People on ESPN (broadcast only) who you like

Fowler was having a lot of fun on that stage tonight. Love to see that.

I was happy when they hired Ian Darke to be their regular soccer guy. He did a great job during the World Cup.

 

Bob Ley, always. Fowler, Rinaldi, VanPelt and Davis.
I like Linda Cohn too.

 

I'm trying to figure how ESPN is going shoehorn Urban Meyer into their lineup next year. He's too big of a name to have him just doing a game of the week (maybe they add him to Herbie and Brent?).
He doesn't have the personality to replace Corso (if Corso leaves) and I don't see ESPN dumping Lou.
But for all the bitching about ESPN personalities - the ones I tend to like the best are the people who are just kind of there, day after day, not drawing attention to themselve (Everett, Saunders, Schulman, Fowler, Wingo, Rece Davis, Kenny, Levy, Ley and Ravech).

 

Sara Walsh.

 

Beth Mowlin and Mike Kelley.

I have no idea who they are (and still don't), but they were wicked sharp on the Notre Dame-Syracuse game today. I'm a fan of both teams, so I'm biased, but they were TREMENDOUS. They just knew their shit and communicated it without making themselves the show or blowing smoke up our asses. Not a wasted word, ever. That's hard enough to do in a written piece, but they pulled it off in a live broadcast.

Other than that ... Bob Ley.

The SportsCenter anchors come across as snarky wannabe standup comedians and I haven't watched that show in years.

 

Whatever happened to Gayle Gardner? I liked her.

 

Buccigross.

 

I came on this thread just to add his name. Good call.

 

Scott Van Pelt and Kenny Mayne should be the only people allowed to host Sports Center. Then, maybe I'd watch occasionally.

At the same time, Mayne Street is horrible.

As far as broadcasters, I like Mike Tirico but he falls into the ESPN traps on occasion. I love Jeff Van Gundy, but he gets stuck with three-man booths too often. Bill Raftery is wonderful in that he seems to love what he does and reflects that without the obnoxiousness of Dick Vitale.

Ian Darke is incredible for soccer.

They have a few people stuck on crap ESPNU B-list games that are pretty good.

Finally, Bob Ley is so good I actually consider him a journalist.

 

I'm surprised no one has used "BUCCIGROSS!" as a catch-phrase.

 

That's b/c he's a legit journalist. That guy owned the Mets beat in the late '90s/early '00s. Good guy too.

I can't believe there are multiple people mentioning Neil Everett. That man makes me violently angry. Such smarm oozing from every pore. And every fucking SportsCenter he has to tell a personal story. Fuck you, I don't care that you talked to someone at dinner about the Lakers game Monday. Fuck off.

He is the absolute worst of the worst. There is nobody worse than him on Earth.

I feel oddly better now.

 

Sal Paolantonio
Buster Olney on BBTN