ATTN; GoofOnTheRoof

[stark]

Collmus steps down from Gulfstream announcing job

Larry Collmus has stepped down as the wintertime racetrack announcer at Gulfstream Park. No replacement has been named.

Collmus, 49, who began calling the races at Gulfstream in January 2007, cited the desire to lessen his workload, which includes calling races at the New York Racing Association tracks -- Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga -- seven months of the year as well as being the voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. Collmus informed Gulfstream Park management of his decision Wednesday morning.

http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/16615030/collmus-steps-gulfstream-announcing-job

[BaroqueAgain1]

The last year or so has seen a tremendous turnover of race callers at tracks across the country.
Tom Durkin retired, Trevor Denman retired from calling Santa Anita and Dan Loiselle retired from Woodbine.
New York brought in Larry Colmus, Woodbine hired Robert Geller...which left Emerald Downs looking for a new voice. Frank Mirahmadi left Oaklawn so he could audition for Santa Anita and Michael Wrona ended up leaving Golden Gate for the Arcadia track job.
Oaklawn hired Pete Aiello, while Golden Gate brought aboard Angela Hermann, America's first full-time female race caller.
Whew....did I miss anyone? 
You'd think that, with all the changes at so many race tracks, someone would hire Vic Stauffer. I always enjoyed his calls and I'd love to see him back in the booth.

[curtis]

Since they fired him by email, maybe they'll hire him via text.

[ElPrado]

I wonder if GP wanted Collmus to call Aqueduct from GP? Now they have to find someone to call the $12 million extravaganza.

[Dusty]

I for one miss TheGoofontheRoof - Vic was an exceptional ambassador for horse racing and truly love the sport and has respect for fans - I wish him the very best and also wish he wanted to come back - I visited the roof with the goof = a memorable experience

[Man o Taz]

Agreed. I love his race calls.

[curtis]

I for one miss TheGoofontheRoof - Vic was an exceptional ambassador for horse racing and truly love the sport and has respect for fans - I wish him the very best and also wish he wanted to come back - I visited the roof with the goof = a memorable experience

I stumped hard for him to get the EMD gig and while Matt Dinerman is improving--he had to--I think Vic would have been the best choice. People up here wanted no part of Vic for some reason. Golden Gate would actually be the perfect place for him but I don't think Stronach will ever employ Goof again. As for GGF's current announcer, since Mother taught me right, I'll choose to say nothing at all.😉

[BaroqueAgain1]

Curtis: Since they fired him by email, maybe they'll hire him via text.

   ? I was under the impression that Vic lost his job because they closed down Hollywood Park. Not sure if you can call it "fired" when your place of employment is yanked out from under your feet. 
   I wish Vic had gotten either the EMD or GG gigs. Bless their enthusiastic young hearts, but....Matt's calls are nasal and scream-y, and Angela (man, I hate to diss her, 'cause I'm all for the Girl Power) sounds like she's giving a weather report. 

[curtis]

   ? I was under the impression that Vic lost his job because they closed down Hollywood Park. Not sure if you can call it "fired" when your place of employment is yanked out from under your feet. 
   I wish Vic had gotten either the EMD or GG gigs. Bless their enthusiastic young hearts, but....Matt's calls are nasal and scream-y, and Angela (man, I hate to diss her, 'cause I'm all for the Girl Power) sounds like she's giving a weather report. 

I wasn't referring to Hollywood Park.  Vic, for several years, was the announcer at Gulfstream Park.  He was unceremoniously dispatched via email.  Only Team Stronach, and one would assume, Vic knows why.  Since Goof wasn't ever asked, to my knowledge, to spell Trevor while he would take vacation during the marathon Santa Anita meetings of 2014-'15 and even though he lives in the Bay Area, was not given a fair shot at the GGF gig, I've got to think Stronach isn't a huge fan. 

As for EMD, I'm thinking that they just didn't want to pay a salary worthy of someone of Vic's experience level.  Since it is not a Stronach track, that would not factor in the decision.  Dinerman has potential but he's not anything close to polished and there is only so much that can be done with that nasal voice.  At least more species than Canines can hear his calls from the 3/16th pole home this year.  The GGF experiment needs to end quickly.  Her monotone delivery doesn't bother me near as much as her overall lack of accuracy on a consistent basis.  Most of the races she calls have 5 or 6 horses in, just tell me who the winner is.

[stark]

Just FYI, a personal note from Vic (stolen from another board to share here for those who are interested, I think it sounds like he's in really good place in life right now, congrats)



I haven't shared much racing opinion with you guys this summer. While I have kept a very close eye on Santa Anita and will at Del Mar for tournaments. ( there's a very big one this weekend). My attention has mostly been on Pittsburgh baseball.

Wait. Before you Pirates fans ban me. I'm speaking of the PITTSBURG DIAMONDS of the Pacific Association here in the Bay Area. Did you notice the different spelling? We don't need no stinkin H!

The Pacific Association is an independent professional baseball league made up of 4 teams.

San Rafael Pacifics
Sonoma Stompers
Vallejo Admirals
Pittsburg Diamonds

We play a 78 game season. Two 39 game halves. If two different teams win a half there's a one game Championship to decide it all.

We've just started the second half of the season. We're 1-2. Sonoma won the 1st half with a record of 23-16.

We'd be 2-1 except for a lovely game on Saturday night. We were up 11-2 going to the top of the 8th and somehow found a way to lose 12-11 in extras.

We are WAY good enough to win the 2nd half and the Championship. In my only slightly biased opinion we have the best starting pitching. All very solid. 5 deep. Our bullpen is excellent. Our day to day line up explosive. Just one VERY big problem. WE CAN'T CATCH THE DAMM BALL.

In the 39 games of the 1st half we committed 50 ERRORS  Including one game where we had 9. Five from our third baseman. He now plays outfield.

I became involved by sending an email to all 4 teams asking if they ever needed someone to fill in with PA for a game or two I was available..

Pittsburg got back to me that very day saying last season they had nobody. Players who weren't playing that day or out of the game were forced to volunteer . Didn't go real well.

I was offered the job on the spot. $50 bucks a game for 39 home games. Righteous Bucks Dude! I accepted.

Two days before we opened the owner called and said he had no funds left in the budget for PA. But would I still be willing to come?

I of course said what any profession announcer would say.

Who's pitching opening night?   

Since then my duties have expanded to Director of Broadcast Operations. I'm in charge of PA, radio (webcast) and TV (local access). Needless to say I no longer expected this job to be pro-bono. And it's not!

My salary package now includes all the Hot Dogs I can eat. Still no $$$. But little did they know it would have been cheaper to pay me the $50 bucks rather than a free roll at the weenie stand.

Since I feel I've deprived a select few of my closest PA friends the opportunity to rip my calls since Hollywood closed. Here's a new chance. Better yet. This, baseball play by play, I really do suck at.

Consider it a late Independence Day present.

We have a game tonight at Vallejo. 1st pitch 6:35pst.

The broadcast website is www.mixlr.com/pittsburgdiamonds

We have messaging during the games. If you would like to log in and let me know you're listening. Reference PA and I'll give you a shout out.

Here's the team website. www.pittsburgdiamonds.com

BTW we've signed Jose Canseco to play the entire month of August. He'll mostly DH. With some games in the field and the occasional relief appearance. That should be way cool.

Go Diamonds 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc
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"Just because she's a hitter and a thief doesn't mean she's not a good woman in all the other places" May Rose Prizzi

[Man o Taz]

Thanks stark. Indeed it does sound like he's in a good place. 

[curtis]

BTW we've signed Jose Canseco to play the entire month of August. He'll mostly DH. With some games in the field and the occasional relief appearance. That should be way cool.

Go Diamonds 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc

Maybe they can sign Jeff Mullins to be the third base coach.  He and Canseco can flex for the crowd before games.
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