Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Bill Simmons - The McCarver Code

In today's column, Bill Simmons of ESPN.com's Page 2 wrote:

"My bosses won't allow me to say which six announcers I would deport to Eastern Europe, but here are their initials jumbled together backwards: WBMABCMJMTBJ."

Here's where I got deciphering the McCarver Code:

JB: Joe Buck
TM: Tim McCarver (Those two are gimmies)
JM: Not sure, maybe it should have been JN for Jim Nantz? Oh wait Joe Morgan?
CB: I say Chris Berman
AM: Al Michaels? I thought the Sports Guy loved the Al Michaels, so this could be wrong.
BW: No idea. Bernie Williams? Brian Williams?

And no Billy Packer? Shocking.

I need help, deadspin, you're my only hope. Can you help a brother out? Anyone?

UPDATE:

Deadspin did post the answers, but I found it on AwfulAnnouncing who got their info from Deadspin and I actually can't find it on the Deadspin site, so I'm going with AwfulAnnoucers, get it? (No. Read it again, and try to channel your inner the run-on sentence reader.)

#Answers Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Chris Berman, Al Michaels and Bill Walton. I didn't get Walton and that's HORRIBLE, but 5 out of six ain't bad.

Now let's tally it up

ESPN/ABC (and Bill Simmons employer): 4 (Morgan, Walton, Berman & Al Michaels)
I'm including Al Michael because although he moved to NBC (I believe for Sunday night?) he spent his entire career with ABC. I'd be willing to bet that had Al Michael never a) Lasted much too long on Monday Night and b) if it wasn't for his deplorable NBA annoucing, especally during a 7 games series where he maybe got excited once, he would have avoided the list.

Of course Deadspin/AwfulAnnoucers could be wrong.

Fox: 2 (Buck, McCarver)
The Ruth/Gehrig of bad announcers

I guess that's it, two networks.

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