Sports Announcers

[erac22 0]

I am from the New York Metropolitan area (NW jersey) so I've been listening to the NYC commentators all my life. I'm a huge Mets fan, but I have also spent countless hours listening to Knicks games on TV and radio, as well as Jets and Giants radio broadcasts. I've also heard Emerick do the Devils games and Kenny Albert for the Rangers. I hate the Yankees, but have listened to many TV and radio broadcasts. So this is my background in announcers and commentators. On Sunday, I was driving back from DC after visiting my sister. The music stations in the area are godawful, so I figured I'd try to find a football game. On 730 or 740am, I found the redskins/rams game in the final minutes of OT. I was immediately struck by how the Redskin announcers were openly rooting for the skins during the broadcast, refferring to the Skins as "we" and their reactions to plays were similar to my reactions in my living room when watching the Jets. This really struck me as weird. Even John Sterling, the Yankees radio announcer, who IMO is a huge homer, looks impartial compared to these guys. I think Gary Cohen, who used to do the Mets radio broadcasts on WFAN and is now on TV is one of the great announcers of our time, because he never openly routes for anyone, has excitement in his voice for both teams, but somehow you still know he's pulling for the Mets. This is obviously in sharp contrast with the Redskins announcers, who were flat out routing for the Skins. Here's my question: did I stumble accross something out of the norm, or outside of NY are announcers really just routing for their team? Secondly, does this bother anyone as much as it bothers me? As an announcer, especially on the radio, your job is to paint a picture of the game in the minds of the listeners, as well as add opinions and insights into particular plays, not have an overt agenda. After all, not everyone listening to a hometown broadcast is a fan. Any thoughts?erac

[king_tanner 84]

I listen to San Francisco and Oakland sports (Raiders, A's, Warriors, 49ers, and Giants) and usually the announcers are pretty good at not rooting for a certain team, they just have more knowledge about the home team players and usually all they know about the other team is statistics and things like that. But every time I listen to a Football game on Sirius, I do see this a lot, lots of announcers do root for their teams. I haven't listened to a lot on the radio this year, but the Chargers and Steelers announcers stick out for doing this regularly. I agree with you though it gets annoying when the announcers are rooting for or favoring a certain team. You are lucky to have Marv Albert do the Knicks games though he is good.

[BWToth 0]

I've heard the Reskins broadcasts before, living in NC, and I did notice that they were more overt in rooting for their team than others. The Carolina Panthers broadcasters make objective statements and opinoins about the action during the game, for instance criticizing or praising both teams fairly equally, however, when the Panthers make a big score, or a big mistake, it is clear which side the broadcasters are rooting for.I think this is fine, it isn't as if these are national broadcasts, the people at home in St. Louis during that Redskins game had their own anncouncers to hear, so they were not subjected to a biased view, their broadcasters may be just as biased in St. Louis. I think part of the reason that the NY broadcasters are try to be unbiased is that is it the biggest market, and the teams are more nationally followed and viewed so a higher level of 'professionalism' is implemented.However, It is much more enjoyable for the radio announcers to be rooting for the same team as you. It just increases the whole comaradary aspect of cheering for YOUR team.In particular here, Eugene Robinson is the color man, and he is a former Panthers, and he really shows the emotion in his voice, he sounds depressed when we are losing, and like a kid on christmas morning when we are winning. In DC the color man is Sonny Jurgenson, former Reskin QB, and he may be the one who is acting more in favor of the Redskins, whereas I think the play by play announcer is more objective.

[erac22 0]

I've heard the Reskins broadcasts before, living in NC, and I did notice that they were more overt in rooting for their team than others. The Carolina Panthers broadcasters make objective statements and opinoins about the action during the game, for instance criticizing or praising both teams fairly equally, however, when the Panthers make a big score, or a big mistake, it is clear which side the broadcasters are rooting for.I think this is fine, it isn't as if these are national broadcasts, the people at home in St. Louis during that Redskins game had their own anncouncers to hear, so they were not subjected to a biased view, their broadcasters may be just as biased in St. Louis. I think part of the reason that the NY broadcasters are try to be unbiased is that is it the biggest market, and the teams are more nationally followed and viewed so a higher level of 'professionalism' is implemented.However, It is much more enjoyable for the radio announcers to be rooting for the same team as you. It just increases the whole comaradary aspect of cheering for YOUR team.In particular here, Eugene Robinson is the color man, and he is a former Panthers, and he really shows the emotion in his voice, he sounds depressed when we are losing, and like a kid on christmas morning when we are winning. In DC the color man is Sonny Jurgenson, former Reskin QB, and he may be the one who is acting more in favor of the Redskins, whereas I think the play by play announcer is more objective.

I agree in some sense. I have no problem with announcers having slightly more emotion in their voices when their team makes a big play. As I said, Gary Cohen, who I think is THE BEST, does get more excited when the Mets score a big run or make a big play than the other team. However, he would never say something like, "Oh No!" when the Mets made an error. I find this bush league and unprofessional. To be totally honest, even Harry Carry's antics on wgn sort of annoyed me back when he was doing Cubby games. I can give him a pass though, since by the time I had cable tv he was like 145 years old and had never seen the dismal Cubbies win anything. I'm only 20, so I don't go back too far. Is the homer announcer a new phenomenon?

[Lynbrook 0]

I agree in some sense. I have no problem with announcers having slightly more emotion in their voices when their team makes a big play. As I said, Gary Cohen, who I think is THE BEST, does get more excited when the Mets score a big run or make a big play than the other team. However, he would never say something like, "Oh No!" when the Mets made an error. I find this bush league and unprofessional. To be totally honest, even Harry Carry's antics on wgn sort of annoyed me back when he was doing Cubby games. I can give him a pass though, since by the time I had cable tv he was like 145 years old and had never seen the dismal Cubbies win anything. I'm only 20, so I don't go back too far. Is the homer announcer a new phenomenon?

I used to be a TV reporter and used to report on the Jets and Islanders regularly. I never would ever consider saying we or us in any of my reports (especially since I was a Rangers fan). Furthermore, I find it incredibly annoying when I hear someone younger than 75 years old rooting for a team. I gave a pass to Phil Rizzuto, and Harry Carey (not his son in Atlanta!) but that's about it. While NY is much better than most, it still has its share of homers, Keith Hernandez, John Sterling, John Davidson (even though he's gone now) and basically anyone reporting for MSG since Dolan will fire them if they're not biased!

[Lynbrook 0]

I agree with you though it gets annoying when the announcers are rooting for or favoring a certain team. You are lucky to have Marv Albert do the Knicks games though he is good.The Knicks fired Marv Albert because he wasn't rooting for the Knicks during his broadcasts. He is now announcing with the Nets.

[king_tanner 84]

I agree with you though it gets annoying when the announcers are rooting for or favoring a certain team. You are lucky to have Marv Albert do the Knicks games though he is good.The Knicks fired Marv Albert because he wasn't rooting for the Knicks during his broadcasts. He is now announcing with the Nets.

Did not know that. Thanks for making me look like an idiot though.

[erac22 0]

I used to be a TV reporter and used to report on the Jets and Islanders regularly. I never would ever consider saying we or us in any of my reports (especially since I was a Rangers fan). Furthermore, I find it incredibly annoying when I hear someone younger than 75 years old rooting for a team. I gave a pass to Phil Rizzuto, and Harry Carey (not his son in Atlanta!) but that's about it. While NY is much better than most, it still has its share of homers, Keith Hernandez, John Sterling, John Davidson (even though he's gone now) and basically anyone reporting for MSG since Dolan will fire them if they're not biased!

I agree that Sterling is a homer. Hernandez, while he does have the tendency to root, often criticizes the mets and has valuable insight. I do wish he'd tone down the rooting though.

[CaneBrain 95]

Some announcers are unabashed about their homerness. (there is a sentence)Listen to tommy heinsohn do a celtics game sometime....every call on the celts is a travesty. Some announcers try to keep it more neutral.Honestly I dont mind either way. As long as they are informative I can deal with them clearly rooting for the home team. Now if a supposedly nuetral broadcast team (like a CBS football team or the Fox baseball team) did this it is really bad. (like the way Joe Buck openly roots for the yankees....I hate him so much and I dont even like the yankees) But a local broadcast....not a huge deal.