2011 BCS Championship Game To Feature Less Brent Musburger, Says Brent Musburger

ESPN’s top-shelf announcing crew is on the mic for tonight’s BCS National Championship Game in bucolic Glendale, Arizona: Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit will steer the broadcast, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi providing backup vocals. The lead dog, however, will be slowing his roll on this august occasion: Musburger says he plans to scale back on the chatter this evening and let the game speak for itself.

“I’ll be quieter than usual, won’t try to over talk. I know they’ll be some people who, believe it or not, won’t know where Auburn is, so we’ll mention it. But I think the bigger the game, the less you need an announcer. I’ll just let people enjoy it.”
That’s a kind boon to an audience that, though jacked, is probably at the end of its patience after a title game eve full of Bob Davie’s bons mots, although one could argue the duo are feeling slightly dejected at the prospect of not having Ohio State in this game, and thus being denied the opportunity to bellow, “THAAAA BUCKEEEEYES!” at every turn. Don’t tease him too much about his particulars, though: Turns out ol’ Musby knows all about your reindeer games, gentle viewers.

[The] so-called Musburger drinking games that pop up on the Internet — instructing viewers how much to imbibe at Musburgerisms such as “pardner” and “folks” — might be affected. “I still kind of chuckle about those. But I won’t be playing to the Musburger drinking games.”
Consider your livers: Brent Musburger could’ve made all of us drink ourselves to death with a few well-placed phrases for who knows how long now, and has stayed his hand. Is he not merciful?