I have listened to Joe Starkey announce Cal Football games for 33 years and I think he is the best in the business. I listen to him on the radio whether or not I am attending the game. He simply does a great job of painting a complete picture of the stadium, the players, the game and describing each and every play. When it is an away game and the game is not on the tube, I can just close my eyes, listen to Joe Starkey and feel that I am at the game.

Joe KNOWS college football. Joe cares for Cal football, the players, the coaches and the University (that, despite the fact that he is a Notre Dame graduate). You can hear in his voice the joy when Cal is doing well and the pain when Cal is messing up, but, none the less, he is fair in calling the game. Joe is a class guy.

Yes, Joe did make a few mistakes yesterday (Allen (#21) vs. Jones (#1) early on, and CDJ (#33) vs. Yarnway (#23) vs. Manual (#13) later on), but still loved the way he covered the game. When the score got out of hand and the clock wasn't moving fast enough, he had that story about Georgia Tech with their coach Heisman beating somebody 222-0 in his back pocket ready to fill the time.

I hope Joe announces cal Football games for another 33v years!

P.S. For the record, I have never actually met Joe or anybody else in the Starkey family (but I feel that i know him like an uncle, having listened to him for over 1000 hours).

For me to poop on!

calbear80;572492 said:

---

like an uncle

---

You'll pardon me if I decline to share your high opinion of Joe Starkey.

I think that post leaves no doubt about where its author stands on the subject. Out in left field.

When I am not at the game and just listening to him on the radio--like when I am driving somewhere--he drives me crazy with the lack of down and distance, score, where the play occurred, what is going on ("he's got a man!"), etc. Sometimes I turn off the radio in frustration.

When I am at the game and have an earplug in...I like him OK. So if I have to depend on the broadcast for what is going on = bad. If he and Troy are essentially adding color, some statistics, and fun banter to what I am seeing on the field = OK.

Yesterday Joe was horrendous. Roxy can't get that job soon enough.

Well, Joe is OK if you have your own two eyes to fill in the considerable gaps in the "picture" he is attempting to paint.

Example: Yesterday the Hose had the ball. Joe simply announces, "there's a pass over the middle." That's it. Yes, Joe, that's good, but what else?

Several moments pass. I'm wondering a few things like, pass to whom, where, was it complete, etc.

Finally, I learn that it was dropped and incomplete, but nothing else. Still don't know what happened.

I sometimes think that Joe assumes that we are at the game or are watching it on TV. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn't.

Oh, well.

Cheers for Joe Starkey...he's thee Man!

Roxie B. is thee Man2!

Objectively speaking, Starkey is probably one of the worst play-by-play guys I've ever heard. That being said I think his "historical significance" is so great that we should prolly keep him.

calbear80;572492 said:

---

I have listened to Joe Starkey announce Cal Football games for 33 years and I think he is the best in the business. I listen to him on the radio whether or not I am attending the game. He simply does a great job of painting a complete picture of the stadium, the players, the game and describing each and every play. When it is an away game and the game is not on the tube, I can just close my eyes, listen to Joe Starkey and feel that I am at the game.

Joe KNOWS college football. Joe cares for Cal football, the players, the coaches and the University (that, despite the fact that he is a Notre Dame graduate). You can hear in his voice the joy when Cal is doing well and the pain when Cal is messing up, but, none the less, he is fair in calling the game. Joe is a class guy.

Yes, Joe did make a few mistakes yesterday (Allen (#21) vs. Jones (#1) early on, and CDJ (#33) vs. Yarnway (#23) vs. Manual (#13) later on), but still loved the way he covered the game. When the score got out of hand and the clock wasn't moving fast enough, he had that story about Georgia Tech with their coach Heisman beating somebody 222-0 in his back pocket ready to fill the time.

I hope Joe announces cal Football games for another 33v years!

P.S. For the record, I have never actually met Joe or anybody else in the Starkey family (but I feel that i know him like an uncle, having listened to him for over 1000 hours).

---

Oh! What a Bonanza!

If you really want to know what is going on at the game as the play unfolds then don't listen to Joe. I am not sure if he doesn't know who the players are by their number or he has very poor eyesight but he doesn't see the field. He has to rely on spotters to give him information. Lon Simmons knew when to retire, I just hope Joe realizes it's time to hang them up.

Ok, I'll play.

What is the question?

Who among the following is the Best Football Announcer?
a. Pat Robertson
b. Joe Starkey
c. Lady Gaga
d. Phil Rizzuto

Starkey has a great voice for the radio, but his actual play calling to give listeners the story stinks. Roxy Bernstein is better but his voice stinks and is too nasally.

I hope I live long enough to hear Roxy do football. Roxy's voice is better and his knowledge is superior. Joe has always had a hard time accurately describing field position; for example, if Cal has the ball on its own 20 and Joe Igber has run the ball for 3 and 17 yards, consecutively; how did the ball end up on our 46 yd line? :tedford

We pray that Joe will call it quits soon,(you think?) and he is crowned Cal broadcaster emeritus with accolades, banquets, etc. etc.

And in my lifetime we get to hear Roxy at the mike doing our play-by-play.

How anyone who understands football can tolerate his mistakes, is way beyond me.

Greg Papa with an open head wound could announce circles around Joe Starkey.

Every time I listen to Joe (which I don't do often, but had to yesterday) I feel like I'm listening to a golf match.

I think Starkey's most egregious mistake yesterday wasn't any of the foibles... it was him actually doing an announcer advertisement as the bears were lining up for a play! He missed the play entirely!

I love him like a crazy uncle, but frankly he makes the game MADDENING to follow if you don't have a visual aid. I still remember screaming back in 2007 after the last play of the OSU game, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" It took a good 5-10 seconds after Riley went down before Starkey gave any kind of explanation, which just isn't acceptable.

Serious question: was he better back in the day? My only real exposure to him pre-2005 is his call of the play. While a great play, I realized in the past few years if I keep my eyes closed and don't watch a tv replay... I have no idea what's going on. But I realize he is getting up there in years. Bill King was still a great announcer in his twilight years, but from my understanding he was definitely regressing and you could definitely tell he dropped the ball occasionally.

HAha!!! Hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaaaaaaah. My sides ache now. That is a good one. Best joke I have heard in a good long time. You, sir, have one hell of a sense of humor. Wicked.

GranadaHillsBear;572560 said:

---

Starkey has a great voice for the radio, but his actual play calling to give listeners the story stinks. Roxy Bernstein is better but his voice stinks and is too nasally.

---

I remember a few years back that Joe couldn't do the game (49er conflict?) and I was prepared to enjoy listening to Roxy, who was given the fill-in role, but I was really disappointed, although I can't remember exactly why now.

I had heard Roxy do Cal basketball and liked the way he did that, but for some reason, it didn't translate to football IMO.

I know he is doing some football games now for ESPN (I think) and maybe he is getting better. I'd like to hear him do a Cal game again and see how he sounds now. I like him on the sports talk shows, especially since he talks Cal and not the pro stuff 24/7.

GranadaHillsBear;572560 said:

---

Starkey has a great voice for the radio, but his actual play calling to give listeners the story stinks. Roxy Bernstein is better but his voice stinks and is too nasally.

---

I remember a few years back that Joe couldn't do the game (49er conflict?) and I was prepared to enjoy listening to Roxy, who was given the fill-in role, but I was really disappointed, although I can't remember exactly why now.

I had heard Roxy do Cal basketball and liked the way he did that, but for some reason, it didn't translate to football IMO.

I know he is doing some football games now for ESPN II think) and maybe he is getting better. I'd like to hear him do a Cal game again and see how he sounds now. I like him on the sports talk shows, especially since he talks Cal and not the pro stuff 24/7.

GB54;572535 said:

---

Ok, I'll play.

What is the question?

Who among the following is the Best Football Announcer?
a. Pat Robertson
b. Joe Starkey
c. Lady Gaga
d. Phil Rizzuto

---

You forgot Rosanne Barr and she can sing the national anthem too.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c

Wow. I've been listening to Starkey since I was 11, in 1976. Haven't been to a game since '07 (Oregon State, oy), so it's been mostly radio since then (without TV) and it would never occur to me to call him a bad broadcaster. Many of you are correct about his flaws. 3-yard gains vs. 5-yd gains. Not "painting the full picture" on every play. Well, for me, he paints it very well on MOST of them, and when he doesn't, he gets some slack from me. I'm sure my judgement is tainted by having listened to him during my formative years. And maybe his voice is better than his game calling, but imo, there's a reason he's been there for 35 years, and it isn't the '82 Big Game. His delivery and choice of words and anecdotes makes the game sound more interesting than it usually is! Which is an announcer's job. Long live Joe. If I knew I wasn't going to hear "what a bonanza" again, I'd be sad.

Starky's worst gaff was the mixup between Brent Woodall and Mark Bingham. All CAL people should know what happened to each of these individuals, especially Mark Bingham.

Whether you like his style or hate it, he is the voice of Cal football. "The Play" saw to that.

I met Joe back in the 80s -- come to think of it, he was about the age I am now. He's a great guy and an incredible Bear fan.

Is he the best College Football radio announcer? No. IMO, that would be Gene Deckerhoff of Florida State, but that's just me.

Two factors work against Starkey as well. One is Troy Taylor, who, bless his heart, is just a tad monotone. The other is IMG/KGO, who have combined to produce a broadcast that has a very "old timey" feel to it. I'm talking "O Brother, Where Art Thou" old timey.