March 17th, 2011
On Sunday I saw my first, and probably last, 20 minutes of college basketball for the season. And for the second year in a row, I won’t be entering an NCAA pool. I don’t miss the actual basketball, but I do miss the comforting presence of some of the announcers.
NCAA announcers are a very specific taste. Some people love (like me) Gus Johnson. Others (rightly) think he’s an excitable blowhard. (Typical Johnson call: “And West Virginia cuts the deficit to 22 with 5 minutes to play! HERE COME THE MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!”)
My own top five teams would probably go something like this:
1) Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery
2) Kevin Harlan/Dan Bonner
3) Gus Johnson/Len Elmore
4) Ian Eagle/Jim Sparnakle
5) Jim Nance/Clark Kellogg
I’ll take any of these pairs is light-years over anyone else working in the field. They’re all charming and none of them has the arrogance of Billy Packer or the insipidity of Dick Vitale. Raftery, in particular, has a special place in my heart. For me, it doesn’t get any better than a Raftery call that goes something like, “Ooo–a little dipsy-do! A little . . . nickle-dimer!” Those are the sounds of March.
Update: In the comments we have a video compilation of Gus Johnson’s best calls. It’s great. But Raftery steals the show at the 2:40 mark with the following call: Adam Morrison hits a 3 off the glass with 2.7 seconds left to put Gonzaga up by 2. Here’s Raftery:
“Look at the clock . . . and when you’re sleepless in Seattle, why not get, a little . . . kiss? Gus! Oh! Nature! Onions!”
This is a dada-esque masterpiece of a call.
Johnson, however, answers in the next clip with: “My name’s Al Harrington–and I make BUCKETS!” Followed a minute later by a “WHOO!” that would make Ric Flair proud.
Galley Wife March 17, 2011 at 7:22 pm
NA-ture! Goulet.