The Martin-Walker duo on Raycom Sports – 2008 update

Last year, I wrote many missives about the quality (or lack thereof) of ACC regional TV coverage, brought to you by Raycom Sports. See here and here. The game of the week always features Steve Martin and
Doc Walker. Martin’s the bumbling play-by-play guy. Walker is the hyper color announcer.

This is the first Raycom Sports event I’ve seen this year, and it’s good to know that Martin and Walker are continuing their epic tradition. Happily, UNC is spanking Boston College (seriously… 45-17 right now… what up?), so I’m enjoying the game itself, if nothing else. But the Raycom guys continue to make this an ordeal. Here’s why:

Steve Martin continues to have trouble with the reverse/end around call. Today, he’s yelled “end around” on a true end around (kudos, Steve), an honest-to-god two-handoff reverse, a misdirection pitch play, and maybe another one along the way. He’s got a verbal turets thing going with that term.

If Martin’s verbal crutch is “end around,” then Walker is clinically addicted to “playmaker.” He has called Hakeem Nicks playmaker so much that even Nicks’ family has to be getting weary of it.

Martin’s also started referring to lineman who have some athleticism as “Brahma bulls.” That’s just breathtaking in its idiocy.

Again, the commentary aside, it’s been a great game to watch. Even if you need the mute button applied liberally.