[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'241879\' date=\'Jun 3 2010, 06:50 PM\']Interesting use of the word "officially", since neither John nor Marc work for the show. The G-R thread starter seems to be pretty well-connected, as are several other people who have weighed in, directly or obliquely. Any additional information helps, including anything John or Marc may learn, but it's "official" when Fremantle announces it, not when a fan does, no matter how connected or established he might be.
Meanwhile, I'm satisfied that it's for real, though I don't really have any huge reaction to the news either way. Rich seems like a nice enough guy, one who loved his job and seemed to enjoy (or at least tolerate) the excesses of certain elements of the fandom. On a personal level, you hate to see anybody lose a job, but in a field where nothing is guaranteed, he's had a really good run.[/quote]
Totally agree with you, Matt. Rich held the job for six years, and was a great announcer from his debut until around the beginning of Season 37, but then he got involved in the "Drewcases" and just looked like a moronic suck-up (hell, one Showcase even made him dyslexic!) -- and he never really stopped. I don't really mind his "Gone Wild" videos, though.
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'241879\' date=\'Jun 3 2010, 06:50 PM\']If [Fremantle] really think that a change of announcers is what's right for the show, then more power to them. As so many people forget, it's their show.[/quote]
And therein lies the problem -- this is Fremantle, a company who has proven (several times) that they're not exactly the best at doing things well/right. Oddly, though, all their current productions appear to be the exception, although this is debatable (the whole Family Feud/STILL-$5-a-point-in-a-Fast-Money-loss thing comes to mind, but that's for another time).