SMW's ''Most Impressive" Awards of 2013

For the first time, SMW hands out awards, of sorts, for those who impressed during the past year. The SMW “Most Impressive” awards are not necessarily for the best at what they do, but for those whose performance in 2013 was worthy of some praise.

Most impressive play-by-play voice: Joe Buck (FOX)

Joe Buck has long been understated to the point of sounding bored — or worse, like Bryant Gumbel on NFL Network — which made his turnaround in 2013 all the more noticeable. His calls during the MLB Postseason, especially the Red Sox/Tigers ALCS, were infused with a level of excitement and enthusiasm absent in his earlier work. Considering that he barely rose above a monotone for events like Aaron Boone‘s home run and David Tyree‘s catch, it was a pleasant surprise to suddenly hear him virtually screaming “It is gone! A grand slam!” over the crescendo of the Fenway Crowd during Game 6 of the ALCS. For the first time in a long time, Buck actually seemed to enjoy calling games.

Most impressive game analyst: Matt Guokas (Fox Sports Florida)

Picking a local analyst who got fired? Sure, why not. This is as good an opportunity as any to praise Guokas, who was a rarity in local sports broadcasting. In a league where ranting and raving about perceived persecution is the norm for many local broadcasters (to say nothing of fans, players, coaches and owners), Guokas brought the same down-the-middle sensibility he had on the “NBA on NBC” to Fox Sports Florida’s Orlando Magic telecasts — arguably the best in the league outside of New York. He was not necessarily charismatic, which could have contributed to his ouster. That was the case even dating back to his NBC days; in 1994, The New York Times‘ Richard Sandomir called him “bland, certainly not a top-tier announcer,” even ranking Magic Johnson ahead of him. Even if dull, Guokas was competent and professional, and that is not always a given in local sports broadcasting.

Most impressive sideline reporter: Michele Tafoya (NBC)

Michele Tafoya has always been strong on the sidelines, but she was especially impressive in 2013. In November, she showed just how valuable sideline reporters can be on a national telecast when then-Texans coach Gary Kubiak collapsed on the sidelines during a “Sunday Night Football” game. Her reporting throughout the year has been strong, and she is as big a reason as any why “SNF” has arguably the best broadcast team in sports.

Most impressive studio team: Keith Olbermann, Pedro Martinez, Tom Verducci, Dirk Hayhurst, and Gary Sheffield (TBS)

What a breath of fresh air Turner’s MLB studio team was this October. After years of stagnant mediocrity, the complete overhaul of the studio resulted in the strongest broadcast team — of any kind — TBS has had since acquiring rights to a national MLB package in 2007. Complain about his politics if you will, but few can deny that Olbermann is one of the best sports broadcasters around. Newcomers Martinez and Sheffield were entertaining, even if the former was a bit over exposed. Hayhurst, an import from Canada’s Rogers SportsNet, managed to balance humor with insight — a rare and valuable skill.

Most impressive move: Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole join Fox Sports 1.

Fox Sports 1’s Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole will of course wear out their welcome at some point. They probably have for a good deal of viewers. For now, however, their comic sensibility is a nice throwback to the days when sports studio shows were relatively light-hearted affairs. Not that “SportsCenter” is “Breaking Bad” or anything.

Least impressive move: Rachel Nichols leaves ESPN for CNN.

Leaving ESPN is not always a death sentence (ask Rich Eisen), but leaving ESPN for CNN? To host a sports show in the Friday night ultra-death slot of 10:30 PM ET? Nichols was one of the highest-profile ESPN reporters, frequently appearing on “SportsCenter” and the network’s other studio shows. On CNN, her appearances have largely been limited to answering questions from anchors who barely know politics, much less sports. On the bright side, she has carved out a role working the sidelines for Turner Sports’ NBA, MLB and college basketball coverage. However, it is tough to argue that she is in a better position at the end of 2013 than she was at the start.

Who we need more of in 2014:

Kevin Burkhardt, FOX (play-by-play) – FOX agrees, reportedly putting the first-year Burkhardt on an NFL playoff game in January (Awful Announcing, 12/13/13).

Rebecca Lobo, ESPN (game analyst) – Lobo has been with ESPN for nearly a decade, but to say that she has been under the radar would be an understatement. In 2013, ESPN finally elevated Lobo to the lead game analyst role on its WNBA coverage, and while that did not exactly result in increased exposure (the top WNBA game of the year failed to earn one million viewers), she acquitted herself well with freshman broadcaster Ryan Ruocco. ESPN has assigned her to the studio for the Women’s NCAA Tournament, but she could make a solid lead analyst for that property as well.

Lisa Salters, ESPN (reporter) — Despite finishing her second season on “Monday Night Football,” it is arguable that Lisa Salters has flown under the radar in recent years. Considering her skills both on and beyond the sidelines, it would be good to see ESPN give her some more assignments next year beyond “MNF,” a few NBA games, and “E:60.”

Dave Pasch, ESPN (play-by-play) — This site was not exactly high on Dave Pasch when he hit the national scene, but he has quietly become one of the better voices in the business. Considering his great chemistry with Bill Walton on Pac-12 basketball, ESPN should consider pairing him up with another eccentric analyst — Jeff Van Gundy.

Marty Smith, ESPN (reporter) – ESPN is losing NASCAR after next year, but the network would be wise to hold onto Marty Smith. His report on the Alabama/Auburn aftermath last month showed that he has a good eye the absurd, and his interview with Tony Stewart was striking for how much he was able to draw out of a usually brash athlete. ESPN will still need at least one NASCAR guy after next year, and Smith is a good candidate.

Beth Mowins, ESPN (play-by-play) – For all the backlash Mowins receives as a woman in the traditionally male broadcast booth, she has done a solid, unassuming job on ESPN’s college football telecasts. She may not be the best CFB play-by-play voice ESPN has, but she’s good enough to move beyond the Noon ET ESPN2 window.

Who we need less of in 2014:

Charles Barkley, Turner Sports/CBS (studio analyst) — This is sacrilege, of course, but Charles Barkley has become too ubiquitous. In 2013, one did not just see him on TNT’s NBA studio coverage, but on CBS’ college basketball coverage, on “Monday Night Football” and the SEC Championship Game, on myriad radio shows, even on CNN as a pseudo legal analyst. It makes sense. Barkley is bold, colorful, self-deprecating and often quite friendly. The media loves him, and so do most fans. But less is more. A good place to start would be taking him off of CBS’ college basketball coverage, where he has never been a good fit.

Shaquille O’Neal, TNT (studio analyst) — This is not sacrilege. “Inside the NBA” is still one of the best studio shows on TV, but that is frankly in spite of O’Neal’s presence. In his third season as a TNT analyst, O’Neal does not seem to get what makes “Inside the NBA” work: a combination of humor and cogent basketball analysis. Throughout the 2013 playoffs, for example, he went for easy laughs like shouting “Birdman! Birdman!” or mugging for the camera, but provided little to no substance.

Erin Andrews, FOX (studio host/sideline reporter) — Erin Andrews has not been a great fit on FOX so far, and that is probably putting it lightly. Part of the problem is that the network has insisted on putting her on every property it has (she even worked the Daytona 500).

Thom Brennaman, FOX (play-by-play) — FOX has been high on Brennaman for years, dating back to the late 2000s when he was the voice of the network’s BCS coverage. In 2013, FOX gave him a Divisional Round NFL playoff game in addition to his regular role as Joe Buck’s replacement during the baseball playoffs. Despite those high-profile assignments, it is tough to argue that Brennaman is any better than Kenny Albert or the other FOX NFL voices.

Donovan McNabb, FS1 (studio analyst) – McNabb has not been the worst part of the “Fox Sports Live” panel, but he has been anything but impressive in his broadcasting career. His recent comments about Jimmie Johnson laid bare his biggest problem: he wants to be bold, but has few authentic opinions. It is hard to believe McNabb actually had such a strong opinion about NASCAR drivers to flatly deny that they were athletes — he just wanted to be part of the conversation. A more recent example is when he asked whether ‘Jason Tucker’ was the best clutch kicker in NFL history. Tucker’s first name is Justin. To put it simply, McNabb has “Stephen A. Smith on hockey” syndrome.