Is Gus Johnson the Best Sports Announcer in America?

I remember Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson calling the ALCS in 1976. In game five Chambliss hit a walk off homer in the ninth and the fans swarmed the field. Chambliss ended up barrelling over a fan as he neared home plate in a kind of Mad Max scene that helped define the Bronx Zoo in the 1970s. Anyway, Cosell and Jackson were reason enough to tune in, even if you didn’t care about the teams. They lent a certain gravity to the event that ordinary announcers lack and are a big reason I remember the games so vividly.

These days I’ve been seeking out Gus Johnson because whatever game he’s calling sounds better than anything else on tv. Below is his call of last night’s buzzer beater in the Big 10 tournament. I like Johnson’s rythm and use of repetition. He builds drama like a good story teller who understands inflection is as important as the actual words and as far as the latter are concerned, the fewer the better:

“Here’s Brandon Paul.
8 Seconds to go.

Paul
Will go for the winner.
Paul
Crosses over.

15 footer….”