ducky23 said:

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Honest question

How many of you actually listen to starkey?

I mean, you're either at the game or watching on tv right?

I know some people try to listen while at the game, but I can't figure out how people do that with the lag

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Jeez, what are we supposed to do, watch the televised broadcast or something crazy like that?

I also listen to KGO. Mostly when I'm at the game, and I rely upon them to fill the gaps that I don't see with my own eyes (there is one a 1-2 second delay which does't bother me much). For televised games, sometimes I turn down the TV announcer and listen to Starkey & Pulawski after a play is over.

Yes Starkey does drive me crazy sometimes, but I've learned to live with it, and forgive most of his errors based on the enthusiasm and sense of Cal history he provides. I know that one of our posters used to submit Starkey's call of the Play to show how little information was conveyed, but I think it was still a wonderful call - the action was so quick and so confused I wonder if anyone could have made an accurate calling, but the thrill and sense of excitement of that call remains timeless.

I think it is time for Starkey to retire - he's been making more and more errors these days, but other than Roxy Bernstein, I don't know of any other announcers around who would be better. Pulawski is a GREAT color commentator, and I prefer to have him continue in that role than switch over to play-by-play. The absolute worst choice would be Steve Physioc (I don't know if he is still active or not).

As for the Cupper - yes, it was a relief to see him replaced by Pulawski as color commentator, and now I think he should be gently guided to get out of the game completely.

bearister said:

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He holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for surviving off the vapors of one play call for the most decades.

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Interesting to note that the most descriptive moments of Starkey's play-by-play Cal career came after The Play not during it. There in lies the problem.

"We've heard no decision yet. Everybody is milling around on the FIELD!!! AND THE BEARS!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! Oh my God, the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heart rending... exciting thrilling finish in the history of college football! California has won... the Big Game...over Stanford."

Btw, when he called 9er games he was a professional and did his job correctly. At Cal he's been a joke.

Here would be my question to the Athl. Dept:

After tuning in to listen to Starkey call a Cal game -- would anyone EVER start to follow Cal football or start listening to Cal games as a result?

I think the answer would be zero.

Pawlaski.

Ask Joe about the royalties to "The Play" tie.

ducky23 said:

---

Honest question

How many of you actually listen to starkey?

I mean, you're either at the game or watching on tv right?

I know some people try to listen while at the game, but I can't figure out how people do that with the lag

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For home games, I will schedule my life to be flexible enough so that I can attend the game even if I don't know the game time until 6-12 days in advance. I won't do that for road games (except the ones I'm going to attend). Sometimes, I'm in the car for a decent chunk of time during a road game, and so I turn on the radio and listen to Starkey. I heard a significant part of 2 road games last year in the car. Now that every game is on TV, I almost never have to listen to Joe for an entire game, although I heard the entire 2009 game at Minnesota on satellite radio while in a rental car on an east coast trip. And without fail, during those times I listen, Starkey makes me want to pull my hair out.

Last year in the car, my wife to me after a play in the game: "Do you have any idea what just happened?"
Me: "No, but Starkey's doing play-by-play, so I don't really expect to know what's going on."
Wife: "Then why do you bother to even put the game on?"
Me: "Well, I can kinda-sorta know the basics of what is going on, and at least I can be up to date on the score. It would be better if you just pulled out your phone, went to a gametracker on the Internet and did the play-by-play for me while I drive, you want to do that?"
Wife: "No, I'll just let us suffer with Starkey."

If I'm in a car but not driving, I will usually pull out the phone and watch/listen to the telecast rather than deal with Joe. But if I'm stuck driving, then I'll bit the bullet and listen to Joe.

chalcidbear said:

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I also listen to KGO. Mostly when I'm at the game, and I rely upon them to fill the gaps that I don't see with my own eyes (there is one a 1-2 second delay which does't bother me much). For televised games, sometimes I turn down the TV announcer and listen to Starkey & Pulawski after a play is over.

Yes Starkey does drive me crazy sometimes, but I've learned to live with it, and forgive most of his errors based on the enthusiasm and sense of Cal history he provides. I know that one of our posters used to submit Starkey's call of the Play to show how little information was conveyed, but I think it was still a wonderful call - the action was so quick and so confused I wonder if anyone could have made an accurate calling, but the thrill and sense of excitement of that call remains timeless.

I think it is time for Starkey to retire - he's been making more and more errors these days, but other than Roxy Bernstein, I don't know of any other announcers around who would be better. Pulawski is a GREAT color commentator, and I prefer to have him continue in that role than switch over to play-by-play. The absolute worst choice would be Steve Physioc (I don't know if he is still active or not).

As for the Cupper - yes, it was a relief to see him replaced by Pulawski as color commentator, and now I think he should be gently guided to get out of the game completely.

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I think if you just brought Cupper to the bar and put a fake mike in his hand, he would just have the same conversation with his buddy reminiscing about the 1957 Utes and the way things used to be.

Starkey is not yet in that category, but it would be nice to get a competent play by play guy who actually does a good job. To be honest, if not Roxy, who would be good but possibly not available anymore - it could be some other young guy who is a Cal guy and understands our university. He could grow into the job with Paws as the color guy. I want someone who understands the rules, who can talk about what is being reviewed, etc

Kate Scott will probably be the one, I anticipate.

New broadcast crew: Roxy, Paw and Kate Scott.

ducky23 said:

---

Honest question

How many of you actually listen to starkey?

I mean, you're either at the game or watching on tv right?

I know some people try to listen while at the game, but I can't figure out how people do that with the lag

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I actually listen. Except for home games, which I attend in person--I don't bring a radio. But I listen to his postgame interviews & stuff as soon as I get to my car after the games. I listen during road games that are on Pac-12. because DirecTV. Grrrr--they STILL can't work this out. I listen to Starkey on road games that I DO get on TV with the TV audio off, because I generally can't stand the TV announcers, and I want to get the home team analysis. I record the games on TV and watch them again, so eventually I do hear what the TV guys say. The radio audio is usually 15-20 seconds ahead of the TV video, so I have to wait a bit to learn the down and distance when Joe forgets to mention it. Despite the much discussed obvious faults, I like Starkey. He's been doing it so long that his voice is part of what defines Cal football. (Just like Lon Simmons's voice used to define Giants and 49ers games.) I liked Starkey from way back when he was doing California Golden Seals hockey games on the radio. When the time comes that he retires from doing Cal football I will be sad to see him go.

I don't listen to Starkey much since I'm usually at the game. But the other day I was driving along listening to the furd commentators and they are the absolute worst. Boring, not funny, not exciting at all. When I do hear Starkey and Pawlaski at least I think they are interesting and entertaining.

bearister said:

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Starkey's style: He has you believing the Bears have no chance to win a game they are going to win.

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Sounds like ol' Joe would be right at home on this board lately....

What about the play by play announcer for the Oakland A's Ken Korach ?
Calls the A's games straight up.
Seems pretty solid.
Might be a good fit with Pawlowski.
Does have prior experience calling UNLV football and Basketball.

TomBear said:

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I invite any of you to listen (if you can) to other PXP announcers on opposing schools' networks. Some of them are incredibly awful. Others are pretty competent, but nowhere near as fun to listen to (IMHO). Having been a commentator covering Oregon and UW many years ago, I can tell you that overall, the quality of broadcasting throughout the Pac has gone down significantly.

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The quality of radio broadcasting has gone down because radio is not the place to be. What's the audience size for the radio broadcast of a game compared to the TV broadcast? Maybe they're comparable only when a game is on P12N, because Larry Scott & Co. screwed up so badly in getting distribution for P12N. But otherwise there's no comparison.

ducky23 said:

---

Honest question

How many of you actually listen to starkey?

I mean, you're either at the game or watching on tv right?

I know some people try to listen while at the game, but I can't figure out how people do that with the lag

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I do, quite often. I don't usually have 3+ hours to sit in front of a TV (and that's assuming I can get the game, as I cut the cord), it's nice to listen and follow along while I do the things I need to do in life.

As far as attending a game... LOL. When the University admin and the AD pull their collective heads out of their arses and actually commit to real winning football at Cal, I'll start attending and donating again. That won't be anytime soon. In the meantime I have a million better things to do with my time and money.

Do y'all want to bring back Bud Foster?

joe amos yaks said:

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Do y'all want to bring back Bud Foster?

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I would be very happy if Bud Foster was coordinating Cal's defense.

But I suspect you're referring to someone else with the same name.

BearSD said:

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TomBear said:

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I invite any of you to listen (if you can) to other PXP announcers on opposing schools' networks. Some of them are incredibly awful. Others are pretty competent, but nowhere near as fun to listen to (IMHO). Having been a commentator covering Oregon and UW many years ago, I can tell you that overall, the quality of broadcasting throughout the Pac has gone down significantly.

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The quality of radio broadcasting has gone down because radio is not the place to be. What's the audience size for the radio broadcast of a game compared to the TV broadcast? Maybe they're comparable only when a game is on P12N, because Larry Scott & Co. screwed up so badly in getting distribution for P12N. But otherwise there's no comparison.

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What exactly does the size of the audience got to do with the quality of the broadcasting, specifically the quality of the announcing and commentating?

A radio announcer needs to tell the whole story of a play or a game, and generate enough excitement to keep the listener interested, whereas the on TV, the audience sees the plays and the game, and the announcer just fills in some details. The radio guy needs more skills.

The level of play makes a difference. Announcers and commentators for NFL, NBA, and MLB games on TV are quite good, nearly as good as radio announcers used to be, but as for college games, there are few good TV announcers. College football and basketball announcers are lame, IMO. There really not a lot of good announcers around, play by play or color. All you need to do is watch a Cal game on TV on most any network and the announcers are not very good, especially PAC12 Network. Outside the network, if Cal is playing a good team, the Bears are lucky to have their player mentioned when he makes a good play. Especially on defense.

Starkey makes a lot of mistakes. A lot of it is probably reflexes getting slower, but he never has been great. Does he have spotters to give him players' names during a play? Still he is our guy. He is a homer, and I like him for that. Are we the only fans who bash not only our coaches, our players (especially our QBs), and our announcers, or do every school's fans also bash their own?

CAL4LIFE said:

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bearister said:

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He holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for surviving off the vapors of one play call for the most decades.

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Interesting to note that the most descriptive moments of Starkey's play-by-play Cal career came after The Play not during it. There in lies the problem.

"We've heard no decision yet. Everybody is milling around on the FIELD!!! AND THE BEARS!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! Oh my God, the most amazing, sensational, traumatic, heart rending... exciting thrilling finish in the history of college football! California has won... the Big Game...over Stanford."

Btw, when he called 9er games he was a professional and did his job correctly. At Cal he's been a joke.

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He used to have a spotter with the 49ers. He has never had one at Cal. That is part of the problem.

As an old guy I have no problem with what Keith Richards/Mick Jagger said as well as anyone else:

"Time waits for no one, no favours has he
Time waits for no one, and he won't wait for me ..."

Starkey is past his shelf code and is just being selfish not moving aside and letting a young capable guy take over. His ego, often on display demeaning underlings on air, just won't let him do so. Fire him and settle the civil suit says I. Money well spent.

BadNewsBear1 said:

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Starkey has been a horrible play-by-play guy forever, not just the last year.

On top of that, I lost my house when he said to bet the farm that Cal would kill Temple in the Garden State Bowl!

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Yes, I'll never forget how he started that broadcast: "Ladies and gentlemen, there's just no way the University of California can lose this game today." Couldn't believe anyone could make such a stupid comment. I knew right then and there we were in trouble.

Welcome to the party, everyone! I have been saying this for almost as long as I have been a Cal fan. Joe Starkey is TERRIBLE as the Cal football play-by-play. Always has been. This is nothing new, and with age he is getting worse.

"OK, folks. Firs- er - Second and 10 from about the 25. He gives it to him up the middle. He's got room! All the way to the 29! Ed Barbero! And that brings up seco- er - third and 8 from the 28. Boy, these pies sure look good. But where are all these bees coming from? Our thanks for bringing these by go to..."

Who were the play-by-play announcers before Starkey? I think one of them was Bud Foster, but there was someone after him whose name I can'r recall.

Bill King (not that he had anything to do with Cal that I remember) was the greatest football (Raiders) and basketball (Warriors) play-by-play announcer ever. I left the Bay Area before he started announcing the A's.

Starkey left for a year I think in the 80's. Larry Carlton lasted a half a year before being fired. Terrible announcervwho had to keep correcting himself. "The balls on the 25, no the 35. " Anyone remember him?

"He's got a man!" Meaning, well, who knows:

• QB sees an open receiver, or
• QB throwing to an open receiver--ball is in the air, or
• Receiver has caught the ball, or
• QB has a boyfriend, or
• Your guess is as good as mine

hotlanta said:

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Bill King (not that he had anything to do with Cal that I remember) was the greatest football (Raiders) and basketball (Warriors) play-by-play announcer ever. I left the Bay Area before he started announcing the A's.

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Well, before I was old enough to listen to games, Bill King announced some Cal football and basketball games.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_King

"Earlier in his career, he had been a member of the San Francisco Giants' original broadcasting team (together with Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons) when the Giants moved west from New York in 1958, and had called University of California football and basketball games."

Bud Foster was an excellent announcer. Bill King was the best announcer in the Bay Area I've heard in my lifetime.

One thing for sure, you could bring either Foster or Bill King in here to announce Cal football games, and it wouldn't help the team to play better. Not one bit.

The only debate revolves around who was the second greatest sports announcer in the history of the world. Bill King was the greatest all-around sportscaster ever. Next topic.

Replace Starkey with Watson, or the weird Bart dude.

i vote for helltopay2

How long has he been calling games for California?

It's been too long since his second day on the job.

Since1975.