I put up a similar post just about a month ago when Wake beat #1 Duke, and I said then that being number one in the nation, was a bad place to be. Five teams have occupied the spot this season, with Pittsburgh doing o twice after moving to number one in the latest set of polls. Too bad they won't be staying there long. Providence took out the Panthers tonight, and here's your video proof....

Great win for Providence, who up until now, wasn't even on the bubble. Given the fact they play in the Big East, and wins over Syracuse, Cincinnati twice and Pittsburgh, they actually have a case now. Well them, and about 25 other bubble teams.

Lists are just about the most played out things on the planet these days, but when you put together a ranking of the "Top 50 Broadcasters", I'm going to post on it. The ASA has released such an article, and the interesting thing isn't the Top Ten, but rather some of the other names on the list. Most notably Joe Buck at #31 and Chris Berman at #35. Here's the list via Farther Off The Wall....

1. Vin Scully
2. Mel Allen
3. Red Barber
4. Curt Gowdy
5. Howard Cosell
6. Bob Costas
7. Jim McKay
8. Keith Jackson
9. Al Michaels
10. Dick Enberg
11. Jack Buck
12. Ted Husing
13. Jack Brickhouse
14. Don Dunphy
15. Graham McNamee
16. Ernie Harwell
17. Marv Albert
18. Harry Caray
19. Jon Miller
20. Bill Stern
21. Chick Hearn
22. Marty Glickman
23. Jack Whitaker
24. Jim Nantz
25. Chris Schenkel
26. Lindsey Nelson
27. Russ Hodges
28. Ray Scott
29. John Madden
30. Bob Prince
31. Joe Buck
32. Milo Hamilton
33. Bob Wolff
34. Chuck Thompson
35. Chris Berman
36. Phil Rizzuto
37. Marty Brennaman
38. Clem McCarthy
39. Bill Walton
40. Foster Hewitt
41. Harry Kalas
42. Johnny Most
43. Bob Elson
44. Brent Musberger
45. Pat Summerall
46. Merle Harmon
47. Dick Vitale
48. Dick Stockton
49. Tony Kubek
50. Bud Collins

While you can't argue with most of the names on that list, as I said above, there are a few questionable ones included. The best part is that Bill Walton is the chairman for ASA, and somehow he magically appears in the top forty. Stop voting for yourself, Bill!

The whole Top 50 ASA list, from Scully to Collins and beyond (Farther Off The Wall)

Texas Tech people have a legit gripe right now with Nick Saban and Alabama staying on top after pulling out a win in Death Valley in overtime, but I will defend the decision -- for now.

1. Alabama
   
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Georgia

I would have knocked Tech up to #1 personally, but the human polls and the computers won't do that unless a team loses, and besides, the human bias is against Tech, too, as it's not a "name" program (like that really ought to matter; Tech will be a name program by the end of the year, when every AD of a major school with a coaching vacancy is going to try to money-whip Mike Leach out of Lubbock.)

Meanwhile, for those of you really all agita about the Tide staying at #1, consider this: while Alabama has not looked fantastic and/or world beaters, they've done it on the road in solid fashion: beating a Clemson team at a neutral site in Atlanta (and Clemson was expected to be something then), destroying Georgia in Athens, and getting out of Baton Rouge alive. That's impressive no matter what the margin of victory. The Red Raiders' bigger games have been at Jones AT&T Stadium so far, save the bloody beating of Kansas.

If Tech goes to Norman in two weeks, beats Oklahoma, and doesn't get elevated, THEN we've got a reason to go after the coaches, journos, and the computers with pitchforks.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for the winners from this past weekend and I think we've found the correct system to use in the future. You can't argue with random online polls! Here's the breakdown and if you have a problem with it, call one of the 600+ commenters that voted in this week's PCS (Pammy Championship Series)....

10. "This is the biggest event here since the Stones. Well sometimes you get what you want, and sometimes you get what you need."- Mark Jones

9. "That's two for Virginia Tech, they'll have a third and five."- Mike Patrick while calling the ECU-WVU game

8. "Better take that rifle away from the Mountaineer."- Mike Patrick after WVU turned it over on downs

7. "They are having a hard time getting to the Quarterback because of his elusivity."- Ray Bentley (Via Bazooka)

6. "And they [Washington] have to go for it here, they can't give it back....oh wait, it's third down, sorry." - Petros Papadakis
"Thought you knew something, huh?" - Barry Tompkins
"Yeah, I thought I did. I must have gotten screwed up when he changed the down marker." - Petros Papadakis

5. “He’s tired tonight. He did a Soccer game in Dallas last night. It was exciting, there was actually a goal in that game.”- Sean McDonough

4. "I tell you what. If I was a bartender, I'd give you no more to drink."- Lou Holtz to Mark May

3. "It's like the little engine that could. I think I can I think I can...First Down! Move the sticks for the first time in the history of young Robert Marve's career moves the 'Canes into an opportunity to have another opportunity to a set of downs."- Kirk Herbstreit

2. "Superman does it again, but the Joker hung tough for a while."- Brent Musburger

1. "How do you ask your girl 'hey baby do you want to go to the game' and then take her up to the rock? I mean it's not like you got privacy up there"- Mark Jones
"They are certainly enjoying themselves."- Bob Davie


And now for your standings and video proof of said "enjoyment"....

Standings After Week Two: 1. Mark Jones (21), 2. Brent Musburger (11), 3. Bob Davie (10), 3. Sean McDonough (10), 5. Kirk Herbstreit (9), 5. Pam Ward (9), 7. Brock Huard (8), 8. Lou Holtz (7), 9. David Norrie (6), 10. Mike Patrick (5), 10. Petros Papadakis (5), 10. Brad Nessler (5), 13. Ray Bentley (4), 13. Terry Gannon (4), 15. Andre Ware (3), 15. Dave Pasch (3)

The Pam Ward Chronicles: Week Two (Awful Announcing)

During the White Sox-Tigers last night Joe Morgan alluded to a conversation that he and White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen had about who the best player from Puerto Rico was. Morgan relayed that Guillen said Ivan Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, and Roberto Clemente and said that he thought the Manager was out of his mind for not picking Clemente first.

Of course the reasoning that Morgan used was because he "played with Clemente" and I just chalked it up to the curmudgeon not accepting that any player he didn't play with or against just isn't good. Well apparently Joe Morgan didn't share all of the conversation....

It was vintage Ozzie Guillen before Sunday night’s game, as he didn’t take kindly to ESPN broadcaster Joe Morgan questioning the fact that Guillen told reporters on Saturday that he felt Ivan Rodriguez, not Roberto Clemente, was the greatest player to come out of Puerto Rico.

Morgan told Guillen he was “crazy,’’ starting a series of “FU’s’’ from Guillen.
What Morgan didn’t know was Guillen is a huge collector of Clemente memorabilia, as well as gave his son, Oney, the middle name of Roberto.

“The problem is these old guys think that none of the players now are better than back then,’’ Guillen said.

He then sighted an example, bringing up how Babe Ruth was fat and out of shape, but yet was a dominant hitter and pitcher back in "the old days." “Babe Ruth couldn’t even play now,’’ Guillen insisted. Morgan was trying to laugh it off, but Guillen sure wasn’t.

I think Guillen hit the nail on the head with that last quote. If Joe Morgan hasn't seen it happen then it's not possible. He's very Carl Everett in that way. Current odds sit at Morgan 500 to 1.

Ozzie vs. Morgan (Inside the White Sox)
Retard Fight! (With Leather)

I couldn't stand Dr. Z growing up because he never picked the Redskins in any key games. Stuff like that will lead you to hold grudges as an adult. His shoddy picking skills aside I to look forward to his TV Commentator Rankings every year.

Unlike last year's list though this one is pretty hit and miss for the most part. He ranks the teams based on a 5-star system and here are some of the highlights (my comments are in italics)....

The Hits:

5 STARS

"None. Last year's only five star team, ESPN's second unit, was broken up. Dick Vermeil is tending his beautiful vineyards in Calistoga, Brad Nessler is back in college and Ron Jaworski ... ah, this is a new, corporate, center stage Jaws who makes me want to cry."

(I can buy that. I don't feel that way about Jaws, but I could see how he could rub some people the wrong way in that environment.)

Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon, CBS

I'll say it again. Any game Harlan works will get a good grade because he and Rosen are my favorite play-by-play guys.

(I'm beginning to feel that way about Harlan as well...in any Sport. I always hate his partners though. Doug Collins and Rich Gannon always do the "When I was coaching"/"When I was playing" crap for 4 quarters.)

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, CBS

Well, Phil used to be a friend, but I'm sure he thinks I'm the worst kind of traitor during the past few years because, as his star had risen to the top of the network's roster, his ability to tell me stuff I don't know has not progressed. Which is a long way of saying that, whereas he'll provide a good sense of excitement when he's doing a significant game, he has fallen into cliché patterns that don't help.

(Dead on assessment of Simms right there)

The Misses:

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, CBS

And Simms, who is blessed by working with one of the smoothest, most competent play-by-play men in the business, feels compelled to constantly remind us about the things he predicted early in the show and how they're working out, etc., neglecting the stuff that he had wrong.

(Dead wrong assessment of Nantz right there)

Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger, Fox

Down a star from last year. Baldy used to be one of the best, but he has come down with a severe case of talkitis. It's tough to shut him up, and working with one of the most modest and polite people in the business only spurs him on.

(I'm pretty sure he's the only person on the planet that can stand Baldinger.)

1 STAR to 1½ STARS

A blanket grouping, which I've never done before, but I'm getting tired of leveling the same criticisms at the same people, who are doing the best they can and make some errors, get some things right, don't really tell me anything I don't know. This group includes the following:

J.C. Pearson and either Matt Vasgersian or Matt Devlin, Fox
Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker, CBS

(What is it about the older generation that think Sports can't be exciting. I like each and every one of those people....yes even Tasker. Just blows my mind how an entertaining broadcast with excitement is lost on some people)

All three of those misses palled in comparison to this final paragraph....

Oops, I've forgotten a team, the one-shot threesome of Mikes, Greenberg, Golic and Ditka, lashed to the mast for an evening of Arizona-San Francisco for ESPN's second game in Week 1. Yes, an honest job. Real football. The booth clear of debris. Call it 3 ½ stars.

Are you kidding me? There's no way he watched that game. That was the worst game I've ever seen from a broadcast standpoint and they would get negative stars from me. But again, just like Dr. Z's views...these are just opinions which is what makes the internet great. Read his whole article and share your favorites from this past season.

Oh and his favorite team this past season was Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan......riiiiiiight.

TV Commentator Rankings (SI.com)
One Last NFL Announcing Post- Part 1 (Awful Announcing)

I don't know if this is a joke or what, but if you head to ESPN.com's "Expert" Power Rankings you find some curious picks from our friend and yours Shrutebag (second column....click for larger).


Umm, USC? Really??? The team that has two losses with one of them being to Stanford? Riiiight. Good work there champ. And I thought College Football was his specialty. What a joke.

2007 Power 16 - Week 14 (ESPN.com)

(Thanks to Fred for the link.)

Good day my fellow AAers. Ever since I started this site back in April of 2006 I've wanted to come up with a ranking system for the best and worst announcers and have a page where they rise and fall based on your input. Obviously time is a concern when it comes to these ideas and I never really could find a spot to fit this in. Well now I/we can.

AOL Sports tabbed me to put together a list of 32 of the Worst of the Worst in Sports Media, and break them up into categories. The brackets are broken up into 4 divisions with 8 Awful Individuals in each. The categories are Play by Players, Analysts, Sideliners, and Studio Hosts/Analysts. AOL posted the brackets last evening, and the response and emails I've received so far are tremendous. Please take the time to head over there and vote for the following matchups and read my thoughts on each.....

Who's The Worst Studio Host (AOL Sports)

Studio Host/Analyst Division:

CHRIS BERMAN (1) vs. MAGIC JOHNSON (8)
STUART SCOTT (2) vs. TIKI BARBER (7)
EMMITT SMITH (3) vs. SHANNON SHARPE (6)
STEPHEN A. SMITH (4) vs. LEE CORSO (5)

Analyst Division:

JOE MORGAN (1) vs. REGGIE MILLER (8)
TONY KORNHEISER (2) vs. CHRIS SPIELMAN (7)
TIM MCCARVER (3) vs. BRIAN BALDINGER (6)
DICK VITALE (4) vs. PAUL MAGUIRE (5)

Sideline Reporter Division:

JIM GRAY (1) vs. SAL MASEKELA (8)
TONY SIRAGUSA (2) vs. SHELLEY SMITH (7)
ARMEN KETEYIAN (3) vs. KEN ROSENTHAL (6)
HOLLY ROWE (4) vs. CHRIS MYERS (5)

Play by Play Division:

PAM WARD (1) vs. THOM BRENNAMAN (8)
MIKE PATRICK (2) vs. KENNY ALBERT (7)
DICK STOCKTON (3) vs. BRAD NESSLER (6)
CHIP CARAY (4) vs. BRYANT GUMBEL (5)

One caveat I wanted to clear up before you bring out the pitchforks.....

I was a bit handicapped when making my list because AOL had already come up with the brackets for the "Best Announcers". If you know me, and I think you do by now, there is no one I hate more as a Play by Play Announcer than Joe Buck. For some inexplicable reason they listed Buck as a #7 Seed in the best of category, and I have no words to describe how this happened. Also another AA stable of disdain, Brent Musburger, is a #5 Seed in that bracket.....again, not my doing.

I think you'll find the rest of the division perfectly laid out, and hopefully you'll play along. Special thanks to AOL for giving me the opportunity and vote early and vote often!

P.S.- Please look at that picture above again! To not let the AOLers knock Chris Berman out of this competition. He should win this hole thing, but Magic is going to Santa Clara him in the first round!!!