Ian Eagle Final Four TBS Screengrab: TBS
By Sam Neumann on

Any game with Ian Eagle at the mic is sure to bring a unique listening experience. This year’s Final Four has been no exception, offering him a treasure trove of moments to weave in his colorful commentary.

Stepping into the legendary role of March Madness’s voice, Eagle hit the ground running and hasn’t missed a beat. While Jim Nantz’s absence is certainly felt, “The Bird” has soared as a worthy successor.

The broadcast team of Eagle, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill kicked off the first Final Four matchup on a high note, with Eagle at the helm. They had a prime view of Purdue’s dominant win over NC State, and Zach Edey’s performance provided Eagle with ample material and lots to get excited about.

But Eagle’s best line didn’t come until after the game’s end when he told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson that they’d be ordering her a ladder to talk to the 7-foot-4 Edey in the future.

The second game of the day, pitting 1-seed UConn against 4-seed Alabama, gave us some delightful wrinkles and moments that only Eagle could elevate.

And it only took seven minutes into the first half of the second Final Four game for Raftery to refer to Eagle by his first name rather than “The Bird.”

And a few minutes later, you saw a “Big finish for the big fella,” in reference to UConn’s Donovan Clingan.

Speaking of big men, Eagle unleashed one of his best lines of the night with a “Full Nelson” mention for Alabama’s Grant Nelson, putting Clingan on a poster in the second half.

And then Eagle, with a call-back to his Brooklyn wedgie from earlier in the tournament, called a “Wedgie in the desert.” Calling a wedgie in the Final Four is what dreams are made of and something Eagle has been waiting his entire life to do.

Eagle continues to make each and every broadcast more enjoyable, and there’s no doubt he’ll step up to the occasion for Monday’s championship game.

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About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann