Tribe defense has been historically bad thus far
April 23, 2014Cleveland Browns schedule released
April 23, 2014The Browns released a statement on Wednesday evening regarding the preseason schedule and the broadcast team on the coverage.
Jim Donovan will be joined in the television broadcast booth by Solomon Wilcots for color commentary this year, meaning former QB and fan favorite Bernie Kosar is out of the booth.
“The Browns and WKYC are revamping their broadcast team, welcoming veteran commentator Solomon Wilcots to the preseason television booth. Additionally, the Browns are exploring more opportunities to allow fans to hear from Bernie Kosar, the All-Pro quarterback who guided the team to three AFC Championship games in the 1980s. ”
Those “opportunities to hear from Bernie” might include the pregame show for the preseason games, as well as roles on the team’s official website and on various other Browns programming.
Last season, Kosar had to apologize for negative remarks made about the St. Louis Rams receiving corps he made during a broadcast. He was also arrested in September on suspicion of DUI.
There is a pretty good chance those two incidents had much to do with why he isn’t on the WKYC broadcast team anymore.
[Related: Have you seen Johnny Football in Cleveland today?]
28 Comments
I hate this move, and not because they’re booting a hometown favorite out of the booth either. Bernie’s broadcasting skills lacked polish and his voice sometimes made it sound like he was intoxicated (when he wasn’t), but if you looked past those weaknesses, Bernie provided real insight and a sharp football mind. He could break down formations and plays as effectively as the top analysts on NFL broadcasts and brought his sharp eye as a QB to the broadcast booth. Replacing him with Wilcots, a captain obvious whose idea of analysis is cliche filled banter, is just adding insult to injury.
At least Wilcots doesn’t have to say Chudzinski anymore!
They can get rid of Bernie, but the St. Louis Rams receivers still stink and so does Kellen Clemens.
At least Wilcots is well seasoned at doing Browns broadcasts. We already get to hear him 5-6 times a season as part of the 5th string CBS commentary team he is a part of with Kevin Harlan. At least they didn’t hire Rich Gannon.
Oh way to jinx it now for sure the Rams will take Watkins! If they do I hold you responsible.
Sammy was always the obvious answer for them (don’t tell RGB).
They could use an OL too.
http://mattthomas.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/tumblr_lasmpzzeeo1qe0eclo1_r2_500.gif
http://youtu.be/xuX6HqJwYWk
Solomon Wilcots? Who gives a damn about Solomon Wilcots?
I’m sure we’ll be treated to every broadcast cliche in the outsider playbook, with a little bit of scripted and frequently inaccurate “local flavor.”
Meanwhile, “opportunities to hear from Bernie” will likely consist of a weekly 10-minute phone-in to the Rizzo show.
But this is your new Corporate Browns. They’re hoping that a very shallow veneer of polish will cover a lifetime’s worth of Cleveland grit.
Gee, I just can’t wait for the new “forward looking” uniforms.
What a joke
wait. didnt rams trade up into the top 10 of last years draft to get a diminutive WR? like, the 5-8 WR in the top-10 didn’t work out? and now theyre in the market for another WR in the first round? hmm. shocker.
delivery was not polished but you learned more in sitting through one bernie game than a lifetime of dan dierdorf.
Does this mean more “Wisdom of Solomon”? Huzzah!
A lifetime of Dan Dierdorf might just not be the worst thing to ever not happen.
Bernie Kosar was the only reason to subject yourself to more than a quarter of preseason slop. Not because he’s Bernie, but b/c I learned how a genius football mind sees a football game.
I hope this doesn’t mean that Dieken’s on the way out too.
Whenever the TV and radio are synched up, I always listen to the radio. Donovan and Dieken are far superior to the generic network broadcasters.
Announcers don’t have to be smooth and bland. They have to be interesting.
I do miss radio sync’d with TV. Stupid Janet Jackson. Noone wanted to see that anyway.
… or a lifetime of Solomon Wilcots.
While Bernie Kosar may have been adept at breaking down formations, providing useful insight and being a fan favorite in the booth on the other side of his coin he has been dealing with an assortment of personal issues out in the public.
Compounding these issues is the fact that he let a personal attack on an opposing player fly across the airwaves.
From WKYC’s standpoint as a corporation they are making this move to protect their brand and are well within their rights to do so.
The Detroit Lions of the Heartland.
I find that last sentence owfensive.
This is a real shame, whether it’s because of “image” or because of Bernie’s personal issues. As others have said, he’s the only reason I sat through entire pre-season telecasts (and actually looked forward to them). I listened to that Kellen Clemens rant, like, 10 times. It was easily the funniest thing I’ve ever heard in a sports telecast; not to mention, it wasn’t inaccurate. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.” That was just great, and if millionaire sports figures (and their coaches) can’t take an obvious joke when someone criticizes their ability to play a game for which they get paid millions of dollars, well, the problem isn’t with Bernie.
I’ve been reading this comment for 5 solid minutes, and I’m entranced by its stark simplicity and simultaneous complexity. I don’t know if I should uptick it for its beauty or downtick it for its abstract absurdity. It’s like a Picasso painting. I’m pretty sure I love it, but I also kind of hate it because of what it does to me.
Apparently in order to broadcast a Browns football game the desired traits are;
1) Lack of in-depth football knowledge.
2) Not really knowing the Brown’s roster
3) Not fully understanding who is or is not any good on the Brown’s roster
4) Not knowing the first thing about the opposing team either
5) Making vanilla statements which offend no one regardless of factual content.
6) Starting a sentence in such a way that it can never be finished in a meaningful or structurally sound manner. ie; This is a guy that when you look at what he can do with the football, then you talk to his coaches and team mates, you get the sense that this is a guy that, along with all the other intangibles, will really… Ok they’re starting the next play so we’ll get back to that later.
Clearly Bernie does not measure up in these categories.
Hopefully they have to explain the changes in words, and we won’t be able to tell intuitively from the pics . I do not think this will be the case unfortunately.
I can understand, as it took me multiple edits and about 10 minutes of consideration before posting, and even now I’m not so sure it didn’t just fail to not convey the intended sentiment.
You did if you were a hetero…I’m just sayin’!