By Spear Staff
There are many moving parts that put together the entire sports experience. There are obviously the players, the coaches and the fans, but something as simple as an announcer can make a good game great. The most memorable plays in the history of sports are forever intertwined with their calls. Here are some of our favorite announcers.
Jessica: My current favorite sports broadcaster would have to be Brodie Brazil. He works for NBC Sports Bay Area and anchors ringside for Sharks pregame and postgame live as well as anchoring the Athletics pregame and postgame live. My friends and I like to call him Bro Bra for short. He already has a unique name but calling him Bro Bra just sounds cooler to me. I became a Sharks fan in middle school when he was just starting out his career for the Sharks and I’ve always enjoyed the way he spoke. He always has clarity in his voice when discussing what is to be expected of the players and the outcome of the game. The enthusiasm he has in his voice especially during playoff season has to be my favorite by far. He gets so into all the playoff games and he makes every game more special because of the passion in his voice. Brazil also hosted Shark Byte, which was a television show focusing on the Sharks and he would go around following the players’ daily lives. When he hosted the show I was really impressed by his professionalism towards the players outside the tank. In my opinion, I think all-around he has the full package of what a sports broadcaster should be.
Nick: Without a doubt, it’s got to be Bob Costas. I would be tempted to say Vin Scully if he was still an active broadcaster, but I’ll stick to the topic of right now and go with Costas. Costas has been around for what seems like forever, and he has been involved in many different sports. For me personally, I know Costas from his baseball and Olympics coverage. Even though he wasn’t involved with the 2018 Olympics, I still associate his voice with the Olympics. I’m a little disappointed that he isn’t the voice of the Olympics anymore, but I still love hearing him call baseball games. It just amazes how well-rounded his sports knowledge enables him to broadcast vastly different sports, and sound great doing them all.
Derrick: This is a tough question. This could go so many ways and maybe it is because I am biased towards broadcasting journalism. I would say our very own Ryan Carlson but I will go in another direction. My favorite broadcaster is Jim Nantz. Jim is the number one broadcaster for CBS Sports. He calls the NFL, NCAA March Madness Tournament and the PGA Tour which includes the Master’s Tournament and the PGA Championship. He is one of the greatest broadcasters in sports just because he has been at one network for over 30 years which is hard to do in any field. He always is welcoming to the audience at home and makes every game he does a big deal. He lives in Pebble Beach which is right down the road from me so this has a local connection for me. He is one of the main reasons I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. When you hear Hello Friends to start off a broadcast, you know it is a big-time sporting event. If you have never heard the soothing baritone voice of Jim Nantz, then I would check out highlights of his calls on Youtube.
Gio: I believe the best sports broadcaster right now has to be Tony Romo. He is a color analyst along with Jim Nantz on CBS. Although he is early in his broadcast career, I really do like his general knowledge of football as a whole. There are times where he can correctly predict what the defensive scheme will do. He will often be able to call out blitz that normal broadcasters can not call. It also helps that he played quarterback in the NFL for more than 14 years. His knowledge of different coverages help him make the correct prediction on what audiable the offense would call. After his contract expired with CBS, ESPN came and tried to sign Romo to be their color analyst. Yet he declined and decided to sign a record breaking deal with CBS that is worth more than $17 million per year and $100 million in total through the 2022 season. Which made him the highest paid analyst/caster in TV history. These are the reasons why Tony Romo is the best sports broadcaster right now.
Stevie Corio: My dad was born and raised in the bay and his favorite sport is baseball, so naturally he was a Giants fan. I listened to a lot of KNBR 680 when I was little by force which is why in my very biased opinion I think that Mike Krukow is the best broadcaster right now. The reason why I say this is because he is memorable. I can’t think about Giants baseball and not hear his voice in my head when reading over stats or stories. Half the battle of being a good sports broadcaster is having a memorable voice because it is what keeps the audience engaged. The way that he talks and announces games reflects his personal style and we as listeners associate his voice with Giants baseball. The reason why he is the best is because he is unforgettable. His phrases are iconic and anyone who listens to Giants baseball can recognize him over a speaker or on the radio. That’s a key aspect that I feel all great sports broadcasters possess.
Kellen: The best sports broadcaster is Stephen A. Smith. He has been one of the main reasons why I really wanted to become a sports journalist and broadcaster. Stephen A. makes sports more fun and entertaining then they already are. His innovative show “First Take” was groundbreaking and game-changing. With the help of Skip Bayless, First Take became one of the biggest shows in ESPN history. The relationship that Stephen A. has with current and former players makes his stories seem more real and authentic.
Austin: The best announcers make the games more fun, and nobody does that better than Gus Johnson. His energy and passion are unmatched, and you can tell that he’s simply a fan of the games just like the rest of us. There’s no better pair for a buzzer-beater or Hail Mary like a Gus Johnson call. As for a close second, I’ll give Mike Tirico a shoutout. His knowledge of sports is impeccable. His rapport with Jon Gruden was fantastic and I miss hearing those two call football on Monday Nights.