The other day I was watching a Chicago White Sox game and in the 3rd inning Paul Konerko hit a mammoth home run to left field and the announcers for the game on WGN started to cheer wildly. Ken "Hawk" Harrelson was announcing the game and he along with the other announcer screamed their normal saying after a White Sox player hits a home run, "You can put it on the board....Yes!" It got me thinking about announcers and the teams they announce for. I understand if you are announcing a nationally covered game and you have no ties to the teams that you need to stay neutral, but I have never understood why a team's play by play guy can't be a homer. I'll tell you what I would do if I were a play by play guy for the team that is paying my salary.
First off, I would be a walking billboard for my team. I would have on a team polo, team hat, team glasses, team watch, team boxers, team pants, team shoes, team gold teeth. I mean nobody would have to guess which team my support was for. I would also refer to myself and my attire throughout the game and plug where fans could by the accessories, hey I'm a salesman and the team needs me to sell merchandise.
Next I would only talk about the team that I was employed by. I would give straight forward information about the team we were facing, but I would find a way to tear the other team down. For instance if I was a Yankees announcer and we were doing a game at Fenway, I would find a way to tell a story about Ted Williams peeing his pants before a big game (Somewhere there is a Sox fan that is angry for me making such acquisitions. Just think if I had a bigger audience). I would point out all of their weaknesses and none of their strengths. I would be the ultimate homer.
The last thing I would do is mis-pronounce their team's players last names all night. I wouldn't care if the other team's play by play guy was covering his mic just to correct me, I would keep doing it all night. And I'm not talking about the hard names that are 17 letters long and don't consist of a signal vowel. I'm talking about easy names. If the guys last name was Bush he would be Brush to me the rest of the night. See where I'm going with this?
So, I think I have convinced myself that it is OK for the team's announcer to be biased and the old wives tale about being unbiased is garbage. Wouldn't you root for your company to do good? OK, bad example but just imagine you were with a team you actually liked. Then you wouldn't mind so much, would ya?
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That's what the Hudmeister does, although he doesn't get invited to do national games and for obvious reasons. It honestly doesn't bother me with most "homers" because I generally don't listen to the comments.
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I am certainly all for local play by play announcers be biased and cheering wildly for their teams. I was fortunate enough to witness Buhrle's (spelling) perfect game this season and listening to the "Hawk" cheering him on made the experience that much for fun and exiting. Can you imagine Vin Scully in all his wisdome of all players sharing embarassing stories about opposing team players. Priceless.
ReplyDeleteI would PAY GOOD MONEY to listen to you call a game the way you just described it. I laughed out loud when I read about mispronouncing the other team's players' names! That's awesome!!! Thanks for the laughs, though I also know you are dead serious!!!
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