Favorite Play-By-Play Announcers And Color Men

[Anthony342]

I liked Merchant he was honest.

Yeah, especially when he said he wanted to kick Mayweather's ass

[Willie Pep 229]

Dunphy, Manny Stewart, Gil Clancy, Al Bernstein, Sean O'Grady, Raul Marquez, and for entertainment value I used to like Scott Ledoux. Lampley was good but for the last few years he was too biased. Calling phantom punches for the house fighter while barely mentioning the opponent's performance.

It was the Chavez-Taylor fight when I realized the HBO crew, Merchant, Lampley, and Letterman, were in the tank for certain house fighters.

HBO wanted the long term deal with Dan Duva and wanted to cut off Don King.

Which of course was not necessarily a bad idea, but they called (and Letterman scored) the fight in such a manner so as to create the illusion that Taylor was dominating Chavez. I.e. Preparing the audience mentally for a Taylor decision.

Most obvious was when Merchant and Lampley refused to act excited with the fight winning KD.

Merchant actually does not even call the KD.

One of yhe most exciting comebacks in the game's history and all Merchant would say was:

"Well, if he gets up he wins the fight."

The most obvious tank job by fight announcers I ever witnessed.

[kara]

I always loved the Merchant/Lampley combo best of all

[Slugfester]

Yes, I did forget about Bernstein, one of my favorites. I wonder how he would have done teamed with Bobby Czyz. Did they ever do it?

[Slugfester]

Speaking of boxing announcers, I just heard the worst pair in memory. They didn't give their names but one was called Lester. Marquez/Pacquiao 1. According to those jackals Pacquiao was getting mangled and they didn't say anything when Pacquiao landed unless it was a monster punch. Does anyone know who these clowns are?

Speaking of Bud Schulberg as Pep just did in another thread, his theory holds up for me. When a boxer is supposed to get killed and does better than expected, or when he is getting killed early and comes back to make a fight of it, his accomplishment is often overplayed by stunned fan and announcer alike, who now think he won.

[QueensburyRules]

I always loved the Merchant/Lampley combo best of all

- - Lamps not only couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag, it was never about boxing. Always about Lamps preening himself.

Larry and George cut it short and always made it about boxing. Not up to Dunphy AAA+++ standards, but striving.

[BattlingNelson]

Tim Ryan and Alex Wallau (and Gil Clancy) deserves a mention.

[kara]

- - Lamps not only couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag, it was never about boxing. Always about Lamps preening himself.

Larry and George cut it short and always made it about boxing. Not up to Dunphy AAA+++ standards, but striving.

Those arguments between Larry and George was great