This list is based on National impact/importance. I am sure there have been many great local baseball announcers that were the voice for many in their youth, but the vast majority of them were little known nationally. For me that local voice was Jack Brickhouse, but he was not a household national name. Thus he did not make my list.
#1 - Howard Cosell: he without question sets at the top of the list and the gap between him and the others on this list is very wide. The younger posters might not really understand the impact of Cosell, but from Monday Night Football to Muhammad Ali/boxing, Cosell was in the national consciousness like no other in sports.
#2 - Chris Berman: love him or hate him - and many actually despise him - he was the face/voice for ESPN for a generation of sports fans.
#3 - Keith Jackson: for many, he will always be the voice of college football.
#4 - Al Michaels: maybe the best all around sports announcer of all-time. Will always be remembered for "Do you believe in miracles" for his call on the USA Olympic hockey team win over Russia.
#5 - Curt Gowdy: another great all around announcer.
#6 - Dick Enberg: play-by-play man for the great college basketball announcing team of Dick Enberg, Al McGuire and Billy Packer. For many, when you think of college basketball, you think of Enberg, McGuire and Packer.
#7 - Harry Carey: perhaps one of only two local baseball announcers who became well known nationally. He was well known in the baseball world for his time with the Cardinals and White Sox, but became a national name as the Chicago Cubs announcer when WGN became a super-station and broadcast Cub baseball across the country on cable tv. You could not turn on Saturday Night Live or the late night talk shows without someone doing a Harry Carey impression.
#8 - Vin Scully: the other local baseball announcer who became a well known figure. Perhaps the best baseball announcer of all-time.
#9 - Chris Schenkle: perhaps not known by the younger posters, but in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s he was arguably the top national sports announcer. He did everything from college football to bowling. He was also well known for his work on "The Wide Wide World of Sports" on ABC.
#10 - Jim Murray: sports columnist. The best sports columnist of all time who combined insight with humor.
#1 - Howard Cosell: he without question sets at the top of the list and the gap between him and the others on this list is very wide. The younger posters might not really understand the impact of Cosell, but from Monday Night Football to Muhammad Ali/boxing, Cosell was in the national consciousness like no other in sports.
#2 - Chris Berman: love him or hate him - and many actually despise him - he was the face/voice for ESPN for a generation of sports fans.
#3 - Keith Jackson: for many, he will always be the voice of college football.
#4 - Al Michaels: maybe the best all around sports announcer of all-time. Will always be remembered for "Do you believe in miracles" for his call on the USA Olympic hockey team win over Russia.
#5 - Curt Gowdy: another great all around announcer.
#6 - Dick Enberg: play-by-play man for the great college basketball announcing team of Dick Enberg, Al McGuire and Billy Packer. For many, when you think of college basketball, you think of Enberg, McGuire and Packer.
#7 - Harry Carey: perhaps one of only two local baseball announcers who became well known nationally. He was well known in the baseball world for his time with the Cardinals and White Sox, but became a national name as the Chicago Cubs announcer when WGN became a super-station and broadcast Cub baseball across the country on cable tv. You could not turn on Saturday Night Live or the late night talk shows without someone doing a Harry Carey impression.
#8 - Vin Scully: the other local baseball announcer who became a well known figure. Perhaps the best baseball announcer of all-time.
#9 - Chris Schenkle: perhaps not known by the younger posters, but in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s he was arguably the top national sports announcer. He did everything from college football to bowling. He was also well known for his work on "The Wide Wide World of Sports" on ABC.
#10 - Jim Murray: sports columnist. The best sports columnist of all time who combined insight with humor.
