FORMER BROWNS SAFETY A REAL TV MEDIA STAR

What a joy it was listening to Louis Riddick over the weekend.

The NFL draft is always fun to watch, but it is especially so when Riddick, the former Browns safety during the Bill Belichick years of the early 1990s, is the analyst on ESPN’s telecast. I know I have praised Riddick before in the space, but because he is so good and I think he greatly deserves it, I take every opportunity to point out his work.

Riddick is strong with his opinions and that is as it should be, becayse he really does his homework and he knows what he’s talking about. In addition, he always tries to stay positive with his opinions, and when he does have to say something negative, he doesn’t go off on some rant, beating up somebody or something. That is so refreshing.

In that way, then, he is like former Ohio State quarterback, Kirkstreit, who is also an ESPN college and pro football analyst and was part of the coverage over the weekend.

As with any network, there are analysts at ESPN who I could listen to or not. They don’t love me one way or the other. They are just OK, not bad or good but simply average. When I get to listen to Riddick or Herbstreit, it doesn’t necessarily matter what the game is, or the event, because I just like listening to them and what they have to say. They bring up the quality of every telecast they do.

It is the same with Jim Donovan, the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Browns. He is so good at what he does that I could listen to him read the phone book. I know that that type of analogy will date me, but you get the picture.

I know he does a lot already, but I hope as we go forward, ESPN will give even more opportunity for Louis Riddick to work. He is just outstanding, and I can’t overstate how much I enjoyed him over the weekend. Perhaps you feel the same way.

Steve King