Personal best - Greatest Sport Announcers Ever

A radio station asked the question, who are the three best sports announcers in your opinion. Theirs were personal guys from their formative years. Before they said that that's is where I was going too.

For me the greatest announcer I ever heard was Vin Scully, long time Dodger baseball announcer.

But my personal best is Gene Elston long time Houston baseball announcer who also did some other gigs before landing in Houston. His understated yet poignant style has influenced how I watch sports to this day. Despite his lack of emotionalism if you got on late to listen a few seconds would tell you whether the Houston team was ahead or behind. Good plays were admired whether they were for or against the home nine. He always had something left to enhance really great or unusual plays. As seriously as he spoke he always had fun. It was a game.

But youth did have other outstanding announcers. I loved Mann/Casper who did University of Houston basketball for many years. Art Mann and I forget Casper's first name. They were lovable homers. Elston always tried to play it even so when Gene Peterson came to announce Houston Rocket basketball as a wild homer I was taken aback. But I got used to it. Peterson had other good qualities. But I never liked his homerism. I wonder if others who first pro announcer experience was Gene Elston might have felt the same.

Football announcers: Ron Franklin. He did Houston Oilers for a while but has also done Longhorns, Rice Owls, and Houston Cougars. Someone might remember his name. He had a nice smooth voice and made the games fun.

Oh in looking up Ron Franklin I noticed another one - Jerry Trupiano. "Troop" came from St. Louis to announcer the new Houston Aeros hockey team, the first one back in the 70's that was a apart of the upstart WHA that stole a few players from NHL. Hockey. Gordie Howe and his two sons playing together. I did not know much about hockey but I loved it. Trupiano for me painted a great radio word picture. I learned all my hockey expressions from Trupiano. He was aware of his influence and tried to do it right. To this day I can still tell you some of the Aero lines. I remember picturing long shots by defensemen at the point and "goal!" Trupiano has found his final home as a baseball announcer in Boston. But for me he will always be a hockey announcer.