rizzuto, he was/is not the best. However, hearing his voice on the radio brings me back to the summer when I was 7-16, when I would fall asleep to the games on my radio in my room, warm summer breeze coming through my bedroom window with the smell of freshly cut grass...

[Leones]

I'm a huge fan of Tony Castiglione, who has done the Red Sox radio broadcasts on 1080AM since I was a kid.

Would that be 'Joe' Castiglione?

[Arroyos]

I hate the Dodgers, but I listen to their games just to hear Vin Scully. He came west with the Bums in 1958, and I've been listening to his voice ever since.

Russ Hodges' voice is forever seared in my brain because of a single call he made ("The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"), and Mel Allen's voice is forever linked with baseball for me because of This Week in Baseball, but I can't sit through a whole game announced by either one of them. (Or I couldn't when Russ and Mel were still announcing.) I almost always turn the sound off during the game because announcers spend so much time telling me what I can see for myself, or worse: cheering for their team, chatting about players' private lives, or just being wrong (McCarver knows who I'm talking about!).

But Scully I can sit and listen to for hours, which given the 3 hour length of most games now is a damn long time to listen to one voice. I will miss him.

[Jason]

I'm a huge fan of Tony Castiglione, who has done the Red Sox radio broadcasts on 1080AM since I was a kid.

Would that be 'Joe' Castiglione?

Lol - omg yes! Baby brains!

[Akira]

I've been feeling a bit guilty for not saying this already, but Phil Rizzuto was absolutely one of my favorite announcers. Now I know he wasn't exactly considered good, but as a kid I watched a ton of Yankees games and he was so entertaining. It didn't matter to me at that stage of life that the game's nuances were described in great detail. I wanted entertainment from my announcer and he had it.

Here! Here! Or should I say Hear! Hear!

I want my local announcers to be homers, and boy was he ever.

[Rory]

What??? No Keith Jackson? or Pat Summerall?

[Mike Dunn]

On the other end of the spectrum, the Phillies just booted two of their long-time TV announcers, Gary Matthews and Chris Wheeler. Both were horrible, so regardless of who they get it will be a vast improvement. This apparently was sought by Comcast after the cable giant and the team signed a new (25-year) broadcast deal.

Sarge spoke constantly and said nothing. My favorite Sarge-ism: "Starting pitchers are important because... they start you out!" He said it as if it was a revelation.