China Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 2012 NFL Announcer Rankings With the passing of each NFL season, the tradition started by Sports Illustrated‘s Dr. Z was to take a look back and break down pro football’s best and worst announcing teams. We at Audibles, with the utmost respect for Dr. Z’s work, took up the torch for that task last year. And what follows below is this blog’s second crack at trying to sort through hundreds of hours of game broadcasts to figure out which play-by-play announcers and color commentators turned out the finest product over the past year. This version ranks the top 10 teams that called games on either CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN or the NFL Network. Feel free let us know about any disagreements you may have (and we know you’ll have them), either in the comments or on Twitter. 10. Marv Albert and Rich Gannon, CBS 9. Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots, CBS 8. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, CBS 7. Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf, CBS 6. Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, FOX 5. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, FOX 4. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden, ESPN 3. Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts, CBS 2. Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, NFL Network 1. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, NBC Click on the link for the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Aikman's the best color guy out there IMHO. Impartial and totally honest, with a wealth of football knowledge. But he's partnered with Joe Buck who's that far up his ass hie can see out of Troy's mouth, so that doesn't work. Simms should be in last place just because. Average QB who landed on some great Giants teams. Below average, nauseating color guy. I guess I'd agree with the #1 choice. But there's something about Collinsworth's voice that makes me want to kick a puppy. And that is just not right. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Mike Mayock is really underrated. I love hearing him do color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Mayock needs to be cloned so he can do all games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Mike Mayock is really underrated. I love hearing him do color. Agreed, but like with Aikman, Nessler's a moron. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaSkinsNut Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Can't stand Joe Buck or Phil Simms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Mike Mayock is really underrated. I love hearing him do color.He's probably my favorite NFL guy, period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillers6SB Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Mayock is deservedly #2. He's not really underrated; he gets lots of props all the time.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Yeah Mayock is a beast. He's also the best draft expert out there by leaps and bounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike42 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 This is the reason why I hate us playing on FOX. Most of FOX's play by play announcers sound cheesy to me. (Except for Stockton, even though his better days are past him) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacon Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Phil Simms was ****ing horrendous during the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I think the list may be more of a reflection of how poor the commentators are overall given that this list is considered to be the best and there are dreadful people on there. Joe Buck is the absolute worst, and no matter how decent Aikman may be, Buck is so awful that his presence on the list makes it an instant sham. Collinsworth has an extremely annoying voice and is a seat-filler with worthless comments. Kenny Albert is an eye and ear sore. Phil Simms... ughhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor 36 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I am so sick of Joe Buck. He is horrible. He comes across as an arrogant bully side-kick, though Aikman doesn't come off at all as a bully. Buck just throws in little shots here and there in his "commentary" that are so unnecessary and he always sounds like he is trying to say something so profound and deep about the game. He's a joke. Phil Simms, though, is the idiot bully. He reminds me of Biff from Back to the Future. He says the dumbest things, misses the easiest calls, and it is like everyone around him is too afraid of him to tell the idiot to just shut up. I swear my buddy Paul and I played a drinking game two seasons ago that we would take a swig of our drinks every time Simms said something blatantly wrong about the game he was commentating or football in general. We were both drunk by the second quarter. Goose on the sidelines is also pathetic. Seriously, let him go discuss the food somewhere else off camera/microphone. Collinsworth is a douche. The guy talks like he was so important you would think that he was Jerry Rice. Plus, he has put down the Redskins way too many times in his broadcasting career for me to have any respect for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCClybun Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Nessler and Mayock are my number one. Mayock can get into a little bit of football nerdery...but that's why I love him, because he's not caught up in bull**** storyline and just calls the game and you might actually learn something about the game if you pay attention. Michaels and Collinsworth would be my number 2. Fox probably has the worst line-up of commentators. And they're completely wasting their Gus Johnson on college coverage. I want Gus Johnson calling an RG3 game. NOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budussy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Ranking announcers? Is the American sports fan really that addicted to ordinal power rankings of any sort? Sports illustrated should be about sports stars' bios, breaking down sports strategy and scheme, feel good sports stories. Not this crap... P.S. Collinsworth and Buck are the worst I have ever heard. I pine for the days of Al and John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSO Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Wow, that list is an embarrassment. Mayock is the only decent announcer right now, basically. And even he can over do it sometimes. Al Michaels is alright, but only because I'm brainwashed to believe so since he's been around forever. I just don't see any commentators anymore that actually have fun, comedic personalities yet know when to be serious about the game. It's a lost art it seems. None of them are actually funny or even remotely entertaining and, even worse, the vast majority of them seem to know little about the sport or the team's they're commentating on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Marv Albert is awesome. He's so perfect for basketball, but just isn't the same for football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger.Staubach Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Aikman's the best color guy out there IMHO. Impartial and totally honest, with a wealth of football knowledge. But he's partnered with Joe Buck who's that far up his ass hie can see out of Troy's mouth, so that doesn't work. Simms should be in last place just because. Average QB who landed on some great Giants teams. Below average, nauseating color guy. I guess I'd agree with the #1 choice. But there's something about Collinsworth's voice that makes me want to kick a puppy. And that is just not right. Hail. I agree with much of this. Who would you pair Aikman with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Al Michaels and CC are totally overrated. I miss Pat and John Madden more and more every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamshatterer Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 With the amount of "eh" play by play guys on this list, I think Gus Johnson should get a shot doing a NFL game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor 36 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Doesn't Gus Johnson also have a deal with the Big Ten Network? If I'm correct, that might be a barrier preventing him from calling games on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostofSparta Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I miss Pat and John Madden more and more every year Amen to that. I've heard people who hated Madden with a passion start pining for him with some of the announcers we have to put up with now. Pat and Madden were a great announcing duo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big#44 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 My only gripe with Mayock is that sometimes he zones in on guys measurables which can get annoying after awhile. I dont need to know how fast Miamis right tackle ran the 40 yard dash at the combine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinC Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Can't stand Joe Buck or Phil Simms. Agreed. Phil Simms in particular. Aikman and Mayock are the best color guys IMO. To me at least none of the announcers really stand out, which I suppose is the way it should be but a couple of them I could really live without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Mike Mayock is really underrated. I love hearing him do color. Completely agree. Mayock's voice may not be as polished as some of these guys, but his knowledge and ability to quickly dissect a play, or a player and his tendencies and get it across is among the best. typically to me the announcers are backgound buzz.. but Mayock I listen to. He'll teach you something. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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