Yelling Into a Void

Gus Johnson

An interesting topic of sorts in the sports broadcasting world reared its head yesterday.

To start, there is something called "Gus Johnson Syndrome" in which many modern play-by-play voices admire the work of Johnson, who tends to lose his marbles on almost every play during a game (that's an exaggeration but I'm going with it anyway).

Johnson yells, turning often routine moments into high-energy, speaker-shattering noise.

It's polarizing, to say the least. Fans of a certain age seem to love it more than others. Those who don't get called "boomers."

Well, OK, then.

To that end, STAA (Sportscasters Talent Agency of America) has been posting videos with that they call "Call of the Year."

The problem with this is, according to STAA, every call to be submitted would be included in these video packages that have been posted on social media. Those included share the videos, saying their work has been "chosen," when, in reality, it hasn't really.

For the record, I have no dog in the fight as I did not submit any calls. I know people who did submit their work and that's up to them.

The submissions have been a wide variety of quality, at least in my opinion. Many, frankly, have let their inner Gus Johnson shine through.

One call in particular caused a bit of a ruckus.

Out of respect for the people involved, I'll only say it was a hockey call for a championship winner. It was enough to fire up a friend who tweeted about it and said, in no uncertain terms, the call was not good. There was too much screaming.

Or as another person put it, "Was that Vanilla Andrés Cantor?" That, of course, is a reference to the soccer announcer who has cried out "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL" for years on World Cup and other top matches.

I'm not going to lie. That comment made me actually cry with laughter.

Shockingly there hasn't been an outcry from the other side that says, "Thou shalt not diminish fellow broadcasters."

To which I say nonsense.

A big call lives with that moment. It becomes synonymous. A special one enhances it. Think Al Michaels and "Miracle." Think Russ Hodges and "The Giants Win the Pennant." Think Vin Scully and, well, everything.

The hockey call that we're talking about isn't my style. It becomes less about the play at that point. But it takes away, especially, from the crowd noise.

I want to describe it and get out of the way.

However, there are big calls of mine that I cringe at. I specifically think of calling Newtown's state title in 2014. I could have called that better. I yelled on the winner and should have stopped sooner. Live and learn.

I don't know that I'm embarrassed by it but I know it's not my favorite.

Whether you like the call or not (if you find it) I think there's a bigger point to be discussed and I'll quote Mike Hirn on this one (and I hope he doesn't mind).

"We need to be better in helping these young guys develop a storytelling voice and not be just highlight screamers."

I think that's an excellent point.

Look, my youth was filled with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer, Dick Enberg, Vin Scully, and many other varied styles and approaches. They're all what I learned from.

There were colorful broadcasters but they didn't quite land with me.

Eventually, Vin, Enberg, and a few others became the standard that I found.

Still, I had to develop my style. I had to learn to tell a story (which is what baseball is great for) and understand that highlights take a certain approach. I can feel my eyes widen in those moments as I reach for the right things to say and the appropriate reaction.

In short, I want to honor that moment and not screw it up.

I want my work recognized for the small moments when I've told a funny story and chosen a turn of phrase that the audience likes.

Or when I've said nothing.

I have my yelling calls for sure. If I hadn't made it clear, I don't love them. I want the volume to be where appropriate.

Those are things I think about.

As for the "Pollyanna" approach, that's something that concerns me. I don't want to just pat voices on the head for their "viral" call.

Heck, in truth, Red Barber (the legend that he is) didn't like the "The Giants Win the Pennant" call, calling it "unprofessional."

For what it's worth, Vin Scully saw Barber as a father figure, so that's good enough for me. However, Red was tough, and I appreciate that.

The goal, at least where I'm coming from, is to know that there are different approaches and not everyone is going to be a fan.

In this case, there are plenty of fans and plenty of critics.

So it goes.

In this business, if egos can be put aside it's a very worthwhile discussion. 

Of course, I just said "if egos can be put aside," which is entirely impossible.

But I still believe there's an important discussion to be had here as someone who loves training and mentoring broadcasters.

Not everyone will agree.