Comments Regarding Announcers

While informing the audience of the day’s scores last Friday, New York Mets broadcaster Josh Lewin said the Cardinals lost. The proper “etiquette” if you will, is to say this afternoon the Cubs defeated the Cardinals.

Later, Lewin said the Kansas City Royals have not made the playoffs in 27 years. It was 1985, 28 years ago, that K.C. last made the post season, winning their only world title.

In reporting that the Royals won a doubleheader at Detroit (of course it was separate admissions as “Force” or Deity forbid the fans, who keep on “taking it,” should get a break and have a one admission doubleheader), Lewin authoritatively stated that “the Royals are not going away.” They lost the next two games at Detroit and more important are 6 games out for playoff qualification.

Even more brash and at least equally mistake prone, was Evan Roberts, this morning on an all sports talk radio station.

In talking about a Roger Clemens ALCS masterpiece for the Yankees vs the Seattle Mariners, he said it was in game 5 of a (2-2) series, making the game much more important than the actual facts.

It was game four, (the Yankees ahead two games to one) which Roberts eventually noted as his producer looked it up.

Why couldn’t Roberts, who knew he was going to talk about that game this morning have looked it up? The least he could have done was have his producer look it up before he went on the air.

Later while talking to Toronto Blue Jays’ outfielder, Jose Bautista, Roberts talked of Bautista’s big year (54 home runs) in 2010, saying it was four years ago. Did he and Lewin have the same math teacher? No, Lewin’s taught to be one less than correct, Roberts one more.

Alas, countless hosts and broadcasters rip into the player’s performances. A host named Russo would actually say certain big league players “stunk.” This though they were of elite caliber by definition, in making the big leagues.

So often these announcers do not as much as get their facts correct. Unlike the players who do face opposition in their quests, no one is trying to stop them.