Ranking the Minnesota play-by-play guys

My totally subjective ranking from 7 to 1 of the best play-by-play guys in the market today.  Sorry Gopher basketball and Timberwolves radio fans — I don’t partake in your broadcasts.  So Mike Grimm and whoever does radio for the Wolves these days are out.  Let’s start at the bottom and work up:

7.  Dave Lee, Gopher football.  Dandy Dave has precious little bad to say about the Maroon and Gold, even in the midst of the worst performances by the squad.  Combine that with a penchant for not giving the score (perhaps these are related), and Gopher football on the radio is a difficult listen indeed.  Perhaps when the core Gopher football audience dies off, they’ll bring the broadcast into the modern age.

6. Tom Hanneman, Timberwolves TV.  There’s nothing really bad you can say about Hanneman.  Trouble is, there isn’t really anything that good.  As an employee of the Wolves organization, he’s predictably in the bag for anything approaching competence that the team shows on the court.  Alas, he’s unable to provide any of the Kevin Harlan-style pizazz that lightens up a blowout.

5. Paul Allen, Vikings radio.  Another relentless homer.  Allen’s over-the-top style can grate after awhile, but can provide moments of off-the-wall enjoyment as one is often amazed by just how far he goes sometimes.

4. Dick Bremer, Twins TV.  Bremer is also reliably in the pocket of the Twins.  Bremer is a cool pro, though, who doesn’t go over the top and whose style is well-suited to the more laid back pace of MLB.

3. John Gordon, Twins radio.  Again, another seasoned broadcaster who is a perfect fit for baseball.  More entertaining than Bremer, and together with Dan Gladden, often provides cogent analysis in addition to doing the play-by-play.

2. Dan Terhaar, Wild TV.  Terhaar is a reliable hockey broadcaster with a sharp knowledge of the game.  Underrated when calling Gopher puck on KSTP radio a few years back, he has emerged as a nice complement to Mike Greenlay.

1. Bob Kurtz, Wild radio.  The Kurtz-Reid combo is by far the standout in the local market.  Kurtz has been around forever and is a familiar voice to those of us who grew up with the North Stars.  He knows the game and is able to paint the picture well on radio.  Not as distinctive a voice as Al Shaver, but likely to be remembered quite fondly if he stays with the Wild to finish his career.