Announcer succumbs to sense of inevitability

Is it cool to announce what's going to happen, before it actually happens? Journalists usually avoid that. Though perhaps football announcers stretch the term "journalists".

In the Ravens-Bills game this past weekend, the winless Bills were leading the whole first half, but by the start of the 3rd Q things were breaking the Ravens way. The Ravens had a couple of important replay calls go their way at the end of the first half – correct calls, but the kind of thing that can take the wind out of your sails, if you're the other team. Then Baltimore got a late TD to close out the half, then on the first play from scrimmage Ed Reed gets an interception. This is the next play.

Don Criqui is an old, old pro: he must have felt a strong sense of inevitability about the way things were going. Listen to exactly when he calls the touchdown, in this clip:


(You can see a nicer, full quality video at NFL.com, here.)

Criqui obviously sees the whole play develop very early. Here is the text of Criqui's call:

“Wide open, and Ravens take the lead. Anquan Boldin makes it look easy.”

Criqui says the word “Ravens” as Flacco delivers the ball. That's a 44 yard pass! You would think there's a lot that could happen on a 44-yd pass. The ball could be overthrown. There could be a gust of wind. The receiver could trip. The defender, even a Bills defender, could miraculously make up ground. Whatever.

But no. Criqui was feelin it. He calls the Ravens taking the lead as Flacco throws it, and he times the rest of it so he says the word “makes” just as Boldin catches it. Criqui says these words while the ball is in the air:

“...take the lead. Anquan Boldin...”

So it comes out as, “Anquan Boldin [pause] makes it look easy.”

No, Don Criqui. You make it look easy.