Top 10 Marc Zumoff Catch Phrases
- I’ll be honest. I didn’t think this would be a hard list to rank at first, but it quickly became extremely difficult.
There are so many good ones. Every time I felt I had all of them down, I’d think of even more great sayings that needed consideration.
Whether you agree with these rankings or not, at least take away from this article how lucky we are to have the best play-by-play announcer in the NBA. These phrases will forever be a part of Sixers basketball and we thank Marc Zumoff for gifting us plenty of memories with them.
Here are the honorable mentions I had to leave out, but one could still make a valid argument for any of these making the top 10.
- Compliments of (player’s name)
- Rattles it home
- Leaving (player’s name) feeling rejected
- Amongst the trees
All are great and creative in their own ways, which made me sad to have to leave them out of the top 10.
Now…for the phrases I feel top them.
- Fouled en route to the hoop
A fun, catchy and effective way of saying a player was fouled while driving to the basket.
- Down it goes
Describes someone hitting a jump shot, often when it’s an important or impressive shot. It’s said with more emphasis and excitement when it’s the Sixers hitting a big shot. Short, simple and to the point.
- In no particular hurry
If a team has the ball with the shot clock unplugged or if they can chew the clock. Most basketball announcers and fans would think of “holding on to the ball” in that situation. We know it as the better phrase.
- Hold me back, fam!
Not used very often and usually just for Ben Simmons highlights. The most notable use of this was when Simmons hit his first regular season three against the Knicks, and it was the perfect way to capture the moment and express how the fanbase felt.
- You can count it, and a foul
This is similar to number ten on the list but used for and-ones. It’s used for better highlights and can have two different tones: monotone and professional sounding if it’s the opposing team, or more pep in his voice with emphasis on “AND A FOUL!” if it’s the Sixers.
- Locking all windows and doors
This is the first of what I consider to be an elite tier of top-five catch phrases that resonate with all Sixers fans. The use of imagery to describe players and teams playing excellent defense shows off the best of Zumoff’s imagination.
- Turning garbage into gold
When I told friends that I was doing this ranking, the first thing almost all of them asked was “Will ‘turning garbage into gold’ be on the list?” It just goes to show how this is probably the most fun and creative of all the phrases, which is impressive for something as simple as commentating a basket after an offensive rebound.
- As they rise at Wells Fargo Center
A great line to describe the home-crowd atmosphere in Philly. This either happens during an intense possession that could decide the game, or as the Sixers just put the game away and are about to win. This line always helps add to the energy of Sixers fans watching from home during a thrilling home game.
- Yes!
One word. That’s all it takes to react to a huge basket and show the inner fan inside of Zumoff. This has a wide range depending on the emotion the fans are feeling. It can be a quick exclaim for a nice three pointer, or it can be the long and loud “YESSSSS!!!” like after Jimmy Butler’s dagger against Boston. This is a signature that will always be connected to the great announcer.
- Hang on, Alaa, we’re coming in for a landing
There may never be another phrase from basketball commentators that will ever top this. The metaphor perfectly introduces fans to the climax of the game. The intensity is up, your blood is pumping and you can’t wait to see what happens next. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that when I’ve announced games in the past, it’s crossed my mind several times to use this when appropriate. It’s the perfect phrase to describe the peak of a game. This is more than just Marc Zumoff’s best catch phrase – this is one of the best aspects of Sixers basketball that will be ingrained in the minds of the Sixers fans forever.
