Oh My Goodness Gracious!

I know, that's another hideous reference to Suzyn Waldman's meltdown a while back.

Anywho, it's time to reveal the results of Neil Best's sportscasters poll conducted over at Mets...caught myself that time...Newsday.

I know many of you read this and yawn but whatever. I enjoy it. (My thoughts are after each batch of results, and my original thoughts on this poll are here)

Who is your favorite sports talk personality? (6339 total responses)
23.7% - Joe Benigno (1502 responses)
13.5% - Mike Francesa (856 responses)
7.4% - Michael Kay (470 responses)
3.5% - Max Kellerman (222 responses)
5.3% - Richard Neer (335 responses)
10.8% - Evan Roberts (683 responses)
7.9% - Chris Russo (498 responses)
2.7% - Stephen A. Smith (174 responses)
22.9% - Steve Somers (1453 responses)
2.3% - Brandon Tierney (146 responses)

Are the drugs you're taking that good when you're voting for Benigno? Have you really listened to him? His voice makes Russo's or Francesa's sound like Pavarotti. Plus he has some of the worst biases going. (My vote went to Mike Francesa)

Who is your least favorite sports talk personality? (7359 total responses)
1.7% - Joe Benigno (127 responses)
19.6% - Mike Francesa (1443 responses)
19.7% - Michael Kay (1450 responses)
4.2% - Max Kellerman (307 responses)
2.1% - Richard Neer (152 responses)
23.4% - Evan Roberts (1720 responses)
10.3% - Chris Russo (756 responses)
14.1% - Stephen A. Smith (1040 responses)
3.5% - Steve Somers (256 responses)
1.5% - Brandon Tierney (108 responses)

I get it - Francesa is arrogant. He's a know-it-all. He (and Russo) don't let callers finish their thoughts. Guess what - that's all true and they don't care! They have to get through calls because they have so many friggin calls to take! It's tough to be the best, and that's what Mike and Doggy are. Oh and Evan Roberts - at least some people understand that you're in over your head. Try working in, say, Fairbanks, Alaska first, then come back to the big town. By then you might have a clue. (I voted for Benigno)

Who is your favorite play-by-play announcer? (5477 total responses)
7.1% - Mike Breen (390 responses)
47.2% - Gary Cohen (2584 responses)
6.6% - Michael Kay (364 responses)
1.9% - Tom McCarthy (102 responses)
2.7% - Bob Papa (148 responses)
20.3% - Howie Rose (1110 responses)
6.9% - Sam Rosen (377 responses)
5.5% - John Sterling (299 responses)
0.7% - Suzyn Waldman (38 responses)
1.2% - Bob Wischusen (65 responses)

Now we begin to see the Metsy-based voting. Cohen comes in first, followed by Howie Rose before we come to Mike Breen (Mets fan by the way). Cohen might be play-by-play's version of Francesa - arrgoant, know-it-all and so on. Personally I wish he was "OUTTA HERE" (his lame home run call). I think Tom McCarthy is much underrated. He's Cohen without the obnoxiousness. (I voted for Mike Breen)

Who is your least favorite play-by-play announcer? (5246 total responses)
1.0% - Mike Breen (55 responses)
4.5% - Gary Cohen (238 responses)
18.3% - Michael Kay (961 responses)
1.5% - Tom McCarthy (79 responses)
2.8% - Bob Papa (146 responses)
3.9% - Howie Rose (205 responses)
3.4% - Sam Rosen (178 responses)
29.5% - John Sterling (1547 responses)
33.2% - Suzyn Waldman (1744 responses)
1.8% - Bob Wischusen (93 responses)

Oh my goodness gracious! Yankees win...theeeeeeee Yankees win! Are you shocked? Personally as I've said before, I've come to grips with John Sterling but would hate him if he was with any other team. I can't argue with those who placed Suzyn, Sterling, and Kay in that order though. (My vote went to Gary Cohen)

Who is your favorite game analyst? (5340 total responses)
38.2% - Ron Darling (2038 responses)
6.8% - Walt Frazier (361 responses)
28.6% - Keith Hernandez (1527 responses)
3.2% - Billy Jaffe (171 responses)
3.3% - Dave Jennings (174 responses)
1.1% - Dick Lynch (58 responses)
1.0% - Marty Lyons (53 responses)
3.1% - Joe Micheletti (166 responses)
8.6% - Bobby Murcer (457 responses)
6.3% - Ken Singleton (335 responses)

I said I had a bias. Bobby Murcer, along with Terry Bradshaw, gave me the idea to get into sports broadcasting in the first place. The Mets fans win again though. I'll give you this - Darling is good, and Keith isn't bad, but his claim to fame for me will always be Seinfeld. (I picked Bobby Murcer)

Who is your least favorite game analyst? (4760 total responses)
2.8% - Ron Darling (132 responses)
14.3% - Walt Frazier (680 responses)
11.7% - Keith Hernandez (559 responses)
7.2% - Billy Jaffe (343 responses)
5.9% - Dave Jennings (281 responses)
9.7% - Dick Lynch (461 responses)
8.5% - Marty Lyons (405 responses)
9.3% - Joe Micheletti (445 responses)
11.6% - Bobby Murcer (552 responses)
18.9% - Ken Singleton (902 responses)

This is a joke, right? Ken Singleton is quite good. Certainly better than some of these other guys. I've got nothing now - I'm feeling sick. (I picked Dick Lynch)

Who is your favorite living former NY sports announcer? (5272 total responses)
23.1% - Marv Albert (1217 responses)
9.1% - John Davidson (480 responses)
2.0% - Fran Healy (104 responses)
5.3% - Jim Kaat (281 responses)
22.6% - Ralph Kiner (1189 responses)
6.7% - Jiggs McDonald (355 responses)
13.8% - Phil Rizzuto (729 responses)
15.2% - Vin Scully (801 responses)
1.4% - Ed Westfall (75 responses)
0.8% - Bob Wolff (41 responses)

You must all be too old to remember that the great Scully was once a Brooklyn Dodgers broadcaster, from 1950 to 1957. He's been the best all along. Too many of you must hold a grudge because he is so identified now with the LA Dodgers. Oh and too few of you know how great Bob Wolff still is. Shame on you. (I voted for Vin Scully)

Who is your least favorite living former NY sports announcer? (5156 total responses)
9.2% - Marv Albert (476 responses)
6.5% - John Davidson (333 responses)
50.4% - Fran Healy (2601 responses)
5.0% - Jim Kaat (256 responses)
5.1% - Ralph Kiner (265 responses)
4.5% - Jiggs McDonald (230 responses)
8.1% - Phil Rizzuto (420 responses)
2.9% - Vin Scully (148 responses)
4.2% - Ed Westfall (215 responses)
4.1% - Bob Wolff (212 responses)

Yeah, this was a slam dunk. Yankees fans, Mets fans, all sports fans agreed on this one. I don't even know how any of you could vote for anyone other than Fran Healy who for some reason, became a broadcaster following the end of his career with the Yankees, and started on Yankees broadcasts before they had the brains to get rid of him. It took the Mets a little longer. (I voted for Fran Healy)

Oh and I almost forgot, in the Greenwich sportscasting poll, Ian Handwerger won for favorite play-by-play announcer. Ian was the one who once pronounced a score as "two to fifteen, favoring the Cardinals" and called former big-leaguer Duffy Dyer "Dyer Duffy." Other titles were won by Sean Kilkelly (best at bringing his "a" game during blowouts), Mark Rosen (best impression of station owner, along with many other non-family friendly titles), Ricky Fritsch (best fourth-quarter analyst when the game was a blowout), Zach Fisher (most frustrated Packers fan during GYFL broadcasts) and Nick Angotto (best announcer that was a former Cardinal football player).

I won for all of the least favorites. Congratulations to the big winners!