Cleveland Sucks the Big One!

Of course I realize the redundancy of my blog's title, but tonight, I would have a prime example of just how much it sucks.

As I am driving back last night from Erie, PA on I-79, I am able to pick up a strong signal of "The Big One" WTAM-AM and curious as to what histrionics would come out of Cleveland after an Indians inept loss to the streaky Minnesota Twins. I wasn't able to catch the broadcaster's name as I was first passively listening to it while paying attention to the 100 million 16-wheelers on the road. He had said something so completely irresponsible as a broadcaster, I truly wondered why he still had a job when there are plenty of excellent and well-learned people struggling to get a job in the industry.

This broadcaster took a call from a grizzled fan who was disappointed by the alleged defeatist attitude and words emoted during the late innings by the Indians broadcasters. The fan had wanted the game-broadcasters to keep up hope that the Indians would make a comeback. Then, the post-game show host had debated the caller with something so ridiculous it almost made me slam on the breaks and scream.

The post-game broadcaster had come to the defense of the game announcers and defended them quite vigorously. He took his stance with the thought that broadcasters should be given more credit because they were more honest instead of giving a false hope.

In broadcasting 101, you learn that the first priority is to maintain your audience level- secondary to satisfying the company's commercial sponsors. If the allegations of the Indians broadcasters were accurate, then the Indians team would have lost fans listening to the broadcast in the middle because they alluded to the fact that the game was already out of reach. How many fans gave up that night and never heard the rest of the commercials which were sold on the promise that the station would provide people to hear them? They should just be up front and say "Hey, we're not going to win so you'd be better off changing the channel or turning off your radios."

Then afterwards I wasn't shocked at the way that the broadcasters all defended each other. Broadcasting partners will almost always get wrapped up in an "incestuous" nature where they all protect and insulate each other from criticism. I wouldn't be surprised that the post-game host probably had a friendship to the game hosts.

It's that kind of irresponsibility that makes me believe all of the reputations of Cleveland to be "the mistake by the lake". Or one could say that Cleveland bites "the big one"!