Voices of the Game By ESPN Kids Writer

Everybody wants tickets to the big game. There's nothing better than watching your favorite team live, sitting in the stadium or the arena cheering with thousands of other fans.

If you can't make it to the game, though, watching the game on television or listening on the radio can be a great way to follow the action. Close-ups, instant replays and different camera angles are all great ways to make watching a game even better. The most important part of a good television or radio broadcast is the announcer.

Announcers are the ones who describe each play of the game and tell you what is happening. Many times the announcers are former players and give fans an inside look at what it's like to be a professional athlete.

Recently, John Madden retired from announcing. Madden was a very famous football announcer who called games for more than 30 years. Before he was an announcer, Madden coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1979 and even won a Super Bowl. Because he was such a good coach and knew so much about the sport, Madden became a great announcer because he could explain to fans what was happening on the field.

Like Madden, sports announcers can work in television and radio for many, many years. When this happens, they develop a strong connection with fans. One of the most famous announcers in sports history is Vin Scully. He began his broadcasting career in 1950 calling baseball games on the radio for the Brooklyn Dodgers. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957, Scully moved with them and has been the radio voice of the Dodgers for almost 60 years. Many Dodger fans have grown up listening to Scully and consider him an important part of the team.

One of the most popular announcers in history is Curt Gowdy, who was the radio voice of the Boston Red Sox in the 1950's and 60's. Gowdy was famous because he kept a two-minute timer next to him in the broadcast booth. Whenever the timer was up, Gowdy announced the score of the game. This way, fans who just turned on the game wouldn't have to wait long to hear the score.

Next time you're watching a game on television or listening on the radio, pay attention to the announcers. The best announcers can make you feel like you are at the game because they are so good at describing what is going on. Even if you are in your living room or listening to a game at night in your room, you can still follow all the action of your favorite team.

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