The job of the pbp person is to describe the play. If you are doing that on radio, it requires more detail, and an ability to "Paint a picture" so that a listener can picture what's happening in their head. Peter Maher was a master of this.
On TV, your viewers can also see what's happening, but your are still there to help describe the play and supplement the visuals.
The color commentators job is to provide additional information that the viewer can't easily see or understand. Within that, there is always a debate of what level of fan you are trying to reach, but my general bar is that I want the analyst to tell me something I can't see myself, or that I don't know.
Tony Romo is a great example of this on NFL coverage.
Someone compared Cassie Campbell to Charlie Simmer last night and for me that's spot on. I rank both low because they never tell me anything I can't see or that I don't already know. That's why often it is someone who played or coached.
I like Hrudey, but I'm not saying he's a master of this either. But he makes up for it with his rapport with Ball and general entertainment value.
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