John Imbriale

[craigbraddick]

This thread alone just goes to show how some people prefer certain styles of calling over another.

There are two or three well known racecallers I will never understand the attraction of and two or three racecallers I would happily listen to all day.

That said I have found Twitter to be quite useful for race calling feedback when I have requested it. Try and put the needs of the horseplayer first, give them high quality race calls and just hope they like your style. Cannot do much more than that!

[BMustang]

John has been the second stinger in New York for so long that the fans are thinking Ladies Day at Aqueduct rather than prime time at the Spa. His calls are very generic and have little personality and no story line to them. I made the trip to Saratoga during Durkin's final season, just for the purpose of being there to here him call the races his last year. He did set the bar high, and will always be the guy by whom all other race-callers in New York, and maybe Florida, are compared.
Imbriale is not who I want to hear at Saratoga. Poor John was unable to incorporate running through the "Summer Shower" under the ensuing rainbow on Thursday.
Maybe one day a week, but not as the main guy. Certainly New York racing can do better.

[the little guy]

To each their own, but I find it very sad that some of you don't see bigger pictures and can't appreciate John Imbriale, who may not be Tom Durkin, but he's way at the top of announcers in the game.

John is a friend, and about as good a co-worker as you could imagine having, so, yes, this nonsense annoys me. It also doesn't make it right. I for one will always be happy that John Imbriale, who gave his all to NY racing for the better part of 40 years, got a chance to have the big seat, which he richly deserved, for a reasonable period of time.

We do things wrong sometimes. This was not one of those times.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

To each their own, but I find it very sad that some of you don't see bigger pictures and can't appreciate John Imbriale, who may not be Tom Durkin, but he's way at the top of announcers in the game.

John is a friend, and about as good a co-worker as you could imagine having, so, yes, this nonsense annoys me. It also doesn't make it right. I for one will always be happy that John Imbriale, who gave his all to NY racing for the better part of 40 years, got a chance to have the big seat, which he richly deserved, for a reasonable period of time.

We do things wrong sometimes. This was not one of those times.

I don't have a problem with NYRA's decision whatsoever. They are saving lots of money and almost nobody goes to the track to hear the announcer. And if he is a nice guy so much the better!

But I suspect many race fans disagree that he is way at the top of announcers in the game.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I don't have a problem with NYRA's decision whatsoever. They are saving lots of money and almost nobody goes to the track to hear the announcer. And if he is a nice guy so much the better!

But I suspect many race fans disagree that he is way at the top of announcers in the game.

You have no idea whether or not NYRA is saving money. You are repeating internet BS coming from people that know ZERO about the situation.

It's amazing the stuff people repeat, as though it's fact, on the internet and how little it has to do with reality.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

You have no idea whether or not NYRA is saving money. You are repeating internet BS coming from people that know ZERO about the situation.

It's amazing the stuff people repeat, as though it's fact, on the internet and how little it has to do with reality.

If you want to tell us Collmus' salary and Imbriale's, you are welcome to. If they are equal, I will happily apologize to you.

On the other hand, if you don't want to tell us that, then you really have no basis to call "BS". Especially since it's perfectly obvious that:

1. NYRA did not want to pay the salary Collmus' stature commanded; and
2. Imbriale's market value is far less than Collmus, i.e., if your employer really did offer the same money to both of them, they are incompetent at business.

[ranchwest]

I am thankful that we get to hear variety across the continent.

The best call I ever heard was by Tim Conway. He didn't convey squat about the race, but it was the funniest call I ever heard. Even the crustiest of race track veterans were rolling with laughter. Not something I want to hear every day, but give me something worth listening to.

I love some of the classic lines. One of my favorites was "and they're not going to catch him today."

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by ranchwest

I am thankful that we get to hear variety across the continent.

The best call I ever heard was by Tim Conway. He didn't convey squat about the race, but it was the funniest call I ever heard. Even the crustiest of race track veterans were rolling with laughter. Not something I want to hear every day, but give me something worth listening to.

I love some of the classic lines. One of my favorites was "and they're not going to catch him today."

Frank Miramahdi's calls where he imitated all the other announcers were classics. He's now way up the ladder and at the point where he has to call the races seriously, but it would be fun for a minor track somewhere to hire him for a day so he could do one again.

[ranchwest]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Frank Miramahdi's calls where he imitated all the other announcers were classics. He's now way up the ladder and at the point where he has to call the races seriously, but it would be fun for a minor track somewhere to hire him for a day so he could do one again.

That was probably great.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

If you want to tell us Collmus' salary and Imbriale's, you are welcome to. If they are equal, I will happily apologize to you.

On the other hand, if you don't want to tell us that, then you really have no basis to call "BS". Especially since it's perfectly obvious that:

1. NYRA did not want to pay the salary Collmus' stature commanded; and
2. Imbriale's market value is far less than Collmus, i.e., if your employer really did offer the same money to both of them, they are incompetent at business.

You don't know what you're talking about. I get it, you play the authority here without facts all the time and think that's OK. You'll never change. I'm the idiot that keeps expecting you to get better.

What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?

[Steve 'StatMan']

Originally Posted by the little guy

You don't know what you're talking about. I get it, you play the authority here without facts all the time and think that's OK. You'll never change. I'm the idiot that keeps expecting you to get better.

What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?

A good start!

[BarchCapper]

Give me Imbriale for as long as he wants to do the job. Some of his delivery evokes memories of Marshall Cassidy for me, and that's my highest praise. Trevor Denman's probably the only other announcer I've enjoyed hearing call a race as much as Cassidy.

As noted earlier in this thread, to each their own. It was that odd moment of maturity when I suddenly realized that my thinking had moved on so that not everyone has to agree with me that something is "the best", and I don't have to agree with somebody else's choice either. That "adult moment" probably came a little bit later to me than it should have!

[iamt]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Frank Miramahdi's calls where he imitated all the other announcers were classics. He's now way up the ladder and at the point where he has to call the races seriously, but it would be fun for a minor track somewhere to hire him for a day so he could do one again.

Didn't Frank stop the imitations when he missed a serious fall in one of the races he was doing at the time. An unfortunate event, but one time when the race isn't about the caller

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by iamt

Didn't Frank stop the imitations when he missed a serious fall in one of the races he was doing at the time. An unfortunate event, but one time when the race isn't about the caller

That happened at one of the California fairs and he did at least one more after that. But it's certainly possible that this was a factor in him stopping. I would assume top tracks like Monmouth and Santa Anita don't want him messing around anyway.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

You don't know what you're talking about. I get it, you play the authority here without facts all the time and think that's OK. You'll never change. I'm the idiot that keeps expecting you to get better.

What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?

You have the facts. I'm waiting for you to actually tell us the two salaries. You must know them. If you don't reveal them, why should anyone here believe you when you say my statements are BS?

Come on Andy, tell us what you know! Educate us!