Collmus to replace Durkin at NYRA

[toppled]

Per WNYT TV Ch 13 Albany. Press conference Wednesday.

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3530849.shtml?cat=300

[richiebee]

Ugh. The Screamer. Plenty of over the top, Grade I made for future TV stallion
commercial calls to come (ie \"and Lookin at Lucky ROMPS!!!! in the Haskell\") (just
an awful race call in my opinion). I\'m starting to really miss Tom Durkin.

Might be in the minority here, but think this guy is overrated.

Certain that at the press conference the Clueless one will be telling us that an
announcer such as Collmus will increase the live gate while enhancing the customer
experience.

[Edgorman]

Totally agree.  Not that it is an easy job but the bigger the race, the louder he screams.
He received national attention when that race with \"my wife doesn\'t know\" and \"the wife knows everything\" fell into his lap. As they came down the stretch he said \"nothing\" clever!!!  Would have been fun to hear TD call that one.
Again, with all due respect to the unique skills required to call a race and the pressure to get it right all the time, we have been spoiled listening to Tom, Trevor and Dave Johnson before them.

[richiebee]

Frank Mirahmadi had obviously thrown his hat in the ring and was informed he was not
going to be getting the job.

While working TVG Monday, Mirahmadi said something like \"...and next Saturday, the
Alabama, a race I won\'t be calling at anytime in the near future\". He made the same
quip regarding the Travers.

Again with regards to Collmus, I have always liked subtle, accurate, mild mannered
race callers. If you need the track announcer to make the race exciting, you
probably did not bet enough.

[drbillym]

Yes, very unhappy with Collmus as selection.  Woulda loved either Miramahdi or big vince stouffer or even the fellow at woodbine.  Takes away a lot of the excitement of being at Saratoga.

[Rick B.]

drbillym Wrote:
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> Yes, very unhappy with Collmus as selection.

Hey, you could have gotten stuck with John Dooley!

[miff]

Have to think Durkin had some input in the Colmus selection.Columus kinda vanilla.Vic Stauffer best unemployed announcer in game, imo, maybe waiting for Trevor D to retire.

Never heard a man call a race as badly as Marshall Cassidy, the absolute worst..zzzzzzzz!

Rick B

John Dooley gets an automatic pass,he is from Staten Island NY


Mike

[Rick B.]

miff Wrote:
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> Rick B
>
> John Dooley gets an automatic pass,he is from
> Staten Island NY
>
>
> Mike

Never want to pick on an SI guy, but Dooley has
fallen in love with his own brand of contrived
race-callers catch phrases, like:

\"and now, (some surprise late runner) is produced!\", or


\"(front runner) spins them in!\", or,


\"(wire job) made all\"


Dooley, et. al.: just speak American, would ya?

[richiebee]

Sometimes the catchy phrases can be fun when you hear them for the first time.

I heard the racecaller at Mountaineer describe a tiring horse by saying that said runner was ready to \"hang his cue on the rack\".

As fields get smaller there will unfortunately be more time for racecaller improv.

[Boscar Obarra]

whoops, thats the guy with the rather fey \'they\'re off\' aint it?  Not good.

[hooper]

Isn't he under contract with Churchill through this year?

[miff]

Boring Colmus does not start until April of 2015. Very capable Johnny I will call NYRA until then.

[P-Dub]

drbillym Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, very unhappy with Collmus as selection.
> Woulda loved either Miramahdi or big vince
> stouffer or even the fellow at woodbine.  Takes
> away a lot of the excitement of being at Saratoga.


We had Collmus in No Cal for a few years, a decent race caller but agree he is getting a lot of prime jobs for his talent level.

Frank M does an excellent job, and agree about Vic Stauffer. He\'s too good to be unemployed. Like another poster said, perhaps waiting for Trevor\'s spot when he hangs up his mic. The Woodbine guy is excellent.

The \"mother in law\" race.....that fell into his lap and he had nothing clever to offer. That lame call alone should have disqualified him from premium spots.

Its not gonna be the same without Tom, especially after hiring this guy.

[TGJB]

Stauffer is currently a California state steward, I believe. I heard he turned down calling he fairs to take the job.

[miff]

Stauffer just voted his first DQ at Del Mar, where he is a steward.