Yesterday baseball lost one of its iconic figures, and voices, with the passing of legendary announcer Harry Kalas. I grew up on the West Coast, so I didn't have the privilege of listening to Harry each night as so many have. I do remember listening to Vin Scully and Dick Enberg as a child and being able to visualize Davy Lopes stealing a base in Chavez Ravine or Joe Rudi hitting one out of The Big "A". Along with Harry Carey, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Buck and so many others, these men didn't just announce a game, they were artists painting a picture in our minds. Even when calling a game on TV, they understood the art of subtlety. I actually remember a NFL game on NBC that they experimented without even having announcers, now it seems that the announcers are actually bigger than the game. How else do you explain 3 person booths with multiple sideline (or dugout) reporters? If it is the game that is important then why did I have to suffer through Dennis Miller. If I want to hear Dennis Miller, I will watch him on HBO.
This is the generation of sensory overload, with too many announcers, too many graphics, too many virtual billboards and too many promos for Malcolm in the Middle. I am not naive, I realize that everything is driven by money and things are not likely to change. However in my mind I can still hear the echoes of that simpler time, "Oh My!" "Holy Cow" "I Don't Believe What I Just Saw"!
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