A toupee. Take it to the bank. Al is a little older now than during his "Miracle on Ice" days but I am sure all these digital processors contribute heavily to making Al sound with a bit more oomph. I know a little - and on the low end of little - about the various musical recording and performance tricks and how the old timers like Eric Clapton and Paul Stanley sing a lot better these days than they did forty years ago even when they are performing "live".
Twellman is obnoxious. So anything he says is going to grate on some people. I'm surprised they gave him the job. I like Chris Sullivan as a USMNT announcer. Knows the game as well, and isn't offensive in any way.
TT was a bit more reserved initially, and when trying out for the job. As he has gotten merge secure his true personality is coming out. He is obnoxious, but don't forget the whining. Known as a big complainer and whiner also.
He is. He acts like he's back in an MLS locker room as one of the better players and can just say anything. He acts and talks like a conceded, arrogant frat boy. Just completely unprofessional. As I've said, Maca was ten times the player Taylor ever was, yet there's never a hint of arrogance when he announces with Darke. Yet Twellman of all people acts like he can put Darke in his place?
Yeah, and honestly I was duped. I liked him early on, but with every passing game I hear him call, he's coming off more and more as a nearly Harkes-level douchebag. He still has to ratchet it up a notch to catch up to Captain For Life, though.
I'd prefer a journalist in the role of color commentator. Someone who knows US Soccer and our sporting culture to complement Ian Darke, who does a fine enough job himself of analyzing the game in front of him. Or if they have to go the ex-player route, get a more marginal and less opinionated player. I mean in baseball, football and basketball, the best broadcasters tend not to be the former greats, rather bit players or journalists. Leave the ex-jocks to battle it out with Lalas et. al. in studio during the pregame and half time.
A good color commentator needs to be encyclopedic in his knowledge of the game. He can tell you a lot about each player on the field, and about the players he played with or against, interesting incidents, etc. The color guy is a lore master, and his power of recollection must be matched by the calm beauty of his narrative.
Ian Darke doesn't analyze the game at all. He tells you what's happening, but doesn't decipher it. And Twellman isn't a former great, so I don't know how he doesn't fit your criteria.
ESPN should hire Brian McBride. Unfortunately he doesn't fit their loudmouth, meathead announcing template that is used across all sports on their networks.