Let's talk about Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play announcers. Most long time - and by that I mean "old" - Bucco fans are near unanimous as to who is their all-time favorite Pirate broadcaster.
He's a guy who is an unabashed Pirates fan. He makes no pretense about being objective in his broadcasts. He wears his heart on his sleeve where the Pirates are concerned, and if you turn on the radio in the middle of a game, you know within 15 seconds as to whether or not the Pirates are winning or losing without being told the score. He also has a million and one little catchphrases that he sprinkles in throughout his broadcasts, and many of those phrases become part of the everyday vernacular of Pirates fans everywhere.
I'm talking about Bob Prince, right?
Well, no, I am NOT talking about the legendary Gunner, although what I said above certainly can and does apply to him. Actually, I am talking about the current Voice of the Pirates, Greg Brown.
Think about it. You may criticize Brown for being a cheerleader in the booth, but is he any more so than was Prince? And is "trip-trip-triple" that much different from "bloop-and-a-blast"? How about "Clear the deck, cannonball coming" from "kiss it good-bye"? And best of all, "Raise the Jolly Roger" from "we had 'em all the way"? I don't think so. Near as I see it, the only difference is that Brown doesn't wear garish sport coats.
It mystifies me that people who wax poetic over the glory days of Bob Prince, who has been dead for thirty years now, God rest his soul, can be critical of Greg Brown.
No comments:
Post a Comment