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Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:45 pm EST

Poor Al Bernstein, Gus Johnson is your new partner

By Steve Cofield

It must've been pure torture over the years for consummate pro Al Bernstein to work with Steve Albert and Jim Gray but those were the good ole' days. Al meet the most over-the-top announcer in all of sports, Gus Johnson.

Awful Announcing plucked this from Sports Business Daily:

Showtime has hired Gus Johnson as the lead announcer on its "Showtime Championship Boxing" series. Johnson will continue to work as an announcer on CBS' college basketball and NFL games, as well as Big Ten Network basketball games. Johnson will work with Al Bernstein on the monthly series, and he will make his debut February 7 for the Vic Darchinyan-Jorge Arce fight. He replaces Steve Albert, who is staying with the series in a reduced role.

Gus became a laughingstock with his now famous "the caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch" call during the Gonzaga-UCLA NCAA game in 2006. It actually made Adam Morrison sit on the floor and cry. We love this "buuuuuuucket" call of this Will Bynum basket.

Johnson topped himself during the Kimbo Slice-Seth Petruzelli EliteXC debacle on CBS in October. Johnson screamed "Rocky! Rocky! is here". He likened a 3-to-1 underdog beating Kimbo to a fictional club fighter taking the world heavyweight champ the distance. He also called Petruzelli's win, "the most incredible victory in mixed martial arts history".

Hopefully Gus doesn't come right out of the gates and ruin Showtime's potential Fight of the Year candidate, Arce versus Darchinyan, by screaming over the entire bout. Here's guessing that he'll set a new personal yelling record. He has to beat this 35 second tirade, screaming over Steve Farhood.

I'm not a huge fan of Albert either but the guy deserved better after 21 years of calling fights for Showtime.

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39 Comments

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  1. SouthCal21
    1. Posted by SouthCal21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    wow...really cofield?? your blogs carry so much substance its almost overwhelming...please give us something worth talking about instead of just the ammo to criticize you so much.....*sigh*...theres got to be some training news from ricky or manny camps....PBF news?....tornado vs mosley talk?....JMM??? DLH??? something...i might even be content with settling for the Klitsch bros...almost anything is better than this...
    nutcracker,
    i guess you were right....nothing but jabs against the sport for the most part...even if it is against only a commentator.....
    back to maxboxing
  2. Mangler
    2. Posted by Mangler Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    SouthCal21 Did you really expect anything else from "Hackfield". He is not knowledgable about the sport, slams it or ignores it, then spam blogs it once in a while.His first love is mma and his writing "Style" suits the mma crowd for the most part. Too bad Iole doesn't blog boxing more, It's nice to see a inteligent article about boxing once in a while. Mangler Out
  3. Al
    3. Posted by Al Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    Hey I think Gus Johnson is a great announcer and having the NFL Sunday ticket I got to hear him do a lot of games. Al Bernstein always does a great job and the man knows boxing. I think that is an excellent team Showtime has put together. I look forward to hearing them.
  4. SouthCal21
    4. Posted by SouthCal21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    i was just in hopes, too high apparently, that there was no way a writer on such a large website could be so bad for so long or that maybe he would at least take heed from the people who read this blog (and the MMA one) with such dedication to step it up a notch....to be this consistently bad is mind numbing to say the least...
  5. SouthCal21
    5. Posted by SouthCal21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    Just to change the topic into something a little more productive:
    is anyone else excited for the JMM vs Diaz fight like i am?....i mean, i was already pretty excited to watch it but then it was announced that Rocky Juarez will be facing Chris John on the undercard....Have heard alot about John but have never seen him fight??? Finally, a decent fight on an undercard....
  6. Mangler
    6. Posted by Mangler Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    Southcal21 BoxingRec is a good website to look up fighters, upcoming fights, etc. Chris John beat JMM and should beat Juarez. The JMM vs Diaz should be excellent, with JMM winning a decision or late round knockout. Myself and many others think the same about Cofield, he won't change and probably loves the negative attention. Mangler Out
  7. Nutcracker
    7. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    Southcal. This is subtle compared to some of Cofields anti boxing blogs of past glory.. I really dont check the boxing on Yahoo much. As other posters have mentioned, there are real journalists covering the sport on other sites without the not so subtle sarcasm. i dont get having a guy that obviously loves MMA so much, and thinks boxing is sloppy seconds actually covering boxing.. Steve.. Do us all a favor, and stick to MMA and keep your nose in D. Whites a$$ where it belongs. Some men keep it on their feet when they fight. And when you are on the ground, it is coz you got KTFO.. I hear that MMA thing is real popular with the gay crowd. Watching sweaty men rolling around on the ground.... Hmmmmm. I dont think I would like some dude on top of me, with his sweat pouring into my face. Does that make me old fashioned?? Or just not a latent homosexual???
  8. Nutcracker
    8. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    Oh and Southcal. I actually lived In Indonesia for a while and went to see Chrisjohn (they spell it that way over there) fight 'Smoke' Gainer . Gainer came out and put him down in the first ten seconds. Then he laid on the ropes the rest of the fight. I swear it was a fix.. He didn't throw another punch with zing the rest of the fight. He threw a few soft hooks from his tuck and nailed Chrisjohn every time. I saw him fight other times on t.v. there as well. He is a national hero, but I think he is way overrated. Once he steps up and starts fighting outside of his country, I think he will get blown up. He is slow for a guy of that weight, and has below average movement and boxing ability.
  9. Nutcracker
    9. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    He is durable and has a pretty good chin. I guess that is his 'upside'....
  10. SouthCal21
    10. Posted by SouthCal21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:34 pm EDT

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    yeah im just exicted to see what hes all about after all the talk....but thanks for the input and personal experiences....smoke gainer huh? theres a name i havent heard referenced with any relevance for some time....but if im not mistaken, he worked out in RJJ's camp for a while back when he was P$P king...so that might say something about him....John beat JMM so that might say a little more...ill be rootin for rocky though....
  11. MR.MVP
    11. Posted by MR.MVP Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:23 pm EDT

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    This blog sucks… and they say boxing is dying!!!! LOL it’s more like they are trying to kill the sport!!! There is some real action, upcoming bouts to post real info on...
    Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo
    Margarito vs Mosley this Month!!!!
    Vic Darchinyan vs Jorge Arce
    Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz
    Nate Campbell, Miguel Cotto, Kelly Palvick, all in Feb!!!
    “WOW” if he mentioned the Arce vs Darchinyan fight why not say a bit more about it spark some interest!!!!!
    Well I guess im being hard on the guy it isn’t that bad… yeah right!!!
    OH, and Rocky shold be able to beat Chris John by the 9th round........
  12. julyfirehorse
    12. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    All you fellas who blogged on this article.......Did you get anything out of it.....???......I was speed reading through it and got NOTHING.......What the F#@K is this $HIT...????..
    It is articles like this that I leave SouthCal21 to slam......Good Job SouthCal..!!!...I'm aware that you are getting a pretty good "whiff" of the BULL$HIT" that I've been talkin about......Articles like this are a WASTE......I really do not know why we even respond to such pathetic drivel....SouthCal21 pretty much took care of my light work......This will be the ONLY time I blog on this site.....
    SouthCal21......Remember this.....I know this might sound very cynical to you.....But..as a blogger...It is very important to call the Bull$hit on what you think is BULL$HIT......DO NOT be afraid to express yourself....NO MATTER WHAT..!!!.. ...Expressing our disdain for something that does not seem right employs a "Self-Critical Journey Into Ignorance.....And that "Ignorance" is....."ourselves"....
    For example....."I am as "ignorant" as "ignorant" can be.....and it all depends on how we look at "Ignorance"....
    Please allow me to clue you in on something........
    Gnostic (in Greek) means....to know or "knowing".......Where as Agnostic means...to "not" know or "unknowing"..........Pay close attention to this......
    If you were to say that you are "Gnostically Agnostic"....It would mean that....You "know", that you "don't know".... which implies....You are "Simple"......You can be taught.....
    Whereas if you were to say that you are "Agnostically Gnostic".... It would mean that...."You "do not know" that you "do know"....which implies....You are "Asleep"......You can be awakened.....
    The components of these two forces....call it..(yang-yin) Gnostically Agnostic vs. Agnostically Gnostic....are in constant flux....interdependent and intermingling with each other.....I could go on....But it would be meaningless to you if I was to explain any further......However....It is important to understand what it "means" and what it "implies"......to get to the crux of the "Mystery" as time unfolds into the "Unknown".....It is a steady contiuum of undilating focus......It's a process....
  13. Parrot
    13. Posted by Parrot Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    This is probably the worst blog ever!
  14. Nutcracker
    14. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    12, 13, 14..
    this is pretty much par for the course at yahoo boxing. the author is a mma sycophant with a penchant for all things ufc and mma. this blog is more about bashing boxing than anything else. it is sad yahoo allows a "sports writer" to just mail it in. and to do so in a negative way 90% of the time.
    and kevcarme. i am agnotic, bordering on atheist. you can take all gnostic gospels and throw them in a fire pit. ya feel me wordie???go read some jacques derrida then get back to me with your tangled words.
  15. Mangler
    15. Posted by Mangler Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    To my fellow boxing fans, the reason the blogs are lame come down to 1 word. "Cofield". Mangler Out
  16. SouthCal21
    16. Posted by SouthCal21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    kevcarme,
    i really have no idea where the hell you were trying to go with all of that....so i guess that makes me agnostic
  17. Juan M
    17. Posted by Juan M Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    Last week's boxing schedule had Sergio Martinez fighting on the same card as Andre Berto this coming Saturday on HBO. Sergio's scheduled fight has disappeared but Berto's remains. Is it still on and just won't be televised as happens A LOT with HBO?
    Info please.............
  18. julyfirehorse
    18. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Hey Nutcracker...!!!...I've got some news for you my friend.....OH $HIT..!!!...I broke my vow not to post on this blog again...!!!!...
    All Knowledge...I mean ALL KNOWLEDGE....ULTIMATELY LEADS TO....SELF-KNOWLEDGE....It is obvious that you did not read what I wrote CAREFULLY......NO..!!!.....Mr. So-Called WORDIE here senses that your ARROGANT pre-conceived ASSUMPTIONS need to be kept in check....First of all...IT does NOT pertain to you...GOT THAT..???...I was giving SouthCal21 a tiny "bit" of Da Truth so he could take it and run with it....and YOU come along and offer me to read Jacques Derrida.......Hmmm......That makes me wonder......Hmmm........
    ARE YOU READING IT....NOW !!!...
    Tell you what....Nutrcracker....I will make a deal with you.....I will research this author you mentioned for reviews....and check his bibliogaphy....and then, I will shortly come up with something for you to read.....OK??....Perhaps, Mr. Wordie here, may have a thing or two for you....
    Dont expect me to take you seriously after you come along and try take a GIANT ARROGANT $HIT on me without even without even investigating what the hell is going in the first place.....As for you NUTCRACKER....Contempt prior to the investigation without deep inquiry leads to much DEEPER IGNORANCE....If you say, the Gnostic Gospels are to be thrown into the firepit.....I say PREPARE THE FIRE before us WITH YOUR TONGUE.....and we'll see who GETS BURNED...!!!!!...Don't worry NUTCRACKER....I ROAST NUTS before I CRACK THEM...!!!!....
  19. Nutcracker
    19. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:22 pm EDT

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    Kevcarme. I dont doubt you want to eat my nuts. But I was just having some fun really.. It is just a blog, and as you can tell, the boxing on this site gets almost no play. So I just like to stir up the pot..
    Jacques Derrida is a post structuralist. 'Language is a construct', we can only conceive of ourselves and our experience through this 'limited' language. God is dead, and so are metaphysics... etc etc.. Just a short, very bad synopsis.
    What I really dont like is there are all kinds of fights in boxing and they get absolutely no coverage. Does every fight have to be a PPV headliner to get on here?? Or some silly TMZ crap? The coverage is limited and I mean that in every sense of the word.
  20. kristinen
    20. Posted by kristinen Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:53 pm EDT

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    Hey Nutcracker...!!!...WUZZZUP..!!..Listen here....Your posts with Jacques Derrida are cool with me....I'm in agreement with what you posted...Like eating the menu instead of the dinner....Yeah...I see where ya comin from...To hell with roasting them...Just crack the muthaFukas and eatem raw ehh ??!!!..
    If it takes a couple jokers like us to get through to these numbskulls, then thats what we'll do....By the way, I have book that is great for those who are recovering from a religious hangover....Re'ne Girard...who is a Catholic Revisionist (don't let the word "Catholic" fool you) a postmodern deconstructionist, and cultural anthropologist...His two main works, Things hidden from the foundation of the world and Violence and the sacred.....If thats too boring, try Not In His Image, by John Lamb Lash.....This is, for me, almost a perfect crossover(a bridge)for the thiest and athiest alike....
    I have one question for you.....What is "your" definition for "Polarization"...DON'T LOOK ANYTHING UP NOW....Just off the top of your head....Give me "your" definition.....
    I know this might be wandering from the point of Boxing.....But then...Hey..!!!...We can probably talk about what is so polarized about boxing.....kevcarme out
  21. julyfirehorse
    21. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Diaz vs. Marquez....whats your take..???..
  22. Mangler
    22. Posted by Mangler Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    Since i last complained about Cofeilds lack of boxing blogs 3 weeks ago, he has graced us with 2 stupid , non important boxing blogs. 1 every week and a half. Let's remind him of the upcoming fights. Berto fighting this weekend and when he wins i wouldn't doubt he will get Margrarito down the road, but not before the Cotto/ Margrarito rematch. Juan M., the Martinez fight was cancelled, his opponent withdrew because of medicals reasons. That was posted on the HBO website. Maybe "Hackfield" can give us his expert opiniun of these major fights. I know with the UFC card coming up , he may be too busy getting BACKSIDE TIME with Dana. Mangler Out
  23. julyfirehorse
    23. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Mangler...I was unaware of the Marquez vs. Diaz cancellation....That's too bad...Will there at least be a substitute for Marquez..??...Is anyone willing to step up to Marquez or is this too much of a risk.? Marquez should keep busy...Hopefully this cancellation is only for a short term....Yer right Mangler...I say let the busiest most informed blogger take over Cofield's place...and I nominate Banana_Split_orig.....The reason for this is he at least reads and covers every blog entry.....I hope Banana_Split_orig does not mind me making this statement and takes it with a grain of salt so to speak.....Banana_Split_orig pays pretty good attention to these kind of things as long as there is someone behind the scenes calling him on any B.S.that may surface....Other than that....Banana_Split_orig qualifies for the job.....Steve Cofield needs to look in another direction...I hope I did not put you too much on the spot Banana_Split_orig..!!!..It's just a thought....Sincerely....kevcarme-out
  24. julyfirehorse
    24. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Excuse me Mangler.....I must have read you wrong....Who are you referring to with Juan M....???...I mistook what you blogged with Martinez for Marquez....I seen Juan M...in there...kinda screwed me up....Who was the opponent that withdrew from the Sergio Martinez fight.???...I just realized that the Juan M you are referring to is not Juan Marquez....Juan M....is another blogger LOL......I guess I'll have to look to the HBO website for myself......
  25. julyfirehorse
    25. Posted by julyfirehorse Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Hey....!!!... Wait a minute here..!!!...Hey..!!!..Banana..!!!...Wait..!!!...Before we go any further with this...I must ask you a question that was asked of me by Mr. MVP......Do you work for Yahoo.???.....Because if you do....I will $hit me a log the size of Nebraska...!!!!...and I'll eat my words forever..!!!...Please tell me No...Say NO.!!!....
    I'll kick my own a$$ forever til the end of time.....and I'll never hear the end of it.....Please tell me that you do not work for Yahoo......I nominated you to take the position of Steve Cofield so we can at least clean up the media end of Yahoo Sports Boxing.....WELL..????....

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