Ramon Foster Hired as Titans Radio Color Analyst

#6
#6
As someone who experieneces our games exclusively on radio--I don't mean this as a snarky shot at "the new era of college football"--but... I think it is less important than ever for the color analysist to have had the once traditional 4-5 year experience of "life on the hill" as a Tennessee football player. That might actually give him less in common with the players he'll be covering.

Point #1 - Someone with an offensive coordinator's eyes and lips
Someone who is used to watching the game from above, used to immediately recognizing why a play did or didn't work, and used to immediately and succinctly communicating his synthesis of that to position coaches, and then call the next play.

If/when our offense is operating on pace, that means between the time Mike finishes the last play and before he begins telling how we are lined up for the next play, the color analyst will have 4-6 seconds in which to contribute his added value.
"Matthews was open because he rubbed off on Staley's defender while the linebacker was trying to get to Ethan Davis's out route." Boom--and Mike's setting up the next play.

Think how long it takes an analyst to convey why a running play worked:
"DeSean Bishop, using veteran eyes, saw the left linebacker slide up outside the left end to blitz, and, knowing that the middle linebacker would be edging left to cover that hole in the secondary, broke his run up the middle immediately to the right once he cleared the line, leaving only the free safety in position to keep him out of the end zone."

Whew! That's 14-seconds worth of player appreciating insight we'll never hear, unless there's an injury on the play.

Point #2 - Not someone who speaks in a Southern manner [edit: We don't talk fast--we meander through diphthongs until they become extra syllables.]
Unless you can find me a Southerner who wouldn't starve to death working as a floor trader on the NY Stock Exchange...
For example, Peyton would know his stuff and be funny as heck. But we'd miss the next play. Every. Time.
Besides, I'd like to hear the perspectives of a quick-talking Yankee who coached outside the SEC. He's more likely to appreciate and call attention to things that we've taken for granted.

And from a Yankee, we might even hear some fresh colloquialisms. "Perlotte was all over him like sesame seeds on a bagel!"

Point #3 - Is this a good time to look for a former defensive coordinator?
- He has the same visual & verbal qualities and experiences as an offensive coordinator.
- When we're on defense there's usually going to be more time to talk between plays, so this is when the color analyst will make most of his contributions to the broadcast.
- We've got a new DC with his own system, so every fan will need introduction to how this system works.

The days when you could get by with a handfull of fan favorite catch phrases are gone. Plus, TV coverage is becoming so lame, there's now an opportunity to add tons more TV viewers to a Vol Radio Network "simulcast."

Whether anyone agrees with any of my points, would you agree that it's time for a new approach to filling the color analyst's job?
 
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#8
#8
What are we thinking here? We just gonna pick a random former player willing to do the job? Al Wilson seems to be around a lot these days. Anyone know other former players still living around Knoxville? Charles Davis would be my #1, but probably a long shot.
 
#10
#10
BruisedOrange said:
As someone who experieneces our games exclusively on radio--I don't mean this as a snarky shot at "the new era of college football"--but... I think it is less important than ever for the color analysist to have had the once traditional 4-5 year experience of "life on the hill" as a Tennessee football player. That might actually give him less in common with the players he'll be covering.

Point #1 - Someone with an offensive coordinator's eyes and lips
Someone who is used to watching the game from above, used to immediately recognizing why a play did or didn't work, and used to immediately and succinctly communicating his synthesis of that to position coaches, and then call the next play.

If/when our offense is operating on pace, that means between the time Mike finishes the last play and before he begins telling how we are lined up for the next play, the color analyst will have 4-6 seconds in which to contribute his added value.
"Matthews was open because he rubbed off on Staley's defender while the linebacker was trying to get to Ethan Davis's out route." Boom--and Mike's setting up the next play.

Think how long it takes an analyst to convey why a running play worked:
"DeSean Bishop, using veteran eyes, saw the left linebacker slide up outside the left end to blitz, and, knowing that the middle linebacker would be edging left to cover that hole in the secondary, broke his run up the middle immediately to the right once he cleared the line, leaving only the free safety in position to keep him out of the end zone."

Whew! That's 14-seconds worth of player appreciating insight we'll never hear, unless there's an injury on the play.

Point #2 - Not someone who speaks in a Southern manner
Unless you can find me a Southerner who wouldn't starve to death working as a floor trader on the NY Stock Exchange...
For example, Peyton would know his stuff and be funny as heck. But we'd miss the next play. Every. Time.
Besides, I'd like to hear the perspectives of a quick-talking Yankee who coached outside the SEC. He's more likely to appreciate and call attention to things that we've taken for granted.

And from a yankee, we might even hear some fresh colloquialisms. "Perlotte was all over him like a fat woman on an empty seat in the subway!"

Point #3 - Is this a good time to look for a former defensive coordinator?
- He has the same visual & verbal qualities and experiences as an offensive coordinator.
- When we're on defense there's usually going to be more time to talk between plays, so this is when the color analyst will make most of his contributions to the broadcast.
- We've got a new DC with his own system, so every fan will need introduction to how this system works.

The days when you could get by with a handfull of fan favorite catch phrases are gone. Plus, TV coverage is becoming so lame, there's now an opportunity to add tons more TV viewers to a Vol Radio Network "simulcast."

Whether anyone agrees with any of my points, would you agree that it's time for a new approach to filling the color analyst's job?
Click to expand...
Don’t understand #2. Agree that the play-by-play guy needs to speak the King’s English. The color analyst is there to add “color”. What better than a southern accent to add that southern flavor. We are the University of Tennessee after all.

By your rationale, Bert Bertlekamp and Bill Anderson would have never made it.
 
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#13
#13
Orange Navy said:
Don’t understand #2. Agree that the play-by-play guy needs to speak the King’s English. The color analyst is there to add “color”. What better than a southern accent to add that southern flavor. We are the University of Tennessee after all.

By your rationale, Bert Bertlekamp and Bill Anderson would have never made it.
Click to expand...
Or Bobby Scott
 
#14
#14
Really loved Ramon partnered with Mike Keith. Sad that the duo will only laat a year on Rocky Top. I get Ramon does radio in Nashville, but still wierd that he would leave a job at his alma matter for a similar role for the Titans, who he has no allegiance to.

Plus, didn't he do ppdcast radio or something for the Steelers too? So this would take him from that also.
 
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#15
#15
Orange Navy said:
Don’t understand #2. Agree that the play-by-play guy needs to speak the King’s English. The color analyst is there to add “color”. What better than a southern accent to add that southern flavor. We are the University of Tennessee after all.

By your rationale, Bert Bertlekamp and Bill Anderson would have never made it.
Click to expand...
You're right, and I did a poor job of communicating. My intended point was speed. I meant that our southern accents pronounce both sides of every diphthong and just generally make words too long to say very much in a few seconds.
 
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#16
#16
BruisedOrange said:
You're right, and I did a poor job of communicating. My intended point was speed. I meant that our southern accents pronounce both sides of every diphthong and just generally make words too long to say very much in a few seconds.
Click to expand...
Yet somehow Don Meredith was one of the best color commentators of all time drawl and all. Give me a Southern guy any day over and way above another Penn State or Purdue guy.
 
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#17
#17
Remy said:
Yet somehow Don Meredith was one of the best color commentators of all time drawl and all. Give me a Southern guy any day over and way above another Penn State or Purdue guy.
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I agree on Don Meredith. But the NFL in the '70s was running 140-150 plays per game, whereas the avg in college football today is more like 175.

More to the point, Tennessee usually leads the NCAA in the shortest amount of time between offensive plays, within which the color analyst must tell us anything of interest (or sing more than a few notes of 🎶 "Turn Out the Lights") ;)
 
#22
#22
Erik Ainge is easy to understand on the radio and would probably do a good job.

I listen to a lot of college & NFL games on the weekends and some of the color guys are impossible to understand.
 
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#23
#23
IMO color guys should know when to give life to the broadcast....and when to remain silent. Bill Anderson knew his place so well and I think that was the meshing trait that complimented the broadcast with John. As far as the southern accent causing an issue with today's "hurry up" offense...most southern folks I know (me included who used to be in radio many decades ago) have the propensity to talk too fast and must consciously slow it down. I do understand the thought that a drawl might not work in a fast-paced game but seriously doubt we see a conflict....JMO.
 
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