Hometown favorites, household names top Arizona Daily Star staffers' list of favorite sports broadcasters

Editor’s note: During the coronavirus shutdown, Arizona Daily Star staffers and contributors are answering burning sports questions.

Today’s question: Who is your favorite sports broadcaster, and why?

GREG HANSEN, sports columnist

The Pac-10 used to have a football “Skywriters Tour” every August. Reporters from all Pac-10 cities would fly to each Pac-10 campus, one per day, which essentially turned out to be a 10-day drinking festival both by the reporters and the coaches who hosted them in nightly get-togethers.

But every year the partying stopped when the sportswriters reached Los Angeles.

One night was spent at the Tournament of Roses house with staid UCLA and USC people, the next night at Dodger Stadium with Vin Scully.

Mike Waldner, a longtime sports columnist for the South Bay Daily Breeze, arranged for Dodgers media credentials for the Pac-10 Skywriters. The hook was that Scully, as arranged by Waldner, would leave the radio booth in the fourth inning and sit with the sportswriters and talk baseball.

It was like sitting at the gate of baseball heaven, listening to the legendary Scully talk about Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax.

When I was a kid, Dodger broadcasts could clearly be heard at night all the way from Los Angeles radio giant 640-AM, KFI, to the mountains of Northern Utah. My dad listened. I listened. The people next door listened. My friends down the block listened.

Scully was in a class by himself, then and now.

MICHAEL LEV, UA football and baseball reporter

Unlike most sports fans, I don’t hate every broadcaster. I respect and admire most of them, because (A) most do a really good job and (B) I know how hard that job is.

Some stand above all others and stand the test of time. My standouts: Bob Costas and Vin Scully.

No broadcaster ever has excelled at play-by-play and hosting to the level Costas has. Although he exclusively works for MLB Network now, Costas has called just about every major sporting event. He hosted the Olympics for NBC an astounding 11 times. He’s knowledgeable, professional, personable, self-deprecating and a fantastic interviewer. Some dislike him because he comes off as a know-it-all. That’s precisely why I appreciate him. I feel smarter after listening to him.

Scully might be the only sports broadcaster who has a 100% approval rating. It’s well-deserved. He was a maestro, a poet, a true artist. I lived in Southern California from 2000-15 and thus had the privilege of hearing Scully call Dodgers games 100-plus times a year. Sometimes, during a September pennant race, he’d call two games simultaneously — the Dodgers and whomever they were battling in the standings. And he did it until he was 88 years old!

RYAN FINLEY, sports editor

Every sports fan loves the broadcasters who they grew up with. For me, that meant Jerry Coleman, Ted Leitner, Bill Walton — and the voices of Prime Ticket, Jim Leahey and Barry Tompkins. (Is there anything more Pac-10-ish than the Tompkins-Petros Papadakis broadcast booth?)

Then the MLB “Extra Innings” package came around, made Vin Scully a part of sports fans’ daily lives, and we realized that our hometown favorites were all fighting for second place.

Scully’s Dodgers broadcasts were a master class on the keys to good journalism: Do your homework, tell a good story, and get out of the way.

I’d watch as many of his television broadcasts as I could as an adult, filing away my favorite Scully stories — the one about the player whose best friend was struck by lightning; the Dodger who bought his family a cow with his signing bonus; a guy whose first name was Florence — while marveling at the man’s research and delivery. Regardless of who you listened to growing up, there’s nobody better.

More from this section

+3

Two-sport standout Sam Francis to be inducted into Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame

Update: Dak Prescott releases statement on alleged party.

+2

NU president Carter says he doesn't think ADs, coaches want college football played in empty stadiums

BRYAN ROSENBAUM, contributor

Keith Jackson. The essential ingredients to college football, my father would often tell me, are argument and controversy. My team is better than yours, our conference is tougher, your band stinks, etc. It’s a sport that somehow survived decades by allowing media members and active coaches to decide, sometimes differing, national champions — and then we argued about it.

Amidst all this bickering, there was one voice that we could all agree on. A voice — long before ESPN’s “College Gameday” rolled onto campuses nationwide — that signaled the game of most significance for that particular Saturday.

Whoa, Nellie!

Born in Georgia, a graduate of Washington State and beloved by just about every college football fanbase as one of its own, it’s impossible to imagine another Keith Jackson.

He struck the perfect marriage of taking the sport too seriously and not seriously at all — remember how much he adored the “big uglies” down in the trenches? — and became the golden voice of the game during a golden age.

Goodbye … helloooo, Heisman!

JUSTIN SPEARS, sports producer

Three letters for you: S-V-P. Scott Van Pelt is someone I’ve admired for as long as he’s been a part of ESPN. Van Pelt’s voice is soothing to listen to, whether he’s covering golf, hosting a radio show with Ryen Russillo or being the face of “SportsCenter.” He never overanalyzes situations; just tells it like it is. What makes SVP such a great talent? He’s a quality writer. His monologues at the end of his “SportsCenters” are brilliant and must-listen sound bites, because even though the world is chaotic, Van Pelt reminds us it’s going to be OK.

ALEC WHITE, sports producer

I admire the work of Dan Patrick as a sportscaster. He’s the definition of a five-tool player, but in sportscasting terms. He’s successful and well-versed in TV, radio and writing which is something I strive for in my work at the Star. As a digital producer I am on camera for certain projects, work alongside my co-workers in our podcast and also write stories for print. Seeing how Patrick excels in each medium is an inspiration to me. Patrick is also honest and fair with what he says. He doesn’t try to spin or sensationalize stories and works with his sources to provide insight into topics, not to jump to conclusions. He often says that “getting the story right is more important than being first and getting it wrong”; it’s a value I respect and do my best to uphold.

PJ BROWN, contributor

Vin Scully. There’s nothing like putting on a game and listening to Vin. He told great stories throughout the game, at the right pace to keep you on the edge of your seat.

BRETT FERA, contributor

I was spoiled as a kid growing up in Los Angeles. A veritable sports broadcasting Mount Rushmore on the AM or TV dial every night. But then again, I was just a kid, so I kind of feel cheated, too. I didn’t get to hear these greats when I could truly understand how wonderful they were. The eggs were always cooling with Chick Hearn on the Lakers’ simulcast. Every night was a pleasant good evening with Vin Scully on the mic for the Dodgers. And don’t sleep on the criminally underrated Ralph Lawler, a machine for the oft-afterthought Clippers. But it was really Bob Miller, voice of the Los Angeles Kings on the old Prime Ticket cable channel that is singularly responsible for my first sports love being hockey. No ridiculous catchphrases – “He shoots … he scores!” was the extent of it. Just smooth, energetic, not over-the-top. Miller was the perfect conduit for a kid falling in love with sports, who had no idea how good he had it.

CAITLIN SCHMIDT, sports enterprise reporter

I grew up listening to Ted Leitner call Padres games on the radio, so he always will hold a special place in my heart. I also attended elementary school with one of Dick Enberg’s daughters, and I remember getting a kick out of watching my schoolmate’s father call the Olympics and other events when I was a kid. I’ve always been a huge Dan Patrick fan and have a ton of respect for his honest takes and inquisitive nature, but my favorite go-to broadcaster these days is Kate Scott of the Pac-12 Networks. She’s made history and broken barriers for women in sports broadcasting, and full disclosure, she’s a wonderful person and friend. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her through the Association for Women in Sports Media, and it’s hard not to admire her love and knowledge of sports and her desire to mentor and give back to other women in the industry.

JOHN MCKELVEY, contributor

Right now, Joe Tessitore. He did boxing for many years and had the perfect voice for that. He’s a great addition to the Monday Night Football crew, and a big upgrade over Jon “That guy’s a football player” Gruden.