Favorite sports play-by-play team in DFW

[Basketballfan]

We are so lucky to have great sports coverage here in DFW. Ralph and Razor doing the Stars games might be my all-time favorite...they take a fast-moving, complex sport and really paint a nice picture for the listener. Brad Davis and Chuck C. do a good job on the Mavs broadcasts. I really like their enthusiasm.

 

[txchipk]

Not even close...Ralph & Razor.

 

[Rock Chalk]

The best ever in DFW???.....that's a hard choice. Probably Bill Mercer. However, and boy this is tough because they were both great, but my old friend Mark Holtz. Listening to Mark do the Rangers' games was a work of art. Both of these gentlemen are/were class acts and tremendous talents. I still miss Mark. He was taken from us way too soon. Also, Eric Nadel is damn good, one of the very best in the Majors today. Great talent!! But he's not as good as Mark was. No offense Eric. You just had a big pair of shoes to fill. My 2 cents worth.

Jason Walker

 

[Old Jack]

Not even close...Ralph & Razor.

I'll second that- not so much because they are great (though they are very good) but because some other pairs are so bad.

I will say this: if poor Brad Sham had a better broadcast partner, I've vote for them. Sham is the best in the market bar none. Too bad Jerry sticks him with Babe.

 

[KERCAlum]

I've heard Ralph Strangis and Darryl Reaugh on a couple of Stars games, and they do a good job - but hockey is too hard to follow on the radio. Same for basketball (if I even cared about basketball). But I think my all-time favorite on-air team used to be Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel. 2nd place has to go to Nadel and Victor Rojas (I don't really like Dave Barnett on baseball - he's better on football). Third place is probably Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve (Tag has gotten a little more lively in his analysis in the last couple of years, but he's still pretty deadpan, and I like that - he balances out Lewin nicely).

I remember (vaguely) when Dick Risenhoover used to call Rangers games on WBAP. He was pretty good, too, in that deadpan way that Grieve is. Also remember when Steve Busby and Jim Sundberg used to do the games on Channel 11 (back when they were an indie) - they were pretty bad (no offense to either one). But Busby is a better analyst.

 

[LibertyNT]

My vote will have to go to the original Play By Play announcers for the
Wylie Pirates. They sounded just as good as the collage football announcers.

One of their names was Scott, cannot remember the other. Excellently produced
and had a ton of advertisers.
Of course now Wylie has no radio for their football anymore, WISD ruined that when they demanded that both of their High School get coverage.
Mix that to the fact that the originals retired and their replacements sucked.
the final station they were on (KHYI) had horrible play by play for the pirates, and couldn't afford to do both the high schools.
The Original team had been on 990 1160 and 95.3

 

[Sgt. Hans G. Schultz]

My vote will have to go to the original Play By Play announcers for the
Wylie Pirates. They sounded just as good as the collage football announcers.

One of their names was Scott, cannot remember the other. Excellently produced
and had a ton of advertisers.
Of course now Wylie has no radio for their football anymore, WISD ruined that when they demanded that both of their High School get coverage.
Mix that to the fact that the originals retired and their replacements sucked.
the final station they were on (KHYI) had horrible play by play for the pirates, and couldn't afford to do both the high schools.
The Original team had been on 990 1160 and 95.3

That's not the whole story. The super's position at WISD was/is that what ever is provided for one school should be provided for both (as it should be). He has to do that as he is not/can not be in a position to favor one program over the other. After KHYI was no longer involved, an offer was made to the new AD, Coach Craighead, (NOT by KHYI) to provide equal coverage to both schools and the offer was declined by the coaches and Booster Club of Wylie East. They were understandably not very excited about their first year program (that has no seniors yet) being given the same level of attention that WHS is used to getting. SO, when the East folks said, "No, thanks, maybe next year.", that meant WHS has to wait until the next time around.

 

[LibertyNT]

Did not know that Shultze
there you go proving again you know more than noothing

 

[schmave]

No longer live in Texas but as far the as best team, it's Ralph and Razor. I always enjoy listening to Sham no matter what he's calling. Nadel has grown on me (do not like Barnett on baseball at all), and can't comment on the Mavericks guys because I never saw the games living in Houston.

 

[arnoldevns]

Current: Ralph & Razor. Entertaining and informative, they have a difficult job trying to paint a mental image of what's going on on the ice while also providing proper calls and commentary on TV. They do it so well it seems easy. In my view, there is not a better sports play-by-play team in any sport anywhere else in the country.

All-time: Mark Holtz & Eric Nadel. The Rangers frequently were way out of playoff contention early in the season when they were at their prime, but the games were always entertaining to listen to. In my opinion, Holtz should go in the baseball hall of fame.

Honorable mention: Verne Lundquist & Brad Sham on Cowboys games in the 70s. They brought excitement and insight to the games without being total homers. It always made good sense to turn down the TV sound and turn up KRLD when they did the games.

 

[Sgt. Hans G. Schultz]

Did not know that Shultze
there you go proving again you know more than noothing


Another thing the good Sgt. doesn't know about is WHS games were never on 990, only 1160 and 95.3. Scott Harrison was the man in charge. They were bumped off 1160 by Thomas Lee who is originally from Plano and has been doing PISD games for several years. This happened because he was broadcasting a large number on PISD events throughout the school year, not just football as was the case with Scott. The folks at 1160 decided to do business with Thomas for football as well a couple of years ago instead of Scott because of the amount of money he was spending for all the other events. Scott's crew was replaced last year by Ken Jones' guys as he (Jones) took the production in house when Scott left the building.

 

[LibertyNT]

actually Schultze, I distinctly Remember the WHS games on 990. And I also remember the huge fit Wylie folks had when they switched to 1160 because of the poor nighttime reception 1160 had in Wylie. Which was another reason that they moved from 1160.

 

[Sgt. Hans G. Schultz]

actually Schultze, I distinctly Remember the WHS games on 990. And I also remember the huge fit Wylie folks had when they switched to 1160 because of the poor nighttime reception 1160 had in Wylie. Which was another reason that they moved from 1160.

reeeeaallly.... I guess that must have been before the Thom Bailey "SportsFan 990" debacle because I recall them doing Dallas ISD games when he was there.

 

[LibertyNT]

I think it was before 990 went sports.
the pirates joined 1160 in its final months as Magic 1160.
Prior to that it was whatever 990 was at the time.

 

[Gopher]

Honorable mention: Verne Lundquist & Brad Sham on Cowboys games in the 70s.

Didn't Vern do the games with Frank Gleiber before that? Also give a tip of the hat to Brad and Dale Hanson. You may not have always known what was going on during the ball game but it was a heck of a lot of fun to listen to.

Also a hardy Thank You to the folks at 105.3 for this weeks game. It was actually in sync with the DirecTV broadcast instead of being almost 7 seconds behind for a change. ;D

 

[donicus]

I love to listen to Ralph and Razor call the Stars games, and I surely do miss hearing Mr. Holz yell out "Hello Win Column" after the Rangers would win a game. If Brad Sham didn't have to mention a sponser for EVERYTHING that's happening, I would listen to him more often. I don't blame him, just don't want to hear the "Grand Prairie Ford Second down" all the time. Just sayin'.

 

[adub]

Thom Bailey & Leon Simon on KNON's DISD Football during the early 2000's. The first "Def-Comedy Jam".They knew the sports but had a great time doing it.

 

[317C50KW]

95.3 and 92.1 Farmersville double up on Rockwall ISD and Garland ISD coverage. The problem is the games are on POTS lines and sound horrible from a technical standpoint. I can't comment on the guys doing the broadcasts, the low rent engineering gets in the way.

BTW, I'll also agree that Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel were the best team on the air, Eric and Victor would be 1b and I don't mind Eric and Dave Barnett at all.

I'm betting Barnett will replace Josh on TV before too long.

 

[Sgt. Hans G. Schultz]

95.3 and 92.1 Farmersville double up on Rockwall ISD and Garland ISD coverage.
The problem is the games are on POTS lines (straight cell phone when there is no POTS)
and sound horrible from a technical every standpoint.

I can't comment on the guys doing the broadcasts, the low rent Ken Jones lack of engineering gets in the way.

fwiw, the guys that do the Rockwall HS games (foot, basket, soft & baseball) get paid Ken's favorite rate: zip... zero, zilch, nada. And they kinda like it that way because as long as they get the spots in, they can pretty much do whatever they want during the broadcasts. If Ken doesn't like it, what's he gonna do about it... fire 'em?

 

[mediawonk]

Brian Estridge and John Denton do a great job with the TCU football broadcasts, now heard locally on WBAP and KTCU (also carried in Houston, Abilene and a couple other places) - they've won the AP Texas sports play-by-play award several times over the past decade.