Mike Goldberg removed from NFL on FOX booth

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Mike Goldberg’s first game as an NFL on FOX play-by-play announcer may be his last.

Goldberg had a rough debut in the booth on Sunday’s Lions-Vikings game, then made things worse by responding with profanities when fans pointed out some of his mistakes on Twitter. As a result, Goldberg has been pulled from his next assignment.

Although Goldberg had previously been slated to work the Vikings-Bills game this week, the Bills announced today that veteran broadcaster Tim Brando will be calling the game on FOX. Brando will work alongside commentator Brendon Ayanbadejo and sideline reporter Peter Schrager, who worked the Lions-Vikings game with Goldberg on Sunday.

FOX has told PFT that it will have a statement on the matter shortly.

Goldberg made a series of mistakes that included misidentifying players and coaches, mispronouncing names and losing track of the down and distance. But that probably all would have been forgiven by FOX if it hadn’t been for the profane Twitter tirade. That was too unprofessional for a network to overlook from one of its on-air voices.

103 responses to “Mike Goldberg removed from NFL on FOX booth

  1. I agree. He sucks. And take him off the UFC, too. If they want to take someone who actually can call a match or a game, get Jim Ross or Mauro Ranallo.

  2. Dick Stockton was just as bad during the Cards/Washington game. Unfortunately he’s slated to work the Cards/Raiders game this weekend.

  3. I heard the refs hired him stating he was just the man their looking for and would fit right in.
    eagle eye they call him

  4. NFL is too main stream making him subject to the PC police. He can refocus on UFC where being brash and opinionated is encouraged.

  5. I would have liked to see him respond to the criticism with some humility. Grace under pressure is apparently a lost art.

    I watched that game and was surprised at how many mistakes both announcers made. However, a more dignified response to the criticism would have allowed him a second chance.

  6. Love him in the UFC, he’s been there forever. Like, forever.

    But he is not suited for the NFL, clearly, and I think much less of him for his Twitter rants.

    Stick to the UFC, I’m sure it pays the bills, and for God’s sake, stop letting Rogan walk all over you in the broadcasts.

  7. Why is it so hard for the network suits to hire competent announcers? How about targeting people with actual announcing experience instead of handing the mic to meatball ex-jocks or an MMA idiot?

  8. The real winner here is Goldberg. I mean first Fox put him on the Vikings-Lions game, and now he would have been on the Vikings-Bills game. Maybe he was trying to fire himself.

  9. jdrautz303 says:
    Oct 14, 2014 12:29 PM
    Why is it so hard for the network suits to hire competent announcers? How about targeting people with actual announcing experience instead of handing the mic to meatball ex-jocks or an MMA idiot?
    ———————-
    And how bout some females, like Pam Oliver, especially in pink ribbon month?

  10. Patriots bashers would love former QB, Scott Zolak, on the Patriots radio network. He’ll do a rip job on anyone wearing a blue jersey. He’s so brutal, he’ll make you wince.
    .

  11. This is a bold move but one done with good intentions. There should be an expectation of quality and professional commentating not just for the play-by-play but the color commentary too, and it is long overdue that these networks hold themselves accountable to finding the right people who can perform in providing consistent quality insight. For those that love the game of football that don’t have the physical ability to play the game, this is a dream job and there should be very high standards in filling those jobs.

  12. I don’t know if it was Goldberg or Ayanbadejo who said it, maybe both, but they were talking about how the Vikings offense hasn’t missed a beat since losing Adrian Peterson. That Matt Asiata/Jerrick McKinnon combo platter was doing just as well as Adrian ever did.

  13. I don’t feel bad for him… He was turrrible. My favorite comment was when he said that Caldwell told him he felt blessed to have Norv as his O coordinator. If I put that much effort into my day job, I wouldn’t even be flipping burgers for a living!

  14. This guy gets removed in a matter of hours but we can’t get Mike Nugent off the Bengals squad for years??

    Some things just aren’t fair.

    Signed,

    All kickers that are better than Nugent without a job.

  15. A number of funny comments out here on this subject, but seriously, if you have ever heard Dan Hoard call a Cincinnati Bengals game, he is top notch. One of the best in the business.

  16. You all deserve the NFL and what it is becoming. We respect the game. We remember tackling. We remember not having to wait ten seconds after a play to ensure there are no penalties just so we can celebrate. We remember watching football players being allowed to play football. Now, we watch robots in a game controlled by suits, pens, and dotted lines. We watch cogs in a giant, shambling machine, which looks to suck every last dollar out of our pockets. Don’t you see that?

    You all better check yourselves and see who the real enemies are. If you love football – the old game – the Steelers are the only friends you have at the moment. If we fail, all of us fail and the game dies out. You’re rooting for the wrong side if you continue to hate us. Take our hands. Let us March.

  17. Wow. I’ve met Goldberg in real life and he’s a really nice mild mannered guy. This is surprising.

    But that won’t stop me from adding… AND IT’S ALLLLL OVER!!!

  18. This clown did Detroit Red Wing games a few years back. Was the worst ever to call a hockey game. It was embarrassing having him on the telecasts. Most in Detroit would turn on the radio call instead.

  19. Obviously it was the twitter profanity that got him canned since All Fox commentators are terrible to the point that they probably have to get 7 out of 10 names wrong on a player recognition test just to qualify to put on the headset. Now if the Vikings fans can just find a way to make the Joe Buckbot 2000 malfunction so that Troy Aikman can sit with an actual human being, Fox might get a ratings boost and not have to resort to using Stand up comedians to get people to watch their NFL coverage.

  20. Damn, considering the complete lunatics who work for Fox Networks (News, sports, etc), you really have to be a special breed to be fired from that network. Yikes.

  21. A few years ago, Goldberg did the Cardinals’ preseason games on TV and I thought he did a pretty good job. But then they moved the radio crew (including Dave Pasch) to TV for those games, so that was an understandable trade up.

    I am surprised at how much he struggled, given his performance in the past.

  22. Goldberg was on a MN radio station a few days before the game and he was saying that he likes to over prepare for games. If that is the case, imagine how much worse it could have been.

    This guy comes off as super arrogant. Not a fan.

  23. Been a UFC fan for years and glad that everyone else can see how bad this guy is. He’s been doing UFC for 15 years and still has no idea what’s going on.

  24. I always wondered why Fox and CBS stuck with the same tired, inept broadcast people they trot out year after year. I figured there had to be some new blood that could do at least as well.

    Maybe not…

  25. The best thing EVER would be getting Belichick on there when he retires!!! I LOVE what he does to the media week after week! The other announcer would be like “what did you see on that first down play there Bill?” And Bill would be like “we’re on to the next play, I have no comment.” Allllll game long just not giving up any info! Hahahaaaa! Love it!! But actually he’s the smartest X’s and O’s coach in the NFL so it would be pretty cool

  26. brento1499 says:
    Oct 14, 2014 12:16 PM
    “Why the UFC will never be one of the 4 major sports in the USA”
    ********
    “it already is”
    *********************
    Actually it isn’t even in the top ten. Here is the list.

    1. Football
    2. Baseball
    3. Basketball
    4. Ice Hockey
    5. Soccer
    6. Tennis
    7. Golf
    8. Wrestling
    9. Motor sports
    10. Badminton.

  27. Being a fan of an NFC team, I watch a lot of NFL on FOX. CBS runs circles around them when it comes to play-by-play guys. I like the new guy, Kevin McDougal, and Kenny Albert and Thom Brennaman are decent. The rest of them are absolutely terrible. So seeing this clown get a play-by-play gig on FOX is just par for the course. This is the same network that employed Ron Pitts for years. Dick Stocton and Sam Rosen are so old they have gone senile, and Chris Myers is just clueless. Ugh.

    See ya, Goldberg. Been nice not known’ yal…

  28. What does the quality of the play-by-play guy (who mostly just reads ads & names, Rogan does play by play) have to do w/the quality of the athletic product?

  29. natelan says:
    Oct 14, 2014 12:35 PM
    jdrautz303 says:
    Oct 14, 2014 12:29 PM
    Why is it so hard for the network suits to hire competent announcers? How about targeting people with actual announcing experience instead of handing the mic to meatball ex-jocks or an MMA idiot?
    ———————-
    And how bout some females, like Pam Oliver, especially in pink ribbon month?
    ——————————————–
    What evidence is there that a sideline reporter can suddenly do play-by-play for 3 1/2 hours? Play-by-play is very difficult. Now, most do it better than Goldberg did, but it’s still dang hard.

  30. If they weren’t such homers, there are a bunch of team radio guys who are the best announcers in sports.

    Like Matt LePay who does play by play on the Badgers’ games and Jeff Joniak on WBBM for the Bears.

  31. Told you yesterday this was coming. Idiots, stay off Twitter. No one cares about what you think about every situation, contrary to what your ego has you thinking.

  32. Why is Jamie Duke on NFL network? They always seem to have one fat clown replacing another fat clown. The next time Duke is right about anything will be his first time.

  33. Why is Jamie Duke on NFL network? They always seem to have one fat clown replacing another fat clown. The next time Duke is right about anything will be his first time.

  34. Word has it, Goldberg has been replaced by Snoop Dog and a Hookah pipe.

    I’m sure there will see our first game delayed due to a strange fog coming from the announcers booth.

  35. Not one to complain. But you have to better than what Goldberg was. Ayanbedejo was bad too. I actually turned the sound off for the first time in my life because they were constantly wrong. Now to rip on Dick Stockton is almost like ripping on Vin Scully or Verne Lundquist. Dont go there. Joe Buck, go for it. He is an idiot.

  36. Yeah, when he referred to the Viking’s HC as “Don” Zimmer a couple of times in the first quarter, I knew it was going to be a long day…

  37. He also said Jim Caldwell was happy to have Norv Turner as the OC. And then of course he got drunk, and signed in to his twit account

  38. Spieldope drafted that noodle-armed Ponder chick and his merry band of underachievers, finishes in last place for half a decade and turned MN into the laughingstock of the NFL.

    But Viking fans finally band together over a couple announcer goofs to get some poor schmuck fired??????

    That’s what you find outrageous?????

    Seriously????

  39. The fact Fox let this clown be a play by play announcer from the get-go was a huge mistake. It’s obvious Goldberg doesn’t watch football at all. Goldberg was so bad that when the Vikings were on offense and Bridgewater completed a pass to Greg Jennings, Goldberg said the pass had been completed to Golden Tate. Both players wear #15 but Golden Tate isn’t even on the Vikings!!! I can understand not knowing some of the lesser known backups and special teams players, but to not know who Golden Tate or Greg Jennings in a game your announcing is inexcusable and that is only one example of numerous other mistakes he made. It was so bad that I would have rather listened to Tony Kornheiser call the game.

  40. The best part had to be when play resumed after a commercial break, with the Lions leading 17-3. The Vikings had a 2nd and 4 or something, but Goldberg said that it was 3rd and 17.

  41. Meanwhile Troy Barkman and Phil Simms continue to show unprofessional bias against teams only to interrupt their blather with preening and self worship and then to lie and to distort. The game has never had such overrated and under talented announcers. Phil Simms is perhaps the only person to play the game and to never learn a thing about the game. It is understandable that Troy Barkman has no clue – he likely still does not know what day it is – earning his mindless blather to being planted by Lavar Arrington, a Washington Redskin. Ever since that hit, Troy Barkman is almost as clueless as Simms – though Troy does hold his hands like he wants a football. He wears Depends because he still thinks Lavar is after him to this day.

  42. Business as usual for the bush league UFC. Goldie u can’t just cuss out fans like your Dana White…this isn’t the UFC

  43. Stockton has lost a couple steps, Buck is who he, for better or worse. And other announcers have made mistakes during the course of a game.

    That said, NOTHING will ever compare to what Goldberg did Sunday. I’d be willing to bet a high schooler. doing a high school game, without rosters in front of him would be more accurate with his comments. Should go in the record books. Cant wait to see the product of the person putting together a highlight reel. Will be Epic!

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