Scott Gurnsey: Worst color-man in radio...

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El_Gato
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Scott Gurnsey: Worst color-man in radio...

Post by El_Gato » Tue Oct 05, 2004 12:49 pm

Anyone here ever listen to Griz games on the radio?

Is Scott Gurnsey the WORST color commentator of all time?

I vote yes.

He is the worst loser of all-time; no one whines/complains/blames more when his beloved Griz lose a game...

He is the most unprofessional announcer I've ever heard.

Here are some of my classic "Gurns" moments from the past...

During a playoff game in the 90's, Griz on the road, Gurns complains the entire game (in which the Griz get whacked, btw) about a guy with a plunger making noise behind the Griz bench. At one point Gurns says something to the effect of "excuse me for a minute Mick, while I go beat that guy to death with his plunger..."

Another road game @ Portland State in the 90's, Griz are ranked in top 2 or 3 I believe, PSU sucks but beats UM anyway. Some Viking players are dancing & whooping it up on the field after what is obviously their Super Bowl, and good old Gurns launches into a couple minute tirade about how the Griz are so great & know how to win & lose with class! He bitches for several minutes because PSU is celebrating the biggest win of the year (if not some of the kids' careers), and Gurns is pissed at them for not having more class? LMFAO

There are many, many more examples, but the crown jewel took place just last year at ISU. Apparently, the Bengal PA guy does a great job whipping up the crowds there & trying to disrupt the opposing team. During last years Griz loss, apparently Mr. Gurnsey had had enough of it. At one point during the 3rd or 4th quarter, you can hear him say "that's bush league". Shortly after that, you can clearly hear Gurns take off his headseat and YELL at the PA guy "that's ****** bush league! Shut the ****** up!!"

How's that for a classy Griz?

I confirmed what I heard with Mick Holein but apparently going off on the PA guy and shouting profanities over the air isn't sufficient to get you thrown off the air.

Gurns is quite the asset for UM football, wouldn't you agree??


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Post by mslacat » Tue Oct 05, 2004 12:52 pm

Yes he is!



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Post by CARDIAC_CATS » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:03 pm

mslacat wrote:Yes he is!
Ditto, punk kid doing the broadcasting. If he doesn't get his way he Cries :cry:



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Post by HelenaCat » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:06 pm

El Gato: You were actually pretty nice to Guernsey as he is certainly my least favorite also. You didn't even go into his hatred of MSU and many snide remarks over the years regarding the Cats, even when the griz are playing anyone else. My opinion is that Mr. Guernsey has very little class and I agree he is not the best example for UM to put forth, but some fans must like him or he wouldn't still be there (unless he does this job for free????).



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Post by catatac » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:35 pm

Don't even get me started on this guy. I can honestly say he embodies everything that I've learned to hate about the Griz, and his attitude is one of the main reasons I dislike the Griz. The arrogance and spoiled baby attitude is almost too much to take sometimes. From the stupid comments about "Good teams make their own luck" and "The sun is shining on the Grizzlies' tummy today!" after the Griz have scummed out on a game-changing turnover or bad call, to trashing Bozeman and the Bobcats, to laughing when opposing players get injured, this guy is terrible. Mick is obviously biased, but he's a pretty good comentator, and not nearly as nauseating as Gurnsey. Just for fun sometime, listen to a Griz game and notice how a 2 yard pickup by the Griz is a "hard-fought nice little gain", while for opponent's, a 2 yard pickup is a "Nothin There!". I have friends that will turn Mick and Scott on when the Griz are losing (If the Cat's aren't playing! 8) ) just to hear the crying.


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Post by SonomaCat » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:49 pm

I've always equated listening to Guernsey on the radio to sitting in front of an obnoxious drunk partisan fan who thinks the entire world is conspiring against his team and is incapable of even the slightest gracious comment towards the opposition. Some of things that come out of his mouth just make me shake my head. I'm just glad he doesn't work for us -- we've always been blessed with some very professional and classy radio guys, and I really appreciate that.

Of course, some Griz fans really like Guernsey -- he kind of fits in with a lot of the "smack talk" culture lacking any form of sportsmanship that a vocal minority of fans confuse with "passion." That isn't a Griz comment, either -- it's all sports, especially on the pro level. Every fan base has a dash of them, unfortunately.

Again, I'm really happy he works for them and not MSU. It would be better if he worked for neither, but this is the next best thing.



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Post by JahGriz » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:53 pm

He's far from impartial, but funny and entertaining for Griz fans. Not all Griz fans are hip on Mick and Scott, but Mick is much worse, when you listen to him you really cant tell what is going on in the game. He's got all kinds of little sayings that don't paint a picture of what is actually happening.



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Post by kmax » Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:34 pm

I have only listened to him a couple times, but have to agree that he incredibly tough to listen to.

While going off on the PA announcer like that on the air is inexecusable, having just been to Holt, I have to agree with him somewhat on his feelings. Mainly just the "IT"S THIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRD DOWN" thing. It would be fine if he would do it just after the second down stop, or even while the opposing team is in the huddle, but he purposefully waits until the team comes to the line to do it. That dome practically echoes and that type of thing should not be allowed. I know I was not the only Cat fan to mention that the refs should have given a warning. If they want to try and disrupt the opposing team, get some fans who will make some freaking noise!


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Post by BelgradeBobcat » Tue Oct 05, 2004 6:48 pm

I agree about ISU's PA announcer. If ours ever does that, he should be flogged!

BTW-Gurnsey is a punk



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Post by El_Gato » Wed Oct 06, 2004 6:14 am

Bay Area Cat, I couldn't agree more. I've often stated that instead of having Gurns do the games, they should just find some drunk frat boy and hand him the mike, because that's about the quality they get from Gurns.

I'm sure some obnoxious, arrogant, and spoiled Griz fans love Gurns, but having done radio color for 10 years, my point has always been this: The people who like Gurns would listen to ANYONE because they are foaming-at-the-mouth, die-hard Griz fans. They wouldn't stop listening because Gurns was gone. But to the casual fan (I hate to admit that my own MOTHER likes to listen to the Griz games but hates SG), he is such a turn-off, I really don't know how the U and the radio affiliates don't force him out.

Gurnsey's outlook: The Griz win because they are the greatest dynasty in the history of college football. The Griz lose because of their own mistakes and because the other team got lucky. EVERYTHING about his broadcasts reflects this mentality.

One of the most ironic items about this is that when I called the radio station in Missoula last year to complain about his temper tantrum at ISU, the station manager had the nerve to tell me that no one had ever complained about Gurnsey before. I laughed and told the gentleman that he was obviously just like Gurns because I have written several complaints over the years and I know for a fact that several friends & relatives of mine have as well. He responded that there may have been 1 or 2 over the years, but not enough to justify removing SG from the booth.

There is, however, nothing finer than listening to the baby when the Griz are losing or have lost a game. THAT'S entertainment!!! LOL[/i]


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Post by CelticCat » Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:28 am

El_Gato wrote:Bay Area Cat, I couldn't agree more. I've often stated that instead of having Gurns do the games, they should just find some drunk frat boy and hand him the mike, because that's about the quality they get from Gurns.
I'm a frat boy. I'm drunk as I type this, because apparently we are drunk 24/7.
Last edited by CelticCat on Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Post by Cat-theotherwhitemeat » Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:37 am

As a Griz fan, I would say Gurnsey is bearable (notice the irony of the word "bear" in there). He is extremely biased towards the Griz and it's easy to excuse his amateurish ways but only if you're a Griz fan. If I were a Cat fan (most of you know I cheer for the Cats unless they are playing the Griz), I would be like the rest of you and find him too much to take. Your views are understandable. You have to ask yourself, if he were a color guy for the Cats, would you be able to say...yeah he sucks, but at least he's a Cat fan and forgive him somewhat?

His smack talk does get a little old and even embarrassing. It's hard for me to say whether I would want him replaced as I have never been in his shoes (as a color commentator) and I hate being critical when I don't have all the facts. However, if he truly yelled that comment to the PA announcer he should have been reprimanded at the very least. That is not the kind of representation the UM administration and alumni wants for their school. There are certain steps one should take to stop a PA announcer from interruptinga game but that's not one of them. Gurnsey has to realize that he's in a professional position now and the keg isn't tapped anymore.

So, I guess my position is, I can tolorate him but only because I'm a Griz fan.

Mick, on the other hand, I like a lot.


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Post by MSU01 » Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:20 am

Are Griz games broadcast on the radio in Bozeman? All this complaining about the color man makes me want to listen to the guy and find out for myself.



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Post by BelgradeBobcat » Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:39 am

I think they're on AM 1340 in Livingston. I could be a little off-I'm not a regular listener



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Would I like Gurns if he were a cat?

Post by El_Gato » Wed Oct 06, 2004 10:55 am

CTOWM,

I can state confidently that if Gurns or someone like him were doing our broadcasts, I would be FAR more vocal in demanding his removal from the booth. That kind of unprofessionalism would alienate me regardless of whether or not it was MY team being covered...

I don't have a problem with a color commentator being biased or even being a bit of a homer but SG goes SO far beyond that; I really don't understand how anyone but the most blindly faithful Griz fan can stomach his antics. I have to believe that he really only appeals to a very small minority of listeners and I'm hoping that with enough "peeing in the soup" by me & others I know who feel the same way, that we will eventually get him removed from the booth. That day will be just as satisfying to me personally as the last 2 Cat vs Griz victories have been! When it happens, of course, the radio station will undoubtedly state that Gurns simply decided to quit.

I agree with you that Mick does a good, sometimes even a great job. But I've noticed his tone and his intensity FOR the Griz and AGAINST the opponents has grown since he paired with Gurns and not for the better. I think he did a better, more professional, and more enjoyable broadcast when he worked with Brad Salonen. I fear that SG is rubbing off on Mick and that the broadcasts overall are declining in their "listenability"...

BTW, before I forget, if you doubt what happened at ISU, listen to the second half of the ISU game on the archives; I heard it live AND I listened to it again on the archives; it definitely happened. Mick even admitted it to me over the phone; he stated that he was very unhappy with Gurns that game, but still did nothing about it. I wonder if it's been erased or deleted by now, though, to protect the guilty...

Have a great day and enjoy your Cat or chicken or whatever....!


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Re: Would I like Gurns if he were a cat?

Post by Cat-theotherwhitemeat » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:40 am

El_Gato wrote:BTW, before I forget, if you doubt what happened at ISU, listen to the second half of the ISU game on the archives; I heard it live AND I listened to it again on the archives; it definitely happened. Mick even admitted it to me over the phone; he stated that he was very unhappy with Gurns that game, but still did nothing about it. I wonder if it's been erased or deleted by now, though, to protect the guilty...

Have a great day and enjoy your Cat or chicken or whatever....!
I don't doubt your accuracy on this happening. Like I said, hopefully he was reprimanded. He definitely needs to UP his professionalism.


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Post by 94VegasCat » Fri Oct 08, 2004 12:35 pm

As a younger collegian, on a drunk CAT/griz afternoon, I had a minor verbal/hand gesture conversation with Mr Gurnsey. We exchanged compliments after he had dropped a pass in front of the MSU section at WA griz stadium. Something along the lines of "hey Gurnsey, your #1" {ahem}, to which he yelled to "kiss my AAAASSSSS!".

Now, I was drunk, young, and a very loyal CAT fan, and he was a griz player. We were both very unprofessional. I believe most of you would forgive me of my indiscretions but never SG?

I never liked him, and never will. Several years later, I was a bouncer at a bar in Bozeman and had another run in with him. He found it difficult to enter the bar one night after a CAT/griz b-ball game. Tuff Sh!t whiner!!!


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Post by catatac » Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:49 am

bearBAC wrote:Why don't you guys Admitt the real reason you don't like the Griz on the radio? After 125 wins, you would "HATE" the announcer, who ever it is!
Nobody said they don't like the Griz on the radio. It would just be nice to have the games called by a prossional announcer for those of us who like to watch and listen to a good football game. The Griz usually play pretty good football, and it would be nice to hear a regular broadcast of the game, rather than the garbage that usually spews out of Gurnsey's mouth.


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