Improper Self-Love

Watching last night's World Series game, when Zumaya threw the ball into left field, I remarked (or would have remarked, were I not watching the game alone) about what a stupid play it was for Zumaya to throw to third base on that play, even if the throw were perfect, since he should have thrown to second to start a somewhat routing 1-6-3 double play rather than the rare (so rare I can't recall ever seeing it) 1-5-3.

Sure enogh, seconds later, analyst Tim McCarver echoed my exact thoughts, and I began to congratulate myself for thinking the same thing as Fox's highly paid analyst.

But then, it ocurred to me, Tim McCarver has been the lead baseball analyst for pretty much the past 20 years (and before that, he covered the Phillies, my childhood team). Is it any wonder, after taking in over a hundred postseason games with McCarver at the mike, that my insights into the game would match his?

Actually, the lead announcing positions have seemed pretty static since what seems like forever. In football, you've got John Madden. In baseball, you've got McCarver. In college basketball, you've got Billy Packer. For the NHL, there's Bill Clement. The NBA has had some flux, but when Hubie Brown's not coaching, he usually occupies that position. College football doesn't really have a preeminent analyst, though Keith Jackson has been a powerful force in his play-by-play role.

I'm 31 years old, and have been following sports since childhood, and I have no memory of watching a World Series game with an analyst other than McCarver (I think Joe Garagiola was with Vin Scully on NBC in the mid-80's when NBC and ABC (with McCarver) took turns broadcasting the World Series, but I'm not sure about that). I have no memory of an NCAA Final Four with anyone but Packer.

It's surprising to me that there's been virtually no turnover in these spots in the past 20 years. Thinking about it, I wonder if it's because of the experiences like mine above. We've grown comfortable with these analysts, to the point where our understanding of the game mirrors theirs. So now, they confirm our insight into the game and make us feel smart.