I'm just wondering who you guys despise watching/listening to. It could be anywhere, on any station. I will give you a few of mine.

I can't stand wathcing/hearing:

Chris Berman - take a f*cking breath when talking. This is why I can't watch the home run derby (I know its boring but he adds to me not watching it). I love watching the NFL draft, but I watch it with the volume turned off.

Chris Carter - half the time this idiot doesn't know what the hell is talking about and then he gets frustrated and nonsensical words just start pouring out of his mouth. What makes matters worse is that he yells.

Woody Paige - at first I thought the guy was funny, not anymore.

Tony Kornheiser - This dude doesn't know jack shit about sports, period.

Last but not least,

Rod Allen - a color analyst here in Detroit for the Tigers. I now watch the majority of the games with mute on and the radio on even though there is a delay. He somehow was on the Detroit Tigers 84 world series team. He had a total of like 37 at bats that whole year. He plays it off as if he was a big reason to their championship. There was even a drinking game created due to his stupid catch phrases.

I have many more. What are some of yours?

I fucking hate Berman. His smoker's voice, nicknames, and pretty much everything about him annoys me.

Wayne Larrivee and his dumb sayings. THE ILLINI LEAD BY THE SLIMMEST OF MARGINS. His voice doesn't help either.

Joe Morgan: talks and talks and talks and most of the time it doesn't seem like he knows what he's talking about

Dan Dierdorf: extremely opinionated and overly annoying. He has something that annoys me but can't think of it right now.


There are a lot of NFL announcers that annoy me. Most of them are former players/lineman, but I'm probably biased because I'm not a huge NFL fan.

chris meyers can't stand the voice
jose mota (local angels announcer) ok for analysis between innings or interviews after the game, but absolutely sucks when providing color commentary
charlie steiner wtf, really. is this podunk nebraska or los freakin' angeles.

Joe Buck acts like he is God's gift to announcing. Also because he always hates on Minnesota sports....actually...that is mostly the reason.

Moss mooning incident against GB is the most clear memory I have of him.

He also rags on the Twins every time they are on Saturday baseball.

I'm glad Artie Lange got in his ass, ate Snickers and left trash.

probably biggest irritation is bill walton for basketball. Honestly I haven't watched bball in years but he just irritated the crap out of me.

You're missing hte point of Kornheiser. He's never claimed to be a deeply knowledgeable insider.

Guys I hate


Cowherd: Just the worst. Brutally unfunny, extremely shticky. Breaks everything down into dumb clinches. He's better on a light weight show like sports nation, but that show is terrible, so it's a wash. Wish he'd just go away.

Mike and Mike: They have been poisoned, I think, by ESPN radio execs, their show is just all wacka wacka jokes and lame radio hack teases. Basically their show is the protype of everything I hate about sport talk radio shows. IE A dumb jock that gives hacky sports analysis, and a hacky radio guy that fills time with garbage.

Typical Football Analyst Guys ( TFAGS). These are the Schlariths, the Trent Dilfers, the Millens, the tom jacksons. THe type of guys that just fill their "analysis" not with actual interesting information, but with shit like "the player just didn't play with enough heart" "one team wanted it more" ETC. A good way to spot one of these guys is to see how many times they gratuitously say " Football " and "the national football league" . Note: though Jaws talks like one of these guys, I think he actually provides good analysis often ( along with some hacky stuff too).

Almost every former player color guy in baseball that is hostile to advanced statistical analysis of the game. Personally, unless a color guy is legitimately funny or can tell old school honest stories, there's almost no need for them in baseball, because they almost never tell you something interesting or useful. Basically, their job is to fill time in the long, boring luls in baseball, and most of them are terrible at it. I'd rather listen to a guy like Vin Scully just call a game alone with no color.

Almost everyone on around the horn: that show started sucking **** the morment max kellerman left. Kellerman had such open contempt for sports writers, that he would abuse and shame them, and Reali just doesn't have the same barbs that Kellerman did.


Since this is all about guys we hate, I'll give some guys I love.

Chris Collingsworth . So glad they replaced madden with him. He's one of the very, very few color guys I actually like, that actually gives you useful info and breaks stuff down and explains things in non cliches.

Both PTI guys. I love wilbon and tony both. I think they have great chemistry together, and I'm so happy TK's radio show is back on the air ( I dl it on itunes) . It's not a real sports heavy show, which I like. And I think TK is one of the few legitimately funny guys in sports.

Dave Dameshek - the former sports guy on the Adam Carolla show, had his own show in los angeles, and now is relegated to podcasts. He's another legit funny guy ( worked as a comedy writer on several shows in hollywood, including Kimmel's show, the man show and others). And he's got a great, weird voice which goes a long way. ESPN has neutered him in alot of ways, but I still like him. I think he and Bill simmons should leave ESPN and get a radio show together somewhere.

Dan Lebatard. He actually might be my favorite sports media guy. HE's such a contrarian. He's one of the few guys that calls people out on all the garbage sports analysis that people do, all the cliches people cling to, that don't mean anything. His radio show is almosts an anti-sports show, a deconstruction of a sports show. The funniest thing I listen to every day, without a doubt. This show should be national, if I thought america was smart enough to get it ( and had enough of a sense of humor about their sports ( people take sports SERIOUSLY, and I don't know how it would do)).

Skip Bayless. I used to hate him, when he was a chicago tribune writer, when he first showed up on like Jim Rome's show guest hosting, and on ESPN. But now I rhnk he's just funny and a clown. He takes these absurd positions, and argues them absolutely, and sends everyone on tilt. I think he's 100 percent calculated, and I love it. He's like a heel in WWE or something. He has more personality than almost anyone else on ESPN

Max Kellerman. God I miss him. He was another one who called the media out for being stupid, cliched and sheepish. I loved him on around the horn ( when he was the first one to dare speak what I believed, that Favre was overrated), I loved I, Max, and I loved his NYC radio show. BUt now he has none of these, and is just a boxing guy, and it makes me sad, because he's 10 times the brains and talent of a guy like cowherd.


If I had my druthers, I'd start a national radio network that syndicated Kellerman, Lebatard, Kornheiser, and a Dameshek/simmons show.

Love the bold portion and agree. Maybe that's how I feel about Dierdorf even though he's in the booth. There's something about him that I hate.

forgot to add Around the Horn and especially Jay Mariotti.


No hate for Berman?

I think what started me off on starting this topic was when I went to turn on the Michigan football game this past Saturday and was unpleasantly met by:

Pam Ward (Espn) - I can't stand this bull dyke. Her stupid made up word "trickeration" she pulls out when anyone runs an, end around. Every time I hear her voice I groan and picture her face. Once again I muted the tv and listened to the radio even though there was a delay.

Todd Wright - this turd comes on late night here in the Detroit area. He talks mainly about things he knows really well: golf, nascar, tennis, and WWE. Not that he doesn't talk the major sports, but not nearly as often as you should on a nationally broadcast radio show. He only interviews people that he considers his friends and doesn't accept people to call in and ask questions. Unless, that is, he is doing one of his stupid drafts. I really don't know how he could get his own syndicated talk show.

The top of my list is Bill Walton. No one on any sports show ever has contradicted themselves during a live broadcast as often as he does. I don't care if my favorite team or player is playing, if he is doing commentary I'm likely to not watch the game.

He's terrrrible.

I used to hate him too, but then I decided he just didn't really care what he was saying and it became funny to me.

Chris Berman is at the top of my list and then there's a huge gap before you get to number two.

I wholeheartedly agree with BigD's love list.

I didn't like Lebetard at first but I'm becoming quite the fan of his. I like it when he fills in for TK on PTI. I'm not as big on Kellerman, but I don't hear his stuff as much.

For the Americans

I watch some American TV but it shouldn't be enough to actually be irriated by anyone.

However I can't stand Jim Rome, what a twat. On "Rome is Burning" he rips into everyone who is not on the show but as soon as he has a guest he kisses more ass that should be humanly possible. I just can't stand the two faced nature of the program.

I can understand why folk don't like Kornheiser, if its not a sport he is interested in he loses interest real quick and just tries to be funny. Also he was rubbish Monday Night Football.

Max Kellerman was fantastic on Around the Horn, he is wasted on the boxing stuff that he does. On that note it took a long time to get used to Reali as he did not appear to be able to control the show correctly. I don't think he used the mute buttom for at least the 1st month!

For the Non-Americans

Ian Wright, Andy Townsend and Mark Lawrenson would not be missed on my TV. They are all bloody awful

Sidenote, thanks to this thread I'm listening to the Lebetard show from before the Miami/VT game and it's hilarious.

Fake Pregame Show!

Not sure if I have any specifics, but I can't stand:

Guys who "get inside the mind" of whoever made a play. be it a bad or good play. Just tell it like you see it, you're not a psychic.

Guys who don't understand that their opinion is simply that: an opinion. Just because you're paid to yabber on TV doesn't mean your word is gospel.

Guys who say "It's a lock" or something similar about the outcome of a game yet to be played. It might look that way on paper, buddy, but lots of things can happen during the course of a game. And, no,I don't have the time or inclination to track your pathetic results over the course of a season to find out if you got lucky with the spread or not.

Staters of the obvious


That being said, I've always liked Al Michaels and John Madden. They bring different angles to their commentary and nobody, I mean NOBODY, handles a light pen like John Madden.

Tim McCarver

Kevin Harlan

pretty much anyone involved with NFL pregame shows where they sit around and laugh for long amounts of time at stuff that isn't funny in the least.

Diahrrea of the mouth

Ah berman. Berman's like my obnoxious drunken uncle or something... I never know where I am on the love/hate rollercoster with him. He's absurd and awful of course, but some times I love his absurdity, and sometimes I hate him. depends on the day I guess.



This guy is terrible too. His the prototype exaple of the Typical Radio Sports Talkshow Host. Just blathers cliches and nonsense and isn't at all clever and funny.



RE: bill walton. Yeah, I just think he's goofy and funny. He's bad, but not in any typical, standard sort of way, so I just think he's funny. And there's something about his voice that makes me smile.





It's even better with his side kick stugotz, who was off for the holy days.

When I first started listening, I hated Stugotz, but after a couple weeks he grew on me and now I think he's vital to the show. Although when he goes full stubborn mode, it can be a little annoying. I'm also in the "likes it when he laughs at Roy's top ten" camp.

yeah, you just have to get used to what the stugotz role in the show is.. he's the sports idiot, the guy that spews out all the cliches and typical sports opinions that Dan rips on. And also calls dan to task when he gets too far out there. And he can also be legit funny at times. If you haven't heard it, listen to the show where they interview MC Hammer, and Rick Berry, where he just goes and attacks them. Hammer, who was being rude to the show, he just shot down and shut up.. but Berry and him were screaming at each other, it was fantastic.

Every fucking day at 3 pm or whenever his radio show is aired on ESPN my roommate last year had him on. I couldn't even be in the same room because of how much he irritated me.

Also, we are no longer roommates.

I also hate pretty much all baseball media types. Joe Morgan is enemy #1 to me. It isn't so much that he and others don't accept advanced baseball metrics, it's the outright disgust they show for people that do use these things (or as they call them "propellerheads", "VORPies", etc). Whenever presented with an argument in favor of these metrics, they write them off as "geeks" who have never played baseball in their life and are therefore incapable of providing useful insight.

God they tilt the shit out of me.

Here's my 'short' list of suck:

Jim Rome, Jay Mariotti (the s***ty columns and Around the Horn), Kirk Herbstreit, Stuart Scott (pretty much 90% of ESPN could make my list), Doug Gottlieb, Joe Morgan, Skip Bayless, Berman (reasons already stated), Shannon Sharpe, Lennox Lewis (he botches a name in almost every fight he calls on HBO), Brian Baldinger (So glad FOX got rid of him)

My Favorites: Cris Collinsworth, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Gus Johnson (pretty much has the typical 'guy on the couch reaction' when something spectacular happens), Brian Billick (VERY smart in booth), Dan Patrick (would like less of his producers on his show, but it's still good), Johnny Miller (brutally honest golf analyst, he's the best)

wsox, being a Packers fan, I actually like Larrivee, but this quote during a Illinois basketball game always makes me shake my head: "You can count the number of losses on one hand, a record of 84-6!" Oyyyy.

Good list here. I think Lampley is probably the smartest guy in sports ( I also love his angry old man reaction to MMA), Gus Johnson is the best play by play in the business, and billick is excellent, and he's also brutally honest. He comes on Lebatard show and helps just expose stupid football cliches. Like the motivational half time speech and making half time adjustments. What happens at half time, he says, is people catch their breath and take a piss, and that the effect of a half time speech lasts about as long as it takes to take or give your first hit in the second half, and then it's all gone. Johnny Miller is excellent too. I don't watch a lot of golf, but he's so brutal it's fantastic. Dan Patrick is okay, but kinda vanillia for my tastes.

I like this list. I also found another suck:

Thom Brennaman - because of his over exaggeration of everything. Most importantly these things:

"If you are fortunate enough to spend five minutes....around Tim Tebow, your life is better for it."

and the then this jewel:

Even after Tebow earned a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting Oklahoma's defense, Brennaman claimed: "That might be the first thing he's ever done wrong."

Cant agree more about Cowherd. The guy irritates me harsh. I also gotta change the channel whenever Shannon Sharpe speaks. I cant put my finger on it but his voice makes me cringe for some reason. The whole Fox Sunday studio crew is getting pretty stale(to be fair I havent watched fox pregame show yet this season so it might be better). For Canadians I hate Greg Gilbert on HNIC(think thats his name, he ussually does colr on the late hnic broadcast).

hmm.. I like Kirk Herbstreit


and I know I'm biased but I love watching Sox games and listening to Hawk Harrelson. I want someone who is into the game and will keep me entertained. Everyone calls him a homer which is true but I'm a Sox fan and appreciate his enthusiasm and work.

jim rome. oh i dont even know where to start, but his self importance/irrational hatred of soccer/annoying ass voice generally does it. that is before he even brings up any of his worthless opinions

mike and mike just bore me. insanely.

skip bayless because i cant figure out how espn would let someone that dumb ramble.

i would estimate that 2/3 of Johnny Miller's comments are in the form of a question, it's pretty strange.

the best golf announcer out there is Nick Faldo.

Jim Rome I don't hate, I'm just weary of. I loved him when I first started listening to him. However, he is extremely formulamatic, and has the same about 20 rants or so, and once you've heard them all, there's just nothing new or fresh about him at all. Some times his callers are legitimately funny, but often they run on the same formula too. I think he's better than a great deal of sports talk, because once in a while he can really, really have me rolling laughing. But for the most part I've stopped listening to him.

I agree with the majority of your thoughts on Rome. As he says to people who first start listening, "Give me some time and listen and you will enjoy this show." That's what I did, and did start listening to him on a regular basis. I even went to his "tour stop" at the Palace of Auburn Hills when he came to Michigan. Some of his regular interviews like Mark Grace and golfer Steve Elkington are as Rome says, "epic" guests.

I don't listen to him much if at all anymore. We now have a Detroit sports mid-day crew that I listen to now instead.

I heard the Hammer interview; it was great. I didn't hear Barry, but I've heard various clips from it.

I love the David Sampson weekly interview too. That guy is great.

Wow is he. They have great regular guests. And their show is not so Miami centric that it's not worth listening to. It was at the peak of that, during the summer trying to fill air time. I was worried that it was going to get more miami centric with a good canes team, and the dolphins.. but if the dolphins are going to suck out loud, which looks like they are, then it could be good.

Roy's Top Ten places he wants to see the Olympics:

3. Seoul

LOL I was lifting weights when I was listening to that list, and I almost fell of the weight bench laughing.

I agree with all of this except for Collinsworth. I couldn't hate him more if he killed my family.

LOL

I really like Mark Grace when he does color commentating on some of the Fox Saturday afternoon MLB broadcasts. On the other hand, Bert Blyleven blows.

I wish Grace would come back home to chicago and do cubs games. Chicago really screwed the pooch in their relationship to mark grace.

The Lebetard show now fills up about 3 hours every morning for me. Seriously improves my average morning at work.

hizzah. The show is so great.

Andrew Siciliano. Hate.

When he was the side kick to tony bruno on fox radio, I kinda liked him.. that was a decent show. But solo he was garbage.

Agreed. Now that i've heard Chip Carray (my dad is Harry) and Ron Darling, I hate them too.

Ron Darling is good on the SNY Mets broadcasts with Gary Cohen. Caray is just awful he brings everyone down with him

Chip Caray's twitter. Whoever put this up is awesome.

http://twitter.com/chipcaray

Berman: There are times I still don't hate Berman, but not many. I actually dread winter games in Green Bay because I HATE Berman doing his over used imitation of Bob Woodson/John Facenda saying: "The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" Literally makes me want to shoot my television.

Bob Costas: This pretentious prick tries to over analyze every sport story he covers and misses the heart of the sports fan. He is the quintessential example of a guy who has likely never played a sport in his entire life but thinks a college education can make up for it.

I disagree about costas.. at least in the sense that he's not a fan.. he's a passionate, and almost old timey fan of base ball ( for example, he hates teh wild card). I think that he's just very intelligent, and isn't willing to dumb himself down, which I don't really mind. I don't think he adds much in the analyst table, but he's really just the MC of those shows. I used to love when he and Yuker did baseball games