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College Announcers Walk Fine Line

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 8, 2008

TALLAHASSEE More than a month has passed since Florida State announced the firing of radio color analyst Peter Tom Willis, a former Seminole quarterback and member of the FSU Sports Hall of Fame.

The school didn't provide a reason, but it's no secret anywhere north of Gainesville that FSU coach Bobby Bowden wasn't a fan of Willis' criticisms in recent years, most notably Willis saying the Seminoles resembled "a high school offense" in a 21-point loss at Clemson in 2005 while Jeff Bowden was offensive coordinator.

At a booster function April 22 in Lake City, Bowden addressed Willis' firing when asked by a fan during a question-and-answer session.

"Your job is to be a PR man," Bowden said. "You're getting paid to boost FSU up. It's not a high school offense. Some things, you don't say."

FSU's unexpected firing of Willis, so popular among fans that garnetandgold.com is offering a "Bring Back P.T." T-shirt for $9.99, raises an interesting question: How much criticism is too much from high-profile football radio announcers — often former players or coaches — who are usually employed by the university?

For most of his two decades working as the University of Miami's radio color analyst, former Hurricanes player Don Bailey hasn't had to worry about being too critical considering Miami's success. However, in recent years, much like at FSU, the football program has dropped from the elite, providing a unique challenge in the broadcast booth.

"I'm an ambassador for that program, that's the bottom line," Bailey said. "I'm going to spread the good word. To be honest, I feel right now is when I can do my best work, when the program is not on autopilot and not winning as much as it has.

"There are all the people in the postgame shows and the pregame shows who can say all the negative stuff that they want. I'm not there to hire somebody. I'm not there to fire somebody, and I'm not there to cut a player."

Bailey's approach is shared by others who try to analyze games fairly while not coming off as too much of a cheerleader for the fans, or deemed too critical by the coaches or school administrators.

"You have to paint an accurate picture," said USF play-by-play man Jim Louk. "You can be truthful and still be entertaining, and I think you can have a real feel for being the home guy, but still be accurate."

Still, how can you not be overly critical when your team scores only three points and your quarterback is playing as if he's blindfolded? That was the dilemma UCF color analyst Gary Parris faced at the Liberty Bowl in December.

The Knights lost to Mississippi State, 10-3, and UCF quarterback Kyle Israel hit only 10 of 24 passes for 88 yards, throwing three interceptions in UCF's worst offensive performance of the season.

"He had a very tough game," Parris, a former FSU and NFL tight end, said of Israel. "You compliment the defense more than you criticize the quarterback. It wasn't all Kyle's fault. We were playing a defense that was really just doing a good job of shutting us down up front."

During his 10 seasons in the booth with FSU play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff, Willis developed a strong fan following who enjoyed his candid analysis, which has prompted countless Internet message board messages defending the Valrico resident since his firing.

Tallahassee business owner Larry Snow showed his support by questioning whether Willis was the person FSU should be firing for the football program's recent struggles — on the marquee outside his storefront on crowded Monroe Street.

"I personally liked to hear his comments," Snow said. "I don't think he ever said anything on the air that most of the fans weren't already thinking. He was telling it like it was. If Bobby and Ann didn't like it, that's just too bad, because he was just telling the truth."

Since his dismissal, Willis still has not spoken to Bowden or anyone from FSU's athletic department. He remains "comfortable" with the way he did the job and wants nothing more than for the Seminoles to return to the top of the polls.

He also appreciates those who have showed their support over the past month.

"The one thing that I learned probably more than anything else while I was doing the radio is how much our fans know about the game," he said. "I think a lot of times coaches and other people do not give our fans enough credit. I learned early on that there is no sense getting on the radio and sugarcoating things or not telling things the way they are."

Former Florida color analyst Scot Brantley agrees. He faced criticism from some Florida insiders for being too critical during his 10 seasons in the radio booth, but as a former player, he felt compelled to share his insights regardless of tone much the way Willis did.

"You can't paint an absolutely gorgeous picture every time a play is run," Brantley said. "If you can't be honest, then I don't think you are doing the right job. You've got to tell it like it is. The fans are not dummies."

At FSU, now former Seminole fullback William Floyd takes over the job of navigating the dicey patch of territory between unabashed cheerleader and objective analyst. He plans to keep it simple in his first season on the job.

"I'm just going to go in and talk football," Floyd said. "I'll do it in a way that, hopefully, it doesn't make anybody uncomfortable and it brings across exactly what I'm trying to say. I'm not going in trying to watch what I'm saying. My criticism may not come in the same fashion or form [as Willis'], but I'm sure there is going to be some."

Stay tuned.

Voices Of Reason

DON BAILEY, Miami color analyst

"I think one thing you really have to avoid is becoming a fan. The easiest thing to do is be the Monday morning quarterback. The right thing to do is to know what your job is and maintain your composure through good and bad. I try to be the voice of reality. That's what you are supposed to be in our job."

JIM LOUK, USF play-by-play

"I think anyone who hears me broadcast understands very quickly that I want USF to win. At the same time, if things aren't going well and you don't say that, you lose credibility so quickly. You can't allow that to happen. That is the fine line."

GARY PARRIS, UCF color analyst

"I've always felt that I try to bring it from the perspective of a player. I've never allowed myself to second-guess coaches, because I've never coached. Over the years, I've talked to offensive and defensive coordinators at UCF, and I know how hard it is. I try to be as honest as I can without hurting people."

WILLIAM FLOYD, FSU color analyst

"I look at it more from the players' side. On all the teams I've been on, players owned the team. It didn't matter what the coaches called, we were going to make it work. There has been a lot of coach-bashing going on, but the reality of it is, the last time a coach came on the field to make a play, he was banned."

LEE McGRIFF, Florida color analyst

"I am not an impartial analyst. I work for the Gator Radio Network. However, there does need to be a reasonable amount of objectivity and fairness. It's not like everything we do is perfect."

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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