From: farenebt@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Big Bri)
Subject: Re: Biased Announcers
Organization: Clarkson University
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 13:50:24 GMT

stvjas@meteor.wisc.edu (Steve Jascourt) writes:

>In article <1992Apr13.212330.3047@midway.uchicago.edu> clmn@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>>This is what really kills me about "homer" announc-
>>ing.  I expect them and want them to root for the home team, but I also expect
>>and want them to report the facts to me.  Harry always does this.

Huh? Harry always reports the facts? His account of the facts is only slightly
biased.

>Through all this, I haven't seen the Phillie Phans screaming about what a
>great job Richie Ashburn did (does?-does he still announce the games on radio?).
>Ashburn is definitely NOT a "homer" (has nothing to do with how few he hit
>as a MLB player :). He calls the shots as he sees them, so when he says the
>Phils were jipped by the umps on a certain play, you know it really was true
>(because he tells you all the times when the opposite happens). He is very
>informative about how the players have been performing lately-- including
>comments about so-and-so having particular kinds of problems with his swing
>or not fielding balls well to his left or having occassional wild spells with
>mechanical problems but being otherwise very effective, etc. and is very
>informative on the lesser-known players and players just called up from 
>the minors. He doesn't have the excitement of a Harry Carey, but you will hear
>the game straight-- as it really is-- and you will learn more about the players
>tendencies and performances than you will from any other announcer I have 
>heard for any team. The above is based primarily on hearing Phillies broadcasts
>quite some years ago; I hardly get to hear any these days. Instead I get to

He probably doesn't have the excitement of Harry Caray but at least he's
tolerable. Harry's act is getting tired. I don't give a flying fuck about
Joe Idiot from Nowheresville, Iowa! He gives you zero insight into the game.
Tim McCarver, as much as he annoys me, does give insight. Even hoops' Dick Vitale
gives a tiny bit of insight when he's not screaming. Nothing with Harry. Vin
Scully did a great job with NBC. You couldn't tell he was a Dodgers' announcer.
For instance, when Gibson hit the home run in Game 1 in 1988 Series, Scully
said, "There's a long fly ball to deep right field and she is out of here."
Nothing else. No histrionics, no hype. Just the facts. He was certainly better
than Jack Buck in last years World Series. He and MCCarver were so obviously
biased for the National League team (because that's their league), it was
pitiful. Getting back to Harry, the guy who does middle innings has always been
better than Harry. It used to be DeWayne Staats. I don't know who it is now
but he's pretty good too. The only reason Harry is in the Hall is because 
he's so popular, not because he's so great.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
BRI FARENELL	CLARKSON '95	FARENEBT@CRAFT.CAMP.CLARKSON.EDU

"It's a great day for hockey."	---Bob Johnson 1931-1991

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