Brett and Dave

[Bench]

For the past two weeks I've been without a TV and just been listening to the games on the radio. I've always been amused by Milo, he makes me laugh, and for the past three years listened to games on the radio only for brief intervals in the car.

The difference between listening to the entirety of the home games versus the road games is huge. Brett and Dave do a good job describing the action and work well together. It's amazing how much more relaxed and capable they are with eachother rather than when one is calling the game with Milo. The home games are generally characterized by Milo straining himself to make a bad pun, making an ass out of himself trying to "haze" the newbie, and either Brett or Dave trying desparately not to step on Milo's toes. Now, all of those things, by themselves, make me laugh. However, when I dedicate three hours trying to follow the games, it's really annoying.

Last night's game, however, was the complete opposite, and I really enjoyed listening to Brett and Dave. Kudos to the new guys. I think they're doing a good job.

[Alkie]

We got to listen to the game on XM last night, called by Uecker.  It was great.

After the thing fell from the roof, he said something like "folks, don't get me wrong, it wasn't going to hurt anyone.  That thing couldn't have weighed more than 4, maybe 500 pounds."

[No? in Austin]

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Last night's game, however, was the complete opposite, and I really enjoyed listening to Brett and Dave. Kudos to the new guys. I think they're doing a good job.

I've listened to several of their games together and I concur with your assessment.  Having said that, however, I find that my taste in broadcaster tends to be a bit skewed.  I mean, I want information... mainly about the game at hand.  But what I've noticed about the criticism of the new guys from radio personalities around the greater Austin area is that these guys provide absolutely nothing for them in terms of fodder to make fun of.  I know, it's a generalization of course, but pretty close to the gist of the criticism.  And I admit that is from non-Astros fan radio personalities... those who will listen only for a few minutes any way and most of the time, it's by accident.  They'd rather hear Milo because he provides all sorts of ammo to poke fun at.  One afternoon jock, a relatively young kid and an avowed Rangers and Braves fan no less, loves Milo.  He loves to immitate him, make fun of his calls, and in turn slam on the radio broadcast that is upcoming on his own station.  He breaks out the "Ya gotta go get 'em... ya gotta have this one!" Milo voice when he lets his listeners know that the Astros broadcast is coming up next.  It's become annoying actually, but it's what it's about nowadays.  The flavor for the listeners, both on radio sports shows and now sports broadcast is:  Entertainment.

Plain and simple.

And that foundational shift from information to entertainment has created a severe move of San Andreas Faults moving several inches proportions.  The other sports radio in the greater Austin area is the ESPN Radio/Round Rock Express carrying station and it's local personalities are absolutely unlistenable!  They got rid of their morning crew because they had no direction whatsoever to their show.  The afternoon show (their only local broadcast now) is less sports, more shock jock, show me your boobs, profanity laced, bad imitation of bad sports shows from Dallas, ex comedy club wash out that is pathetically trying to pawn off his lame material on listeners, sports talk show.  *THIS* is what is called sports talk nowadays, it's all about the entertainment, and if anyone complains, they're old, out of date, unreasonable and they claim not the demographic they're going after any way.  I fear for the sake of the demographic they *think* they're tapping into... if it's the men 20-30 years of age, I know plenty of them to say they've totally underestimated their audience.

So that brings me back to the criticism I hear about Bret and Dave.  It is from the previously stated foundation that the criticism emits.  So I say that it pretty much means Bret and Dave are doing a good job.  If you piss off the entertainment or die crowd in sports, more power to you!  I salute you!  There was only one, *ONE*, rational criticism I've heard about Bret and Dave so far: they're not Houstonians and/or homegrown/assimilated talent.  Alan Ashby would've been better for that reason.  But that particular criticism while true, was based on time.  Like a Clark invading the TZ and getting confused about how things are done around here... it just takes time.  Once Bret and Dave speak more fluidly about Houston and the team (and or teams in Houston), they'll be fine.

They provide the information needed to listen to games and the entertainment factor does not try to choke that out.  That, to me, is a good thing and a slap in the face of those swarmy radio types who actually believe that their audience is a bunch of trailer park trash.  Maybe some are come to think of it.  Good, stay away from my radio listening pleasure then.  Keep your comments to yourself and I'll do the same for you!

[Bench]

Well put. The "non-local" criticism goes away with time, as you said. Was Milo a local before he started broadcasting here?

Ash had great insights which I miss. Also, he could reign in Milo when needed, and generally possessed impeccable timing to fit actual game information during the gaps in Milo's raving. I was also really impressed that Ash never let any exasparation or frustration with Milo appear over the air. He was always very polite when correcting the Captain. That's the biggest difference in trying to follow the games. Brett and Dave just don't have the gravitas/timing/subtlety to herd Milo. Also, Milo's input probably has a much bigger impact on their job stability with the Astros than Ash's.

[No? in Austin]

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Well put. The "non-local" criticism goes away with time, as you said. Was Milo a local before he started broadcasting here?

Ash had great insights which I miss. Also, he could reign in Milo when needed, and generally possessed impeccable timing to fit actual game information during the gaps in Milo's raving. I was also really impressed that Ash never let any exasparation or frustration with Milo appear over the air. He was always very polite when correcting the Captain. That's the biggest difference in trying to follow the games. Brett and Dave just don't have the gravitas/timing/subtlety to herd Milo. Also, Milo's input probably has a much bigger impact on their job stability with the Astros than Ash's.

The fact that they (Bret and Dave) don't have the extra duty of Milo herding on the road, makes the broadcast more listener friendly.  Information listener that is.  I find it interesting that Bret basically allows Dave the second chair at home games and becomes a spotter for the broadcast crew.  He probably has less patience with Milo of the two (my assumption).

Alan Ashby had the job locked up when the negotiations began and somewhere between that time to the time they made the final decision, the shift away from him was made.  Some say it was all financially driven.  Perhaps this is very true.  Ash may of wanted major league money for broadcasters and that pretty much killed his chances.  Nothing I know for sure, but rumors abound that it was money that killed Ashby's chances.

[Bench]

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Well put. The "non-local" criticism goes away with time, as you said. Was Milo a local before he started broadcasting here?

Ash had great insights which I miss. Also, he could reign in Milo when needed, and generally possessed impeccable timing to fit actual game information during the gaps in Milo's raving. I was also really impressed that Ash never let any exasparation or frustration with Milo appear over the air. He was always very polite when correcting the Captain. That's the biggest difference in trying to follow the games. Brett and Dave just don't have the gravitas/timing/subtlety to herd Milo. Also, Milo's input probably has a much bigger impact on their job stability with the Astros than Ash's.

The fact that they (Bret and Dave) don't have the extra duty of Milo herding on the road, makes the broadcast more listener friendly.  Information listener that is.  I find it interesting that Bret basically allows Dave the second chair at home games and becomes a spotter for the broadcast crew.  He probably has less patience with Milo of the two (my assumption).

Alan Ashby had the job locked up when the negotiations began and somewhere between that time to the time they made the final decision, the shift away from him was made.  Some say it was all financially driven.  Perhaps this is very true.  Ash may of wanted major league money for broadcasters and that pretty much killed his chances.  Nothing I know for sure, but rumors abound that it was money that killed Ashby's chances.

What do you mean by major league money for broadcasters? Like a player's/manager's/coach's salary?

[No? in Austin]

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What do you mean by major league money for broadcasters? Like a player's/manager's/coach's salary?

Hyperbole on my part.  I think, from what I heard, he wanted a serious raise.

[Bench]

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What do you mean by major league money for broadcasters? Like a player's/manager's/coach's salary?

Hyperbole on my part.  I think, from what I heard, he wanted a serious raise.

Oh, I see. That makes sense. I recall JimR having some insight into what went wrong during the Ash negotiations, but I don't recall what they were.

[Tralfaz]

Four months of listening to the newbies and alowing for them to ride the learning curve I've concluded that I like one of them and dislike the other.  I can't get there names straight so I can't say who's who.  For me it's all about tone.  Guitar player, sorry.  One of them sounds like Ashby, I like him.  Good delivery and sounds like he's having fun.  The other one sounds a little FM radio jock'ish, stuffy,  like I would expect to hear on  Braves broadcast.  Trade him for Mike Capps.

[pravata]

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What do you mean by major league money for broadcasters? Like a player's/manager's/coach's salary?

Hyperbole on my part.  I think, from what I heard, he wanted a serious raise.

Dierker declined the TV job because he didn't think the money was up to standard.

[Limey]

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Dierker declined the TV job because he didn't think the money was up to standard.

Being on KNWS half the time can't be worth much.

[pravata]

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Dierker declined the TV job because he didn't think the money was up to standard.

Being on KNWS half the time can't be worth much.

Fine line isn't it?  Wouldn't get paid enough to do the broadcast but hanging out at the Pseudo Bamboo wasn't satisfying neither.

[WulawHorn]

They are ok- they tell you what you need to hear, and kinda funny every now and again.

The only thing that pisses me off is that they don't seem to be astros fans.  I know not everyone likes that, but at least with milo I feel like he's living and dieing with the team, just the way I am as a fan. I'm not saying I want a total homer, but last night was one example. An astro swung and missed at strike three and the call was something like "he swings and he whiffs, strike three player x down swinging". In print it doesn't come accross, but his voice got higher and more excitable as it happened.  It is the absolute perfect way I want to hear a strike out for Roy O against the opposition, not how I want to hear Lance Berkman's at bat ending.

Maybe they will develop a little more of the style I'm talking about when they are around the team a little bit longer.  It just doesn't seem like they are invested in the team the way I am.  I'm sure they are, I just don't hear it in their voice.  Maybe I'm the only one that actually wants their broadcaster like this.  I like Milo's other team HR call for example- it sounds like he's as pissed off to call it as I am to hear it.

Overall I'd give the new guys a B- on the road. I do enjoy road broadcasts this year better than last year with the Captain and the Ash.

[WulawHorn]

Nothing is worse than milo with a guest in the 3rd inning. Absolutely no conception of what is going on in the game, at all.  I hate the third inning schlong groveling to groups and sponsors.  Bad, really bad.

The Mind Wireless deal made my head hurt, trying to follow the game.  As an added benefit, mr corporate honcho's name was Dave, so confusion resulted as to who milo was talking too, with Milo doing his haze the new guy a-hole routine.

Brutal, just absolutely brutal.

[ValpoCory]

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They'd rather hear Milo because he provides all sorts of ammo to poke fun at.  One afternoon jock, a relatively young kid and an avowed Rangers and Braves fan no less, loves Milo.  He loves to immitate him, make fun of his calls, and in turn slam on the radio broadcast that is upcoming on his own station.  He breaks out the "Ya gotta go get 'em... ya gotta have this one!" Milo voice when he lets his listeners know that the Astros broadcast is coming up next.  It's become annoying actually, but it's what it's about nowadays.  The flavor for the listeners, both on radio sports shows and now sports broadcast is:  Entertainment.

Plain and simple.

And that foundational shift from information to entertainment has created a severe move of San Andreas Faults moving several inches proportions.  The other sports radio in the greater Austin area is the ESPN Radio/Round Rock Express carrying station and it's local personalities are absolutely unlistenable!  They got rid of their morning crew because they had no direction whatsoever to their show.  The afternoon show (their only local broadcast now) is less sports, more shock jock, show me your boobs, profanity laced, bad imitation of bad sports shows from Dallas, ex comedy club wash out that is pathetically trying to pawn off his lame material on listeners, sports talk show.  *THIS* is what is called sports talk nowadays, it's all about the entertainment, and if anyone complains, they're old, out of date, unreasonable and they claim not the demographic they're going after any way.  I fear for the sake of the demographic they *think* they're tapping into... if it's the men 20-30 years of age, I know plenty of them to say they've totally underestimated their audience.

I hate that Chad Hastings guy you mentioned.  He is from Dallas and repeated declares "I will never root for any team from Houston ... I just can't".  His opening "Yeah baby's" are horrible and tired and need to stop.

As far as ESPN Radio, they want to be The Ticket in Dallas so bad that I cannot stand it.  Their "P1" thing they stole from Dallas shows it.  What a horrible station.  The only thing I like about that station is that they criticize Chad Hastings.

But they also criticize Erin Hogan, so they lose points there.

[ValpoCory]

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Nothing is worse than milo with a guest in the 3rd inning. Absolutely no conception of what is going on in the game, at all.  I hate the third inning schlong groveling to groups and sponsors.  Bad, really bad.

The Mind Wireless deal made my head hurt, trying to follow the game.  As an added benefit, mr corporate honcho's name was Dave, so confusion resulted as to who milo was talking too, with Milo doing his haze the new guy a-hole routine.

Brutal, just absolutely brutal.

I loved it when the Mind Wireless guy reminded Milo that a game was going on and he needed to tell the audience what was going on.  "They told me to stop when a pitch was taking place, Milo, so go ahead ..."

Brilliant.

[tophfar]

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Four months of listening to the newbies and alowing for them to ride the learning curve I've concluded that I like one of them and dislike the other.  I can't get there names straight so I can't say who's who.  For me it's all about tone.  Guitar player, sorry.  One of them sounds like Ashby, I like him.  Good delivery and sounds like he's having fun.  The other one sounds a little FM radio jock'ish, stuffy,  like I would expect to hear on  Braves broadcast.  Trade him for Mike Capps.

dave raymond is the one you like, brett dolan is the other one.  and i'm with you on this one.  i much prefer dave doing the pbp than brett.  his cadence really drives me up the wall.

sentences start out normal then all of a sudden herusheseverythingattheend.

[Frobie]

I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one who  still has trouble telling them apart...

[Limey]

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I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one who  still has trouble telling them apart...

Maybe we shouold called them simply "Breve", or perhaps "Drett".

[Frobie]

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I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one who  still has trouble telling them apart...

Maybe we shouold called them simply "Breve", or perhaps "Drett".

Perhaps next time they hire two broadcasters at the same time, one could be a 6'8" guy who speaks with a strong Lithuanian accent and the other could be a female dwarf/little person with a squeaky soprano voice.

Uh, or sumfink.

[Outlawscotty]

I got the XM broadcast as well--Uecker and all.  It sounded like a AA Missions game broadcast on the local AM radio station.  No excitement and very little crowd noise.  I don't know if this is always this way, but it was noticable.  Uecker injects humor, but it was hard to follow his PBP sometimes due to lack of emotion for either team.  They had 30 or 35 thousand fans there last night, so I thought there would be some noise in the background, but I guess not.  Maybe it is the setup there; it was my first home Brewers broadcast.  Brett and Dave are fine broadcasters, and they probably deserve to replace the 'legend' when the time comes.  However, on a road broadcast, it takes an extra minute or two to realize you are actually listening to an Astros broadcast because the Milo voice is missing.  For me anyway.