Jon
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Post by Jon on Oct 13, 2014 15:08:05 GMT -5
Eddie Olczykwas the best they could do?
Battaglia won’t work Breeders’ Cup broadcast for NBC
By Marty McGee
DRF
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mike Battaglia, part of major racing broadcasts on NBC for more than 20 years, said recently at Keeneland that he will not be working the upcoming Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita and instead will call the races live at Churchill Downs while Larry Collmus is on leave.
Battaglia, the longtime face of Keeneland racing as host of the in-house simulcast program, said he was disappointed with not being part of the NBC team after having worked the Breeders’ Cup, Triple Crown, and other major racing events for the network since 1993. He is being replaced by Eddie Olczyk, an NBC hockey commentator and longtime racing supporter based in Chicago.
Battaglia, 64, will call the first week of racing at Churchill from Oct. 26 through Nov. 2, marking the first time he has called regularly at the Louisville track since the 1996 fall meet. Battaglia called every Kentucky Derby from 1978 to 1996 before being replaced by Kurt Becker, who still is the only race-caller at Keeneland since a public-address system was installed in 1997. Becker resigned at Churchill after the 1998 fall meet and was replaced by Luke Kruytbosch.
Collmus, who calls the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup for NBC, will resume his duties at Churchill on Nov. 5 through the end of the meet Nov. 30. This is his final Churchill meet after just one year on the job, having been hired in August by the New York Racing Association to be its main caller starting in April.
In the meantime, Churchill officials said they are continuing their search for a full-time replacement for Collmus, starting with the 2015 spring meet.
Besides his announcing and commentating duties, Battaglia also has been the linemaker for 40 years at Churchill, Keeneland, and his home track of Turfway Park, where he continues as race-caller during the winter months.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2014 16:44:19 GMT -5
jon its not like they were forced into using this eddie dude. clearly that is who they wanted because they could have kept battaglia if they had wanted. he didnt quit. he wanted to keep doing it. anyone is an improvement over battaglia at anything.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Oct 13, 2014 17:57:30 GMT -5
Wiz - Battaglia had the comittment to CD. They probably would have kept him if not. Agree it's no big loss. Am sure you would have preferred they hire Durkin LOL
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2014 17:57:33 GMT -5
As Jon said, an ex-hockey player is the best they could get? I think they're going cheap since he's already under contract with NBC as a hockey analyst.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2014 18:59:41 GMT -5
i dont even know who he is, but its better then battaglias same old worn out analasys. would you rather they bring in that femme fatale they had on derby day? what was his name? johnny something or other?
yes jon, durkin would have been better, as it isnt a race call that he would be doing. it is just analasys.
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Post by mackdaddy on Oct 15, 2014 16:15:52 GMT -5
TVG with La Duche-a and now this. Lord, will the networks ever learn? Whats next, Paul Hornung and Art Schlicter giving out picks from Gulfstream?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 2:10:31 GMT -5
once again mack, all three guys i would trust with my money to invest it before i would battaglia.
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Post by byanose13 on Oct 16, 2014 12:19:37 GMT -5
At least we are getting rid of Collmus here at CD.
Should have kept Johnson.
I know some did not like Johnson's style but at least it wasn't like listening to that guy from Ferris Buehler's Day Off. Buehler,Buehler...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 13:44:32 GMT -5
These days there are very few good track announcers - most are just shrill, overly excited frustrated actors.
Here's my VERY short list of good announcers that I know of (pleasant voices and not too "enthusiastic"):
Kurt Becker - Keeneland
Mike Chamberlain - Turf Paradise
Claude Loiselle - Woodbine
Dan Jukich - Hastings
Peter Berry - Mountaineer
Jeff Cernik - Charles Town
Now here's my shorter list of the worst:
Mike Battaglia - Turfway / John Imbriale - NYRA - dead heat for first of the worst!
Larry Collmus - wherever he winds up.
The unknown guy that fills in at Charles Town maybe 2 weeks a year
Gone are the days of good, old time, businesslike track announcers:
Tony Bentley - Delaware Park and the Fair Grounds (and hunts meets) - my all time favorite
Luke Krytbusch - Hollywood Park, Turf Paradise, Churchill Downs, and Ellis Park
Chic Anderson - Churchill Downs and NYRA
Harry Henson - Hollywood Park and Turf Paradise
Jim Dolan (in his prime) - Yonkers Raceway, Freehold, Scioto Downs, Beulah Park, Mountaineer
Bob Weems - Monmouth Park, Atlantic City
Jack Lamar - Keystone, Atlantic City
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Post by mackdaddy on Oct 16, 2014 18:49:54 GMT -5
Mike Wrona deserves a better chance than to be stuck in no Cal. He pissed off plenty trainers while at FG.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 19:01:52 GMT -5
mack, what did he do? He wasn't a gambler, was he?
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Post by mackdaddy on Oct 17, 2014 2:58:55 GMT -5
No it was his "style" of announcing a race. For example, a horse would be a long way back at the qtr pole and he would say "(a horse) is dragging its feet or in another area code". Basically making fun of some shitty runners.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2014 14:03:17 GMT -5
which is exactly the way a race should be called. call it like you see it. if you dont want to be embarrassed by your horse's performance, then put a better product on the track. i hate the PC bastards who analyze a race like that also. onaka is the worst. he can spend 5 minutes on each horse going over everything, then end up playing the chalk, and then after the race go back and say, "well this is the horse dave that brlke slow in his last 37 starts but today the rest of the field was electrocuted coming out of the starting gate, so he had to be given a good chance. he has no backbone when it comes to commentary or analyzing a race. say what you think and stick to it for christs sake!! stop trying to kiss everyones ass!!
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Nostradamus
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man man your time is sand, I am the eyes of Nostradamus all your ways are known to me.
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Post by Nostradamus on Oct 17, 2014 20:37:38 GMT -5
These days there are very few good track announcers - most are just shrill, overly excited frustrated actors. Here's my VERY short list of good announcers that I know of (pleasant voices and not too "enthusiastic"): Kurt Becker - Keeneland Mike Chamberlain - Turf Paradise Claude Loiselle - Woodbine Dan Jukich - Hastings Peter Berry - Mountaineer Jeff Cernik - Charles Town Now here's my shorter list of the worst: Mike Battaglia - Turfway / John Imbriale - NYRA - dead heat for first of the worst! Larry Collmus - wherever he winds up. The unknown guy that fills in at Charles Town maybe 2 weeks a year Gone are the days of good, old time, businesslike track announcers: Tony Bentley - Delaware Park and the Fair Grounds (and hunts meets) - my all time favorite Luke Krytbusch - Hollywood Park, Turf Paradise, Churchill Downs, and Ellis Park Chic Anderson - Churchill Downs and NYRA Harry Henson - Hollywood Park and Turf Paradise Jim Dolan (in his prime) - Yonkers Raceway, Freehold, Scioto Downs, Beulah Park, Mountaineer Bob Weems - Monmouth Park, Atlantic City Jack Lamar - Keystone, Atlantic City I like Kurt Beker at Keenland - he sound real good and professional Larry Colmus also sounds real good and professional Mike Imbruglia also sounds very professional That jerk at SA also sounds alright but he has some what of a gut throat That's it folks. Don't worry about the content of what they say because it don't make a difference anyway. The announcers are only there to create a mood. If they can talk the talk and create a mood then they are doing their job. That is all there is to it and the above are the best at it. When you are at the track all you hear is the name of the horse when they call it and not a bit about all the specifics about each horse being announce so it is all about being a mood generator. That is what makes a good track announcer. But the brit jerk at SA is just hanging on by the skin of his teeth because his gut throat brit accent really doesn't create a real American racing mood. |
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teenagewildlife
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my mama said you better get things done, you better not mess with major tom
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Post by teenagewildlife on Oct 17, 2014 21:02:43 GMT -5
don @ delta downs is fun and enthusiastic
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Post by mackdaddy on Oct 18, 2014 8:06:15 GMT -5
Trevor is ok. He never says fractions which drives me nuts
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