Usually a radio listener, I was unfortunately subjected to Fox's #1 analyst Troy Aikman during the Packers vs. Cowboys game.

Boring. Monotone. Mostly states the obvious and once in while gives you some decent insight. That's how I'd describe Aikman.

The Packers scored making it 16-0 (pending the XP) and the silence of both announcers is stunning. Finally, after like 20-30 seconds, Aikman blandly described Havner's TD. Clearly, both Aikman and his boothmate were in shock that the Packers would win, and apparently not happy about it either, as they showed zero excitement over "the dagger" play that sealed the game. Boomer Esiason accused Aikman of Cowboy's bias and failure to maintain neutrality when doing Cowboys games, and now I see why. It wasn't over the top, but, his silence after that play confirmed Boomer's opinion in my eyes.

But, bias aside, he's just so boring. At least Madden or Collinsworth bring some excitement and find a way to say things in an interesting manner. Aikman can't do that, he speaks proper english, describes the play, but puts me to sleep because he's so robotic.

"Color" commentator? When you're that bland? You gotta be kidding me. Listening to him, your ears know how your eyes felt when watching the game on a old black and white TV. It's like listening to a stodgy professor.

Anyone else got an opinion?

(Lest anyone think it's my own anti-Cowboy bias, despite being a lifelong Packer Backer I enjoy listening to Mike Ditka and would like to see him as a color commentator.)

I agree.

He is usually a little bit better, but he was terrible yesterday.

He claimed on several occasions that the fumble by Roy Williams led to a field goal at the end of the half. It didn't as the Packers went three and out on the ensuing drive. They kicked the field goal on the drive that followed.

Was he even watching the game? Did he do his research either? ? At one point he was talking about how Havner was on the practice squad for most of the season, but just made the active roster within the last few weeks...

I don't think many, if any, do any research at all. They just follow what everyone else is saying. I have to go to a sports bar to catch Packer games and rarely get any sound for a game here in Charger country. Guess I should be glad I don't have to listen to him?

Thanks for bringing up his poor analysis.

He also mentioned the Packers "throwing more slants" than any other team in the NFL. Huh? That was 10 years ago.

Nowadays they throw more deep passes than Plunkett did with the Raiders, or Fouts with the Chargers, and occasionally run slants. (I kind of like that. If they could just get the O-line pass blocking "cleaned up" they could become one of the all time great deep passing teams).

I'll pile on. He also mentioned how the Packers are one of the best at screens. Uhhhh...yea...10 years ago. i never liked Aikman, and not because I think he's a homer for Dallas. I jsut think he's boring and unprepared. I don't like Collinswort either for that matter.

I may be the only one, but I really liked the old Sunday night crew- McGuire, Theisman, Patrick. Patrick was a level headed play-by-play guy, and the other two got passionate about their opinions.

Almost all the announcers these days don't seem to have their facts straight, and are not capable of having a reasoned, passionate response or opinion to anything.

Aikman said the same thing about the screens, and then said that Philbin calls the plays. It's bad when he's totally off base with any of the football culture going on with a team within a week and even the season. They're supposed to be in town Friday and Saturday and getting the latest gossip, but it makes me think Troy just showed up Sunday afternoon. It's funny because two weeks ago eveyone was worshiping him for his inside take on the Brent saga after he pretty much said what a lot of us knew all along.

I think it's ok to hear nothing but crowd noise when the home team scores a big touchdown late in the game, that's actually somthing that's commonly done and it usually works IMO. But I do agree, Aikman had a really bad day Sunday.

Nevertheless, I actually like that Troy and Joe don't talk a whole lot, I think too many guys go with information overload and never cease to be quiet and the game is lost. Al Michels, as much as I know how everyone just loves him (which I still haven't figured out), talks to the audience as if we're the dummest joe blows in the world and have never watched a game in our lives. The game should be the show, I don't need to be totally engaged with the booth guys for three hours and talked to the same way I explain football to my wife or eight-year-old son.

Guess at the end of the day I'll take Joe's monotone over a crew that gushes over how well a team is playing or how good they are, such as the crew covering the Queens/Lions. The entire fourth quarter was a love fest. These national guys aren't supposed to cheer for anyone, they're IMO supposed just say enough to let us know they're there. I think Gruden and Jaws also go too far with gushing over the good players.

I like Collinsworth, he acutally allows me to get past how annoying Michels is. I know I'll get bashed for dissing Michels, and I guess he's one of the best ever, but I really think most of the audience is a lot smarter than the way in which he explains the most obvious crap nonstop for three hours.

Hey, me too.. I think Patrick has been underrated, not sure why. That ESPN sunday night crew was the best.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Aikman either. He does nothing to distract me from enjoying the game like a Kornheiser or Dennis Miller did, but he does nothing to enhance it either. As the OP said, he pretty much just states the obvious. I've never seen him break down a play to tell us what happened on a given play. He'll say something like "Driver did a great job getting both feet down in bounds." That's about the extent of his abilities.

One thing I do appreciate about him is that he doesn't slobber as much as most of these guys. A lot of these guys would have you believe that whomever happens to be playing that day is either the best in the game or on the cust of being one of the best in the game. He's not one for hyperbole, which is refreshing.

I guess to me he's the announcers equivalent to Ryan Grant. Just a guy.

Yesterday he was annoying, though. He clearly had no knowledge of what we do on offense.

At least we don't have to listen to them ramble on about Favre all game long

I can't think of another analyst on Fox that is better than Aikman.

I laughed hard at that, because you're probably right.

Fox's entire football presentation these days is below average. (Strange because they have the #1 rated pay tv news channel).

25 years ago, we felt like royalty watching NFC games because the crews were pretty good compared to the AFC games. Not anymore.

I find that FOX has the worst pregame show. They just try to be funny, instead of talking about football.

Pretty much. Not only that, the first 30 minutes are usually commercials and stuff that has absolutely no point.

I'd sum it up like this: Blah blah blah --> Picks ---> blah blah blah --> I love me some (Insert whatever hot team/player everyone has been talking about all week) ---> blah blah ---> Game.

I really cracked up about Aikman's comments on the screens as well. What the hell is he talking about? The Packers run more screens than any other team? No way. The Packers suck at screens. Why would the Packers keep running a play that they can't execute?

I have no problem with Aikman and normally think he is pretty good, maybe not great, but pretty good.

That said, his analyis of the Packers in that last game was a complete joke. His analysis would have been excellent... if it were 1995. But it's not 1995 and the Packers are not a good screen team, nor do they use slant passes as much as they once did.

I can't blame someone for ripping on Aikman in that last game. He really was ridiculous to listen to. That said, I will give him a pass as normally he is much better.

I agree. Troy Aikman is definitly a good commentator. I always thought that him and Joe Buck made the best combo on TV.

I can honestly say that there is not one single tv guy that I enjoy listening to, Not One! They're all terrible and pretty much always state the obvious. None of those guys can tell me something that I don't already know, so I usually watch with the volume off.
The last really good analyst imo was Merlin Olsen back in the old NBC days.

Damn.....this is a tough crowd!

Fox's pregame sucks.....
Fox's #1 broadcast team sucks.....
Perhaps they'll stop talking and present the game silently w/subtitles.
Damn! Their cameramen suck too??? LOL

I listen to The Packers Radio Network on the internet before, during and after the game. Watch the game on TV with the mute on.