Reece-uh-Monaco-uh-has-uh-Got to-uh-Go...(insert weird voice modulation at odd spots)

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LawPoke
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Please tell me that there will be a change in the play-by-play chair next season for Wyoming football. Listening to his morning radio show on my commute this morning, I was reminded just how God-awful Reece is as an announcer. Reece is a nice fellow, I'm sure. Reece did a passable job with women's basketball. But he is not a top tier (or even low to mid-tier) radio voice. He cannot be the bell cow voice for the program. Radio is a central vehicle to bring football and men's basketball into Wyoming living rooms and maintain and build the fan base in the state and region. It is the only way that many tie into the program. I have heard WAY too many people say that they had to turn off a game because they couldn't understand what was going on and found Reece's delivery to be "nauseating" and "unlistenable" (not a word, but it seems to adequately describe my reactions to his calls) - to steal one specific comment. When Kevin M. starts to sound like Curt Gowdy compared to his play-by-play companion, you know things are really, really bad. Please tell me that something is afoot to replace Reece after the 2022-2023 athletic year. Surely TB and others know that this cannot be allowed to continue.
Last edited by LawPoke on Mon Oct 17, 2022 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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LanderPoke
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Yeah... I've got to agree, unfortunately. I say give Erick Pauley a shot next year.
doreno5
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LanderPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:25 am Yeah... I've got to agree, unfortunately. I say give Erick Pauley a shot next year.
There are some talented play by play people out there who just need a shot. When I listen to to the pregame program on my way to Laramie for a game they sometimes play snippets of calls from high school games throughout the state. Some of those announcers are pretty good, better than what we have now.
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doreno5 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 10:12 am
LanderPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:25 am Yeah... I've got to agree, unfortunately. I say give Erick Pauley a shot next year.
There are some talented play by play people out there who just need a shot. When I listen to to the pregame program on my way to Laramie for a game they sometimes play snippets of calls from high school games throughout the state. Some of those announcers are pretty good, better than what we have now.
Don't forget Curt Gowdy got his start doing play by play for a Cheyenne St. Mary's high school game
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Have to agree. I am traveling most Saturdays and consume pretty much all of my Cowboys football on the radio. The weird voice inflections mentioned earlier are especially painful.

My favorite was during the Tulsa game....

"3rd and 7 for the Cowboys from their own 40. Hand off to Swen. Swen spinning and turning on a tough run and he's going to be really, really close to a Cowboy 1st down. This would be huge for the Cowboys."
(Silence from a clearly puzzled Kevin McKinney)
"4th and 3 for the Cowboys....."
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My favorite one this year was when a runner went from the 30 to the uh….oh he’s to the 30 to the 20…

Did something happen in those 40 yards Reece? Here I am thinking the guy just can’t be tackled at the 30 meanwhile he’s gone forty yards before Reece let’s anyone know.
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If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
LawPoke
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Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
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McPeachy
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Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
You either have it or you don't. Reece don't.
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McPeachy
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LawPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:48 pm
Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
He was the Harry Carey of WYO sports announcing. My favorite of his...

"He breaks through the hole, he is at the 40, the 50, the 60, the 70, the 80...touchdown!"
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doreno5
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McPeachy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:16 pm
LawPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:48 pm
Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
He was the Harry Carey of WYO sports announcing. My favorite of his...

"He breaks through the hole, he is at the 40, the 50, the 60, the 70, the 80...touchdown!"
Rumor was he enjoyed a few adult beverages during some games- think of Bob Ueker in the movie "Major League"
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McPeachy
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doreno5 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:58 pm
McPeachy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:16 pm
LawPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:48 pm
Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
He was the Harry Carey of WYO sports announcing. My favorite of his...

"He breaks through the hole, he is at the 40, the 50, the 60, the 70, the 80...touchdown!"
Rumor was he enjoyed a few adult beverages during some games- think of Bob Ueker in the movie "Major League"
I don't think that was / is a rumor. A fact, in fact. LOL
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Wyokie
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McPeachy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 4:28 pm
doreno5 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:58 pm
McPeachy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:16 pm
LawPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:48 pm
Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
He was the Harry Carey of WYO sports announcing. My favorite of his...

"He breaks through the hole, he is at the 40, the 50, the 60, the 70, the 80...touchdown!"
Rumor was he enjoyed a few adult beverages during some games- think of Bob Ueker in the movie "Major League"
I don't think that was / is a rumor. A fact, in fact. LOL
LOL Not Wyoming-related but...when Howard Schnellenberger was the HC at Oklahoma in 1995, rumor had it that he was drunk before games.
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Arthur Fonzerelli
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BRING BACKN THAT ONE GUY!!!!!
WAHTDOES IT TAKE
bladerunnr
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McPeachy wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:16 pm
LawPoke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:48 pm
Lost Poke wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 1:12 pm If Larry Birleffi could get away with "Did you see that?"....

I'm sorry to say, though, that Monaco just isn't good at play-by-play. I listen to the CBS Sports Net guys when they're on TV.
What is the Birleffi story? I don't know his time well...I was very little.
He was the Harry Carey of WYO sports announcing. My favorite of his...

"He breaks through the hole, he is at the 40, the 50, the 60, the 70, the 80...touchdown!"
I loved listening to the guy when I was a kid. He loved Wyoming like no other. And he always had a story to tell. You could not get bored listening to Birleffi.
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Arthur Fonzerelli wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:07 pm BRING BACKN THAT ONE GUY!!!!!
WAHTDOES IT TAKE
I vote for this board’s own Arthur Fonzerelli to be Wyoming’s football play by play radio broadcaster.
PokesArePeopleToo
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I hate to drag the guy down even more but the fact cannot be disputed that Reece Monaco simply is not a major league broadcast voice. The weird voice inflections mentioned by someone else sound almost creepy. Having listened a few times out of curiosity I have been struck by his inflections and I've asked myself if that is how he talks in general conversation off the air? It's like he's trying to "sound" professional, or he's trying his darndest to sound like Dave Walsh instead of just being himself. UW doesn't have the state wide listening audience of schools like Alabama or Texas, but that shouldn't really matter. The play by play is simply dreadful and not on a par with what the athletic department should be giving to the fan base. I don't know if Reece has ever done play by play before but if he has he needs to go back to whatever level he was doing it on. It's a big stage and they filled it with a ham and egger, not a distinguished or credible voice to follow in the steps of a legend. Let's hope they change it up next season. Monaco's work is not simply bad, it's embarrassingly bad.
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I don't mind him for Cowboy Basketball but he just struggles painting the football picture the way we all have been spoiled the last 38 years. It sounds like he's singing a bit too much and i thought it would take a few games. Now it sounds like the struggle is real. I'm purdy good acquaintance with him and he's a great guy. It can't be easy, but the experiment should be over after this season...keep him for bball but have a more flowing storyteller for football...it's ok to say oops when it's warranted.
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I know that Reece has been bad. Here’s what I heard, and it tempers my feelings about it. Right before the season started, he had a stroke. It was too late to make a change and they’ve been hoping that as he heals, he’ll get better.

I thought he was quite good on the basketball side and hope that he gets back to being himself.
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Plainsman87 wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 8:40 pm I know that Reece has been bad. Here’s what I heard, and it tempers my feelings about it. Right before the season started, he had a stroke. It was too late to make a change and they’ve been hoping that as he heals, he’ll get better.

I thought he was quite good on the basketball side and hope that he gets back to being himself.
Oh wow, I did not know this and wish him the very best in his recovery. I’m clearly not a doctor but seems like the play by play job might be a lot of stress after a stroke.
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