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

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Originally Posted by Edskin

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.

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Today's Enquirer quoted Marty as saying "They may never win another game."

Now is that telling it like it is or might that be a little over the top in belittling the product he ought to be promoting?

That sounds a little childish to me and not telling it like it is. I think the Reds are playing horribly but I don't think it's realistic to think they'll go winless the rest of this year

Marty is not really any different than many of us, he's a fan. He's seen the good and the bad, and now, the annual ugliness.

The only difference is that we communicate through text read by a few hundred. Marty talks to many thousands...

I haven't liked listening to Marty for a long time. He has always struck me as a guy who confuses complaining with telling it like it is.

The Reds suck. They have for quite a while now. Marty makes it painful to listen to a game. The Cubs sucked back in the 80s when I started watching them on WGN, but I never got tired of listening to Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray.

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Originally Posted by Ltlabner

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.

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No offense abner, but this constant griping about the griping on the Redszone is just as bad as the griping itself and it's also a tad over-exaggerated as well I might add.

Both are beating a dead horse. The discussion has gotten pretty bland as is. Unless, of course, you dig discussing favorite albums and books over on the non-baseball side. Seems like there's more interesting discussion over there right now and here we are sitting in the middle of baseball season on a board that was designed to discuss baseball.

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Originally Posted by guttle11

Marty is not really any different than many of us, he's a fan. He's seen the good and the bad, and now, the annual ugliness.

The only difference is that we communicate through text read by a few hundred. Marty talks to many thousands...

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Well, there is a big difference. He gets paid to give us a play-by-play of the game as it occurs on the field, something he's been failing to do for years now. Does that count as "lack of hustle" or "not playing the game the right way?"

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Originally Posted by Yachtzee

Well, there is a big difference. He gets paid to give us a play-by-play of the game as it occurs on the field, something he's been failing to do for years now. Does that count as "lack of hustle" or "not playing the game the right way?"

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I disagree. He's paid to call the game as he sees it, in his own way. He wouldn't have been here this long and especially up for HOF consideration if he just did "play by play". If he sees it one way and someone else thinks that's whining or hyperbole in any way, so be it. It's fine to have an opinion of him and/or his style, but let's be honest here, he's talking about the game just like we do (well, did) here at Redszone.

It's virtually the same thing.

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Originally Posted by Ltlabner

You have actually read Redzone before right? Read a game thread?

Please. What a complete load of horsecrap.

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There's a difference between calling a game on national radio and posting on a message board. Just like people tend to be on their best behavior on a first date vs how they act with their drinking buddies.

I stand by what I said. Put a Redszone guy behind the microphone and he's probably a lot more professional than Marty is. Probably a lot more interesting too. Most folks here would be a bit more diplomatic if they were on national radio as opposed to a game thread.

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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.

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No one is saying Marty should be a homer or try to con us into thinking this is a great team. Ironically though, Marty does push his favorites whether it is merited or not...

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I'm just going to back out of this now, however, as I know most of RZ is anti-Marty.

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Why do you expect us to "white wash" Marty? He's a horrible announcer. He's the Eric Milton of radio broadcasting.. Used to be decent, but now is simply horrible.

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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.

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And you have a strong opinion on this as well. Nothing wrong with that. If you don't agree with it, you dismiss it as "low level discussion". Why should Marty be a sacred cow?

Last season, I stopped listening to the Reds around August because I could no longer take listening to Marty. He's one of the few people with the ablity to suck all the fun out of baseball games. The game threads are great in comparison.. back when we had them, it was nice to read them during the game as it helped counteract Marty...

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Originally Posted by Yachtzee

Well, there is a big difference. He gets paid to give us a play-by-play of the game as it occurs on the field, something he's been failing to do for years now. Does that count as "lack of hustle" or "not playing the game the right way?"

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Yep, he harps on the players for not taking extra fielding/hitting or lack of concentration.. Yet, what preperation does he do for his own job? Very little. He depends on the 2nd inning guest to give everyone the latest scoop from the FO and rumor mill.. I haven't heard Marty bring anything to the booth with him that is relevant in a long time. And as far as lack of concentration, Marty goes out of his way to try to find non baseball stuff to talk about.

Yet, he makes a point of it yesterday to mention Skip Carrey's comment about "The bases are loaded, and I bet Dusty Baker wishes he was loaded too" (Carey said that during this series, apparently). He's willing to work to find negative material to slam the Reds, but can't be bothered with asking Jacoby or another Reds' guy about something interesting to share on the broadcast.

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Originally Posted by REDREAD

There's a difference between calling a game on national radio and posting on a message board. Just like people tend to be on their best behavior on a first date vs how they act with their drinking buddies.

I stand by what I said. Put a Redszone guy behind the microphone and he's probably a lot more professional than Marty is. Probably a lot more interesting too. Most folks here would be a bit more diplomatic if they were on national radio as opposed to a game thread.

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I have to wonder if that's just it. Marty considers being a national broadcaster his right. Just as many of us post on RedsZone as if we have complete freedom to do post whatever we want (and have to be reminded otherwise), Marty feels no need to put a filter between his brain and his mouth. To some degree, he's earned that right. I just wonder how he might call the game differently if he didn't feel (apparently) above the law.

Being critical is completely welcome in certain situations, but non-stop negativity simply isn't entertaining radio.

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Originally Posted by RedsManRick

Being critical is completely welcome in certain situations, but non-stop negativity simply isn't entertaining radio.

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I remember Marty broadcasting those horrible 80's teams. He wasn't bitter and hateful as he is now. He didn't act as if he couldn't wait until the game was over to get out of there. He was professional without being a homer. If he broadcasted in the 80's as he does now, I wouldn't be a Reds fan, as the radio and the Sporting News was my only link to the team.

Now when Marty reports the score of an extra inning game, he'll say "Better them than us"..

The only person who seems to have any control over Marty's negativity is Tom, who tries to move him away from being such a downer. Poor Jeff Brantley just doesn't have the chops to make up for Marty's moodiness. It really is difficult to listen to.

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Originally Posted by guttle11

Marty is not really any different than many of us, he's a fan. He's seen the good and the bad, and now, the annual ugliness.

The only difference is that we communicate through text read by a few hundred. Marty talks to many thousands...

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Spot on.

Would everyone please remind me why the game threads don't currently exist? Because the majority of Redszone acts like Marty. If so many people have a problem with him, where is there so much hatred spewn during the game threads?

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Originally Posted by cincrazy

Spot on.

Would everyone please remind me why the game threads don't currently exist? Because the majority of Redszone acts like Marty. If so many people have a problem with him, where is there so much hatred spewn during the game threads?

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If we were being well compensated for the quality of our comments, I imagine we'd be more thoughtful.

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Originally Posted by Sea Ray

Today's Enquirer quoted Marty as saying "They may never win another game."

Now is that telling it like it is or might that be a little over the top in belittling the product he ought to be promoting?

That sounds a little childish to me and not telling it like it is. I think the Reds are playing horribly but I don't think it's realistic to think they'll go winless the rest of this year

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I don't know, sea Ray. I sometimes feel that way, and I'm glad someone else does too. I listen to George Grande's smiling voice putting a good spin on everything and want to vommit. I've noticed that Chris has taken the opposite view lately. Yesterday, Grande kept on in his motor mouth way talking about the greatness of Freel, who had just dove for a ball and it hit him in the arm and allowed the runner to take an extra base, and Welsh says, yeah he hustleds too much a lot of the time, or something like that.

It's very difficult to look at this mess, which has been going on for nearly 8 years and be all sunny about it.

Really if I ever got a job similar to Marty's there is no way I could be as much of a die hard fan as I am right now. I just couldn't endure it, hell I turn the Reds sometimes when I get upset at them. Marty doesn't have that option.