Saturday, July 23, 2005
Those White Sox broadcasters
Watching this disaster of a ballgame (thus far - you would've thought facing a righty would be good for the Sox), I've been contemplating the truly awful White Sox broadcasters. I'll ignore that silly "He gone" strikeout call - I understand people sometimes feel they have to have a gimmick phrase - but if this is what Chicagoland gets to watch, I'm beginning to see why the White Sox have always been the poorer sister in terms of Chicagoland support.
It's one thing for announcers to support the home team and have some bias. But I've never seen a broadcast done to this extreme: for one, the "we" term to refer to the team is kind of annoying ("We don't have to score a lot of runs because of our pitching"), and then there's the need to keep saying the equivalent of "WOO!!! WE'RE THE BEST!!!" ("If we're going to compare our team this year to what the Twins have been doing, our team has been the best overall", "we're the best at not beating ourselves"). And the capper for me is how they refer to every White Sox player by their first names - it's especially strange to hear Aaron Rowand referred to as "Aaron". I keep looking in the stands to see if Hank's watching.
That's too bad, because I like the White Sox.
Watching this disaster of a ballgame (thus far - you would've thought facing a righty would be good for the Sox), I've been contemplating the truly awful White Sox broadcasters. I'll ignore that silly "He gone" strikeout call - I understand people sometimes feel they have to have a gimmick phrase - but if this is what Chicagoland gets to watch, I'm beginning to see why the White Sox have always been the poorer sister in terms of Chicagoland support.
It's one thing for announcers to support the home team and have some bias. But I've never seen a broadcast done to this extreme: for one, the "we" term to refer to the team is kind of annoying ("We don't have to score a lot of runs because of our pitching"), and then there's the need to keep saying the equivalent of "WOO!!! WE'RE THE BEST!!!" ("If we're going to compare our team this year to what the Twins have been doing, our team has been the best overall", "we're the best at not beating ourselves"). And the capper for me is how they refer to every White Sox player by their first names - it's especially strange to hear Aaron Rowand referred to as "Aaron". I keep looking in the stands to see if Hank's watching.
That's too bad, because I like the White Sox.
Oh, just you wait. After three or four games of "he gone" you will want to throw your computer through a window. Hell, I only listened to like a game and a half of it for the series they just played against the Tigers and I was willing to sacrifice my laptop. Or at the very least write a violently vituperative e-mail about how much they suck. (My favorite moment of genius, in regards to Magglio Ordoñez's approach to ABs: "If he's looking in, and you throw in, you're in trouble. *pause* If he's looking out, and you throw out, you're in trouble." BRILLIANT.)
I'm so, so glad I live in Maine and have NESN, because I don't think I could take that crap for two series in a row. And they must have been *intolerable* last night. Have they called the Red Sox the "bad guys" yet?
I'm so, so glad I live in Maine and have NESN, because I don't think I could take that crap for two series in a row. And they must have been *intolerable* last night. Have they called the Red Sox the "bad guys" yet?
No "bad guys" last night, just "good guys". (Although given that I just called the Red Sox the "good Sox", perhaps I shouldn't criticise them for this.)
Not much quality analysis either, you're right.
Not much quality analysis either, you're right.
Dude, we're bloggers (okay, technically I'm a journaler, but you know what I mean). We can call our team the white knights and the other team the stinking hellbeasts if we want to. We don't have to be professionals.
If we were announcers, on the other hand, it would be best if we just stuck to calling the teams by their names. I would die if I ever heard Don or Jerry utter the phrase "the good guys."
Again, just wait - they did actually call the Tigers the "bad guys," and I wouldn't be surprised if they did it to the Red Sox, too. There is a certain level of professional courtesy that these guys just don't have. Actually, aside from the part where they don't seem to know what they're talking about very often, that pretty much sums up their problem right there.
If we were announcers, on the other hand, it would be best if we just stuck to calling the teams by their names. I would die if I ever heard Don or Jerry utter the phrase "the good guys."
Again, just wait - they did actually call the Tigers the "bad guys," and I wouldn't be surprised if they did it to the Red Sox, too. There is a certain level of professional courtesy that these guys just don't have. Actually, aside from the part where they don't seem to know what they're talking about very often, that pretty much sums up their problem right there.
I used to catch some Chisox games on WGN a few years ago (when my cable company used to carry them), and I don't remember Hawk being that big a homer back in the day. Perhaps the quick start has made him a little giddy.
Of course, you're right about the "He gone" business, but that's not the worst part. The "Put it on the boooooaaaarrrrrrddddd!!!" call is far more annoying. Not to mention his constant one-sided whining about ball and strike calls, especially since the replay so obviously shows that he's wrong every time.
But it's not just Hawk ... it's the whole package. F'rinstance, I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized they set off fireworks for every single home run in that ballpark! How embarrassing must that be for the ballplayers? I'm surprised aren't all herded into station wagons and taken out for pizza afterwards. I mean, really ... hasn't management ever heard the phrase, "Act like you've been there before"?
Of course, you're right about the "He gone" business, but that's not the worst part. The "Put it on the boooooaaaarrrrrrddddd!!!" call is far more annoying. Not to mention his constant one-sided whining about ball and strike calls, especially since the replay so obviously shows that he's wrong every time.
But it's not just Hawk ... it's the whole package. F'rinstance, I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized they set off fireworks for every single home run in that ballpark! How embarrassing must that be for the ballplayers? I'm surprised aren't all herded into station wagons and taken out for pizza afterwards. I mean, really ... hasn't management ever heard the phrase, "Act like you've been there before"?
EVERY home run? I thought it was odd that they were setting off so many fireworks, but I thought it was some occasion. That's ridiculous, and a bit sad.
Ken "Hawk" Harrellson brings back the old days when he and Dick Stockton called Red Sox games. He was 10 years removed as a Red Sox player - I think it was 1975 that they were broadcast on Channel 38.
His calls were as cheesy then as they are now.
http://wgntv.trb.com/sports/wgntv-harrelson-kenbio,0,7302230.story
I turned the volume down while watching the series last week as one game was all I could stand.
GO SOX & FKHITA.
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His calls were as cheesy then as they are now.
http://wgntv.trb.com/sports/wgntv-harrelson-kenbio,0,7302230.story
I turned the volume down while watching the series last week as one game was all I could stand.
GO SOX & FKHITA.
Singapore Sox Fan
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