Worse that Holien? The video on GoGriz wasn't up for the first half of the game so, Mick's audio was it. Like all Griz fans, I go way back with Mick, to the Dickenson era and prior, but hadn't listened to him in years, preferring TV, of course. Like almost all memories, I'd remembered the good, while time had eroded the bad.
But last night all the bad memories of Holien's work came flooding back. On the 60-yard Chris Brown touchdown run, there was absolutely no description during the run--only a lower register of voice, and... "touchdown Chris Brown." It was as if Mick the Griz fan was too horrified by what he was seeing to describe it. It wasn't until Sundberg came in and described it, that I figured out what the hell had happened. When Cal Poly fumbled late in the first half, Sundberg was all over it, yelling, "Fumble! Fumble!" I don't think Mick saw it. He certainly didn't describe it. And when it's Montana scoring a touchdown, it's usually the roar of the crowd making the first call, not Holien.
But more than that, I believe announcing is a form of journalism; bias should be kept out of it. No matter the majority of listeners are Griz fans, there are plenty of opposing fans and non-partisan fans listening in, and an announcer should be fair to them too. Nothing pisses off Griz Nation like a homer announcer at another school describing one of our games, so why should we put up with a homer on our side? Partisanship has its place, as in recruiting, fundraising and cheerleading, but it should have no place in announcing. I watched every second of the ESPN game, and firmly believe that the first thing Brent Musberger did was check his partisanship at the gate. If I'd known nothing about his background, I might have suspected even that he was partial to "my friends" in Fargo.
Mick and I share a passionate love of the Griz, but have very different views about professionalism when it comes to announcing a game.
But last night all the bad memories of Holien's work came flooding back. On the 60-yard Chris Brown touchdown run, there was absolutely no description during the run--only a lower register of voice, and... "touchdown Chris Brown." It was as if Mick the Griz fan was too horrified by what he was seeing to describe it. It wasn't until Sundberg came in and described it, that I figured out what the hell had happened. When Cal Poly fumbled late in the first half, Sundberg was all over it, yelling, "Fumble! Fumble!" I don't think Mick saw it. He certainly didn't describe it. And when it's Montana scoring a touchdown, it's usually the roar of the crowd making the first call, not Holien.
But more than that, I believe announcing is a form of journalism; bias should be kept out of it. No matter the majority of listeners are Griz fans, there are plenty of opposing fans and non-partisan fans listening in, and an announcer should be fair to them too. Nothing pisses off Griz Nation like a homer announcer at another school describing one of our games, so why should we put up with a homer on our side? Partisanship has its place, as in recruiting, fundraising and cheerleading, but it should have no place in announcing. I watched every second of the ESPN game, and firmly believe that the first thing Brent Musberger did was check his partisanship at the gate. If I'd known nothing about his background, I might have suspected even that he was partial to "my friends" in Fargo.
Mick and I share a passionate love of the Griz, but have very different views about professionalism when it comes to announcing a game.
