An Interlude

I love college basketball. My favorite spectator sport. So I get to hear a lot of announcers and honestly, most are cretinous morons. Just call the game!
There are 2 cardinal sins,in my opinion, that an announcer can commit.
1) Espousing a theory and then twisting the events to fit the theory. e.g. "Enormous State U. has gotten away from what got them the lead,Dan. They were going down in the paint to Killer but haven't the last 5 possessions" And every possession for the rest of the game that ESU doesn't go to Killer, the announcer chimes in about it. Of course the reason they aren't going to Killer is that the opponent has decided to focus their defense on stopping Killer, but do we hear about this? Not as long as the announcer can throw in references to "as I said earlier" and otherwise enhance his halo of prophecy. Brent Musberger may be the worst in the world about this, but there is certainly no shortage of aspirants to his crown.
2) The announcer as event. Nobody cares. The significant event of the day is the game. Not the fact that you are calling the game. Dick Vitale has forgotten more about college basketball then the rest of us combined will ever know, but it's impossible ( for me at least) to get past the shtick of him being Dicky V.
The best announcers tell you what is going on, tell you things you didn't know, and make you excited about the game. Gus Johnson,Len Berman, Doris Burke, Eagle and Spanarkle, all leave me more knowledgeable then I was before the game began. Sadly they are in the minority to the chest thumpers, the coach-lovers, and the "Look how brilliant I am" self aggrandizing cookie cutter announcers. Of course, that's just my opinion :)

And the entries continue to FLOOD in!

And this lovely lady comes to us from Linx. Thanks!

An Actual contest entry ! Feel the Excitement!

Thanks to JungleGringo for this lovely entry, tapping a common thread that I suspect we all feel for Bill and the rest of the boys and girls up in Redmond.

Contest Redux

This was my second choice....but full enjoyment depends on familiarity with the quote...well, that and a sense of irony.

And the Contest begins...

Contest open to all, but only Grotto inhabitants will win the fabulous grand prize.