Braves Broadcasting Crew Getting Worse
by gondeee on Mar 24, 2011 10:33 AM EDT
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PrintUgh! (big sigh) I was somewhat excited a week ago when it was leaked that a few other ex-Braves would be joining the Braves broadcast team. But now my excitement has turned to sheer anger, then helplessness -- it's the however many stages of grief. Grief over the death of quality and tolerable play-by-play broadcasters and color analysts.
I got a press release just now from Fox Sports South that said Chip Caray will be returning for ALL 105 games on the Fox stations and some Peachtree TV broadcasts. Luckily, Joe Simpson will be there as well -- he now becomes the best TV broadcaster the Braves have, by far. Tom Glavine will join Simpson on Sunday telecasts; he is also pretty good.
But the ex-Braves we're getting in the booth for Peachtree TV games are going to be Ron Gant and Brian Jordan. Gant I can somewhat handle, but Jordan is complete waste of air time. He has nothing informative to say, and is quite often flat out wrong -- and he played the game! If any of you listened to him last weekend on the CSS televised spring games, you'll know what I'm talking about. He didn't know things about players who spent all season at Gwinnett -- when he was a broadcaster for Gwinnett!
Come on Fox, get someone in the broadcast booth who is actually good at what they do. Not broadcasters that make fans angry and turn them off watching games. I can tell you that the mute button on my remote will be in heavy use this year.
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So I guess
your plan to bring back Skip Carey back to life and talk Pete Van Wieren out of retirement failed?
No, but...
I’m working on reprogramming IBM’s WATSON to put together timely Carey one-liners from his vast array of past game calls. We’ll upload the game events and Watson will spit out the appropriate Carey audio.
Pete: “Foul back – 1 and 2 count.”
Watson/Carey: “And though it’s unnecessary to report, a fan in the Lexus Level misses the catch.”
Fangraphs, on Craig Kimbrel: "His strikeout rates look like they’re coming from a video game"
by carpengui on Mar 24, 2011 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
The Fox/Peachtree TV people
Are so damn lazy. Let’s not actually try to get someone whose good at their job to do it, let’s just use whatever spare parts we have lying around the office.
Terrible.
Said it before, mute + music is the only way to watch a Braves game ever since Boog left.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
If the delay isn't too bad
Mute + radio is usually a pretty good option.
"I don't drink beer, I'm an athlete" - Peter Moylan
by Zach Towery on Mar 24, 2011 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Two magic words:
Don. Sutton.
Why we keep stashing our best broadcaster away on the radio instead of bringing him back to TV is beyond me.
"Life is a lot like a baseball game- you want your team to win, you want it to be a thriller, you don't want it to be called short on account of nature, and you wouldn't mind if it went into extra innings." -Dante Shepherd, survivingtheworld.net
by J-Freak on Mar 24, 2011 10:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
He may prefer radio.
Pete apparently did.
by Torgo's Executive Powder on Mar 24, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
We had it good for a long time
Joe, Skip, Don, and Pete was to broadcasting what Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz was to pitching rotations. I learned just about everything I know about baseball by listening to Don Sutton’s analysis.
by Kulani23 on Mar 25, 2011 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I really like this comment. Like, alot.
www.takeyourskirtofftombrady.com
by Sid Bream's Moustache on Mar 25, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thats disappointing
I like Chip and Joe, and Tom, but Ron and Brian are just awful. I’d rather have to listen to Samuel L. Jackson narrate gay porn
by thenightstallion on Mar 24, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Samuel L. Jackson could narrate anything
and it’d be worth listening to.
"…the umps in San Francisco somehow missed Brooks Conrad’s tag at second base on a sliding Buster Posey, who could’ve been called out from a houseboat in Sausalito."
-- Tommy Craggs
Ron Gant is absolutely awful
It’s sad when mute + Jim Powell is an improvement, but here we are. As long as Lemke is kept off TV, it could be far worse.
(I don’t necessarily dislike Powell, but man he can be a little dull. He at least doesn’t actively stammer incorrect information like Gant/Jordan)
by Torgo's Executive Powder on Mar 24, 2011 10:50 AM EDT reply actions
No Smoltz?
That’s unfortunate. If you ever needed an excuse to drop $14.99 on the MLB At Bat app, here it is. Stream the radio broadcast and mute the TV.
"It wasn’t that it was slippery or anything like that. It was just, dadgum, my hands and the balls were so wet..." - Tim Hudson
"And those two guys at the end. My God. Jonny (Venters) and Billy (Wagner), just awesome." - Bobby Cox
by KoKo the Monkey (T-Bone) on Mar 24, 2011 10:53 AM EDT reply actions
Okay, I was wondering about that....
I subscribe to GameDay Audio from MLB, so I can listen to every team’s radio broadcast of every game on my computer. I’ve been trying to find out if I can listen to them on the MLB At Bat app; I know you can use it for games if you have MLB.TV, just wasn’t sure about audio only.
So you can use if for GameDay Audio?
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
Just keep “Nasal Man” Ernie Johnson off the broadcasts and I can deal with the rest of them.
"It's like winning a war...you need arms and money." Fredi G
oh, I don't know
I like Ernie. Still, we didn’t know how good we had it with Boog
"It wasn’t that it was slippery or anything like that. It was just, dadgum, my hands and the balls were so wet..." - Tim Hudson
"And those two guys at the end. My God. Jonny (Venters) and Billy (Wagner), just awesome." - Bobby Cox
by KoKo the Monkey (T-Bone) on Mar 24, 2011 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Well you know...
Broadcasters can change their style of broadcasting, but I doubt they can change their voice.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
by MBL1 on Mar 24, 2011 11:10 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Dear God, you can have Chip, Joe, Brian and Ron, just give Skip back, please.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
by MBL1 on Mar 24, 2011 11:05 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs
Love Ernie, Joe, Don, Powell, and Glavine. The rest can GO
by Taylor Masters on Mar 24, 2011 11:13 AM EDT reply actions
I’m reminded of the guy who was with Uecker in the booth in the major league movie… “Fly ball…………caught.”
"I wasn’t thinking about it. That’s the worst celebration of all time. I didn’t know what to do. I got lost in the moment." - Brian McCann
by HansonManCrush on Mar 24, 2011 11:20 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
So...
Good thing MLB.tv allows you to watch the other team’s broadcast.
Twitter: @Ben_Duronio Stop calling Tommy Hanson "Big Red"
Thinking the same thing...
though my watching of Braves games since TBS stopped showing them has been incredibly hit or miss. I was hoping to listen to the home broadcasts more often than not, but it sounds like, at least for some teams, the away announcers have us beat.
Maybe I’ll go blog-to-blog throughout the SBNation (at least the NL clubs) to figure out which home announcers are good and which blow. For instance, I don’t expect to listen to any Marlins announcers this season if I can help it.
-C
It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?
by cthabeerman on Mar 24, 2011 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
The Nationals have the worst guy. I can’t remember his name. He used to be on ESPN. A former reliever. Maybe Rob Dibble or something like that? Anyway, he’s the worst I’ve ever heard.
He got fired after he basically called Strasburg a wuss for not pitching through his elbow discomfort…which ended up requiring Tommy John. But yeah, thank god Dibble is gone.
by dunnytwogloves on Mar 24, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Except when youre blacked out, ofc
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
"You look like you should be married to one of the San Diego Padres."
I'll do what I always do
Mute the TV and listen to the radio broadcast
Lead off walks usually lead to runs, unless they don't. -Joe Simpson
Came here to say exactly this.
"If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj. --justincredubil02 on Feb 28, 2011 2:30 PM EST
How bad is the delay when doing that?
If it’s not too terrible, that’s probably what I’ll do too.
Is Cam kool-aid flammable? If so, I'll take some. I need an accelerant to light myself on fire.
Compared to these others, I like Chip. He is excitable and loves the Braves. Jim Powell puts me to sleep and Gant and Jordan are just terrible.
by CharlotteChop on Mar 24, 2011 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't listen to the radio often
but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
Wait, what?
Actually, I was going to say that I think Powell’s great… when he’s broadcasting with Sutton. They play off each other. Powell and Buck, though, will put you to sleep every. Single. Time.
"…the umps in San Francisco somehow missed Brooks Conrad’s tag at second base on a sliding Buster Posey, who could’ve been called out from a houseboat in Sausalito."
-- Tommy Craggs
Not the only one
I like him quite a bit too. My only real grief with him is that he can get too carried away at times (he starts off calling a routine fly ball as a home run). Other than that, I think he does just fine.
Haven’t really heard enough of Jordan and Gant to hear how good/bad they are.
I'd pay extra to listen...
To Smoltz on radio or TV. Knowledgeable, quick witted and not afraid to say what he thinks.
FISTED INTO LEFT
Also
“This one’s hit hard! THIS ONE HAS A CHANCE! ANNDDDDDD….Alex Gonzalez makes a running catch.”
The horrible jokes, the screaming, the willful ignorance, the way his voice cracks, "fisted,"
Let me know if I need to continue
by dutchschultz on Mar 24, 2011 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Because he sux
He is not a “huge” fan of Atlanta, he is a fan of whoever is signing the checks.He was just as annoying a pain in the ass when he was doing the Cubs games. ( I lived there at the time) He didn’t leave Chitown to come announce his beloved Bravos….he was run out of town. Literally. Cubs fans detested him. Loathed him.He went to games way early and left well after everyone had gone.
He is a complete idiot. His baseball knowledge is on the second grade level. He talks down to the listener, like he is some great intellect. His voice makes rats cringe. he is ultimately fugly, and just plain stupid. I hate him. Worst announcer in the history of announcing, not even a contest.
And then there is this:
Aaron Murray for Heisman!!
Well, heck. If they needed some help, they could’ve just asked me. I’d be happy to take a crack at it.
LIVE EDT
Tape-delayed for the West Coast
RON GANT!
The first player i considered my favorite player when i first started watching baseball 20 years ago. Be cool to hear from him, even if he sucks maybe he will get better.
The anti-Chip Caray stuff is way over the top in my opinion. He’s not my personal favorite, but he really isn’t bad. You’d think that the criticism would be a little less dramatic for Skip’s son also. I think people still just don’t like Brian for the Chipper comment and for his second stint on the team when he was washed up. Again, he’s not great, but I don’t see any reason to be melodramatic about average to slightly below average announcing performance.
respect is earned not given
the fact that he is Skip’s son has little to do with the equation. Skip and Pete were the best, hands down. But that has little to do with the ol’ Chipster. He should have spent the off season listening to tapes of the old man.
The Braves are one of the classiest organizations in the game. Highly respected on many levels. But we have to put up with the worst announcer ever. Chip sticks out like a sore thumb on the really bad list. He must have begged for the job and agreed to work for minimum wage.
Aaron Murray for Heisman!!
The anti-Chip stuff is completely warranted amongst fans that have to listen to him 100+ times per season. Most of his flaws have been pointed out numerous times in this thread. The man screams to the top of his lungs nearly any time a ball is hit in the air. He has a terrible feel for the game. His jokes are bad and corny. The list goes on and on. He’s not a guy I’d want to have a beer with after the game. Generally you’d want to be able to say that about your guys in the booth.
I’m pretty sure the dislike of Brian Jordan the announcer has nothing to do with Brian Jordan the player. MLBNetwork showed a CSS broadcasted game last week in which Brian Jordan was an announcer. He was so bad he made me not want to watch the game anymore but I suffered through it because the Braves were playing. He was that bad.
DEAR GOD NO WHY POR QUE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Ahem.
So I have to hear Ron Gant say “Atlanta Braves do this” “Atlanta Braves do that” “The Atlanta Braves have the lead” “The Atlanta Braves have a man on third” blah blah blah Atlanta Braves blah blah blah. MY GOD. I hate the way he can’t just say “Braves” but insists on prefacing it with Atlanta every. damn. time. And then Brian Jordan is basically useless. The only reason I could stand him on Braves Live was because of his mighty immovable suit.
Too bad they couldn’t persuade Smoltz to do every PTV game with Joe.
Gant great ~ B. Jordan yikes
Agreed plus B. Jordan was a complete joke of a player as well never cared for the guy granted he had one good season during the big cat’s battle with cancer but that was about it for him as a Brave.
Damn replace his ass plz.
by Holty_Panthers_Fan on Mar 24, 2011 4:16 PM EDT reply actions
As much as Chip is annoying sometimes
when he gets overexcited for a routine popup or uses homoerotic language, he is at least a very competent play-by-play guy. He’s not the best guy out there, but he does know the team reasonably well, and his excitement comes in handy when something exciting actually happens. His call of Heyward’s homer on opening day was great—a billion times better than the horrible ESPN call, which was actually a non-call, since the announcers for some reason didn’t say anything during the ball’s flight.
I like Gant just fine… He’s improved a lot since his early stumbles. Brian Jordan, though… Ugh. He stinks. He can barely even spit out a complete sentence, much less offer any insight.
I wish we could have a 4-man rotation of the radio guys (Powell and Sutton) plus Chip and Joe. Well, actually, I wish we could have Skip and Pete on one team and Joe and Boog on the other, but that is obviously impossible.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
Chip's call of the Heyward homer was good
but he calls just about every play with that same loudness and hyperbole. He gets excited way too easily and starts yelling. Many times I’ve found myself wishing he’d just shut up. We should keep a running count of “shut the hell up” moments from Chip this season when he’s being annoying. Five per game would be a very conservative number.
105+ games of Chip Caray
Far and away the worst news of any of this.
"All told, Philadelphia stadiums house the most monstrous collection of humanity outside of the federal penal system." - GQ
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