NBC Puts Together Worst Announcing Team Of All Time

Monday, January 11, 2010

Yes, there are certainly terrible individuals in the broadcasting world, and there are a few bad duos as well, but I don't think it's possible to assemble a team as bad as the one that called the Jets-Bengals game. Tom Hammond is usually pretty good, but no one could stop the trainwreck that was Joe Gibbs and Joe Theismann.

There were a ton of notable mistakes, but none more glaring than the following two. Not only could they not figure out who threw the touchdown pass to Dustin Keller (Brad Smith or Sanchez) in the second quarter, but they even praised Marvin Lewis' idiotic decision to challenge challenge an almost meaningless play, and waste his last challenge....in the first quarter. Via the NY Times....

Gibbs and Theismann offered decent but unmemorable analysis. Theismann displayed how much more accurate the erratic Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer’s passing is when he follows through; both described how the Jets were running behind their offensive line to the left, six days after succeeding against the Bengals to the right.

But they were late in recognizing the seriousness of the gamble taken by Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis in using his challenges too early — in fact, Theismann said the second challenge was a good one without saying how the decision might hurt him later.

Then, he and his old coach did not revisit the subject late in the fourth quarter when Chad Ochocinco was ruled out of bounds on an attempted touchdown pass.

Not enough video analysis was given by NBC to determine if the call was right.
Joe Gibbs southern drawl was way too slow, which then allowed Theismann to interrupt him just about every single play. Theismann even took it upon himself to do play-by-play when it wasn't warranted. Basically he couldn't shut the "F" up, which is nothing new.

I know it can be tough to throw teams together at the last minute (just ask TBS Baseball), but everyone knew this was a terrible idea from the get go. NBC probably should have just gone with its full College Football announcing team, but they tried to get cute, and it turned out terribly. That didn't seem to stop people from watching though. NBC posted the best Wild Card ratings in 10 years.

Redskins Reunion in the Booth Doesn't Quite Click (NY Times)

22 Comments:

I knew what was coming and I still couldn't believe how much Theismann was going on and on about nothing.

GMoney said...
Jan 11, 2010, 10:53:00 AM  

This broadcast was 2006 MNFesque. It was atrocious.

Theismann is terrible. But I tell you that Buddy Ryan is one heck of a coach for the New York Jets.

TJX said...
Jan 11, 2010, 11:14:00 AM  

Thgey were, indeed, a huge suckfest, but I submit to you as a close second the Westwood One radio team of Marv Albert and Mark Malone. They did the shootout in AZ, and Marv, especially, was off his game(getting names, and the teams they play for, wrong; sounding completely disinterested in being there, for example). I kinda liked Malone when he was at tWWL, but yesterday, he just sounded too much like Joey T. Thankfully, the local ESPN affiliate cut their power at sunset, so I couldn't hear them anymore(I refused to listen to Buck/Aikman until it was absolutely necessary).

UnHoly Diver said...
Jan 11, 2010, 11:59:00 AM  

Joe Buck managed to make a 51-45 game sound like a 13-6 preseason contest. He sucked a ton and it feels like his excitement is forced.

FOX is so thin at play-by-play it's not even funny.

TJX said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:04:00 PM  

What are you talking about? Gibbs was great! His voice might not have been perfect, but he was consistently offering smart commentary.

Devon Edwards said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:05:00 PM  

It was pretty funny when they all agreed there were "too many Ryan's in the NFL", lamenting the fact that none of them could comprehend Buddy Ryan was no longer in the league. Unreal.

TomahawkFlop said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:15:00 PM  

Gibbs just seem confused. That was the car crash commentary team of the season.

TJX said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:30:00 PM  

Maybe NBC was trying to one-up ESPN with their horrible Mike and Mike and Mike team from the past.

walnuts said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:51:00 PM  

Hammond was at least as awful as his boothmates. Describing a pass caught inside the 5 as being thrown "to the end zone!" ... calling Darrelle Revis "Reeves" ... blown call after blown call. I wasn't sure he was watching the same game I was.

And what was up with reflecting back on Theismann's punting escapades so early in the broadcast? That's the kind of fluff you only haul out in the 4th quarter of a complete blowout.

JN said...
Jan 11, 2010, 12:55:00 PM  

@ TomahawkFlop: While I seriously doubt that they had the ability to analyze things this deeply, they are sort of right. While we see the Parcells and Belichick products and disciples get all the money and the big deals, it is Buddy Ryan's former players, assistants, and son that are dominating the scene in the post-season. So much so that 5 of the 8 teams remaining have 1.

Cowboys: Buddy's former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is the head coach.
Saints: Gregg Williams was a special teams coach in Houston when Buddy Ryan was a DC.
Vikings: Their defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was a DB for the 1985 Bears team whose defensive coordinator was Buddy Ryan.
Jets: Buddy's son Rex is the head coach.
Chargers: Ron Rivera, the Chargers defensive coordinator, was an LB for that 1985 Bears team.

Again, I doubt that is what they meant by such a statement as I am not sure if they are able of going that deep into the Ryan coaching tree, but indirectly and unknowingly, they are right about there being "too many Ryans in the NFL"

Justin F. said...
Jan 11, 2010, 1:14:00 PM  

Haha, JFein...Good analysis there and pretty cool to see the long reaching arms of Buddy Ryan. It was really funny (and dumbfounding) though that those three referred to Rex as Buddy at least three times in the first quarter.

Unknown said...
Jan 11, 2010, 1:49:00 PM  

I just feel bad for the local announcers who are obviously a hell of a lot better, and have put in their time but have to get sh*t on by these "big name" guys. Seriously though, why can't someone like NBC just outsource the game to more seasoned but less known announcers?

woohoo21 said...
Jan 11, 2010, 2:08:00 PM  

"That didn't seem to stop people from watching though. NBC posted the best Wild Card ratings in 10 years."

And that's why announcers are wildly overrated...they mean absolutely NOTHING to sports. Sure, a great one can make a good call but no one watches games for the announcers and no one turns games off because of the announcer.

I'm a Jets fan...I would've watched that game if Gilbert Gottfried was announcing.

And I agree...no idea why they didn't go with their Notre Dame team of Hammond & Haden.

Sean OLeary said...
Jan 11, 2010, 2:24:00 PM  

worst ever? hard to say after the 3 Mikes on MNF.

mark coale said...
Jan 11, 2010, 3:12:00 PM  

"Not only could they not figure out who threw the touchdown pass to Dustin Keller (Brad Smith or Sanchez) in the second quarter..."

Yeah, they had me totally confused by that. I coulda swore I saw Sanchez throw it, but the booth guys seemed to think it was Brad Smith, who had been a QB at Mizzou and all.

Bulworth said...
Jan 11, 2010, 4:00:00 PM  

Theismann's analysis just before the kickoff found him saying, "Palmer will have to make some plays." and then, "Sanchez will have to make some plays." Sheesh. Thank you Captain Obvious.

Steve Holtje said...
Jan 11, 2010, 7:37:00 PM  

I thought Gibbs was ok when he actually got to say something. Theismann wouldn't let him talk.

CubFan23 said...
Jan 11, 2010, 8:56:00 PM  

Hammond also screwed up a promo for Sunday's Blackhawks-Red Wings matchup. He had Nick Lidstrom playing for the 'Hawks, instead of being captain for the Wings (which he is). Either someone wrote that wrong, or Hammond read that wrong. I'm guessing it's the latter. Still like him, thoguh.

Jan 11, 2010, 9:25:00 PM  

@UnHoly Diver--Malone sounded so bad with Marv Albert he was actually James Lofton. Lofton was on the Arizona game with Marv....Malone was on the game with Kevin Harlan in New England for WW1.

Jackson said...
Jan 11, 2010, 11:13:00 PM  

Theismann had a few bad comments, and I occasionally forgot Gibbs was in the booth. But by far, Hammond was the worst. He made so many mistakes that I can't believe he calls all of the Notre Dame games. I would rather see NBC just bring in the NFL Network team.

M said...
Jan 12, 2010, 12:26:00 AM  

Hammond sucks, and any Notre Dame fan that has to listen to his garbage 8 times a year on NBC will tell you the same thing. He is the worst play by play man in network sports and it's not close.

Unknown said...
Jan 13, 2010, 11:00:00 AM  

Isn't the color guy for NFL Network Matt Millen? Would ESPN let NBC have him? Just use Tiki Barber or something.

Morgan Wick said...
Jan 14, 2010, 9:14:00 PM  

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