Paul Keels added to the FSO Reds broadcast team

[Captain Hook]

"Absa-tiv-ley."

I think he does a good job of calling basketball (over the radio), but most dihard Buckeye fans I know (as well as myself) think he's pretty stale calling football.

He just seems to be all voice and pretty much void of any substance.

Nothing like Chuck Underwood or Terry Smith.

I agree that he does a great job on the basketball end.I'll be interested to see how he translates to doing baseball.I hear him on the local radio station talking sports and can't say that I remember him discussing baseball at all.

[Sea Ray]

Tom was an instructor at CSB many years ago. What struck me was how down to earth he was. He was the voice for a freaking NBA franchise teaching us lowlifes how to do it.

What a guy.

What Tom are you talking about? What NBA franchise did he work for?

[Unassisted]

Having listened to him for those Ohio State football games I can't get on TV, I have to agree with Blitz Dorsey. Great pipes, dull presentation. Those of you who didn't like the way Steve Stewart called games will really dislike the style of Paul Keels.

[traderumor]

Talk about preference subject. "Awful" at any sport is the last word I think of to describe Keels. He is top notch anytime I've heard him. Hearing he and Munoz on preseason makes me wish that the NFL didn't have corporate announcers on their telecasts.

[smith288]

"Absa-tiv-ley."

I think he does a good job of calling basketball (over the radio), but most dihard Buckeye fans I know (as well as myself) think he's pretty stale calling football.

He just seems to be all voice and pretty much void of any substance.

Nothing like Chuck Underwood or Terry Smith.

Terry Smith was a primadonna. I remember when I was a batboy with the Clippers in columbus and he did their radio games. Between innings he thought he was such a star, he would hang out the media booth and wave to the masses ignoring him.

[sonny]

Terry Smith was a primadonna. I remember when I was a batboy with the Clippers in columbus and he did their radio games. Between innings he thought he was such a star, he would hang out the media booth and wave to the masses ignoring him.

I remember that! We would look up and ask "Who in the hell are you waving at?"

Regarding Keels, I don't think he's dull at all. He doesn't just call the plays, he tells a story. For God's sake, he once described a kickoff return from Tedd Ginn as "mexican water through a first time tourist"

don't get much better than that.

[smith288]

I remember that! We would look up and ask "Who in the hell are you waving at?"

Regarding Keels, I don't think he's dull at all. He doesn't just call the plays, he tells a story. For God's sake, he once described a kickoff return from Tedd Ginn as "mexican water through a first time tourist"

don't get much better than that.

I think the baseball players used to flip him off didnt they?

Keels is smooth and his basketball calls are fast paced and descriptive. How that translate to Reds baseball remains to be seen but he certainly isnt as yawn inspiring and predictable as Grande.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Terry Smith was a primadonna. I remember when I was a batboy with the Clippers in columbus and he did their radio games. Between innings he thought he was such a star, he would hang out the media booth and wave to the masses ignoring him.

I worked with Terry Smith for a while at 1460 the fan. He was anything but a primadonna in my experience with him. Actually, he was one of the nicest people I had a chance to work with.

Regardless, he called a great game and didn't put me to sleep. If you ever get a chance, listen to Keels call the last play of the 2002 national championship game. He sounds like he's just calling any other game. At least Lachey got excited.

Someone on an OSU board posted two youtube videos of the final play of the Iowa game (Barclay's FG). One was ABC. The other Keels on the radio. You should hear the difference.

[smith288]

I worked with Terry Smith for a while at 1460 the fan. He was anything but a primadonna in my experience with him. Actually, he was one of the nicest people I had a chance to work with.

Regardless, he called a great game and didn't put me to sleep. If you ever get a chance, listen to Keels call the last play of the 2002 national championship game. He sounds like he's just calling any other game. At least Lachey got excited.

Someone on an OSU board posted two youtube videos of the final play of the Iowa game (Barclay's FG). One was ABC. The other Keels on the radio. You should hear the difference.

That's fine. Just from an outsider, the guy waved at nobody between innings like he was thinking he was some star. Found it peculiar to say the least.

[Blitz Dorsey]

I remember that! We would look up and ask "Who in the hell are you waving at?"

Regarding Keels, I don't think he's dull at all. He doesn't just call the plays, he tells a story. For God's sake, he once described a kickoff return from Tedd Ginn as "mexican water through a first time tourist"

don't get much better than that.

Yeah, Keels has some "pre-determined" lines that he loves to throw out there. But he never has anything witty to say on the spur of the moment. He is extremely dull IMO. But the worst thing about him is that he is often very unprepared for his job. That is what really bothers me.

Hey, this thread proves fans can have very differing views on the same subject. It seems the Reds/OSU fans on here are pretty much split on Keels. Which surprises me since every OSU football fan I know personally does not like the guy at all as a radio PBP guy for football. (I also think he's pretty bad doing Bengals games on TV.)

[sonny]

Yeah, Keels has some "pre-determined" lines that he loves to throw out there. But he never has anything witty to say on the spur of the moment. He is extremely dull IMO. But the worst thing about him is that he is often very unprepared for his job. That is what really bothers me.

Hey, this thread proves fans can have very differing views on the same subject. It seems the Reds/OSU fans on here are pretty much split on Keels. Which surprises me since every OSU football fan I know personally does not like the guy at all as a radio PBP guy for football. (I also think he's pretty bad doing Bengals games on TV.)

Agree to disagree

Keels is very good at football play by play IMO. He doesn't get emotional and He doesn't seem that unprepared to me. What have you heard that makes him seem unprepared?

I think he sounds better at basketball because he's got that loon Ronnie Stokes as an "analyst".

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Agree to disagree

Keels is very good at football play by play IMO. He doesn't get emotional and He doesn't seem that unprepared to me. What have you heard that makes him seem unprepared?

I think he sounds better at basketball because he's got that loon Ronnie Stokes as an "analyst".

When you are calling a game for the local team, you can stand to be a bit more emotional. His seems almost forced when he does attempt to show any.

And far as being unprepared, he routinely calls out the wrong names. I don't know how anyone that listens to him cannot notice this.

I'm speaking of football only. He's not bad at hoops.

[Bill]

Buckeye football fans I know had hoped Keels had been traded to the Reds. Most cannot stand to listen to him. Getting the names wrong for Buckeye players is pretty bad for OSU football radio.

[Blitz Dorsey]

The best is when he kept getting Brian Hartline and Rob Rose confused for each other during 2007 and '08 because they wore the same number (#9). Not sure how you could EVER get those two guys confused for each other ... and it happened several times with Keels. That is just one of a hundred examples I could give you. (That alone sounds kind of minor -- and it is -- but I am just pointing out one of the many ways he is often unprepared for his job.)

Keels has less emotion calling an OSU game than the TV announcers have. He doesn't need to be a homer. Sean McDonough certainly isn't an OSU homer, but his calls of the big plays this year were way better than Keels'. Same deal in '02 when all of Brent Musberger's calls were better than Keels'. I just hope for all of our sakes as Reds fans that he's better at baseball than he is football.

But again, the real good news here IMO is that Thom B will be doing the vast majority of TV games this coming season. That means Keels will only be filling in on occasion (and we don't have any George Grande!).

[smith288]

I dont think Keels can be emotional. He's Mr monotone pretty much but I think in a good way. When I turn on the radio and hear Keels, its warm and fuzzy. Especially basketball, I can actually visualize the court and where the ball is when the action is going on. Thats hard to do when I think about it.

How that translates to FSO? I cant imagine it will be too hard for him. I dont think the subject matter is too hard to keep up on either. Ill see if I can get the RedsZone url to him somehow so he knows where to get his info.