When crappy broadcasters collide

Tonight presents a rare occasion for Angels fans in Southern California. It isn't often that the Physioc/Hudler experience is markedly better than their counterparts on the opposing team. But as is the case a few times every season, the Angels meet the White Sox in the battle of the awful broadcasters. Let's take a look:

Physioc vs. Harrelson

Steve Physioc is not good. Let's just get that out of the way now. He's not awful, but he does the types of things that slowly get on your nerves. It's creeping homerism. And to his credit, you do hear the excitement in his voice rise when the opposing team does something good. He gives the appearance of professionalism, and for the untrained viewer, it may take a good week or two to come to the realization that he sucks. Whether it's the Pollyana attitude, the refusal to say "damn" when referring to the "Best Damn Sports Show" when in fact, it's the word "Best" that he should be refusing to say, he just bugs after a while.

Harrelson, on the other hand, is just plain awful from the get go. There's no two ways about it. I'll admit, he has some clever catch phrases (right size, wrong shape is a good one), and I'm even willing to look beyond much of the outright blatant homerism that he brings to the table. But it's the rooting for the Sox that I can't take. "Put it on the boarrrrd, YES!" I can take. I can even live with the way he sounds like his dog just got run over whenever the opposing team scores a run. It's the "C'mon, Mark, take him right here, put him away right here" that I can't take. It's natural to get excited when a guy with whom you spend 150 days a year does something good. It's simply not professional to openly root for that to happen from the press box. Then there's whole "kind of a dick" thing. That's mitigated by the "often a dick to Marriotti" thing, which is a redeeming quality.

Edge: Physioc

Hud vs. DJ

I'll be honest, as truly awful as Hud is as an "analyst", I find him to be entertaining in much the same way I find Rip Taylor to be entertaining. Sure, it's campy and juvenile, but sometimes you just gotta stick with what got ya there. I mean, the dude once ate a bug in the dugout on a dare. While it's funny in small doses, however, the verbal confetti that spews from Hud's mouth starts to grate after a while And I know for some of my fellow fans, it's a sore subject when fans of other teams rip on him. To be honest, I'd written a bunch of other stuff here, but blogger ate it. You'll just have to trust me.

Darin Jackson is actually pretty not awful. He knows his role and he plays his part. Sure, he doens't tell me anything that I couldn't have figured out on my own, but that's the job of the modern color commentator. Call it the McCarverization of the broadcast booth. What's infuriating about DJ is his tendency to challenge the alpha male status of Harrelson. Don't get me wrong, that's when he's at his best. But it usually isn't long until he slinks back to the toady role, enthusistically yelling "He-gone!" just when he starts earning some respect. But bottom line, objectively speaking, if I had to take him for 162 games with a competent play by play guy, I could live with it. Pair him with John Rooney and the Sox would have a great pair.

Edge: DJ, by a strrrretchhh.

Sometime over the next few days, I may have try the old "synch the TiVo with the radio feed" and see if it works. But it has the be the Rory and Terry feed, and not the Sox feed. As much as I like John Rooney, man, that Ed Rooney is a real condescending cocksucker.

**UPDATE**

Game 1 is Darin Jackson and Don Pall. I'm not sure if this is a blessing or a curse.