Watching the MLB playoffs would be a lot more enjoyable if I watched it on mute.
As I sit there, watching the Phillies on Fox, the supposedly neutral commentary team drives me up a wall more than the game itself.
Throughout the game, it’s like the only conversations worth having are about the other team.
It feels like I’m watching a broadcast out of New York.
If I have to hear about Grimace, the phrase “OMG”, or the nickname “Polar Pete” one more time, I just might go insane.
Commentary is a service that is supposed to add to a broadcast.
What I’ve heard during the MLB playoffs, however, has done the total opposite.
I loathe the commentary. It’s far from a service to me.
Listening to the broadcasters singing the Mets praises all game long gets exhausting.
The Phillies totally folded in the 8th inning of the first game.
My spirits, along with those of the rest of the people in the room, were crushed.
As commentary continues their New York fanfare, it just feels like they’re trying to rub it in, kicking the fans while they’re down.
Tom Wilmes, the voice of Neumann athletics, has a lot of experience under his belt himself and tries to be wary of falling to bias.
“I tend to say, when I feel I’m being critical, that the players, coaches, and umpires, have much more knowledge than I do. There is a place for it because it helps tell the story, but like anything else, you can go overboard. If you are still talking about a play three batters ago, you’re going on too long,” said Wilmes.
There is an easy fix to this issue.
Don’t stop the local broadcasts after the 162-game season.
Continue them.
Wilmes sees this as a great idea to potentially push for in the future.
“With streaming being more of an option, [they should] absolutely [keep the local broadcasters]. It would be great to have the option of a home or away feed. Nothing against the national guys but they don’t know the story of all 162 games going into the playoffs. I grew up with Vin Scully, Keith Jackson, Al Michaels, Bob Costas, and Joe Garagiola doing the national games. They all were fantastic, but I really don’t think the current national broadcasters are on their level,” said Wilmes.
If we had the chance to listen to our local broadcasters, anti-home-team bias wouldn’t be an issue.
Of course, the local fans wouldn’t mind bias toward the local team.
And Philadelphia is the perfect place to focus on.
In Philadelphia, I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say people would die for these sports teams.
Philly sports fans are Philly through and through.
They don’t care what is so good about the other team, let alone the Mets.
Having a broadcast team you can connect to, in my opinion, would greatly enhance the viewing experience and could create an even stronger bond between the fans and the team.
I love our local broadcasters, Taryn Hatcher, Tom McCarthy and John Kruk, because they do exactly that.
They know how to have fun.
They know how to be insightful.
They understand this team and the city they play for.
They bring excitement.
Most importantly, it feels like they truly love the team, just like us watching at home.
