Top 3 Sports Broadcasters (West Coast Bias)
People of Los Angeles have been some of the luckiest sports fans in the nation. Chick Hearn, Bob Miller and Vin Scully are among five hall of famers that call sports in the Los Angeles market. As Hearn changed the culture of calling basketball, Vin Scully set the bar of calling baseball. You can argue that the best announcers in Los Angeles are the best sportscasters in all of sports. The dark horse here is horse racing's Trevor Denman, who does not get the credit he deserves. You don't have to be into racing to get excited for a horse race he calls. Here are the best announcers of all time with a little West Coast bias.
Chick Hearn (Lakers) – Watching or listening to the Lakers play has not been the same since Chick Hearn's final game in 2004, where the Purple and Gold defeated the New Jersey Nets to win their third straight title. Hearn was the definition of play-by-play. The excitement he brought to his audience to either the radio or television broadcast was like no other in any sport. Hearn also created basketball terminology that is still used today. Some of them were "slam dunk," "finger Roll," "air ball," "triple-double" and many more. Appropriately, along with hall of famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Oscar De La Hoya, Hearn has a statue in front of Staples Center, where thousands flock daily to take pictures.
Vin Scully (Dodgers) – The master of broadcasting and storytelling, Vin Scully has the longest relationship with any team in any sport. Scully is on his 66th season with the Dodgers, recently broadcasting with Time Warner's SportsNetLA. At the beginning of his broadcast, he always says "It's time for Dodger baseball! Unlike other baseball broadcasters, Scully chills in the booth solo, giving him the chance to tell his stories of Amercia's pastime. Knowing his retirement is in the near future, watching Dodger games will never be the same.
Trevor Denman (Santa Anita PA announcer) – Many people may disagree here in putting him over Bob Miller, but Trevor Denman is one of the most exciting and smooth callers in sports. People don't realize how difficult it is to call horse racing. He is perfect for for calling the "sport of kings." Best known for his slogan, "And away they go ... " the South African-born broadcaster started his career in calling horse races at 18 in his native town in 1971 and got his big break in calling at Santa Anita in 1983. He also has calls the World Championships and The Breeders Cup for the last five of seven years. His most famous call of his career is, "Zenyatta's come to the outside. Zenyatta coming, flying on the grandstand side... THIS, IS, UN-BELIEVABLE!" during the 2009 Breeders Cup.
Honorable Mentions: Bob Miller (Kings) and Ralph Lawler (Clippers)
