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Turn Around and Say Goodbye, Scott Graham?

Interesting. Graham has all kinds of options. He does voiceover work for NFL Films. He calls college basketball on CN8. He's done play-by-play for MLB on Fox. You'd think he'd want to stay in the area, being a UPenn graduate and all.

You'd think the Phils would want to retain someone they've employed in some form of broadcasting for 16 seasons. Tom McCarthy was definitely an exception with that club. Phillies broadcasters seem to stick with the team forever.

This really ruins the chance of hearing any sequels to those "Graham Slam" ice cream commercials heard last baseball season ...
 
He's also done some NFL games for FOX and I believe he might have done some NFL Europe games as well.

Scott's got an old school voice, but the thing that hurts him, in my estimation, is that he tries to hard. A lot of what he says (Homerun calls like "Turn around and say goodbye" or "THAT BALL IS GONE!" and tags like "Put that one in the win column for the Fightin' Phils!", for example) comes out extremely forced.

He'll still have plenty of gigs as you mentioned, mjd.
 
Goodbye Scott ,Good Voice,Hugh Ego and Snob !!!!!
Time to Move on and Phillies get Rid of inhouse good old boy "Wheels"
Most of of the Phillies Fans are really tired of him.
 
Most of the Phillies fans...and the hall of fame voice of the team hate "Wheels", Jon. Less you not forget my honorable friend, that Kalas absolutely hates Wheels' guts and it shows in their innings on television.

I actually got to meet L.A., Wheels, and Harry after a game in 1999. "Wheels" was an absolute jerkoff. He was in his office when we went by him. He might have been putting some glue on his rug or something, I don't know. L.A. was okay, I guess...didn't get to chat with him long enough. Harry, actually took time out from his post game meal in the press dining room to chat with me and such and was an absolute gentleman.

So it looks like the team is impressed more with Scott Franzke (or impressed with the fact that he lacks the ego and will work for less than "Golden Graham"). I've heard him here and there, and he's not bad. A lot of the pundits say what I'm going to say, and I have to agree with these pundits. Franzke sounds a bit like the man he replaced, Tom McCarthy. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it's just...well...interesting.

Presumably, Franzke becomes your lead radio announcer and save for the one inning Kalas actually does radio play by play, Scott F. is apart of the entire broadcast. For TV, presumably, Wheels goes back to doing middle inning play by play with Larry Andersen (likeable but could he be any more dry?!?).
 
"PTOITWCFTFP", when I think about it, does sound kind of forced. So does "And that one is gone." But I liked them nevertheless. "Put this one..." is apparently Graham, consciously or otherwise, apeing Marty Brennaman's "And this one belongs to the Reds".

I've heralded the completion of Phils losses by apeing Graham, muttering to myself, "Put this one in the loss column for the Fadin' Phils". Sometimes during football season I mutter "Put this one in the win column for the Fightin' Birds" or "Put this one in the loss column for the Fadin' Birds", as in Andy Reid's team.

Back to Graham... I cared less for the "Graham Slam" spots than for "Put this one...". Anyone ever tasted "Graham Slam"? There are no Turkey Hills where I live.

ixnay
 
Let me ask you this about Kalas, who I've always liked. He was on the radio in the ninth inning of the Phils' win in FL in game 161 this year, keeping them in contention for a couple more hours. When the Phillies got the final out, Kalas said, "The Phillies have a pulse", however faint it had become, because the Dodgers were already winning and would win later that day, eliminating Philly.

Did "The Phillies have a pulse" sound forced?

ixnay
 
JimWilliams said:
The guy that I and I'm sure many others saw as the probable successor to Harry Kalas in the Phillies broadcast ranks, Scott Graham may be the odd man out of the Phillies broadcast booth.

Check out the Inquirer article on the item right http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/16013769.htm

Thoughts, folks?
Click to expand...

Scott has a pleasant-enough voice, and he's carved out those catchphrases, which are fine with me. I don't harbor as much ill will over Chris Wheeler as many do, because clearly he knows his stuff. Like a lot of folks -- I'm guilty too -- he sometimes tries too hard to make a point when he knows something. Larry Andersen is decent enough -- has a good sense of humor that balances out the serious Wheeler.

Franske does indeed sound like McCarthy; both, IMO, are unremarkable, and neither sounds as smooth ("forced?") as Graham.

At least Philly has someone with baseball knowledge covering games on radio. The Orioles only have professional broadcasters on radio -- no ex-player in the radio rotation. Ditto the Yankees -- John Sterling defines "forced" catchphrases way, way more than Graham, and his partner, Susan, is decent but is not an "insider".

Richard in Allentown
 
Graham had become a fixture at this point, and while he was never my favorite broadcaster, it'll be a little sad to see him go.
But I do have to agree that he often sounded forced, especially in his homerun calls, and the "POItWCFTFP" call. Hey, maybe Kalas is faking it too, but at least I beleive he is excited. I just could never buy it from Graham.
 
if scottie is truely gone it will be a sad day scott f does not know anything about phils history on the rain filler graham saved him many times and yes mr graham is considered a buddy of mine i called him for years and even one night had a couple of beers at a party with him so he is not a snob he is a really nice guy once you known him so please don't confuse him for a snob he is a true good guy and if mr brooks lets him go if will be the end of the best years of phils radio for this 30 yo longtime fan
 
I liked Scott as well. When I am at work I listen to the games on the radio and enjoyed his call of the game. I liked his catch phrases and I guess I never paid that much attention to determine if things sounded forced or not.

I met Chris Wheeler a couple of years ago at a fund raiser and he acted like an asshole and that it was even a bother to be there. I would have been happier if "Wheels" was let go.
 
This might belong on the LV/Reading board but it fits the thread topic...

Don't count WEEU's Paul Roberts among the anti-Graham chorus. Last night on "Sports Democracy" he played Scott's PTOITWCFTFP and said he would miss Graham. Kissing up to the Phils because WEEU is on their network? You make the call.

ixnay
 
I am a big fan of Scott Graham, and I will be sorry to see him go :eek:
He has a great set of pipes, and unlike some of the esteemed posters, I didn't think his calls were "forced".

Harry, while slowing down a bit, is still a class act and should stay in the booth as long as he is able. Scott Franzke got his first season with the Phils under his belt, and I think will fit in fine as primary p-b-p on radio.

LA works for me...but Wheeler's only problem is that he bashes the officials too much. Strike zones differ for each official, and that's the way it is..live with it.

Hopefully we'll have a winning, playoff bound Phils next season!
 
My two cents is simply this; I think Scott Graham and Harry Kalas have the "voice", whatever that is, to be great play-by-play broadcasters. Wheels doesn't have it, and neither does LA, but LA is the better "color man".
 
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