National Means Neutral

Just in case you didn't know, Stephen A. Smith is a fan of the New York Knicks.  He also hates the Dallas Cowboys.  Paul Bissonette, meanwhile, really likes the Toronto Maple Leafs.  And Charles Barkley went to Auburn.  I'm not sure how many people were aware of that.

Stephen A., of course, has built his brand on being a loudmouth giving his opinions on one of ESPN's numerous debate shows.  People seem to enjoy that (as evidence by the abundance of those type of shows not just on ESPN, but on all of the sports networks), and there's usually someone making the counterpoint, as well.  And I get that he's ESPN's biggest personality and that's the main reason why.  But there's a time and a place for it.

The problem with Stephen A.'s obvious Knicks fandom is that he's also one of the most prominent voices on ESPN's NBA coverage.  And the lead commentators on network broadcasts should at least give the appearance of being neutral.  People watching may be fans of the other team.  Or fans of neither.  Or just want to watch the game.  And those people want analysis.  Not a completely biased love letter from one announcer to one team.

They seriously dedicated an entire pregame segment to Stephen A.'s Knicks love during last year's playoffs!  Whether they're simply giving him a longer leash because of who he is or Stephen A.'s just doing whatever he wants, why hasn't anyone at ESPN reined him in?  Do they really think that's what people who are tuning into the national broadcast of the game want to see and hear?  Again, this is the national broadcast.  Not the Knicks broadcast.

I understand that sometimes the lines can be blurred.  Mike Breen is the lead play-by-play voice for the NBA on ESPN and Knicks games on MSG.  Same thing with Kenny Albert, who's the lead announcer for TNT's NHL coverage, as well as the Rangers' new play-by-play announcer.  And FOX's No. 1 MLB announcer, Joe Davis, also does Dodgers games locally.  

With play-by-play announcers, that's both common and necessary.  There are just a handful of sports commentators who have exclusive deals with the national networks.  The rest are all part-time/freelance who work different sports for different networks.  For many of them, their full-time gig is on a team's local broadcasts.  So, it's possible, I'd even venture to say likely, that they'll cover the same team on both local and national broadcasts.

On local broadcasts, you can root for the team.  That's understandable.  The team (or their TV partner) is your employer, so you want to make sure the people who sign your paycheck are happy.  Beyond that, though, you're traveling with the team and see them every day.  It makes sense that you'll get invested and want to see them win (and not just because it's more enjoyable).  The better announcers are the ones who are just as likely to be critical of the team as they are to praise them, and the better teams are the ones that give their announcers the latitude to do just that.

Those lines can get somewhat blurred when an announcer who covers a team on their local broadcast also covers them nationally.  What's funny is how you always have the two completely different groups saying completely opposite things.  Fans of the team want to know why the announcer suddenly "hates" them.  Fans of the other team, meanwhile, will undoubtedly accuse the announcer of being biased towards the team they cover regularly.  Like most things, the reality is somewhere in the middle.  They aren't cheering for or against either team.  They're simply being neutral.  Which is exactly what you're supposed to do on a national broadcast.

For the most part, that's exactly what Charles Barkley is during the NCAA Tournament.  While he probably doesn't know a damn thing about half the teams in the field and as likely seeing the mid-majors play for the first time in the game he's actively watching, he's at least unbiased and neutral (and occasionally gives good analysis).  Except when it comes to Auburn.  With Auburn, he becomes the proud alum and the fan comes out.  He isn't shy about it, which makes it kind of endearing.  And in the college setting, especially with their most famous alumnus, you kind of get it.  Which is why he can get away with it.

Likewise, Paul Bissonette's Maple Leafs fandom often makes him the butt of the joke on TNT's NHL studio show.  That's the character they want Bissonette to play, and, like Chuck, he has the personality for it.  During this year's playoffs, he's taken it to a new extreme.  On the days the Leafs play, Biz wears his Leafs tie and Leafs blazer.  He leaves no question about who his favorite team is.

While he does it in a much different way, Paul Bissonette openly embracing his Maple Leafs fandom really isn't any better than Stephen A. Smith's openly rooting for the Knicks.  And, had TNT not turned it into a running joke, Bissonette would be getting similar criticism.  It's neither neutral nor unbiased.  I'd even say it's unprofessional.  Simply put, it's out of place on a national broadcast, where some people may enjoy it, but just as many won't find it funny at all (if they even get it).

Meanwhile, look at the NFL studio shows.  Is there the occasional rooting interest here or there?  Sure.  But, for the most part, you have no idea what teams the announcers like or don't like.  Which is how it should be.  They're unbiased and neutral.  They're paid to give analysis and break down the game.  Which is exactly what they do.  If they make it known which team they're rooting for (especially if they do so passionately), their opinion is no longer unbiased and their credibility is shot.

Mike Tirico, who's widely regarded as one of the best in the business, appeared on a podcast last week and lamented exactly that.  He told a story about how he grew up a Mets fan, but allowed himself to gradually phase that fandom out.  If he wanted to be respected national voice, he had to.  People don't care what team he roots for.  Just like he doesn't care what team other broadcasters root for.  Because if you're doing a national broadcast, you shouldn't be rooting for anybody.

Broadcasters are fans, too.  No one is pretending they aren't.  There's a point when you need to separate the fan from the professional broadcaster, though.  The fan can root for whoever he wants.  The broadcaster needs to be neutral.  Especially on a national broadcast.  Even if they're Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith or Maple Leafs fan Paul Bissonette.