Patriots Play by Play

[Fenway1912]

After 50 years I got the order wrong.

Harrington was the fulltime Bruins announcer for 3 years from 63-66. Bob Wilson did color. Jim Laing worked one year 1966-7 and then was replaced by Wilson.

Fred did limited TV from 1963-67 on WMUR-9, WHDH-5 and WKBG-56.

Fred's Patriots connection came from being fullime at WEEI. When Gallagher left for WTVJ-TV in Miami, Ned and Fred did the games in 1965.

The Patriots PA announcer in those years was Vin Maloney.

Gallagher did the Dolphins for 3 years on WIOD but got forced out after 1969 because the Dolphins colorman wanted him gone and WIOD fired him.

The colorman? Larry King

Wiki lists Gallagher as play by play in 1965 but he had left WEEI for Channel 7/WNAC radio by then.

1965 was Cusick and Ned Martin. Cusick had lost the Bruins job when he went fulltime at WEEI and WHDH used Jim Laing and then Bill Harrington.

Fred would finally get the Bruins job back in 1969 when WBZ got the contract.

Bob Starr and WBZ started in 1966 (Gil was color 66-70)

Gallagher left WEEI for Miami after the 64 season and Fred Cusick did the Pats in 1965 on WEEI.

I know Ned and Cusick have some Pats history, but it seems odd that they would have been doing Pats together in 65, since both were doing the Sox, Cusick as the park announcer and Ned on the PBP team. Gallagher, I believe, was also the sports director on what passed for a newscast at RKO General's WNAC-TV.

Also, when Jim Laing (cq) was sacked for spending a year saying bad things about a bad team, I believe he was replaced by Bob Wilson, who, when the B's went with "all the good sports" to WBZ, then left to call St. Louis Blues and Cusick took over radio at BZ when Don Earle got the TV job, then Earle was broomed, Fred went to TV and Wilson came back from Stl Lou. I do believe that Bill "Nozo" Harrington, the husband of Miss "Romper Room" Jean, did some B's PBP but I thought it was before Laing.. Cusick I think worked with Pierson on radio, then Pierson replaced Pat Egan (whose real job was a janitor at Northeastern) and Cooney Weiland on TV for a year with Earle while Fred worked with Cal Gardener, then rejoined Pierson on TV.

But my memory isn't what it once was. I do remember that Laing was very good
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[wickedwritah]

Any news on this? Rooke would make a ton of sense, and can probably be had for cheap.

 

[GenXRadio]

Why not get McDonough?
He would become one of the top voices in the NFL in no time at all, he's a Pro, just as much a pro as Gil is.
He knows the team, knows the history, don't discount the fact that he's a New Englander and has a relationship with the Krafts, tell me they wouldn't want a respected broadcaster like Sean McDonough as the radio voice of their franchise?
They know what he can do, this should be a no brainer for them and this is something that McDonough can do the rest of his career AND still do some ESPN broadcasts - college hoops etc.

 

[wickedwritah]

McDonough probably would want too much scratch.

Also he's flying all over every weekend doing college football. He seems to enjoy it.

 

[GenXRadio]

Two things here:
1/ - The Krafts want the Patriots to be spoken of in the same breath as the Giants, The Steelers, the preeminent franchises in the NFL both in the board room and on the field.
Having a stellar voice like Sean McDonough who has connections to the team through his dad covering them for the Globe for so many years, growing up in the area as a Patriots fan and having the connection he does with the Krafts all point to helping put the Patriots in that upper echelon of NFL franchises.
2. -You're telling me that the Patriots & the radio network can't come up with the money to pay McDonough enough to entice him away from covering college football games for ESPN even top tier ones?
You're telling me that to him college football is more enjoyable, the travel and such than being no more than a 30 minute drive from Gillette stadium to cover half the games of the season and he'll be in his own bed at a reasonable hour for every one of those?
If he wants the job I don't see anyone else better than him for it and I don't see the Patriots wanting any other announcer more than Sean because of all I've shared in this post.

 

[wickedwritah]

They may want him. He may be a great fit. But he may not want to do radio.

He did BC football on the radio for a season in the mid-'90s. I don't remember much about him doing the games, which isn't a bad thing.

 

[CTListener]

They may want him. He may be a great fit. But he may not want to do radio.

And being the radio voice of a football team isn't the same as being the voice of a baseball team. Most people watch the NFL on TV, with the network announcers, and many of the games are played on Sundays, in cold or inclement weather. Baseball, a warm-weather sport with games all week long, is much more likely to be listened to on the beach, in the car or at work.

 

[Blackroc]

Why not get McDonough?

There are reasons SM isn't doing RSBb or Net' NFL Football.
I don't know why but it wasn't because he isn't talented or
preferred college fb. I forget was he dropped by CBS?

My guess is the Krafts know who they want and it probably
won't be McDonough.

 

[Fenway1912]

I can tell you for a fact there is only one Boston team that Sean would take over his national gigs and that is the Bruins.

Dan Hoard will get the Pats job and his wife can return to channel 4 doing news. Nice clean package for CBS.

McDonough probably would want too much scratch.

Also he's flying all over every weekend doing college football. He seems to enjoy it.

 

[thirdendorsed]

Arnold is a suck-up, anyone who has watched three minutes of his work on NESN or listened to his Lucchino-dictated questions on WEEI knows that, and "Call Me Mr." Kraft does love him the suck-ups.

However, his reputation is that of a second-stringer, from when he came to town when Gowdy couldn't do it anymore to his part-time gig on B's PBP.

I'd be surprised to see the Pats hire a second stringer. But I would also be surprised to see them hire someone with no NFL or BCS level college experience and Arnold has that.

Whoever it is, it's won't be someone with national commitments that would ever take priority. I'm making Arnold a lukewarm 7-2 favorite and Larivee a 12-1 potential longshot

 

[ArtSpooner]

Why not get McDonough?

There are reasons SM isn't doing RSBb or Net' NFL Football.
I don't know why but it wasn't because he isn't talented or

As I recall Orsillo was a lot cheaper than McDonough and that McDonough got a little too mouthy as far as the owners were concerned. His old man was a bully and I think a lot of people got some payback when Wil died. I remember it reminded me of when I was a kid and someone's older brother graduated from grammar school. Suddenly the younger brother lost his protection in the schoolyard.

 

[Bos79]

It wont be Dale because Sports hub doesnt want an EEI guy. It's going to be John Rooke. He's who Gil Santos endorsed for the job and who Kraft likes personally. Dan Hoard is the only other possibility. Sean McDonough wont be getting the job because Kraft is still butt hurt over the hatchet job his dad did on him. its why Larry axed him.

 

[Blackroc]

its why Larry axed him.

Probably. But why did Cbs/NFL ax him? I think Sean's complicated.

I do think Rooke has a --good--shot. He certainly has been there long enough and the Krafts must be pleased with his work. But I don't think it matters if Gil ok's him. I doubt he has the job wrapped up.
I remember when Dale moved from Me to Ma I thought it was not a coincidence he located just west of Foxboro.

 

[GenXRadio]

No Art, you're dead wrong!
Will McDonough was NO bully!'If anything he was a man of principle who wrote what he thought was right and didn't take any garbage from anyone.
He didn't back down, he didn't kiss anyones backside or engage in a "rump swap" as Big O would call it.
I don't understand why everyone thinks that money is going to be a determining factor in this decision.
I have news for you and it will come as NO shock - The Krafts are VERY aware of how their team is perceived, Bob Kraft wants to be thought of in the same breath as Wellington Mara, George Halas, & Art Rooney Sr. & Junior, that means being a first class organization on and off the field and no offense to D.O., he does a TREMENDOUS job for the Sox but Sean McDonough is a immediately recognizable voice like Merrill Reece in Philly with the Eagles and having a top notch on air voice like Mc Donough would have the Patriots profile as high as it can get as far as off the field & broadcasting goes.
Add in that the Kraft family were very close with the McDonoughs, were right up front with the family at Will's wake & memorial, he has a great relationship with Bob & Jonathan Kraft believe me, if they want Sean it WILL get done and money will NOT stand in the way!
You act like they're skin flints, they have to be wise & frugal with player payroll because of the salary cap and while they may not be as free with their money as Daniel Snyder or Woody Johnson but they would pay him a salary they both felt comfortable with and I'm sure Sean would be compensated well and be proud to be the voice of the Patriots.

 

[GenXRadio]

Rooke i ok but he's nowhere near the announcer that McDonough is.
While I respect Gil's endorsement it's like when the press asks the players who the next coach should be, how many times does the front office
hire the guy the players endorse? - That's right, never or less than 1% of the time.
The most recent example was Mike Brown being hired in LA as coach when Kobe & the rest of the players wanted Brian Shaw.
Yes the Lakers have since fired Brown and hired D'Antoni but the main point is when has the GM gone to the players an taken their suggestion about who should coach them next?

 

[Bos79]

McDonough is also a drunk. Allegedly.

 

[ArtSpooner]

No Art, you're dead wrong!
Will McDonough was NO bully!'If anything he was a man of principle who wrote what he thought was right and didn't take any garbage from anyone.

You may be right. I didn't know him. My opinion was formed from his appearances on the old Mike Barnicle Show on WTKK. I turned in my fan club card when I heard him adamantly defend his pal Jimmy Bulger.

 

[wickedwritah]

Will McDonough was a bully. Does no one remember his role in Kraft-Parcells and that lecturing-style Globe column that followed?

Will McDonough also was a good reporter. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

His son is a top-notch announcer. Do I see him taking the Pats job? No. But it wouldn't be shocking.

And Dale Arnold is far from "second-stringer." He's a solid play by play announcer who has good pipes.

 

[Blackroc]

wouldn't be shocking.

I'd be...surprised.

Wil was a difficult person to deal with if you weren't in his inner circle. Both he and Gammons built multi-media careers by doing notes columns and being information disseminators.