Dear Readers,

Being the recent recipient of much butt-kissing with regards to my contribution to these discussion boards,  I was flattered, touched, and I even cried.  However, it made me think of an analogy that I think is appropriate for this hobby and these boards.    

When you sit down to watch or listen to a sporting event, whose contribution do you find critical to understanding and enjoying the action and drama taking place on the field/court/diamond/rink etc.?  Is it the play-by-play announcer or the color analyst?  

Do you tune in to hear Dave Niehaus, or Ron Fairly?  Marv Albert or Bill Walton?  Al Michaels or Fouts/Miller?  Kevin Calabro or his color analyst of the moment?  Sure, the color guys come up with some good stuff now and again. (I personally love it when Walton says "That's TERRIBLE", but then again, I liked Boomer Esiason as color for MNF )

In my view, it is the play-by-play announcers who are the bedrock, the lifeblood of any broadcast.  The play-by-play man provides the dead-on, cogent telling of the facts, crucial for understanding the action, and lets you interpret the game.  The color guys are a sideshow, their remarks sometimes entertain and resonate with you, but just as often are irksome noise.

IMHO so it goes with this hobby.  In my view, the reviewers are the play-by-play men,  the discussion board posters/lurkers are the color analysts, a few do both.  I'd rather give credit where credit is due, and salute the Seattle TER reviewers.  What truly makes this site the best is not the editorializing done on the discussion boards, but the solid reviewing done in the review section by the 90+ men who have posted Seattle reviews.

Hats off to the TER Seattle Reviewers for making this site the most powerful resource for finding accurate, detailed, reliable local information. Keep up the FANTASTIC work!

Sincerely,
Iceman