New Bill Simmons Article

[knocko94]

The Sports Guy touches on all sorts of subjects in his new article, pretty darn funny as always.


The McCarver/Buck exchange right before Podsednik's walkoff homer last night, which definitely goes down in the pantheon of Eerie Broadcaster Moments. Buck said something like "Do you think Lidge still has the taste of that Pujols homer in his mouth?" -- quickly followed by McCarver saying, "I don't think that taste is there." Within like 0.000000000045 seconds, Podsednik was slamming the game-winner. I don't everyone else combined in the history of sports broadcasting has jinxed as many pitchers as Buck and McCarver over the last few years. It's unreal. The 1965 version of Sandy Koufax couldn't pitch a no-hitter against a Special Olympics team with Buck and McCarver announcing.



• Aaron Rowand's ecstatic dugout celebrations ... highest of high comedy. I wish we could hire this guy for personal appearances; I want him in the house for the first time my daughter says "Da-da," or even for when I beat the Colts in "Madden." He's like a cross between Mark Madsen, Jack Haley and every sidekick in Cobra Kai, only he actually starts for them, plays center and has an impact on games. This is really uncharted waters.



• Every big Paul Konerko moment, as his winter pricetag continues to rise, as does the inevitability that he'll be hitting .224 on the Angels next June as announcers say things like, "here comes Paul Konerko, last year's World Series hero ... just hasn't been able to get it going this year ... the Angels would LOVE to see him get it going ..."



• The non-controversy of Jermaine Dye's 3-and-2 HBP which may or may not have hit his bat, immediately followed by a truly fantastic baseball moment -- Konerko's grand slam -- followed by Buck immediately calling it a controversy (um, can I enjoy the grand slam replays?) and 400 replays of the last Dye pitch. Okay, this wasn't funny. Not at all. But does everything have to be a controversy? Who's to say Dye wouldn't have walked on the next pitch? Wasn't the story there how Houston switched pitchers in the biggest moment of the game -- against the only legitimately dangerous hitter on the White Sox -- and brought in a guy who immediately gave up a grand slam? No second-guessing at all there?




http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons

[vafan]

For all the complaining about Buck and McCarver and Fox, at least Buck said while watching Pods round the bases about Lidge having a "new taste in his mouth."

It is obvious Joe Buck is not his father Jack, who had the opportunity to make one of the great HR calls in history - "I can't believe what I just saw" for Gibson's 1988 walk off HR for the Dodgers. But Jack Buck's great call was on the RADIO, not the TV.

For me, nothing the announcers say or don't say can detract from what the White Sox are doing on the field and the shots of Sox fans erupting in delight after so many hard luck decades.

GO SOX!!

[Unregistered]

Every big Paul Konerko moment, as his winter pricetag continues to rise, as does the inevitability that he'll be hitting .224 on the Angels next June as announcers say things like, "here comes Paul Konerko, last year's World Series hero ... just hasn't been able to get it going this year ... the Angels would LOVE to see him get it going ..." I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this statement...

[Fuller_Schettman]

Anyone else notice the comments of McCarver as Pods rounded the bases. If you wanted to, you could read into that a lot of disdain for the Sox (although I didn't take it that way)

"Unbelievable!!"

"How does something like this happen??"

Almost sounded like the reaction of an Astros fan...

[PatK]

The only reason Joe Buck has a job is because his dad is a broadcasting legend.

He's an untalented putz who all too often interjects his own opinions, philosophy, and morality into the broadcast.

I started completely hating him after went on his "that's a disgusting, despicable act and I'm sorry you viewers have to witness it" rant after Randy Moss made that touchdown and fake mooning in last year's Vikings/Packers playoff game.

If anything is disgusting and despicable, it's the fact he's doing the World Series.

[pythons007]

I absolutely hate Joe & Tim doing the broadcasts for the WS. They make too many stupid statements and try to prove other people wrong (A-Row's baserunning last night). Tim McGarver couldn't hold Ozzie's jockstrap!

[veeter]

I'll never understand why they use guys with allegiances to other teams. There has to be two neutral, excellent broadcasters out there. The Sox are in the world series and like a rock in my shoe, I'm irritated every other minute.

[ElevenUp]

I tuned those bozos(Buck and McGarver) out. Listened to Rooney and Farmer on the radio while watching the game. Rooney's call on Podsednik's homer has to be the greatest radio moment I've ever heard. Baseball is the one sport that really lends itself to a good radio announcer and we've been blessed to have Rooney.