The Best (and Worst) in the Business…

I enjoy watching football on a regular basis, the hits, the plays and the players but one thing that makes it special is hearing an announcer that is excited about his job and the sport he is calling. There have been many announcers to call NFL games, some are above and beyond and others sound as though they should have chosen another career. At any rate with the right announcer the game becomes a whole lot more than just a game, when you hear the passion and excitement in the voice of the one announcing the game it is as though you are there. In this article I want to look at the three best and worst voices in the business of announcing for the NFL. Now I am sure that there are many out there that may agree or disagree with my picks but I will give you a who and a why I have picked them to either be on the best or worst list. There is no doubt that with the right announcer the game can be taken to the next level.

The Worst list:

Cris Collinsworth- Sunday night football

For some reason Collinsworth has the knack of saying the wrong thing, whether about players or teams he just seems like he has no clue about the NFL game (and he played in the league for a number of years). Maybe it is me but with some announcers you can just hear the bias in their voice and Collinsworth is one of the announcers. He goes overboard on many of his calls and rambles about many things that are not even relevant to the game. For me I could watch my Sunday night football on mute when he is calling the game.

Matt Millen- Thursday night football

There are just some things people are meant to do, for Millen he was meant to play in the NFL, he was not meant to be a president of an NFL team or an announcer. Like Collinsworth he often struggles with his words and with his analysis of the game. He often gets into arguments with other announcers on air and forces the issue to show that he is right. In the announcing game it is important to have proper social skills especially with those you work with and Millen has difficulty with that. If Thursday night football is brought to a national stage, it may be time to find someone else to call the games.

Troy Aikman- Fox NFL Sunday

When you listen to someone announcing an NFL game you expect them to be fair and unbiased with Aikman you can almost hear who he is pulling for every time he speaks. It also speaks volumes when it seems as though the network would rather show your face than hear you speak, yes he was successful as the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys but that same success doesn’t follow him in the broadcasting booth.

Dissed-Honorable mentions: Ron Jaworski and Keyshawn Johnson

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The Best list:

Gus Johnson- CBS Sports

If you are looking to get excited about the NFL game, then Gus is your man (as a matter of fact he can make standing in line at the bank seem exciting). Gus Johnson has a knack for making the average play seem like the greatest thing since sliced bread. His charisma and passion are matched by no one. Johnson’s excitement is contagious and he, by far in my opinion, is the best announcer in the NFL today.

Chris Berman- NFL Primetime

The catchy and often hilarious Berman makes the NFL fun. Berman has been in the announcing game for many years and has never looked back. He takes the routine and adds excitement to it; he with his various sounds and nicknames compels you to watch every play and every down. Berman is the standard in announcing.

Mike Tirico- Monday Night Football

For me I enjoy listening to Mike Tirico call the Monday night games, he enjoys what he does and you can tell in his passion of his game calling. He makes the game interesting and is not afraid to put Jaworski and Gruden in their place. He owns the Monday night stage.

Honorable mentions: Al Michaels and Dan Patrick

By Sam Adams
Pro Football Fans Staff Writer