Larry and Sonny--how much does Sonny have left for booth work? (M.E.T.)

[The Trashman]

I know many 80 year + folks. Their voices just don't dramatically change within a 12 month time frame without some sort of medical issue.

 

Nah, I gotta believe something else is wrong with Sonny. Not just age, fellas.

[Larry]

Enough of this negativity. Need some positive in this thread.

I'm thinking that getting Cooley on the booth might be the best personnel move of the Snyder era.

[skinsmania123]

I say get Sonny a hearing test.  That may be all it is.  I like Cooley in the booth but ESPN likes him too.   I think bigger things are going to happen in his career.

[spjunkies]

Sonny is 80 years old, time for him to hang em up along with Larry. Our radio team is very poor with theexception of Cooley and B-Mitch who should be in Doc Walkers spot.

[Cooleyfan1993]

His wife or girlfriend is having a baby any day now. He should be back at it for the rest of the year. Cooley is really good. I think they are working towards Sonny being the 3rd man. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sonny just be at home games in a year or two. He sounds really tired.

Cooley has a girlfriend? I havent heard of him getting a girlfriend/wife since Christy divorced him back in September of 2012. If so, good for him

Sonny is 80 years old, time for him to hang em up along with Larry. Our radio team is very poor with theexception of Cooley and B-Mitch who should be in Doc Walkers spot.

Larry Michaels should hang them up as well? Seriously? Wow. Why all the hate for him? I know his son and his 2 daughters and I've met him a few times as well. He is the nicest guy ever. Yet he continues to get **** on by our fans...by our REDSKINS fans!! It's just embarrassing! Everyone here embarrasses me.

[SB17]

Larry Michaels should hang them up as well? Seriously? Wow. Why all the hate for him? I know his son and his 2 daughters and I've met him a few times as well. He is the nicest guy ever. Yet he continues to get **** on by our fans...by our REDSKINS fans!! It's just embarrassing! Everyone here embarrasses me.

I'm a nice guy, too, but nobody has ever offered me an opportunity to be the radio voice for an NFL team.  In other words, I have nothing against him personally (since I don't know him) - I just have never cared for his style of broadcasting, and it appears that there are many other ESers who don't, as well.  And since he replaced a local sports broadcasting legend, I'd like to know what it is that management sees in him that says he's better than the legend he replaced.

[gortiz]

Enough of this negativity. Need some positive in this thread.

I'm thinking that getting Cooley on the booth might be the best personnel move of the Snyder era.

Yep, Larry, Cooley, and Doc on the sidelines. 

[RFKFedEx]

I've long defended the HoF'r bc he was very good on the mic for 30+ seasons. Maybe its the absence of Sam that has highlighted Sonny's recent decline, but I think its time for him to hang up the headset. I wish it weren't so, but there's been a noticable erosion in his production this year.

I'm not a big believer in allowing legend X to decide when its time, when quality has decreased.

[clskinsfan]

I listened to the first broadcast after Frank was let go. I have not listened since. I cant stand Larry and I dont think I have missed a thing.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Back to Frank....maybe I'm delusional, but I thought I read somewhere that he wasn't terribly well liked by Sonny and Sam and that's why there was no real pushback when the puppet was installed in his place.

[celticsalmon]

Larry doesn't describe the game for those who listen to the radio only.  Frank Herzog  painted a picture in our mind's eye. And he used the right or left radio dial to let us know in which direction the Skins were attacking.  He also knew when to lay back and let his color commentators talk.  Larry orchestrates his booth-like the control freak he is.  Yet he rarely engages Sonny.  Cooley is the one who keeps Sonny in the mix. Over the years, I've gotten the feeling that LM intentionally or not has been marginalizing Sonny. Perhaps he has been told to speak only when spoken to.  If the intent to to get rid of him, I hope they do it respectfully.  But given the past - I'm not so sure.

[Dan T.]

 

The teams performance over the years is slowly killing Sonny. I'm right behind him.

 

I'm betting that working with Larry Michael is slowing killing Sonny.

[smithmal]

I remember.  They were the best.  What I fail to understand is how Larry Michael keeps his job and why Dan Snyder never wanted Frank Herzog to do the games.  Can someone give me some background on why Frank was not brought in to do the games?

 

It's my understanding that FH lost his job to LM due to a contractual agreement that Westwood One (LM is a V.P. at Westwood One) had engaged into with WJFK/Redskins.  At the time (and maybe this is still the case) Westwood One/LM decided which NFL teams would be put on air for the nationwide audience.  LM admitted that he had been gunning to be the skins play by play man for quite some time and no doubt used his position/power at W1 to get into the booth.  It is/was another example of Dan Synder creating a huge PR mess where one didn't need to be created for a business gain.  The Redskins claimed they had no vote on the matter, but if you believe that....

 

More discussed about this here.

 

ps - I agree, there is a significant lapse between when a question is asked of Sonny and the time he takes to generate an answer.  I didn't hear his game commentary, but did hear his pre-game comments during the week and the day of the game and he sounds like he's either ill or mentally not sharp any more.  I pray that its the former as his analysis and ability to predict plays before they occurred was always impressive.  Long live Sonny, Sam and Frank!!

[skinsforlife101]

alter listening to a number of NFL teams radio networks Larry Michael has got to be one of the worst radio play-by-play announcers in the NFL.

[veteranskinsfan]

I cannot listen to Larry Michael at all.  Many of the national announcers are bad because the team is not winning so we get the third string announcers for our games.

[Boss_Hogg]

Larry Michael is the "Baghdad Bob" of the Washington Redskins.

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

I haven't listened this year. It can't be as bad as Sam.

Larry: Redskins backed up inside their own 5 facing a 3rd and 4. What do you do here Sam?

Sam: I don't like ham. I don't like roast beef. I don't like chipped beef. Well.., it's not that I don't like. If they give it to me I eat it. What I really like is chipped beef on a nice pumpernickel with Dijon mustard.

[Momma There Goes That Man]

^^^ lol

Which now it's:

Larry: Redskins backed up inside their own 5 facing a 3rd and 4. What do you do here Sam?

Sonny: Well they need a first down.

Um ok. I'm not trying be rude but I've been beating this drum for awhile. Sonny is awful to listen to. Really awful, usually it's just incoherent mess but even when he does say something it's utterly pointless or redundant.

There is no insight, no experience, no analysis and no color or personality. I appreciate all that he's done but it's really time for him to hang it up.

[thebluefood]

Edited: wrong quote

 

I've been noticing the same thing. I don't know if it's because he's sick or if he's sick of the team's terrible on-field performance, but he sounds lethargic when he speaks at all. 

[hail2skins]

Question: Did Larry Michael this morning (I'm assuming on his appearance with Pollin/Sheehan on the MMQB show on 980) really say that "Robert played a great game" yesterday?

[gortiz]

Sonny is beyond gone. I hadn't listen to him since week one and I thought it was pretty bad but riding in the car and hearing him on the radio on Sunday it was beyond cringe worthy. I had to change it, it made me feel really really bad for him.

I have always felt that the way they held onto Sam for too long and the way they're holding on to Sonny too long is so indicative of how badly this team is run. Never make the tough but right decision.

[Zguy28]

I heard Sonny was pretty blunt in the lockerroom with RGIII, but didn't hear the actual comments. Did anybody catch that?

[TheButler]

I heard Sonny was pretty blunt in the lockerroom with RGIII, but didn't hear the actual comments. Did anybody catch that?

 

He said something like, "Well Robert you didn't read the field very well today." It wasn't a question so much as a thought. I got a kick out of it.

But it's time for him to go. He's three minutes behind when they ask him something.

[LCA77]

I heard Sonny was pretty blunt in the lockerroom with RGIII, but didn't hear the actual comments. Did anybody catch that?

He also said "you went to your check downs way too often." Those may not be the exact words, but extremely close. Hit the nail on the head.

[LightningBuggs]

The last 2 weeks I've watched the game while listening to Larry, Chris, and Sonny on the internet radio.  Radio is about 2 plays behind the action, but I listen to primarily hear Cooley's thoughts.  Chris is great on the game. 

 

Sadly, Sonny has fallen off the pace.  I'm guessing this will be his last year.

 

But I get the biggest kick out of Larry.  I enjoy watching one game on TV, and hearing about whatever game Larry is watching.  I really miss Frank.