re: How do LSU fans look back on Gary Danielson and Verne Lundquist in 2026?

Verne and Todd Blackledge were better. And Mike Patrick was my all-time favorite.

Verne Lundquist was great. (Was also awesome at the Masters)
Gary Danielson was such a hater. After every play, he told you what everyone did wrong.

I guess they balanced each other out? I wish Verne would have been paired with someone else for a few of those years.

Vernes

AL LA BAMA call drove me crazy, but thier voices were the soundtrack of big stakes Saturday games...somwtimes I watch youtube clips of the SEC on CBS theme music and them setting the scene as the camera pans over a stadium for nostalgia

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thier voices were the soundtrack of big stakes Saturday games...somwtimes I watch youtube clips of the SEC on CBS theme music and them setting the scene as the camera pans over a stadium for nostalgia

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CBS had a great thing with those afternoon Saturday SEC games and Verne and Gary were a big reason why. The whole production was great.

Gary was alright at first during the early days of Les then some drunk tried to steal his blaiser from the press box. It went down hill after that.

Hot take: Most big name sports announcers are really good, people just look for reasons to hate them.

Loved

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Posters and people IRL liked to hate on them. I liked them.

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Same here. Loved Verne and Gary. Never felt, like many others did, that Verne and Gary were “obviously” rooting for Bama and/or against LSU. To me, they were always thrilled to be calling big games and would react with emotion to momentum shifts or whichever team just made a big play. In the 2010 LSU-Bama game, for instance, they got plenty excited about LSU. Same for 2015 LSU-Auburn, when Verne was going gaga over LF7.

Anyway, Verne Lundquist is a national treasure and Gary was often underrated as an analyst.

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His open consternation reached pathological proportions when Reed intercepted that pass headed straight to the endzone for a TD, in the 2011 Game Of The Century.

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I did not find that at all.

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Either way, I have a nostalgic fondness for the duo and that broadcasting era.

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I do a bit as well. I did find there was a drop-off toward the end. Particularly with Verne, he kind of turned into a fan, which could be entertaining but it flet like he sometimes forgot his job and was jsut watching the game (which would probably be me in that situation )

Danielson's issue, which a lot here took as anti-LSU or pro-Bama, I think was that he frequently turned into a QB advocate. LSU was primarily a defensive team back then, with mediocre QB play for much of the Miles era. So it felt like he was pulling for the other team because he was always talking up the other QB.

But I rarely miss them except for a little nostalgic reminiscing.

Over-exaggeration, big time. Danielson was sharp as a tack. He could analyze plays in seconds and make points instead of using filler words. Listen to Conor analysts on those ESPN plus games like when Northern Arizona plays Eastern Washington. Their commentary is weak…”good play all around there by the defense. They went to the ball carrier and wrapped up.” Very few can do what Danielson and the likes of Todd Blackledge can do.

Yes, he was all over Bama but that was the era when everyone in Baton Rouge went to WalMart and bought an Alabama shirt. And could you blame him? They were a monster from 08 to 23. We were their equals for five of those years. As far as analysis, Danielson was fine by me. CBS doesn’t hire the guys who color analyze the Abilene Christian vs. Houston Baptist games for a reason.

Verne was solid until he got OLD. By the time he was in the booth for prime time CBS, he was already passed his prime. Sean McDonough was in that seat before he was. I imagine Verne showed great company loyalty and was never caught pissing off of a hotel balcony or bar fighting, so he was rewarded for his great character and his demeanor.

I liked them both just fine.