Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
|
Post by Big Dog on Mar 1, 2013 13:31:47 GMT -5
Reading about Gus Johnson's soccer experience, it sounds like he is totally off basketball for the foreseeable future. So who can Fox turn to as the lead play-by-play voice of its new league?
Internal options already under contract with Fox:
Joe Buck (has never even spoken of college hoops to my knowledge, can't imagine he'd be interested)
Dick Stockton (he called the 1985 national championship game among other college games and does basketball for Turner--he is in his 70s but would definitely bring some gravitas and is better than any PBP guy at ESPN right now)
Big Ten Network personnel (Dave Revsine, Brian Anderson, Tom Hamilton, Wayne Larrivee)
Other Fox personnel (Josh Lewin, Thom Brennamen)
External options:
I have no idea about the contract status of current ESPN or CBS employees. On the analyst side, it sure would be a coup to somehow entice Bill Raftery away, but given that he is already working for not one but two networks that seems unlikely to happen.
Who else is out there with East Coast/Big East ties who isn't already doing NBA or NHL work?
|
|
Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
|
Post by Big Dog on Mar 1, 2013 13:35:57 GMT -5
One other point--I suppose there is a very strong likelihood that the BE scheduling model we are familiar with (including some crazy Saturday/Monday turnarounds and no games on Friday or most Thursday nights) will likely change considerably.
|
|
|
|
Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2013 13:44:17 GMT -5
Reading about Gus Johnson's soccer experience, it sounds like he is totally off basketball for the foreseeable future. So who can Fox turn to as the lead play-by-play voice of its new league? Why is he off basketball? Fox is losing soccer next year. (English Premiership). |
|
hoyas1995
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by hoyas1995 on Mar 1, 2013 13:46:03 GMT -5
Reading about Gus Johnson's soccer experience, it sounds like he is totally off basketball for the foreseeable future. So who can Fox turn to as the lead play-by-play voice of its new league? Why is he off basketball? Fox is losing soccer next year. (English Premiership). They are grooming him for the World Cup in 2018 |
|
hoyas1995
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by hoyas1995 on Mar 1, 2013 13:46:44 GMT -5
Still I dont see how Gus couldnt squeeze a few games in.
I like Brennaman. He did some hoops for Cincy in the 90's
|
|
|
|
Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2013 13:47:40 GMT -5
Why is he off basketball? Fox is losing soccer next year. (English Premiership). They are grooming him for the World Cup in 2018 He is awful at soccer. It made me want to turn off the sound hearing him. I will always prefer the British commentators over him. |
|
hoyas1995
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by hoyas1995 on Mar 1, 2013 13:49:31 GMT -5
I dont know why they are trying to make their soccer voice. Gus is an American voice.
His "effect" really is best at March Madness.
Next thing you know they'll try and make him their voice for MLB
|
|
Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
|
Post by Big Dog on Mar 1, 2013 13:52:14 GMT -5
|
|
Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
|
Post by Jack on Mar 1, 2013 13:55:03 GMT -5
Kenny Albert seems likely to become involved. Chris Myers and Curt Menefee, too. The guys who do the SNY/MASN telecasts will probably get a look - I like Tim Welsh, could do without Bob Wenzel.
|
|
sead43
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 796
|
Post by sead43 on Mar 1, 2013 13:55:50 GMT -5
might be totally out of the box, but Gary Cohen, the lead PBP announcer for the Mets on SNY, also does radio PBP for Seton Hall basketball. would be pretty cool if he could somehow move to TV for the new Big East/Fox. He is already familar with the C7 teams from doing the Seton Hall games. and he's a great announcer, at least for baseball (the Cohen/Keith Hernandez/Ron Darling announcing team has been one of the few bright spots of Mets baseball over the past few years).
|
|
SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,737
|
Post by SFHoya99 on Mar 1, 2013 13:57:06 GMT -5
Kenny Albert seems likely to become involved. Chris Myers and Curt Menefee, too. The guys who do the SNY/MASN telecasts will probably get a look - I like Tim Welsh, could do without Bob Wenzel. Bob Wenzel. The other, bad at coaching ex-BE coach who sounds a lot like Bill Raftery, except with less drinking references and no insightful commentary. |
|
|
|
Post by vamosalaplaya on Mar 1, 2013 13:59:19 GMT -5
Gus's goal calls during Chelsea-City were outstanding, better than at least half the British commentators. I was surprised how well it translated. He was not as sharp on the lingo but he did a much better job than most American announcers and I think could get there.
I am a bit fuzzy on whether Fox Soccer is even going to exist next year. They lost all their leagues outside of the Scottish league from what I can tell. I think Gus will do a ton of hoops next year.
|
|
|
|
Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2013 13:59:38 GMT -5
I dont know why they are trying to make their soccer voice. Gus is an American voice. His "effect" really is best at March Madness. Next thing you know they'll try and make him their voice for MLB Not sure how an American with zero experience in soccer is going to ever get the knowledge or experience that a British announcer has had for an entire lifetime. Yet, Gus is really into trying to go after the next hot thing. He was really trying to insert himself into the MMA scene with his announcing on CBS and Showtime although he had zero experience in that field. |
|
|
|
Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2013 14:00:51 GMT -5
Gus's goal calls during Chelsea-City were outstanding, better than at least half the British commentators. I was surprised how well it translated. He was not as sharp on the lingo but he did a much better job than most American announcers and I think could get there. I disagree. I felt he was trying too hard to act like he knew what was going on. |
|
chep3
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,314
|
Post by chep3 on Mar 1, 2013 14:01:08 GMT -5
Can't we steal Raf from ESPN? Big East basketball won't be the same without him.
|
|
rosslynhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,595
|
Post by rosslynhoya on Mar 1, 2013 14:02:13 GMT -5
I dont know why they are trying to make their soccer voice. Gus is an American voice. His "effect" really is best at March Madness. Next thing you know they'll try and make him their voice for MLB Not sure how an American with zero experience in soccer is going to ever get the knowledge or experience that a British announcer has had for an entire lifetime. Yet, Gus is really into trying to go after the next hot thing. He was really trying to insert himself into the MMA scene with his announcing on CBS and Showtime although he had zero experience in that field. Gus had been announcing San Jose games, apparently to much acclaim by their fanbase, before Fox offered him this gig. |
|
|
|
Post by professorhoya on Mar 1, 2013 14:03:08 GMT -5
" He misidentified Welshman Ryan Giggs as "the most decorated English player" and was incorrect on Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso clearing a Robin Van Persie ball off the end line in the second half. (Johnson initially had Sergio Ramos with the clear but corrected himself quickly. Barton should have bailed his partner out on Giggs.) Read More: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130214/gus-johnson-champions-league-soccer/#ixzz2MJfkdgMuThat's like basic stuff and it's embarrassing that he thought Giggs was English. |
|
|
|
Post by johnnysnowplow on Mar 1, 2013 14:05:56 GMT -5
Is it completely absurd to wonder if somehow Jay Bilas could be involved on a limited basis? Raftery works for two networks. Why not Bilas? Probably unrealistic, but I can dream...
Bob Wenzel is an atrocity. Hopefully he stays with the new Conference USA. Sead raises an interesting point about Cohen. He's really good for the Mets and I had no idea he does radio for Seton Hall (who the hell is listening to them on the radio?) Given his familiarity with the BE already, I think it's an interesting option.
Could we pluck Laphonso Ellis somehow? He's growing on me. I kind of like him.
|
|
Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,912
|
Post by Big Dog on Mar 1, 2013 14:06:15 GMT -5
I dont know why they are trying to make their soccer voice. Gus is an American voice. His "effect" really is best at March Madness. Next thing you know they'll try and make him their voice for MLB Not sure how an American with zero experience in soccer is going to ever get the knowledge or experience that a British announcer has had for an entire lifetime. Yet, Gus is really into trying to go after the next hot thing. He was really trying to insert himself into the MMA scene with his announcing on CBS and Showtime although he had zero experience in that field. This whole experiment was Fox's idea, not Gus Johnson's. They needed to find something for him to do--sixth-tier NFL games and Iowa-Northwestern games on BTN weren't really helping them get their money's worth. There's no reason to attack him for attempting to take on an enormous task for which he will be ridiculed for some time (and in some corners forever) for doing what his bosses asked him to do. The initial reviews of his debut put him in the B-/C+ range, which I think is pretty good given that he knew nothing about soccer 3 months ago. Given that Fox's World Cup isn't for five more years, he'll have lots of time to improve, and won't be so insecure about showing that he'd prepared hard for the gig. Now maybe from here the feedback will be so negative that they'll switch gears and bring him back to do their new signature hoops league, or maybe after this initial soccer run they can adjust his soccer schedule enough to allow him to do hoops next fall. But right now, Fox is devoted to going all in with him on soccer (and he was good enough the other day to justify continuing the experiment) so I think we're looking at other options. |
|
Jack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,411
|
Post by Jack on Mar 1, 2013 14:08:06 GMT -5
I believe Gus later explained his comment about Giggs was meant to be about him being one of the most decorated players in English club history, which he is.
I believe Fox Sports 1 is intended to replace FSC, but Fox still has rights to Champions League, UEFA Leage, FA Cup, and CONCACAF Gold Cup, among other opportunities for Gus to get reps before 2018.
|
|
