Do Announcers Have an Obligation to be Impartial?

[Rich the Giants fan]

Now I'm not talking about Hawk Harrelson here, I'm talking about announcers doing National broadcast games. For example, last Saturday's Phillies/Giants broadcast on Fox. The announcers for the game were Tom McCarthy, the Phillies lead play-by-play man, and former Phillie Mitch Williams. Apparently Williams so infuriated folks that he was trending on Twitter. Giants fans were essentially subjected to a nationally televised Phillies broadcast. Check out the side-by-side replay of the home runs it in the same inning by Giants pitcher Matt Cain and Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (my favorite part is Mitch Williams crying out, "PAYBACK!" when Hamels goes yard). The difference is astounding, and if I had clips of the other four home runs hit in the game (2 by each side), they would sound similar (especially comparing Ryan Howard's go-ahead 3-run homer to Melky Cabrera's game tying solo shot).

Do announcers doing a Nationally televised game have an obligation to present a more impartial broadcast? This, IMO, was an example of homer-ism at it's finest. Fox presented the nation with a Phillies broadcast. It was a joke and should not happen.

[RaysFan_98]

Announcers for the networks do but the announcers that are being paid by the teams however IMHO do not.

[Rich the Giants fan]

Announcers for the networks do but the announcers that are being paid by the teams however IMHO do not.

When you're doing a Nationally televised game, you need to realize that. Fox will have local broadcasters do their national games, but that was just horrible. It was a Phillies broadcast to the entire nation. Might as well have saved some cash and just tied into the Phillies feed.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

yes it was obvious

the Giants home runs were broad cast in dull monotones like vietnam war death roll calls

the phillies home runs were like winning the lottery

[9RoyHobbsRF]

plus why the heck were they interviewiing cliff lee two innings into the game

a 1 win pitcher on a last place team not in the game

meanwhile you got giants who DOMINATED the all star game who were barely on the radar

[Rich the Giants fan]

plus why the heck were they interviewiing cliff lee two innings into the game

a 1 win pitcher on a last place team not in the game

meanwhile you got giants who DOMINATED the all star game who were barely on the radar

They also won the game, their 8th win in 9 games, while the Phillies are a last place team going nowhere. It just wasn't appropriate for a National broadcast.

[RaysFan_98]

I didn't watch the game in question only time Phillies games are broadcasted down here is when the Rays play em or there on ESPN or on mlb network

[ian2813]

Man, that was bad. When Cain's homer is in the air they say "uh-oh, no way," and then they seem depressed once it leaves the yard.

I do think that broadcasters for nationally-televised games have an obligation to be impartial. If they're doing a local broadcast, some degree of homerism is acceptable, but if both teams' fans are watching, don't favor either side. I still remember watching the 2007 ALCS on mute because the announcers kept slobbering over the Red Sox. Made me sick.

[Rich the Giants fan]

I didn't watch the game in question only time Phillies games are broadcasted down here is when the Rays play em or there on ESPN or on mlb network

Click on the link in my original post, watch the clip and see for yourself.

[RaysFan_98]

Click on the link in my original post, watch the clip and see for yourself.

Wow.... That's disgusting.... And not appropriate at all.

[drdg]

it depends on the network,the announcer and what kind of contract the national announcers has
you can tell whenever HOFer Tim McCarver does a cardinal game,
that he gets overly excited and YES roots for the cardinals
and he showed it in the 2006 NLCS between the cards and the mets

also on TBS Ron Darling is neutral,
but you can tell where the heart and mind
of the lead play-by-play guy (ernie) Ernest Johnson, Jr.
and the other former brave player, now analyst (john smolts) are
when they are broadcasting a braves game

[Rich the Giants fan]

Man, that was bad. When Cain's homer is in the air they say "uh-oh, no way," and then they seem depressed once it leaves the yard.

I do think that broadcasters for nationally-televised games have an obligation to be impartial. If they're doing a local broadcast, some degree of homerism is acceptable, but if both teams' fans are watching, don't favor either side. I still remember watching the 2007 ALCS on mute because the announcers kept slobbering over the Red Sox. Made me sick.

Aside from blantant homer-ism, Mitch Williams spent the game comparing situations to those in his career, and criticizing pitchers for not throwing the pitches HE would have thrown. Apparently he also called Gregor Blanco a dope after he botched a suicide squeeze.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

it depends on the network,the announcer and what kind of contract the national announcers has
you can tell whenever HOFer Tim McCarver does a cardinal game,
that he gets overly excited and YES roots for the cardinalsand he showed it in the 2006 NLCS between the cards and the mets

also on TBS Ron Darling is neutral,
but you can tell where the heart and mind
of the lead play-by-play guy (ernie) Ernest Johnson, Jr.
and the other former brave player, now analyst (john smolts) are
when they are broadcasting a braves game

and at least one reference per telecast that Bob Gibson was one tough hombre, or one real competitor or a real intimidator... for 30 years

[UnderPressure]

Kuiper and Krukow are massive homers themselves but I've yet to hear them on national television.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Kuiper and Krukow are massive homers themselves but I've yet to hear them on national television.

kruk is excitable but not kuip he is smoothe and steady and not really a homer at all