Hockey commentators are 'homers'

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Since a lot of us watch the Sabres on the Center Ice package , there have been numerous topics (see the NESN post) about how all of the teams' announcers are 'homers'.

 

Well, yes they are.

 

And they are told to do so (and paid to do so).

 

During the strike, there was an interview with Mike Emrick (now the national announcer for NBC and about 2/3 of the Devils' telecasts). He told the story of when he was the announcer on the Flyers' telecasts in the 1980's, and how the Flyers' brass would continually criticize his broadcasts because he wasn't enough of a 'homer'. He was told by them that the Flyers are always 'good' and the opponent is always 'bad' and to announce the game that way. He refused (he always plays it down the middle) and he was let go after two seasons.

 

Remember, most of the team announcers are paid employees of the team, or are subject to approval by the team.

 

A friend of mine works for the Stars, and he says that about 25% of the NHL teams believe in this 'homer' philosophy.

[PromoTheRobot]

Maybe I'm being a homer, but I think Jenerett and Lorenz are pretty fair. Especially Lorenz. He will be critical of the Sabres at times.

 

PTR

 

Since a lot of us watch the Sabres on the Center Ice package , there have been numerous topics (see the NESN post) about how all of the teams' announcers are 'homers'.

 

Well, yes they are.

 

And they are told to do so (and paid to do so).

 

During the strike, there was an interview with Mike Emrick (now the national announcer for NBC and about 2/3 of the Devils' telecasts). He told the story of when he was the announcer on the Flyers' telecasts in the 1980's, and how the Flyers' brass would continually criticize his broadcasts because he wasn't enough of a 'homer'. He was told by them that the Flyers are always 'good' and the opponent is always 'bad' and to announce the game that way. He refused (he always plays it down the middle) and he was let go after two seasons.

 

Remember, most of the team announcers are paid employees of the team, or are subject to approval by the team.

 

A friend of mine works for the Stars, and he says that about 25% of the NHL teams believe in this 'homer' philosophy.

[hopeleslyobvious]

Maybe I'm being a homer, but I think Jenerett and Lorenz are pretty fair. Especially Lorenz. He will be critical of the Sabres at times.

 

PTR

 

I think we're spoiled by objective broadcasters in Buffalo. I was listening to the Sabres Islanders game on my way home for Thanksgiving, and had the Isles broadcasters...you wouldn't have known the Sabres scored unless you were paying close attention.

 

I understand that there are going to be homers out there, but NESN went above and beyond that last night. They corrected themselves after the replay, but still, when a guy takes a high stick to the face, your first reaction shouldn't be that he's faking. Unless of course you watch it in slow motion and he is in fact faking (but I guess that wouldn't be a first reaction).

[scottnc]

Maybe I'm being a homer, but I think Jenerett and Lorenz are pretty fair. Especially Lorenz. He will be critical of the Sabres at times.

 

PTR

 

I agree. After watching a bunch of out of town broadcasts, I've been trying to pay attention to Lorentz and RJ and think they do play it pretty fair. They have no problems being critical of the Sabres as well as the visiting team.

 

I understand that announcers are for the home team to a point, but I can't stand the "our team can do no wrong" types. At least give the visiting team credit when the do something right, and accept the fact that some of the penalties your team takes are actually their fault. The Boston guys are the worst as every time a Bruins player trips someone up it's a dive.

[inkman]

You guys have no idea how close to home this topic hits. My boss is a sport-retarded Canuck that doesn't even know the name of ESPN. He is constantly telling me how Buff's announcers are so one sided, blah, blah blah. I don't know what the #%^$#! he is talking about. Sure they might see thing through Sabre Red glasses but they are hardly the worst. his beloved Mapledicks announcers are among the worst and he would pan the thought. I can't even talk hockey with him because everthing other teams do is because of luck while his mighty Leafs did so with much skill and grace. AHHHHHHHHHHH...

[Eleven]

Hopeless, Ink, and Dallas, I couldn't agree more (although it pains me to agree with a Texan, even a transplanted one). Jeanneret and Lorentz are pretty freaking objective when compared to home-team announcers in any sport (usually radio if it's the NFL, TV/radio otherwise). I've lived around, and the Sabre broadcasters, counter to guys in other cities, DO say things like:

 

--"The Sabres are lucky that a penalty wasn't called on [insert Sabre here] for [insert penalty here].

 

--"Buffalo got lucky that that goal bounced off two defenders and went in"

 

--"I'm not sure that was really hooking, but the Sabres got the call."

 

AND:

 

--"[insert Sabre goalie here] lost that one because the defense didn't take care of [insert opposing forward hopefully not named Lemieux here]

 

--"[insert Sabre here] was clearly guilty of [penalty]; it was a good call even though the Sabre bench is complaining.

 

Obviously, these are not direct quotes.

 

But I've listened to "homers" from DC, Baltimore, Texas, Saint Louis, Toronto, Montreal, and probably other cities, in a variety of sports. (ON EDIT: I'm a fan of some of those teams, too: the Expos/Nats in the NL, for example.) Internationally, I've heard "homers" from the US and Canada (obviously) as well as from England and Australia. There is NO WAY Rick J. and Lorentz are "homers."

 

They do root for their employer. They do shout much louder when the Sabres score. But bottom line: both analyze the game from a relatively pure perspective. I don't think they're "homers." D'oh.

[Taro T]

Hopeless, Ink, and Dallas, I couldn't agree more (although it pains me to agree with a Texan, even a transplanted one). Jeanneret and Lorentz are pretty freaking objective when compared to home-team announcers in any sport (usually radio if it's the NFL, TV/radio otherwise). I've lived around, and the Sabre broadcasters, counter to guys in other cities, DO say things like:

 

...

 

But I've listened to "homers" from DC, Baltimore, Texas, Saint Louis, Toronto, Montreal, and probably other cities, in a variety of sports. (ON EDIT: I'm a fan of some of those teams, too: the Expos/Nats in the NL, for example.) Internationally, I've heard "homers" from the US and Canada (obviously) as well as from England and Australia. There is NO WAY Rick J. and Lorentz are "homers."

 

They do root for their employer. They do shout much louder when the Sabres score. But bottom line: both analyze the game from a relatively pure perspective. I don't think they're "homers." D'oh.

When the Sabres score, when Miller makes a killer save, etc. THAT seems to be the biggest reason out of town fans dislike Rick and Jim, and the ones that do dislike them dislike them almost as much as we can't stand NESN.

 

The thing is, the going insane when the Sabres do something good is the way that Rick, and to a lesser extent Jim, are homers. It gets the fans into the game. It also has a tendency to tick opposing fans off, to which I'd simply say: deal with it. I probably wouldn't mind NESN nearly as much if they gushed over good things their precious B's did (assuming the B's ever did anything good) rather than cry every time something didn't go their way.

[mercury]

My boss is a sport-retarded Canuck that doesn't even know the name of ESPN.

 

Given the lack of respect they seem to have for hockey, I'd say that ESPN's name isn't worth knowing. TSN is vastly superior.