Sports Column

Blazer analysts risking credibility

On Sports

By dwight jaynes

The Portland Tribune, Oct 16, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (25 Reader comments)

A generation of fans is growing up not knowing what sports broadcasting used to be about. Not understanding the nature of what was such a noble enterprise.

It has changed sports forever – and not in a good way.

Used to be, the people who did play-by-play accounts of games were hired by the radio or television station on which their games aired. Of course, that didn’t always keep them from being homers, because people who cover the same team for years can become quite friendly with that team.

But it gave them permission to say what they thought. And call what they saw.

Now, most broadcasters are employed by the team. They are basically a public-relations arm. On a personal level, I understand the pressure that puts on broadcasters, how hard it is for them to be critical.

Yet it’s still no excuse for the stuff you frequently hear from some of the Trail Blazer broadcasters, who are very nice guys I happen to like a lot.

They do a couple of things that drive me – and a lot of fans, from the comments I hear – quite nuts.

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