…but I’m stunned when people say that all he did was say the obvious. I always look at those people and ask WHEN did he say the obvious ? What made Madden great was that he said the “obvious” BEFORE it happened. He could look at the line and tell you what was coming and where it was going. He watched Ladanian Thomlinson for less than a quarter last season and said the he wasn’t going to have a good year because his foot hadn’t healed – then he showed a couple of close ups of his cuts and foot plants and explained how he could tell what was wrong. Sure – he was goofy and funny – but NOBODY on TV today has anywhere near the understanding and insight of John Madden. He worked best with Summerall because Summerall wasn’t in it for himself. Al Micheals is too self important – they never really fit together. I’m going to miss him.

Hmm – great golf announcers…Johnny Miller ? (JUUUUST KIDDING !!! everybody knows I think he’s the worst) Ken Venturi is on that list, too, especially as he got older. It was sad listening to him get more and more bitter through the years.

Ok – break it down – “announcer” is too broad – there are four main jobs on a golf broadcast – host (Nantz, Dan Hicks, etc), analyst (Miller, Faldo, etc.), on course (Feherty, Rossi, etc), and interviews (Steve Sands, etc.)

Announcer – modern – I enjoy Renton Laidlaw because seems to truly enjoy golf and he lets the game be the game. He never berates players or tries to tell the audience “what the player was thinking.” He is smooth between players and announcers, which is his job. (Dan Hicks could be excellent if he would stop trying to be the analyst – he asks great questions – it’s a shame he’s stuck with Miller)

past – NONE better than Ben Wright. Loved the game and respected the players.

Analyst – easily Faldo. Sure, he occassionally gets “professional” and says things that TV people think he should say to sound important – but for the most part, he is there with the players – he doesn’t berate them or tell how HE would do things.

On course – Feherty is the best, bar none, and 1A is Gary McCord – entertaining and they get things right.

Interviews – Steve Sands is the best. Great sense of humor – and he doesn’t start with “you just won, how do you feel ?” (THE single most idiotic question ever invented)

First, I agree with CG’s definition of roles. That said:

Present: Faldo. Wry, humorous, at times self-deprecating, and “with the players”, as CG said above.

Past: I’ve always really liked Peter Alliss. Perhaps he’s still broadcasting with the BBC, but I’ve not heard his voice on this side of the pond for quite awhile.

Funny Peter Alliss:

I was watching a tournament about 10 years ago, just as I was getting into the game. It may have been the Open – I can’t be sure. If it wasn’t the Open, the weather could have fooled you: wet, overcast, winds whipping up sand – and the frustrations of the players.

Alliss said something about the weather conditions playing into some aspect of the English character. When asked by his fellow announcer what aspect that might be, he responded:

“Sssssssssssssstoic.”

Cracked me up.

I would rather listen to Ben Wright, Peter Alliss & Renton Laidlaw rather than any other announcers on the planet. I really like McCord and Feherty, but after they have gone through their cycle of sayings once, they are mediocre at best. Nantz likes his own voice too much and Miller has gone downhill dramatically in the past 2-3 years. I do like Frank Nobilo. I think day in and day out, he does the ex-pro/announcer the best of the rest…

They are the first two guys I think of when “golf coverage” pops in my mind.

Announcer – Pat Summerall. His football work influences this choice but his voice was the soundtrack of my Masters experience during the ’80s.

Analyst – Ken Venturi. Wore a little thin as the years went by but Faldo’s worn thin for me already.

On-course – David Feherty and Verne Lundqvist.

You might say I’m a CBS man…

The problem with announcers and analysts is that they’re paid to talk. Broadcasting abhors a vacuum, so even when the moment speaks for itself, someone has to earn that paycheck. The system is flawed to the point that witty, intelligent, well-spoken broadcast journalists sound like fools more often than not. Case in point: John Madden. Ninety percent of his commentary was filling what would otherwise be dead air (turducken anyone?); but the other ten percent was priceless. I’m glad he’s retiring before he turns into Pat Summerall.

Even Johnny Miller has his brilliant moments, though I can’t think of specific examples. Peter Allis is my favorite golf analyst because of his understated dry wit. A few years ago at the Open Championship, he stepped over to the CBS booth for a few minutes. While there, he referred to the supposed expert golf writers as “inky-fisted peasants.” We rolled on the floor.