To me, track announcers are like sports play-by-play announcers or even news anchors. Most are unremarkable and rather interchangeable. A very select few manage to stand out--often adding value to the primary attraction (the game or the newscast). Vin Scully and Walter Cronkite certainly achieved this status in their fields. I think Durkin has too.
It may be that a flubbed call or an occasional voice crack is a little more noticeable or off-putting coming from Durkin than someone else. Same as it is with a home run that is served up by Mariano.
Today, if there were a potentially dramatic race coming up and I had to pick one person to call that race--someone who could deliver a memorable, signature call--it would still be Durkin. And if I needed someone to call an entire meet, I\'d probably want him too. When he is on his game, I don\'t think anyone is better. And, for me, the times that he IS on his game more than make up for the occasional times he may not be. When Durkin eventually retires, his successor is going to find himself in a difficult position.
