This is more of a rant (Which article I write ISN’T a rant?) but I am very ANGRY at the fact that EA Sports no longer features Gus Johnson in it’s Madden game. I read a few months back that the always awesome Jim Nantz Underpants and Phil Simms would take over for Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth. It’s enough Gus Johnson doesn’t do any more games in the NFL nor NCAA since being let go by CBS and now, he is not in even in the game. He took a job as Fox’s college football announcer so that’s what we, as fans have been reduced to.
Gus Johnson is one of the most entertaining announcers I have heard. If you search his name in YouTube, you’ll get many exciting calls from college basketball over the years and even some from the NFL. It’s a travesty that he doesn’t call more games. In the new Madden game, I have already been annoyed by Nantz and Simms. To make matters worse, there already seems to be a glitch in the game where Simms repeats the same damn sentence numerous times in one drive that I had playing the game the other night. It’s annoying to say the least and I already feel like shutting off the volume on the announcers part of the game.
In a perfect world, Gus Johnson should be calling every hockey, basketball and football game. If any of you know how intense this guy gets, can you imagine him being an MC at a wedding? I can’t imagine him calling the toss of the boutique by the bride or announcing the people who are walking down the aisle. I would pay him to call my wedding.
Note to Fox: Give this guy more games to call. Sundays will suck when I am forced to listen to morons like Kenny Albert, Thom Brenneman and the kiss of death to Chicago sports, Dick Stockton. Sam Rosen is awesome but it’s just not enough. WE WANT GUS DAMNIT.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
August 29, 2012 at 2:26 pm
“In a perfect world, Gus Johnson should be calling every hockey, basketball and football game.”
Sorry fitness friend. I have to disagree on that with hockey. NOBODY can touch Randy Moller from the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, he works for the Panthers. Fortunately, he’s on You Tube.
As far as Dick Stockton is concerned, my bet is he’ll be calling Bears games regularly around week 8. You can thank Lovie Baker for that.
By the way, it looks like they’re going to try to get Urlacher ready for the opener against the Colts. There’s no fucking way in hell he should be in that game.
August 29, 2012 at 2:38 pm
I haven’t purchased Madden since the ’09 game. I was considering it this year. However, the 1.8 rating that it has received on Amazon hasn’t encouraged me. No “Real” franchise mode, no fantasy drafts, no customization…
August 29, 2012 at 3:10 pm
The game is still pretty good Pie. I thought Madden ’11 was the best out of them all. I’ve only played a few games so far this year and it seems like they fixed some of the stuff although it’s a bit harder to catch the ball when throwing more than 20 yards. Either way, it’s improved.
Chucky,
The Randy Moller soundbites are classic radio. You can never get enough of that. I would like to at least get a sample of some Gus Johnson on a hockey call and see how it compares.
Also, Lovie is a dumbass if Urlacher starts the season opener. If they didn’t have to play the Packers four days later, I would be fine with it. It’s the “lose the battle to win the war” situation here. I think Lovie thought the same thing though in the last game of the regular season last year. Oops.
August 29, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Zack Zaidman said yesterday that Lovie said “He expects Urlacher to be on the practice field in preparation for the season opener against Indianapolis”.
Now was he really saying he expects Urlacher to play on the 9th, or was he just trying to bullshit the Colts. God, I hate this motherfucker!!!! If the NFL ever told the coaches to start playing it straight in regards to a players injury status I think Smiths goddamn head might explode. And I’d pay good money to see that happen.
August 29, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Chucky, I’ve never heard Randy Moller, but I’m sure he’s quite good. For hockey though I don’t think it gets any better than Doc Emmerich. Also a fan of Bob Miller from the Kings but that might be bias due to the fact that he started out here in Madison doing Badger hockey. But we can all be thankful that EA doesn’t use that piece of shit windbag Chris Berman. If there is one sportscaster that I could either bludgeon to death or strangle with his own necktie, it would be Berman.
August 29, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Mac….Moller does a comedic style when he calls a game. After a Panther players scores a goal he goes absolutely apeshit, then comes up with some quote from just about anything under the moon. There is about 4 different clips of him doing his thing on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=randy+moller+goal+calls&oq=Randy+moller&gs_l=youtube.1.0.0l5.3906.4797.0.7610.12.2.0.0.0.0.703.1203.5-1j1.2.0…0.0…1ac.BCsbNn7NxZc
This is some seriously funny shit. I know you take your hockey seriously, but this guy is priceless!
As far as Berman is concerned, nothing would please me more than for somebody to come along and disembowel him with a wooden cooking spoon.
August 30, 2012 at 1:11 am
Gus Johnson does soccer too?!?!?!
August 30, 2012 at 7:38 pm
So, I know you’ve been a longtime madden purchaser. I haven’t bought it in close to 10 years. I mainly went the route of NCAA. This time, I got Madden and I like it so far. I have read there were a bunch of changes (engine related, largely). What do you think of it, Fro? It’s somewhat fun to call out timeouts, no huddled, etc.
August 30, 2012 at 11:41 pm
So, a receiver catches the ball and runs out of bounds… And the clock doesn’t stop. That makes sense
August 31, 2012 at 1:00 am
After reading what Pie wrote, I can see the frustration among many. There isn’t a franchise mode like in previous years. Instead, there is a “career” mode which is somewhat similar except there isn’t a draft. I didn’t realize the clock continuing to run after running out of bounds.
Last year, there wasn’t an option to stop the “accelerated” clock in franchise mode. I just added two or three extra minutes to the quarters after figuring that out. They fixed that this year. The game play is still improved but they really messed up with the franchise mode and navigation around the game options screen.
On a brighter note, I played the season opener and Matt Forte had 414 yards on 46 carries. The Bears defeated the Colts 45-6.
August 31, 2012 at 7:44 am
I think I’m gonna buy the game. Despite all the reviews, it seems like game play has improved. That’s No. 1 to me. I can’t play it online though…. so it probably won’t have much replay value for me. I also hear EA forces you to use their roster on CCM mode. Weird.