Ten Crazy Announcer Calls From Ten Different Sports

Announcers are a rare breed of people that are heard but not seen. They're like priests in a confessional booth. We assume that they are as genuine in their actions as they are in their words and tone. We would hope that if we saw a priest in their side of the booth, they would be listening intently rather than doing something such as making gambling bets with the offering fund on their iPhone (Then again, depending on what you are confessing, maybe you'd prefer the latter). But we really don't know for sure. That is why I was estatic when I happened to come across the video on the right, courtesy of the Yahoo! Sports Minute.

There are few things funnier than when an announcer goes wild, and I have compiled a list of ten crazy announcer calls from ten different sports. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any favorites of your own, please post them in the comments section.

Announcer: Gus Johnson

Event: 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Gonzaga vs. UCLA

When I began this list, there was one man I knew I had to include. That man is none other than Gus Johnson. What makes Gus great is that nearly every game he announces sounds something like this one. In this particular March Madness game, Gonzaga owned a 17 point lead in the first half and a 9 point lead with three minutes to go before UCLA came rumbling back. The only thing missing from this call is Gus's trademark "HA-HAAA!".

Announcer: Booker Corrigan

Event: Boy's Latin School vs. McDonogh, 2011 Maryland High School Lacrosse Regular Season

This might be my favorite crazy announcer call. The main reason why? The complete randomness of it. First off, you will find that nearly every other video on this list features a sporting event in some sort of playoff scenario. While the goal did break a 7-7 tie with five minutes remaining, this was regular season high school lacrosse. Secondly, when I play word association with my therapist, and she says, "Lacrosse announcer", Notorious B.I.G. is not the first thing that comes to mind (the first is Tupac). Radio announcer Booker Corrigan, formerly a coach for 20 years, lets the lyrics of "Big Poppa" flow like a pro. If at the next game there be drizzle, he'll bring the shizzle (I know, I'm no Biggie. Check that. I'm no Booker C).

Announcer: Peter Maher

Event: 2004 Conference Semi-finals Game 6, Calgary vs. Detroit

While Booker Corrigan may have been a complete unknown, Peter Maher is a very well respected hockey announcer. The voice of the Calgary Flames is a member of the NHL Hall of Fame as a media honouree. While the overtime goal does clinch the series for the #6 seeded Flames over the #1 seeded Detroit Redwings, his call sounds a bit like Animal from The Muppets trying to do an Austin Powers impersonation. Actually, Maher has used "Yeah, baby" since 1986. It begs the question: Did Maher serve as inspiration for fellow Canadian Mike Myers' catchmark phrase?

Announcer: Unknown

Event: 2008 Summer Olympics, 400 Meter Freestyle

An out-of-control announcer is funny in any language. In this event, Park Tae-Hwan of South Korea edges out Zhang Lin (China) and Larsen Jensen (United States) to win a gold medal. Park Tae-Hwan became the first South Korean to win a medal in swimming. His gold was one of thirteen for South Korea in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Announcers: Denny Garver, Mike Zoffuto, and Eddy Clinton

Event: 3rd Round of the Texas Class 5A Division II Playoffs, John Tyler vs. Plano East

If you were to create a perfect scenario for a crazy call, this might be it. First, take a high school football game in Texas. Enough said. Second, make it one of the most remarkable games in American sports history. And as a final ingredient, add in announcers who show no semblence of remaining neutral and seem to forget that they are on the air. This is what took place when Plano East took on John Tyler in the home of the Dallas Cowboys back in 1994. Down 41-17 with 3:03 to play, John Tyler scored four touchdowns with the help of three recovered onside kicks to take a 44-41 lead. That was until Roderick Dunn of Plano East returned a kick 97 yards for a score on the last play of the game. The call made Garver, Zoffuto, and Clinton overnight celebrities. Their commentary was all over ESPN and late night talk shows. They later won an ESPY for their passionate antics.

Announcer: Unknown

Event: 2009 Madrid Open SemiFinals, Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal

When I began searching for a wild tennis announcer, I didn't hold too much hope. Like golf commentators, they tend to be mild-mannered ladies or gentleman who remain bipartial throughout the event. Boy was I excited when I found this guy. If Borat were to do tennis commentary, I imagine this is what it would sound like. The match itself was an epic in which Nadal saved three matchpoints to overcome Novak Djokovic.

Announcer: Danny Fry

Event: 2011 NCAA Houston Regional Championship, Cal vs. Baylor

Danny Fry is the voice of Cal Golden Bears baseball on KALX Berkeley 90.7 FM. What you have to love most about this guy is his honesty. And not only does he apoligize for his lack of vocal power, but he manages to work it seamlessly into the call.

Announcer: Larry Collmus

Event: August 22, 2010 Race at Monmouth Park in New Jersey

This call differs from most on the list in that it isn't so much an announcer going overboard as it is an announcer working with a hysterical situation. Larry Collmus plays this one like a pro. Note the perfect changes in the inflection of his voice down the stretch. You can see why NBC hired this guy to replace Tom Durkin as the voice of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. By the way, I happened to read a great comment posted on youtube under this video: "Was this a commentary on what was going through Tiger Woods' mind?".

Announcer: Andrés Cantor

Event: 2010 World Cup Group Stage, USA vs. Algeria

When it comes to soccer goals, quantity is quality. And nobody is king of the "¡GOOOOOOOOOOLLL!" like Andés Cantor. The Argentina native is possibly the most well-known soccer announcer in the world. For those who don't follow the sport, you may know this wild and crazy announcer from 2010 Geico commercials that featured Cantor announcing a Chess match. This call came after Landon Donovan scored in stoppage time to break 0-0 tie and help the United States win their group for the first time since 1930.

Announcers: Christian Paasche and Johan Kaggestad

Event: Stage 17 of the 2011 Tour de France

What more can I say? Christian Paasche is just the coolest, craziest dude out there. There are many more videos of these two from the Tour de France that are just as funny. Search "paasche and kaggestad" on Youtube.