My Media Rankings and Awards 2009-2010

[Mitch]

As a Cardinal fan here are my Top 10 favorite media persons:

1. Mike Sando, ESPN NFC West blogger. By far the most informative and reliable source for news about the Cardinals. Creates angles that are unique and creative and is not afraid to speak his mind.

2. Sam Rosen, FOX play by play man. I love this guy. Very forthright...he reminds me of the old NY broadcaters...no nonsense, and yet has unbridled enthusiasm about the game, and a great voice. I think he is about as fair as any Cardinal fan could want.

3. Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic. What I love about Bickley is he doesn't mince words and he's not afraid to take a stand. He won me over big-time last week when he campaigned for John Lott's re-signing. Bickley gets it. Like us on this board, we may not agree all the time, but it's great to get an honest, heart-felt and intelligent argument. And I think over the years he has honed his rhetoric beautifully. The man can write.

4. Jon Gruden, ESPN color man. I could listen to this guy 24/7. Has keen knowledge of the game and a way of expressing his thoughts that is both entertaining and informative.

5. Chris Mortensen, ESPN. The Mort Report is great. He's like Merrill Lynch: when he talks, people listen. I find him to be a credible, knowledgeable and classy reporter.

6/7. Tie: Mel Kiper, Jr. ESPN and Mike Mayock, NFL Network. I love their passion and their industriousness. They do their homework and they do it very well.

8. Ron Jaworski, ESPN color man. Talk about doing one's homework. This guy is all preparation, as we was as a QB in the NFL.

9. Kent Somers, Arizona Republic. I especially love it when he gets an edge going as he did in today's reporting of yesterday's game. I read him daily, and I consider him to be a consummate professional.

10. Ron Wolfley, radio color man. Gotta love Wolf...he's unique and special. He's the Walt "Clyde" Frazier of Cardinal NFL announcers...has a very quick wit and a true understanding of the game, how it needs to be played and what emotions have to go into playing the game well. Unfortunately for him he's saddled with Calvisi and Urban, who are relative lightweights in comparison, and mostly serve as imitators or sycophants.

 

[Buckybird]

Mitch, you are on a roll today!!! Good stuff.

Wolfley makes listening to Cards games like yesterday enjoyable dispite the outcome, he makes me laugh every week with a new "Wolfism". Anyone else I would suggest turning down the volume on the TV, listen to the Cards crew as the games go on & enjoy.

 

[82CardsGrad]

As a Cardinal fan here are my Top 10 favorite media persons:

1. Mike Sando, ESPN NFC West blogger. By far the most informative and reliable source for news about the Cardinals. Creates angles that are unique and creative and is not afraid to speak his mind.

2. Sam Rosen, FOX play by play man. I love this guy. Very forthright...he reminds me of the old NY broadcaters...no nonsense, and yet has unbridled enthusiasm about the game, and a great voice. I think he is about as fair as any Cardinal fan could want.

3. Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic. What I love about Bickley is he doesn't mince words and he's not afraid to take a stand. He won me over big-time last week when he campaigned for John Lott's re-signing. Bickley gets it. Like us on this board, we may not agree all the time, but it's great to get an honest, heart-felt and intelligent argument. And I think over the years he has honed his rhetoric beautifully. The man can write.

4. Jon Gruden, ESPN color man. I could listen to this guy 24/7. Has keen knowledge of the game and a way of expressing his thoughts that is both entertaining and informative.

5. Chris Mortensen, ESPN. The Mort Report is great. He's like Merrill Lynch: when he talks, people listen. I find him to be a credible, knowledgeable and classy reporter.

6/7. Tie: Mel Kiper, Jr. ESPN and Mike Mayock, NFL Network. I love their passion and their industriousness. They do their homework and they do it very well.

8. Ron Jaworski, ESPN color man. Talk about doing one's homework. This guy is all preparation, as we was as a QB in the NFL.

9. Kent Somers, Arizona Republic. I especially love it when he gets an edge going as he did in today's reporting of yesterday's game. I read him daily, and I consider him to be a consummate professional.

10. Ron Wolfley, radio color man. Gotta love Wolf...he's unique and special. He's the Walt "Clyde" Frazier of Cardinal NFL announcers...has a very quick wit and a true understanding of the game, how it needs to be played and what emotions have to go into playing the game well. Unfortunately for him he's saddled with Calvisi and Urban, who are relative lightweights in comparison, and mostly serve as imitators or sycophants.

Not sure about where to rank them, however I would say Rosen and Bickley are way too high on your list, and Gruden and Jaworski too low...
Rosen has butchered too many Cards players names for my liking, and many times just simply called out a wrong name altogether...
Bickley could be one of the biggest douchebags I have ever come across in the media world. He is pure slime. A wannabe who never will be...
As for Wolfley, he is an awesome hometown announcer. As a fan of the Cards, it's virtually impossible not to like him. He is also a great guy outside of his professional life. A great human being. All that said, he is a HUGE homer who simply refuses to find fault or criticize. I find that to be a bit frustrating at times... However, I love Wolf too much to let that influence my overall opinion of him and his performance as a commentator and reporter...

 

[binkar]

Good call on Mayock. He and the NFL network won me over in last years draft.

 

[MrYeahBut]

Gruden doesn't do homework like Jaws

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Great topic Mitch -

My unofficial NFL must reads/watch list:

Sando - Better then anyone who has ever covered the Cardinals. Granted his focus is there but angles/spreadsheets/opinions are all spot on IMO. I could go on but the best way to say it is he just gets it.

Gruden - Best former NFL guy

Adam Schefter - Great takes and Info

Adam Schien - Good articles

Mayock - Best draft guy by far

Urban - Team guy but takes the time to respond to everybody, has good insight, and the most Cardinals info of anyone

Somers - Good info and insight and the occasional good story.

Kevin Seifert - Good NFC North read

Jaws - little too transparent about his eagles love for my liking but definite passion for football and studying tape.

Cris Collinsworth - Has gotten to be a parody of himself but is good

Bickley - I'm with Mitch. I don't always agree but he is lot more good then bad IMO

Len Pasqurelli - Long standing good info

Don Banks - Snap judgements are must read every week IMO

Jason Whitlock and his NFL Truths

Keyshawn is one of the better more recent players to go into broadcasting

Clayton has good info

Mike Silver (Yahoo sports) - can also write a good story

JoeSchmo - obviously.

 

[Assface]

Sando is just plain awesome. He really knows what he's talking about.

When Gruden does a game he's so in to it. You can tell he's really passionate about the game.

 

[ajcardfan]

I'm surprised you put Mortensen on there with the way he blew so many basic facts reporting on a possible extension for Whisenhunt before the Monday night game. There's no way the average poster on this board would've gotten that many things just flat out wrong. He just took the old 'Bidwills are cheap' angle and didn't put anymore effort into after that.

 

[Buckybird]

I'm surprised you put Mortensen on there with the way he blew so many basic facts reporting on a possible extension for Whisenhunt before the Monday night game. There's no way the average poster on this board would've gotten that many things just flat out wrong. He just took the old 'Bidwills are cheap' angle and didn't put anymore effort into after that.

I'm not saying things haven't changed but there seems to still some merit to what Mort says. Either Mr. B or Graves seems to be holding up several contract issues. Wiz, Q, Dansby, Rolle among others plus coaches & the trainer stand in line for pay raises or extensions, yet they go unresolved until the last minute.