As I’ve discussed here before, it takes a village to put on a great television broadcast. It requires great production and direction, the right technical aspects, and of course the broadcast booth. Television is a different animal when it comes to the dynamic of play-by-play and color commentating.
The analyst is supposed to be the star on TV. There are so many opportunities to inject interesting, pointed commentary, during the action and a replay. The best play-by-play announcers across the country realize that their partner is the one with the expertise and knowledge of the sport he/she is calling. So, the best thing anyone can do is let the analyst do his/her job.
Not everyone is capable of leaving the field of play and entering the broadcast booth. It takes a special former athlete to make the conversion. The timing in the booth is much different than it is on the field. The preparation is vastly different. The ability to convey a thought in an intelligent and concise manner seems like it would be easy, but it is not. There are a few though, that have managed to make it look easy and they are among the best of the best in their sport.
I’ve compiled a list of the best analysts in each of the 4 major sports, plus college football and basketball. The criteria is based on a national broadcast. These folks are quite often seen even if they aren’t with the “top broadcast team” on that network. Here we go.
NFL – Tony Romo
This one may have seemed obvious to some, but it did cause a little debate in my mind. I really have enjoyed Tony Romo. I wasn’t sure when he first got into the broadcast arena, but he’s proven more than capable. The fact that he’s so fresh off the field, he still has the quarterback mentality and can still read defenses while on the air. How many times have you watched and seen him predict what is going to happen? Many, right? And many times he’s right.
Romo’s personality compliments the broadcast. He’s not so giddy that it’s annoying, but he really sounds like he’s enjoying this phase of his life. I can almost picture him elbowing Jim Nantz in the booth during games when he’s right about a situation, or when he offers a humorous moment. He and Nantz go well together, with the play-by-play man offering the straight scoop on what’s going on and the analyst telling us how, what, when and why something happened. I can understand why Romo was such a commodity when his CBS deal was up. Good job by the folks at CBS to retain this star in the analyst chair.
NBA – Doris Burke
I had to differentiate this one to just regular “game callers”, because otherwise it would have been a shared award between the Inside the NBA crew of Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.
Burke is not such an obvious choice to the casual NBA fan, but listen to a broadcast and tell me that I’m off base. No, she didn’t play in the NBA, but she did play at a high level in college. Burke was a point guard at Providence and held assist records there, so she knows the game. You can tell that during any broadcast.
Those that work with her know how knowledgeable she is. Burke has credibility with the players in the league as well, after serving as an in-game sideline reporter for many years. She’s interview the top players of a game and the questions were extremely professional. As a play-by-play announcer for ESPN as well, Burke knows the timing and flow of the broadcast. She self-edits and tries not to get too technical when explaining situations on the court.
Burke also admits to leaning a bit on co-analyst Jeff Van Gundy, who’s pretty darn good at this as well. She said in a November 2019 piece for Deadspin, she relies on Van Gundy to let her know when she misses the mark. She called him “a truth-teller” and referred to him basically as her in-game coach.
MLB – John Smoltz
Smoltz gets what it is to be a top flight analyst. He was always known for his baseball “smarts” and it translates to the broadcast booth. I like his personality in meshing with whomever he’s working with. Mainly it’s Joe Buck and the two play off each other very well. Baseball is supposed to be fun and Smoltz sounds like he’s really enjoying himself every time he’s in the booth.
The thing about Smoltz that maybe separates him from some of the others is his credentials. The man succeeded on the baseball field, not only personally but for his team as well. This gives him some pretty serious cache when it comes to his commentary. Yes, he was a pitcher, but he understands all facets of what is going on in the game.
I really appreciate his candor. Smoltz isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. He also thinks through the games he’s covering and will make points about what might happen on a certain pitch if it’s thrown, BEFORE it’s actually headed to the plate. Those accounts are invaluable to a serious baseball fan watching the game he’s doing.
NHL – Eddie Olczyk
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This one was pretty easy. Olczyk is head and shoulders above all others in the NHL. He’s ahead of the play most of the time. Olczyk is a master at seeing things that not many others do from his broadcast position. While we’re watching the action, he’s on his intercom telling the producer to grab the ISO camera for a replay. Olczyk makes it pretty easy for the casual hockey fan to understand the game a little bit better by following along with him.
Olczyk works mainly with Doc Emrick on the NBC and NBCSN telecasts of the NHL. The two have a great rapport. Olczyk has a terrific personality and never takes himself too seriously. It’s endearing because he doesn’t come off as a hockey robot, the analysis comes out with an easy-going tone.
He has serious credentials as a former player and coach in the league.
NCAA Football – Joel Klatt
The former Colorado quarterback has risen quickly up the ranks at Fox Sports. He’s been paired with Gus Johnson since 2015. The two now combine to call the Big Noon Saturday broadcast on the network. Klatt knows his football and has a very relatable style. He doesn’t talk down to the casual fan.
Klatt is in a rare position to be working with a play-by-play announcer that is relied upon to be the personality of the booth. All Klatt has to do is focus on the field and telling the audience what he sees. He doesn’t add a lot of fanfare in his analysis, it’s not needed with Johnson in the booth.
Klatt has a good grip on the entire scope of the college game. He can talk intelligently about all aspects surrounding the game. He has a unique ability to relay the information in a very natural way. Seems like his early work as a studio host has served him well, having to prepare for all eventualities and learning how to work alongside other personalities.
NCAA Basketball – Jay Bilas
Bilas has a tremendous understanding of the ins and outs of the game of basketball. That understanding along with his ability to describe what’s happening on the floor are still the best in the business. While he played the game at a high level, the explanations he gives are simple and easily understood. If you’re looking for a guy to tell you why certain strategies work and some don’t from game to game, he’s your guy. He is a steady force in the game of college basketball analysis.
If you’re looking for a flamboyant, loud and sometimes overbearing color commentator, well Bilas is not your guy. He doesn’t use humor or exuberance to make his points because he doesn’t have to. Bilas can leave that to Vitale.
Bilas provides excellent and insightful commentary on issues regarding college basketball, both on and off the court. I know it’s a pretty big college basketball game when Bilas is on the call.
I just can’t wait until these folks are doing what they do best, analyzing actual games.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
