Dot Net Awards: 2008 Best Broadcaster

Dot Net readers voted on a variety of 2008 awards throughout January. The results will be posted today. The following are the poll results of the Best Broadcaster category.

(1) Jim Ross: 46 percent (Dot Net readers vote)
(2) Matt Striker: 38 percent
(3) Don West: 4 percent
(4) Jerry Lawler: 3 percent
(5) Mike Tenay: 3 percent
The others nominees split six percent of the vote.

Rich Twilling's thoughts: "You don't know what you've got until it's gone." Famous words said by, well, somebody. It seems as though Jim Ross only gets appreciated when people come to the realization that somebody else sucks in his place. Jim Ross again wins this award. You cannot teach passion and JR calls matches with passion. You sometimes forget how good he is until a "JR" moment comes up during a match, and someone else is announcing. Kudos to Tazz and Matt Striker for the years they had too.

Jason Powell's thoughts: I love Matt Striker as much as the next member of his wrestling nerd herd, but Jim Ross is the best broadcaster pro wrestling history. No one creates the big match feel quite like J.R. Main event matches don't seem quite as special when Ross isn't on play-by-play. He enhances the in-ring action and delivers memorable calls that stand the test of time. However, it's more than just the main event calls that make Ross so good. He seems just as prepared for the undercard matches and tries hard to build up young talent. For instance, Brian Kendrick should buy J.R. dinner for a month to thank him for the effort he's shown in trying to help get his heel act over.

Striker is an easy second place vote and a real breath of fresh air, and Lenny Leonard gets my third place vote for his call of the Ring of Honor shows. Lenny might not be ready for prime time, but he's a knowledgeable broadcaster who knows the names of the moves and holds, and sounds enthusiastic about the action he's calling.