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PHX Sports Radio Announcers

C

cdk

Guest
Who is your favorite? Why?

I'd have to say that Schulte annoys me...Al McCoy still can call a great game, but I'd have to say that Dave Pasch is the cream of the crop for AZ. He's intelligent, descriptive, and handles Wolfley really well. He is a rising star on the announcing scene IMO. Whaddya think?
 
Favorites:
Al McCoy is from the old school of broadcasting, and is a huge asset to the Suns. It will be sad when he eventually steps down.
Thom Brennaman is a pro, he always sounds great on radio. I just wish there was enough money in radio to keep him there!

The rest:
Greg Schulte when he's at his best can be pretty good. I think it's obvious he doesn't care for the Diamondbacks or radio now that he's had a taste of TV, and it shows through in his work.

Pasch is a good play by play guy, and wolfley is a much better broadcaster than people give him credit for. Add to that his knowledge of the game, and you have a great analyst. 80% of analysts bore me... it takes more than just spitting out stats... Wolfley makes it entertaining.

I wouldn't put Jeff Munn on the list of the best play by play guys in the valley, but he would definitely win my "most improved play-by-player" award. While the quality of Greg's work slowly declines, Munn definitely cares about the game, and gets a little better every year.

Kevin Ray has a ton of potential. Lose the "ring her up a three" and he'll go far.

I don't think Tim Heely is anything special, just another voice that blends in with a million others.

I know I'm forgetting some people, but those are the ones that jump to mind.
 
Pasch is decent until he gets excited. Did anyone hear this weeks broadcast? Horrid, from a technical perspective. Especially on FM. Whenever Pasch raised his voice, terrible distortion. It's kind of grating to begin with, but add distortion and it's unlistenable.

I get a kick out of McCoy. It's like listening to a game from 30 years ago.
 
cdk said:
Who is your favorite? Why?

I'd have to say that Schulte annoys me...Al McCoy still can call a great game, but I'd have to say that Dave Pasch is the cream of the crop for AZ. He's intelligent, descriptive, and handles Wolfley really well. He is a rising star on the announcing scene IMO. Whaddya think?
Click to expand...

I'll just give them letter grades since there are so many now...

Diamondbacks
Greg Schulte: B+
Tom Candiotti: C
Jeff Munn: C-
Thom Brennaman: B

Cardinals
Dave Pasch: A
Ron Wolfley: B-

Suns
Al McCoy: A-
Tim Kempton: Incomplete (he's new)

Coyotes
Bob Heethuis: B
Louie DeBrusk: B-

ASU
Tim Healy: C+
Jeff VanRaaphorst: B-

Sports-talk Hosts
Kevin Ray (KTAR): B+
Dan Bickley (XTRA): C
Mike Jurecki (XTRA): B+
Mark Asher (XTRA): B+
John Gambadoro (XTRA): B
Bill Lewis (KDUS): C-
Evan Cohen (KDUS): D-
Bob Kemp (KDUS): B+

Pasch has edged above McCoy as the best PBP man in Phoenix now. Schulte (who's a close #3) will probably become the #1 TV guy with Brennaman expected to join his dad in Cincinnati next year.

As far as the sports-mouths go, Bill Lewis proved that he's a competent game analyst but dismal as a talk-show host without a good co-host to banter with (which he had when Jurecki was at 1060). Evan Cohen has absolutely no business anywhere near a microphone. He's knowledgeable but his voice is fingernails on a chalkboard - even worse than Bickley. Maybe the Repulsive should hire him as a columnist. He's unlistenable on radio.
 
Schulte is much better than he used to be. Not that that's saying a whole lot.

Jeff Munn is simply a good guy all around. He has improved greatly. The D-Backs could do worse than give the radio gig to Jeff and put Shulte on TV. Schulte's biggest drawback is that he has a face for radio...

If you want a unique sound, the Coyotes Curt Keilbach is a hoot, but he's an acquired taste for some.

I agree that Dave Pasch is solid, but he suffers from the same fate as all Cardinals PBP men (except Tom Dillon). That is, they never seem to do anything in the community. You know guys like Schulte, Mark Grace, Al McCoy, etc., live here and are visible, but I don't know if that's true about Pasch.

The king, however, is still Al McCoy. Yes, he's lost maybe half a step, but he's still outstanding. And no one better symbolizes Phoenix sports radio than Al. He should call the Suns as long as he wants. It won't be the same without him.

Talk show hosts...

Gambo and Ash on XTRA are not only interesting, entertaining and knowledgeable, but they have genuine chemistry on the air. That means everything. The rest? Eh...
 
Here are my opinions on the local talent:

Thom Brennaman: B+, to bad we will lose him to Cincy so he can work with his dad, can't blame him
Mark Grace: A-, he makes even a blow out even fun to watch.
Matt Williams: C-, he's a stiff. Matt, IMO, wasn't good with the media as a player and isn't better now that he's not playing
Greg Schulte: B, wouldn't mind seeing him take over for Thom when he leaves

Dave Pasch: A, why is he still with the Cardinals. I think he's much better then this.
Ron Wolfley: F, he is the absolute worst. All the rhymin simon stuff gets real old. He over reacts every time something happens. Please remove him, PLEASE!!!!

Al McCoy: A, one of the best and IMO hasn't slipped a bit.

Talk Hosts:

Kevin Ray: C, he does a good job of what is asked of him, but doesn't excell at it. Will he be a part of the new 620 Sports KTAR? Time will tell
Dan Bickley: C+, better now that he has Jurecki with him. When he was flying solo, it was real bad
Mike Jurecki: B, no one in the market covers football like him. Keeps track of the local sports pretty good, doesn't do so good on national sports, like golf, nascar, and the such. But Bickley covers him on this, so they make a good match
Mark Asher: A-, I suppose this would make him the best in the valley with my grading.
John Gambadoro: B-, butchers to many words and sometimes makes a fool of himself. Other then that, he's fine. When Asher is on vacation he really struggles going solo. Asher has enough common sense to bring someone else in to help out
Bill Lewis: D+, boring and makes you fall asleep
Evan Cohen: D-, goes to show you what happens when a station doesn't want to spend money and they are willing to let anyone on.
Bob Kemp: C-, I can't stand him and maybe it's me. He knows his stuff, but the problem is there is no focus on his show. He throws out like 20 topics and lets everyone go at it. Not my cup of tea
Mike Muraco: C, not bad for what there show is. It's at least listenable. Sometimes goes off into niche sports, but you gotta do what the sponsors want you to do since they are buying time on KDUS
Dan Manucci: C+, please replace Wolfley with him. It would make the cards games a little more listenable. Ex-Jock talking sports, seems like an ok fit to me.


If I haven't mentioned someone, it's cause I don't listen to them enough to give them a fair grade.
 
Schulte's tired "Warning track....wall" is really lame
Wolfley is pathetic and sad, lose the 1940 uneducated south side Chicago accent
McCoy, pure class, and fun as hell to listen to, the real deal
Bickley, a twerp.
Ash and Gambo, a very listenable show they aren't afraid to criticize the home teams.

Mannuci, lame, as befits the cards.

Kevin Ray, average, nothing to get excited about

Healy and Van Raapthorse do a pretty good job, but they toe the line and don't rock the boat when they should regarding Koetter and Lisa Love
 
Curt Keilbach is distancing himself from the pack with a rather unique style.
I hear Brennaman is tops in pay.
 
Brennaman's outta here

According to ESPN.com and KDUS, Brennaman signed a 4-year deal to do 90 Reds games on radio with his dad, plus a few on FSN Ohio. This allows him to keep his Fox network committments.

Update: A press release from the Reds is included.

Link: ESPN
Link: Cincinnati Reds
 
Good for Thom...I would imagine that Schulte will get the TV call now. But, keep an eye out for Brett Dolan, the Tucson Sidewinders Play-by-Play man for radio. He is very solid IMO.
 
cdk said:
Good for Thom...I would imagine that Schulte will get the TV call now.
Click to expand...

Dead Simonds was inferring--during the 3:30 half hour on his talk stanza--
that Schulte would be staying with (paraphrasing) "news 92/3 KT'R which
next year will be sports parking lot 620 KT'R."

So we'll see.
 
i'm not a sports fan and don't listen to the all sports radio, but i do occasionally tune-in to dave burns and the 620 sportsline on 92.3 ktar.

btw, where's tom dillon these days.
 
rockjock420 said:
Isn't Dolen with the Astros now?
Click to expand...

You're right...completely forgot. This past season was his first year. Guess it proves my point that he was ready for the majors!
 
Bob Heethuis is a much better hockey anouncer than Curt Keilbach. I sometimes wonder whether Curt can even see what's going on in the game.

I don't know his name, but the guy who did Phoenix Roadrunners play-by-play on KFNX last year is pretty good to.

I know that he's not a Phoenix sports broadcaster, but I think Brian Jeffries does a great job on Arizona Wildcat basketball and football.

Al McCoy-the best. Dave Pasch is solid. I enjoy listening to Greg Shulte, Tom Candiotti and Jeff Munn on D-Backs baseball.
 
On the Cardinals Broadcasts, Wolfey sounds great............. If your a 7 year old.

There is SOOOOO much over the top announcing by Wolf, It just doesn't sound sincere on air. He may be trying to be sincere, but his delivery sounds borderline pukey.

Saying, " Fitzgerald is soooo sick in making that catch, only HE can make a catch like that, when he extends his arms like that, he makes a 6 foot 3 guy, a 9 foot guy ".

Wolf is a fisherman, in a announcers body.

one other thing about sports announcers, INCLUDING THE LOCAL SPORTS ANNOUNCERS. QUIT saying the word "Unbelieveable". Nothing is THAT unbelieveable, where the word needs to be used 10 times an hour. Anyone else hear this overuse?
 
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