In case you haven't heard Tom McCarthy will be leaving the WFAN Mets radio broadcasting booth next year to return to his previous employer, the Philadelphia Phillies (commence booing). It's too bad because I like McCarthy and he eerily sounds exactly like Gary Cohen so it was quite nostalgic having him in the booth with Howie Rose.
So this opens the door for a new announcer to become one of the voices of the Mets on radio. For once, Mike & the Mad Dog had an intelligent and interesting discussion yesterday afternoon regarding who should be the replacement. Here were some of their recommendations, with my thoughts on the nominee.
1) Gary Cohen - Forget it. Cohen, Hernandez & Darling are a Mets fans' dream team on TV. Don't mess that up.
2) Ed Coleman - He'd be good, but to me Ed C is the Ahmad Rahsad of the Mets. A guy you want in the locker room, giving you interviews and inside news but not necessarily in the booth.
3) Chris Carlin - A Mets fan, but too brash to be an every day radio guy.
4) Sean McDonough - Good voice and capable broadcaster, but without Bill Raferty next to him it just won't feel right.
5) Dave Popkin - Who, you ask? Let me explain why this is the guy you want on the radio
Dave Popkin is an up and coming young broadcaster with a great voice and is extremely knowledgeable. He's been working side-by-side with Gary Cohen doing Seton Hall basketball games on the radio, so he's been learning at the feet of the master. Popkin has done minor league baseball games on CN8 as well as a ton of other sporting events as broadcaster for ESPN affiliated sporting events.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Dave Popkin on a few occasions and I can tell first hand that he is a class act guy. Popkin is someone who the Mets can have in their broadcast booth for the next 25 years. I grew up listening to Gary Cohen, and Popkin is someone who a new generation of Mets fans can grow up with. He's a young guy who can bring some fresh perspective and commentary. And he'll be working alongside Howie Rose who is a consummate professional to balance the broadcast.
Pretty soon we'll be in a new stadium, hopefully have a new pitcher named Santana, and I think it would be perfect to have a fresh new voice in the broadcast booth. Dave Popkin is the next Mets radio announcer.
If you want to take a listen check out his website at www.davepopkin.com and you can hear some of his commentary. I'm hopeful that MetsLifer.com will be able to get an interview with Dave Popkin in the coming weeks as he becomes a candidate to be the next Mets radio announcer.
Good luck, Dave. We'll be pulling for you.
5 comments:
Popkin is the way to go. He calls a game with such casually crafted insight that you don't even realize how freakin' smart he is. He makes the game accessible to new fans, but he never bores the veterans with inane crap. I've heard him call baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. (Okay so I maybe listen to too much sports.) Obviously baseball is his first love. Deep knowledge. Wide frame of reference. He kinda reminds me of Jon Miller with his clever vocabulary and ability paint a picture for radio listeners. And he's just an affable guy, the kinda guy you could spend 20 or 30 years listening to on the radio. If I could hear Dave Popkin call Mets baseball, summers would be even sweeter. Damn I hope he gets the call.
I must agree with you entirely regarding Dave Popkin as a great choice for calling play-by-play for the Mets on WFAN. Dave must have a larger following than I thought...deservedly so!
Having been a Mets fan since the Mets began (when I lived in Queens), and having lived through the good, the bad, and the ugly with the Mets...I have had the listening pleasure of some absolutely great announcers over the years.
For the past 25 yrs I have lived in New Jersey and discovered Dave's abilities when he was with the Newark Bears when they began in Newark several years ago. Dave brings a superb understanding of the game and keen intellect to the table. His way with words is something to be desired and appreciated by all Mets fans. I believe he would be the "Ron Darling of radio" and would be a great addition and fit to the radio team.
This is a guy that Mets fans could really appreciate hearing Dave Popkin on the FAN, and I would highly recommend someone giving him a shot for the position !
I definitely would get Dave Popkin on board with the Mets before someone else grabs him up !!
Seth
my recommendation would be kevin burkhardt former wfan updater and present sideline reporter for mets games on sny
Kevin Burkhardt could be a possibility and is an intesting thought, but I would prefer he stay on the sidelines. He is too good on the sidelines, where he shines. Picking Kevin for the job would be like bringing in a relief pitcher to start a ballgame and expect him to go 7 innings. It's not gonna work.
Dave Popkin gives you a full 9 innings and more of broadcasting. He currently does Seton Hall Pirate's games.
Popkin definitely deserves a chance at the Mets position. You want the best in his game and he is our man and our choice.
2 more good choices would be the 2 matts..laughlin..yallof....laughlin does nj devils radio and was former met host on sports channel..yallof is excellent on sny and it looks like he's being pushed aside for burkhardt who might take his gig as host of pre and post met games..i hope not as yallof is like a high school friend shmoozing sports..a young steve somers
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