Favoritism shown by announcers during sports games.

[strike wolf]

I was watching the Georgia V. Fresno St. Game (College World Series) and what annoyed me was that the announcers just wouldn't shut up about Fresno St. being the "Cinderella team" and how they had exceeded everyone's expectations. Even after Georgia came back from a 3 run deficit to win 7-6 they would shut up about it. To make a long story short, who thinks that this kind of obvious bias should not be shown by announcers during a game?

[muy_thaiguy]

I was watching the Georgia V. Fresno St. Game (College World Series) and what annoyed me was that the announcers just wouldn't shut up about Fresno St. being the "Cinderella team" and how they had exceeded everyone's expectations. Even after Georgia came back from a 3 run deficit to win 7-6 they would shut up about it. To make a long story short, who thinks that this kind of obvious bias should not be shown by announcers during a game?

I honestly don't really care. I watch sports for the sport, not the announcer. Trust me. If you watch UFC, this kind of thing really wouldn't bother you (Joe Rogan, nothing more need be said).

[jay_a2j]

Don't most announcers work for certain clubs? I know that the same announcers did the play by play for the Mets. So of course they are bias.

[rhoges6]

I think it depends on the network they are working for. A lot of local stations use former players for color commentary. I've grown up watching Red Sox games with Jerry Remy and Celtics games with Tommy Heinsohn, and they were both former players and coaches so some favoritism from them is expected. But if its for a national network like ESPN or FOX or CBS, I think they have to make an effort to call the game as unbiasedly (might not be a real word) as possible.

[strike wolf]

Yes I should have been more specific about it being announcers for a station that should be neutral.

[rhoges6]

Yes I should have been more specific about it being announcers for a station that should be neutral.

Yeah, then I would say that they should be as nuetral as possible. I know that sometimes I get the feeling that Joe Morgan doesn't like the Red Sox when he does ESPN games because he was on the Reds team that played the Red Sox in the '75 World Series. Then again I'm biased as well so maybe it only seems that way to me.

In the Fresno State example you gave, I thinks it human nature to root for the underdog in a game that you have no team to root for in. I think maybe the announcers got caught up in the fact that Fresno St. would have been the lowest seed to win in history, so probably they were maybe slightly pulling for Fresno St. for the historical aspect of a possible win.

[strike wolf]

I can see your point but still can't agree with it. Both Georgia and Fresno were in a way Cinderella teams. Neither one of them were supposed to get to the CWS and neither one was supposed to get to the final round. What ticks me off the most is they didn't even try to conceal that they were leaning towards Fresno St. Even when I watch Turner South, a station that has a heavy bias towards the Braves, they still make an effort to talk about the good and the bad of both teams and give each team the credit they deserve. Why is it that a neutral station who isn't supposed to have a favorite can't do the same thing? Shouldn't they make more of an attempt to do so?

[sfhbballnut]

when you have good announcers (usualy the hometown ones), they'll be fans of their team, but even bigger fans of the game, so yeah they'll favor their side, but call a good game (radio) and acknowledge good plays etc. i'm Georgia Tech to the core, but I'll still tune in to Munson (of Georgia) calling the game, because he's good at it. This type of favoritism is fine. what gets me mad is the stupid Fox and other stations supposedly netral anouncers, who are usualy pretty awful, bowing down to one team or the other for no reason, that just sucks

[rhoges6]

It could have just been the specific announcers doing that game. For the most part I think most national stations are pretty good when it comes to not playing favorites. I agree that they should try to not be biased, but like I said, I think human nature gets in the way sometimes. I mean, who would you rather see win a NCAA tournament basketball game: Duke or Coppin State?

[Frigidus]

When I watch a sports game I like to listen to announcers that favor my team. When I watch the Bears I'll sometimes mute the TV and have local radio coverage playing instead.

[strike wolf]

when you have good announcers (usualy the hometown ones), they'll be fans of their team, but even bigger fans of the game, so yeah they'll favor their side, but call a good game (radio) and acknowledge good plays etc. i'm Georgia Tech to the core, but I'll still tune in to Munson (of Georgia) calling the game, because he's good at it. This type of favoritism is fine. what gets me mad is the stupid Fox and other stations supposedly netral anouncers, who are usualy pretty awful, bowing down to one team or the other for no reason, that just sucks

If you had seen my second post you would have realized that it is the Fox and ESPN announcers who are supposed to be neutral that are getting on my nerves.