Slightly OT - D-Backs broadcasters

because the D-Backs simply haven’t done anything since that’s worth bragging about since then?

have been a classless, irritating and yes, graceless than Mark Grace.

I’m sure some scrubs have been worse, but I’m hard-pressed to think of any major figure in recent Cubs history who has been as classless to the franchise than Grace.

Many of them are homers… thats just the way it is. Some are over the top, but you need to understand that they are appealing to a home market. I was listening to part of the Reds-Braves game on Saturday on XM and heard Jeff Brantley (w/ Marty Brennaman) and this guy who was so well respected as an ESPN studio guy has become a total homer who sounds like an idiot. Even well respected guys are homers.

But what you should try realizing is what opposing fans probably think when they hear Ron Santo. Even in close games he and Pat talk about things like The Addams Family and Ron’s hair piece. What many people love Ron for is likely what Dbacks fans love Sutton and Grace for, what Red fans love Brennaman and Brantley for, and so on.

Astros announcers did the same thing earlier this year against the Cubs when we blew them out. A lot of teams do it. I mean, when the team you’re broadcasting has essentially lost the game by the third you gotta find something to fill two more hours with, and commenting on the crowd usually does the trick.

Everything else you mentioned is petty and par for the course when it goes to referencing the Cubs. I truly believe it stems from a deep-rooted jealousy in just how much we Cub fans love our team.

That’s the reason I’m still shocked to see so much anti-Cub clothing in St Louis. Hey guys, your team has done some AMAZING things. Celebrate those! I wear clothing accentuating my love for the Cubs, not my hatred for other teams.

I just don’t get it.

And let’s remember that in terms of ball parks being invaded in droves by Cubs fans, Daron Sutton made a lateral move. His previous job was with FSN…Wisconsin. Yeah that’s right. He may encounter less Cubs fans down there for that series then he did when he was doing play-by-play for the Crew, but still…

Personally, I always liked Sutton’s broadcasts. There’s just something about the Cubs brings out the inferiority complex in a lot of teams.

and Lilly has shown he’s better than that. They can’t let it go because they mustn’t have much else to talk about.

We’re spoiled here. Pat&Ron and Len&Bob are phenomenal, plus they’re great cheerleaders. Every game—I feel as if I’m having a conversation with these guys. So, scrape a couple bucks, save on dry cleaning and get your MLB Extra Innings package back.

…small/mid market announcers. ’nuff said.

Be glad who you have calling CUBS games in one of the greatest sports cities on the planet.

and I honestly don’t mind them. In fact, there are several other announcing teams I find far less entertaining. And, for what it’s worth, Len and Bob have mentioned the NLDS sweep from two years ago in both broadcasts so far. And why shouldn’t they? When the Cubs and Dbacks play, we are all reminded of that. As far as the food reference, their team was being blown out. Their fans that were tuning in enjoyed the entertainment as opposed to the whining, i’m sure.

How could Bob and Len, in one of the best offensive outputs in the last many games continue to follow Ted Lilly and his stupid pet moth. What a gigantic waste of time. Shouldn’t those people be doing their jobs and explaining the game? They just hate the diamondbacks.

/sarcasm

Nothing in your complaint is particularly offensive and if you don’t like the AZ broadcasters, that’s fine and I respect your opinion. But Mark Grace was a jackass when he was playing for the cubs, let alone broadcasting for the d-backs – it’s the guy he is. Just because he’s with a different outfit isn’t any reason to expect him to change his personality.

they showed a cub fan wearing a cubbie hat with a pair of clapping hands on it. my question is where can I get one of those? would like one for the collection

I thought he was going to fall out of the booth a few years ago when the Brewers beat the Cubs to get to .500 at the All-Star Break….something like “AND THE BREWERS BEAT THEIR BITTER RIVALS!!!!!!” I thought he was channeling Kermit the Frog introducing the guest host for the Muppet Show.

I actually did hear him today and thought he was a bit odd. Now maybe I don’t hear alot of broadcasters, but I just thought he came across as a ‘know it all’ and you know the first rule of announcing is that when you say things ’don’t’ happen they are going to happen in the very near future lol…I’m sure he gets burned by this constantly.

As for Gracie, I like Grace, the only complaint I have about him as the same I have about John Kruk, to hear them talk you would think they both only had a cup of coffee in the majors not actual stars of their day lol

as a Cub and as a D Back. His broadcasting style doesn’t bother me and at least he shows passion for the game from the booth. Sutton is so-so. You can’t bitch about Grace and not bitch about Harry or Ron. I love all three. When I listen to them or listened to Harry, I was listening to their love of the game and their personalities, not looking for perfection. I used to enjoy listening to Steve Stone, but now he seems grating. Brenneman has a chip on his shoulder against the Cubs and will rip them at every opportunity.

When you have to fill air time during games where your homeys are getting their butts handed to them, sure the talk will wander. Everyone does it. NBD.

Most of you have heard the broadcasters from the other teams and I think you would agree that they are all homers and most of them are worse than Grace.

Baseball broadcasts, more than any other sport, are about entertainment. Not just about the game.

There’s a lot of down time between pitches. A blowout can render play by play irrelevant. You have to be able to talk about stuff other than the game itself and be able to hold the listeners’ attention.

Now, some broadcasters are a little ridiculous. Al Hrabosky and Dan McLaughlin on the Cardinals’ TV broadcasts rip the Cubs every chance they get, even when they’re not playing the Redbirds. But that’s part of the schtick, too, I guess.

I listen to a lot of the radio guys on Gameday, and Pat and Ron are right up there at the top as far as entertaining. As much as I dislike Marty Brennaman, I think the Reds games are pretty fun to listen to, too. He certainly isn’t shy about offering an opinion.

Listen to those two, then listen to, say, a Rangers game, and you’ll hear what I mean.

A catholic church in Kenosha has a “sports night” banquet every winter, honoring local athletes and fund raising. Sports celebs from the Packers, Bears, Cubs, Brewers and Badgers attend. In 2004, I was there and Sutton was the emcee. He made a Bartman joke, thinking it would do well in front of a crowd of (bitter) Brewers fans. Kenosha probably has more Cubs fans than Brewers and White Sox combined . . . the lame joke did not go over well and the surprise on his face was great.

Later, Najeh Davenport either made fun of him or didn’t laugh at a different joke (hey, it was 5 years ago) and Sutton made a “4th and 26” crack (in reference to the NFC Championship game that the Eagles beat the Packers in) — with no humor in his voice.

Sutton just comes across as a bitter little man, and there seems to be reason why he doesn’t ply his trade in a bigger market – and won’t get the opportunity to do so. The best description I can think of is, he’s a Matt Vasgergian wanna be — and I’m no fan of the latter.

It’s #12. Sutton left the #35 market (Milwaukee) to go to Phoenix.

http://www.tvb.org/rcentral/markettrack/us_hh_by_dma.asp

In any event, this is a subject that has been talked to death. Most teams’ announcers are very biased. Sutton sounds the same in PHX as he did in Milwaukee.

Thom Brennaman did the reverse move — left PHX to go to #34 Cincinnati — doing that, because of his father.

Sutton, Vasgergian….all from the ESPN “I’m too hip for the room” school of broadcasting.

The difference is — the ESPN guys can pull it off without being knuckleheads.

However, they pay talent large-market salaries in PHX, commensurate with the market size (SD does not) so that is part of my consideration….but attitude, as you describe, is a different consideration. Detroit and Phoenix may be similar markets, size-wise but probably have different standards….

If you live outside of Chicago, and are on EI. Since this is a WCIU game v. the Marlins, those are not on the package. We will be treated to Fox/South.

Shanghai, I understand. The days of Vin Scully-type announcers, working for the home team are gone. This is not to say all announcers of the past were playing it down the middle — certainly, Harry was never an example of that. But, Scully, Harry Kalas, Ernie Harwell…favoring the home team, never insulted the opposition and their fans.

The modern pbp guy — many times, on directions from the team — really goes for the ‘homer’ stripes. (After all, almost all of these guys are paid by the team) The home fans eat this stuff up.

We can be thankful that Len & Bren, who do favor the Cubs — are never spiteful or hateful. There are still a few teams like them — the Angels team comes to mind…the Indians duo, another…and now, the new TV fellow here in SD — Mark Neely, is giving me hope that he’s following that path.

To my taste, Matt Vasgergian was unwatchable — as he is Daren Sutton x 10. But, most Padres fans I talk with miss the “entertaining” antics of Vasgergian. This market wants “extra value” with games…..therefore, with a giveaway trinket at almost every game, when they are home, they still want more than the game.

it’s simple — they understand what professionalism is all about.

With E-I, ALL of these games are now available on a national basis. These guys know that they are being watched in other markets….I heard Sutton make such a remark on last Sunday’s game….when that D-backs game was the only one in MLB still going…

“….Gracie, do you know that THIS is the only game currently in action in Major League Baseball… we are being viewed around the world….”

Grace then gurgled some inane, and the game went on….

The point is — anybody else watching out-of-market is not really important, in the scheme of things. The home team broadcasters (in most cities) pander to the max to the home audience.

that have held a grudge against the cubs ever since they’ve left. Thom Brennamen(tool), Mark Grace (sell-out), Steve Stone (pompous ass). I can’t stand any of them. Grace apparently forgot where he came from, Brennamen is a moron just like his old man and Stone needs to get over it. The Cubs offered him the job and he walked away so if anything he should be pissed at himself not the Cubs.

Remember that ? Grace has been out in the sun a little too long.
have you ever listened to how negative brennaman is when he calls Cubs games, always talking negative about them. I can’t stand him. He’s just pissed that they gave the broadcasting job to chip caray and not him.