Gary Thorne must go.

[Intimidator301]

You know, I was listening to the game when Drew and Manny went back to back, and Angel called them pretty "excitedely." Especially Drews. His call went something like, "Drew swings and HOME RUN. Don't bother looking, Markakis, that ones 20 rows deep!"

Angel must go, I guess.

I didn't listen to the game on the radio, but what was Angels reaction when the O's went back on top 7-6? I bet it had excitement in it.

I don't care that Thorne seems to jump out of his seat on an opponents HR or whatever, but he seems a lot less thrilled when the O's do something. When the O's went on top 7-6, you would have thought we were down by 10, and just scored a couple meaningless runs. Just my opinion.

Either way, I'm not going to lose any sleep over who's announcing the game.

[NittanyOsFan]

After listening to announcers from around the league from the Extra Innings package, it's actually refreshing to listen to announcers like Thorne. He's actually excited about the game when the opposing team is up to bat.

In my opinion, Oriole fans are actually spoiled compared to some teams. I've listened to opposing announcers completely ignore announcing Oriole homeruns because they were too busy chatting with someone or another in the press box.

Other times the Orioles take the lead and the opposing announcers will talk about it in the same tone someone would read a grocery list with.

I think boring announcers are much more problematic than announcers that aren't homer enough. Thorne may not be the perfect announcer, but I think he's still one of the better ones out there.

[Stevo5278]

Yes... Fire Thorne. Bring back Michael Reghi.

[Mu'ayyidSaafir]

I have the Jay Payton grand slam game still recorded on my DVR, so I went back to compare his call of that with the home runs tonight. Not even close. He was obviously more excited for Payton. Also keep in mind that he has to yell to be heard over a very loud Fenway crowd. And Manny absolutely crushed that pitch. It didn't just clear the Monster seats, but the Volvo sign above the Monster seats.

Objectivity is an important thing for an announcer, and it is particularly important for the announcer of a perennially losing team. Jon Miller talks about this in his book. He mentions Herb Score in Cleveland. He didn't ram sunshine down the throats of Clevelanders during the Indians' losing years, so when they turned it around in the '90s, fans could trust him when he said that those Indians were legit contenders. Now, if the Orioles turn it around, are the apathetic fans going to believe it from Jim Hunter? Not when he's spent the last ten years calling the likes of Chris Richard and Jose Mercedes the sign of better times. There are legitimate reasons for not liking the way Thorne calls a game, but this isn't one of them.

[safoster]

I say we get Scott Van Pelt as our play by play.

Oh wait, a lot of people here hate him too for his "too Baltimore" joke accent on SportsCenter.

[DrungoHazewood]

I like Thorn. Can't stand, really, really can't stand homers who openly root for "us" and won't say a bad word about the organization. If the O's ever get an announcer like the White Sox have, who calls all the players by their first names, openly cheers, and literally calls the other team "the bad guys" I'll turn off the sound and listen to the unsynchronized radio broadcast.

[brendanmdeegan]

I like Thorn. Can't stand, really, really can't stand homers who openly root for "us" and won't say a bad word about the organization. If the O's ever get an announcer like the White Sox have, who calls all the players by their first names, openly cheers, and literally calls the other team "the bad guys" I'll turn off the sound and listen to the unsynchronized radio broadcast.

Agree with above. Thorn is not as bad as this board makes him out to be. The White Sox guys (one of which is Steve Stone I think?) are unreal. Besides using first names, they come up with nicknames for the players. "groundball to stinky, over to tomes for one"... I mean that is unbearable.

It is like listening to 2 drunk guys watching on a non-HD tv, somewhere out in the sticks who make up their own nicknames for every player.

[vab]

I like Thorn. Can't stand, really, really can't stand homers who openly root for "us" and won't say a bad word about the organization. If the O's ever get an announcer like the White Sox have, who calls all the players by their first names, openly cheers, and literally calls the other team "the bad guys" I'll turn off the sound and listen to the unsynchronized radio broadcast.

Yeah, I don't need a cheerleader in the booth. Just present the game.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yeah, I don't need a cheerleader in the booth. Just present the game.

Exactly. If you're telling the world that Deivi Cruz is a fine contributor and Rick Helling just needs a few tweaks to get back to 20-win form, then what else are you lying about?

[InTheUpperDeck]

I like Thorne

And I hope he got to eat that enormous cookie

[SilentJames]

So Jim Hunter is too much of a homer, and Thorne isn't homer enough?

This debate is ridiculous

[The Wedge]

So Jim Hunter is too much of a homer, and Thorne isn't homer enough?

This debate is ridiculous

Someone call the geneticists...we need to find a way to merge their DNA in to one super mega perfect O's TV PbP announcer. We can call him the Jim Thorne. Or Gary Hunter. Or THE BEST ANNOUNCER EVER.

[tennOsfan]

Thorne is fine. I don't see the problem, really.

I certainly like him better than Hunter, who goes way too overboard to be complementary of the organization.

[The Wedge]

Thorne is fine. I don't see the problem, really.

I certainly like him better than Hunter, who goes way too overboard to be complementary of the organization.

In one of many ongoing discussions about Hunter with Drektunes, last night I said that was basically my main complaint about Hunter. I could live with the depth perception thing, like I do with Manfra, but Hunter came across as a shill. As I said DrekChris last night, I think when Hunter was hired, he got it in his head that Jon Miller was ousted for a reason and decided that, by god, he wouldn't go that same route. Unfortunately, that means he would praise the unpraiseable, and try to make the absolute worst sound positive.

[TinCup]

I like Thorne

And I hope he got to eat that enormous cookie

Seriously, life is good; we should close this thread down on this ending note. If he got to eat the cookie, :002_sdrool: then all is good. Let's move on...