Best Color Analysts Ever

Mine are:

John Madden- Imparted more information than any other color guy (he seemed to be able to get more from coaches than others) while being entertaining. Only he would teach you things like that if the line judge throws his flag on a sweep it will be holding on the tight end.

Dick Button- Elegantly and knowledgably described figure skating.

Billy Welu- He had an infectious personality and I enjoyed watching bowling when he did it.

 

Joe Gargiola. Always across as one of your grandfather’s buddies talking ball with you.

 

Kinda funny now with 45-50 years hindsight, it was a fairly common take in the Seventies while the Raiders were constantly coming close but not winning the Super Bowl that Madden was basically a players' buddy figurehead and Al Davis was the real football genius.
I do know Madden wasn't considered much of a tactical football wizard during his coaching career.

 

Billy Packer and Al McGuire are in the conversation, both together and separately.

Bud Collins

 

Pantone

 

I just thought of Madden as this overweight, ranting coach of a team I hated, so I hated him by association.

Then he became this ranting pitchman who broke through walls and paper in commercials, and I loved him.

 

Baseball---McCarver
Basketball---Hubie Brown
Football---Madden
Golf---Faldo (If anyone says Miller, I will hunt you down.)
Tennis---McEnroe
Hockey---Olczyk

 

Madden with Summerall was greatness.

 

Gil Clancy was great as the analyst on CBS's weekend fights working with Tim Ryan.

 

Tim McCarver was awful.

And Hubie Brown was the best at one point. Definitely lost his curveball.

 

Golf I would go with Kenny Venturi.

I’m not sure hockey has had a clear cut top colour guy, or even a few of them in a tier. Ferraro is likely the best right now.

 

Summerall let the game breathe. I watched an old Cowboys 49ers Championship recently and he was content with a simple call like “Aikman - dumps it to Smith - touchdown, Dallas”. Great cadence and voice, and he was happy to give Madden the platform.