Color commentators are the voice of sports. They can enhance the audience’s viewing experience while adding a pleasant voice to the potentially entertaining sporting event. Hall of Fame commentators Mike Breen, Gus Johnson and Kevin Harlan execute this job to a T. However, poor commentators, like Joe Buck, Cris Collinsworth, Kate Scott and Jenny Cavnar, make watching games hard.

When a commentator is annoying or boring to hear, the audience is more likely to focus more on the commentator than the entertainment. A dull reaction to big plays or simply not a good voice for the job can irritate fans. This will likely influence them to not turn to that channel to watch sports on that day. This results in decreased viewership, lower ratings and an overall unpleasant experience for the viewers.

For example, fans on social media showed extreme displeasure with ESPN firing Hall of Fame commentators Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy to replace them with Bucks now-head coach Doc Rivers and color commentator/analyst Doris Burke. The new appointees were paired with Breen, ultimately breaking up the trio.

Breen, an Emmy Award winner and a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, is famous for yelling “Bang!” sometimes twice, with varying tones based on the game’s situation at that time. He had a multitude of other phrases that he would repeat which were associated with his voice. Jackson, a former coach and player, famous for his “Momma, there goes that man!” catchphrase, was one of the elite analysts as his dissection of the game was top tier. He was able to give a different perspective than Breen or Van Gundy due to his playing experience in the NBA. Also, his amusing phrases were energetic and stuck with the viewers, creating a buzz, especially on social media. Former coach and NBA champion Van Gundy added more insight into the game that would effectively break down the actions of certain plays to educate the casual viewer on more complex aspects of the game.

Furthermore, there was a comedic dynamic between the three commentators. Whether regarding the game or their daily lives, this interaction was entertaining and connected viewers with the commentators.

They were replaced with two commentators who have some of the most annoying and displeasing voices in the sports world. Although he does not hold the position at the moment, Rivers’ raspy voice is the exact opposite of what a business should want on national television, regardless of his analysis. Burke’s voice is usually not the most pleasing to hear either, however, she does have great basketball analysis.

This begs the question: should we value analysis or satisfying voices? I believe that there must be a middle ground. Even with Jackson, his voice wasn’t the best, but it was tolerated by most due to his analysis and the excitement in his voice. The same is true with Van Gundy. Having commentators on both extremes of the spectrum is problematic. 

So what can be done about this? I know it would be hard for major sports companies to do, but replace these commentators with younger, more energetic and personable commentators. Commentators like Buck, who has simply lost his charm and energy over the years, should be switched out once his performance starts to go too far downhill.

Even younger commentators aren’t performing at the level they should, as commentators like Scott and Cavnar cannot translate excitement into their words. Some of Scott and Cavnar’s calls sound almost sarcastic, and that isn’t what the viewers want.

So to the ESPN’s of the world: hold your commentators accountable. And to the commentators: put some realistic excitement into your work, because the fans deserve it.