Criticisms of Fox Sports Ohio Broadcasts

[Captain13]

Thom can be too negative.
Chris is a cornball.
Jim is still new to us and dry.
Marty is arrogant.
Jeff is country and slow when doing PBP.
Nuxy talked about his garden.
Grande is too happy.
Hoard is boring.

Did I get all that right? It is hard to believe that we have/have had some of the best broadcasters in the nation. Best in my opinion, after listening to other teams on XM and MLB network. Best in others' opinions based on Marty being in the HOF and Thom doing a lot of national work for Fox.

Fox's technical coverage of the games is bad, but improving. I also believe that later this year when Fox really tries to take on ESPN (if you haven't read about it, it is coming http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story...network-030513 )the coverage will be better and more uniform between all the Fox affiliates throughout the nation.

I am just glad we are complaining about TV/Radio broadcasts instead of leadoff hitters that can't get on, left fielders who can't field, pitchers who don't throw strikes, shortstops who belong in AAA, and prospects who don't pan out. And Drew Stubbs.

[fearofpopvol1]

I may be in the minority, but I'll take Thom every day of the week over Geroge. Welsh is awesome. I like the Cowboy on tv (not so much on the radio). Kelch is fine, but he lacks enthusiasm for important moments in the game.

I don't think the Reds have the best broadcast team in baseball, but they are not anywhere near the worst either. Having watched plenty of games by other teams, I would put the Reds broadcasts at least in the top 10 somewhere.

[jhc2010]

I think they do sometimes go to sleep in the control room and forget about replays and the strike tracker. Like in last nights game, Lecure had several very close pitches and the broadcast just sailed on. But that's a minor nit.

Minor nit? This is MAJOR League Baseball. Other club's broadcasts would have shown them.

Tonight's game is also available on WGN with the Cubs broadcasters. This network is available on most basic cable packages. I will be watching on there tonight.

Also, tomorrow's game is not being televised by Fox Sports Ohio but the Cubs broadcast will be available on MLB Network.

[westofyou]

That's a little harsh and uncalled for, IMO.

Thom is probably my favorite announcer, Chris Welsch being second. The pair of them is awesome. I like my announcer to be a bit of a homer and rooting for the Reds, which you can tell that Thom clearly does. It's like watching the game with another Reds fan. His voice is also the most prolific and clear.

You don't get the same feel of watching the broadcast with a Reds fan if Kelsch is announcing.

He makes baseball unlistenable he doesn't let the game set the pace he tries to

Fail

[traderumor]

Anyone who enjoys Brantley on radio must not like to know what's going on. He confuses the heck out of me as to whether there is a good play or a bad play for the Reds going on.

[Chip R]

Anyone who enjoys Brantley on radio must not like to know what's going on. He confuses the heck out of me as to whether there is a good play or a bad play for the Reds going on.

Very true. He's much better on TV where he doesn't have to do play by play.

[smith288]

Very true. He's much better on TV where he doesn't have to do play by play.

I always say Brantley is what syrup would sound like if it could speak.

[jhc2010]

Anyone who enjoys Brantley on radio must not like to know what's going on. He confuses the heck out of me as to whether there is a good play or a bad play for the Reds going on.

He also leaves out major details such as giving the score after someone hits an RBI double. Listeners must be told the score after a run crosses the plate!

[Bob Sheed]

I would actually like some kind of Smart TV option where you can mute the announcers entirely and just listen to the game sounds.

Same with the ticker, graphs, etc. This is 2013. We should be able to toggle all of this on/off.

That being said, Brantley has really grown on me.

Thom's fake deep voice is beyond irritating though. Does he just turn that off when he is not on the air? He probably comes home and his wife is like "don't talk to me in your radio voice, Thom."

And I too think Chris is pretty even-keeled and certainly knowledgeable about the game.

I just don't think Chris and Thom like each other very much. You can tell pretty easily whether two people like each other or not, even if they are trying to hide it. It's pretty clear that Marty and Cowboy like each other, for example.

They should bottle Kelsch to treat insomniacs. 9 innings of "Bueller...Bueller... Frey....Frey...." zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Whoa how long have I been asleep?

[Tom Servo]

This is my impersonation of the way Thom Brennaman talks, though I can't really take credit for it because somebody else here pointed it out and I just kinda cribbed off it.

"Boy, it is just unbelievable, and now I know some players do this as well, but for this guy, and I'm not saying that he's bad because of it, because I'm not, but..."

[Always Red]

This is my impersonation of the way Thom Brennaman talks, though I can't really take credit for it because somebody else here pointed it out and I just kinda cribbed off it.

He's a walking, talking hedge machine, covering all the bases, straddling the fence.

[Nasty_Boy]

Cowboy seems like a side show. The HOF'er needs someone to needle and talk down to. The constant ribs, fried chicken, udf, fake laughs, and "yassir" shtick is tiring. He struggles at PBP (which is to be expected) and he very rarely is informed on a players history or the background of a situation. He seems very off the cuff with his remarks, much like Marty and Thom, and he doesn't take the big picture into account. When paired with Thom, I struggle listening with the sound turned up. Welch is far above Cowboy as a color man, and is one of the better one's in the business IMO.

[bengalsown]

Don't really care about foxtrax or close-ups. The new ticker (I think it's new?) is bugging me to no end though. Am I the only one that hates watching this flickering bar of text for three hours a night?

I can't stop looking at the stupid thing. It is hypnotizing, and annoying.

[Crumbley]

Give them your thoughts!

http://msn.foxsports.com/feedback

They're not going to get rid of an announcer you dislike, but can easily tweak things like ticker frequency if they get enough feedback asking for it.

[redsmetz]

Anyone who enjoys Brantley on radio must not like to know what's going on. He confuses the heck out of me as to whether there is a good play or a bad play for the Reds going on.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I exclaim to the radio, "Jeff, that's our player! Stop sounding so excited when they strike out." I think it's him having been a pitcher, but I'd rather he be more matter of fact when we're striking out.

I agree too that there are times he's calling something and I'm dismayed that the action plays out entirely different from what his preceding narrative would have indicated.

That said, there are times when he gets into the nuts and bolts of a play or a pitch where he's fascinating. But PBP leaves much to be desired.