Blogger on Marty's game-calling: That poor (expletive) has simply lost it

The third paragraph is a scathing indictment of Marty's game-calling from a high-profile Braves-fan blogger.

http://shysterball.blogspot.com/2008...ppened_05.html

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And That Happened

Braves 14, Reds 7: Mrs. Shyster came into the living room yesterday afternoon and told me that I had to fix the shelves in the garage. Her view: the screws holding the standards in the wall are hanging by a thread, and sooner or later 75 pounds of garage crap is going to fall onto her station wagon. My view: I'm the one who did the substandard job of putting those shelves up in the first place, so I'm in the unique position to know that if they haven't fallen down by now, they're probably not going to fall any time soon. Maybe. Besides: the wagon is a Volvo, and the Swedish build those things tough. Now will you please let me watch the ballgame?

Five minutes later I was in the garage with a drill in my hand listening to the Braves and Reds on the radio. This was actually OK, because my first exposure to baseball was over the radio, and I often forget how enjoyable it is to listen to a game on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, I was listening to Marty Brennaman, and that poor bastard has simply lost it. Look, we all hate to listen to homer announcers, and we all find it refreshing when the guys in the booth tell the tough truths. Brennaman, however, is long past that stage and is deep into angry and bitter disgust with the Redlegs. Sure, the seven-run second inning would be tough on anyone, but Brennaman made it sound like he was being forced to watch the commission of war crimes. He sounds like a man who truly hates his job, and truly hates the Reds. As a Braves fan enjoying the pasting I should have been reveling in just how bent out of shape he was, but I was mostly just embarrassed for him. Perhaps the most telling thing was the fact that I was actually happy when Jeff Brantley took over next inning. It was so discombobulating that I plan to blame Brennaman when the new shelves come crashing down on the Volvo next winter.

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If this guy grew up listening to the bland and boring Chip Carey then I'd say he would find Marty a little over the top.

Hey, I'm deep into angry and bitter disgust with the Redlegs. Poor Marty has to watch them day in and day out-I couldn't do it.

He's absolutely spot on.

Somewhere there's an island with no microphones or typewriters.

The sooner that Marty, Hal McCoy, and Skip Carey find that island, the better off we'll all be.

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Originally Posted by dfs

He's absolutely spot on.

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and he's completely objective; he had no reason to care one way or another.

I don't want ignorant homerism, but the last few years, Marty has seemed openly hostile. Now, that might be more of a criticism of the Reds than Marty -- but it's hard to distinguish at this point.

I have NO issue with Marty "telling it like it is" when it comes to the Reds. In the end, I certainly prefer that over the George Grande style. However, what has always irked me about Marty is that he makes it seem as if he is ABOVE it all. As if HE deserves to be calling games for a good club like he back in the 70's.

Here's the thing with local guys-- they are relevant as long as the team is relevant. The Reds have irrelevant for a LONG time, which means, well, you figure it out......and I think Marty just can't handle that.

Marty whines like a little sissy all the time. I can't stand to listen to him anymore. He makes me sick.

I have better things to do than listen to a bitter little man act like a spoiled child.

If he hates his job so much then he should just retire.

Even when he is not throwing a tantrum he is still difficult to listen to. He goes off on goofy, rambling stories that have nothing to do with baseball.

Ever since Joe Nuxhall left the booth it has been Marty's show. Marty has a bad attitude that is just no fun to listen to. As long as Joe was there Marty tended to keep his ego in check. But now that Joe is gone Marty thinks he can just say whatever he is feeling and nobody has any right to question him. "Telling it like it is" is only good if you have an intelligent comprehension of what is going on, and I don't think Marty is an intelligent baseball man. He is just a scrawny geek with no athletic ability or experience. He is a play-by-play man that is supposed to tell us what happened. His opinion is meaningless. He should let the color guys do the explaining and interpretation while he just sticks to describing the events.

Joe kept things positive and made it fun to tune in to the game even when the team was losing. Joe realized that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Marty seems to believe if you lose it is because you are lazy, dumb and incompetent. What gets me is that he actually believes his criticisms will have an effect on the team. Does anybody think his whining is going to cause the team's management to make changes they otherwise wouldn't make? I certainly don't.

I think Marty is turning off thousands of young fans to Reds baseball. What teenager wants to tune in to a nasty old geezer ranting and raving about the home team?

The Reds need to clean house on their announcing team. I really don't care much for any of them. I think Nuxy spoiled us for decades.

Listening to baseball is supposed to be fun -- even when they are losing. It is not fun anymore and it is largely Marty's fault.

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Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

Marty seems to believe if you lose it is because you are a lazy, dumb and incompetent.

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Funny, because RZ seems to believe if you lose it is beacause your GM was lazy, dumb and incompetent.

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Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

Marty whines like a little sissy all the time. I can't stand to listen to him anymore. He makes me sick.

I have better things to do than listen to a bitter little man act like a spoiled child.

If he hates his job so much then he should just retire.

Even when he is not throwing a tantrum he is still difficult to listen to. He goes off on goofy, rambling stories that have nothing to do with baseball.

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100% agree.

I listened to Marty on the same game. The sad thing is that even though it was a blowout, it wasn't noticably different than any other game. In other words, it's not as if the Blogger caught Marty on a bad day. He pretty much got the same Marty we've heard all year.. Whining constantly about how no one hits with runners in scoring position, the Reds only have 1 rbi with 2 outs and RISP (or something like that), etc, etc.

The contradiction is that Marty thinks Wayne got a raw deal.. :confused: I don't understand that, unless maybe Marty liked Wayne on a personal level. I mean Marty has no mercy blasting the team Wayne designed..

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Originally Posted by AtomicDumpling

Joe kept things positive and made it fun to tune in to the game even when the team was losing. Joe realized that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Marty seems to believe if you lose it is because you are lazy, dumb and incompetent. What .

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Well said. I really underestimated Joe's impact on the broadcast. Marty would start going off on one of his "the Reds stink" rants, and Joe could real him in by saying something like "Well, maybe we can get a few runs this inning".. and go back to talking about the game.

Sure, I can understand Marty's frustration, but it's his job to be professional.
Comparing Marty to Redszone doesn't justify Marty's behavior. I'm willing to bet that if 99% of us were given the opportunity to call a Reds' game, we'd be more more professional and diplomatic than Marty. Marty is a Reds' employee that is supposed to be promoting the product. He doesn't have to be a homer, but it's not his job to drive people

Why Marty still has a job is beyond me. I wish Cast had the guts to fire the "Hall of Famer" .. BTW. Marty being in the HOF proves that the broadcaster's HOF is a total joke. Hal McCoy deserves it due to his longevity and being the only pre-internet source of Reds news a long time ago.. but Marty does not deserve to be immortalized outside Marty's own mind...

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Originally Posted by Strikes Out Looking

Hey, I'm deep into angry and bitter disgust with the Redlegs. Poor Marty has to watch them day in and day out-I couldn't do it.

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No he doesn't, no one forces him to work.

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Originally Posted by REDREAD

I'm willing to bet that if 99% of us were given the opportunity to call a Reds' game, we'd be more more professional and diplomatic than Marty.

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You have actually read Redzone before right? Read a game thread? This place has had major reoginzations of the forum and complete shut-down of the game thread because people can't act like adults.

But somehow on air they'd be pros? Please. What a complete load of horsecrap.

As if Marty trying to downplay the horrific level of play the Reds have produced thus far would somehow trick the fans into thinking they were watching good baseball. Funny how the boo's at the stadium are everybit as loud and bitter as Marty's comments after a particularly boneheaded play. It's almost as if the fans are smart enough to figure out the Reds stink all by themselves and woln't be fooled by a white-wash.

I'm just going to back out of this now, however, as I know most of RZ is anti-Marty. People with strong opinions hate others with strong opions. Once this thread has run it's corse it will be time for (1) Dunn strikes out too much (2) Dusty's line up stinks and (3) stats vs scouts threads. It's as predictable as the tide and taxes here in the land of "higher level" discussion.