Our responsibility

The debate over whether athletes should be role models or not has been an unending one, with a handful being vocal about their sports aptitude being more than enough to define them. But just as athletes have a moral standard to adhere to, sports broadcasters likewise must be accountable for their behavior, particularly the standard at which they hold themselves to when doing their job.

The biggest challenge confronting sports broadcasters today is really one of definition. I often had a friendly debate with my late colleague over the place of the sports broadcaster in the media firmament. He believed we were broadcasters, while I prefer to call us journalists, because that is really our basic function. But beyond that, there was little we disagreed on (save perhaps fashion). We and many colleagues of our generation revere our profession. We have the best job in the world, and we treat it with the respect it deserves.

The dilemma that we face, as I recall another conversation I had with my college professor and fellow sportscaster Sev Sarmenta, was that, if we were already considered the best at what we do, how do we get better? We agreed that one solution was to train in the US, where some universities actually have sports broadcasting courses, and even their own broadcasting. This is where our sports broadcasting workshops (pioneered by fellow sportscaster Noel Zarate) are critical. We have been able to pass on the fundamentals of our profession to the next generation. Luckily, some of our graduates are now gainfully employed with regular exposure in the PBA TV coverage and sports magazine shows on other networks.

I find it shocking that some television producers are still of the archaic notion that “it’s just sportscasting” as if anyone could do it. So they’ll just thrust anyone in front of the camera, even if their grammar is bad or they don’t have the technical knowledge of whichever sport being covered is inadequate. Back when we were doing the broadcasts of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), I was lucky enough to cover a conference finals game with a well-known coach. It was his first time. At the end of the game, he leaned deep into his chair and hung his head back, exhausted. I asked him what was wrong. He declared that he didn’t know which was more tiring, doing the game or coaching. Since our hotel rooms were adjacent to one another, I could hear him pacing until 1 a.m., so wired he couldn’t sleep. Welcome to my world.

Tragically, since it is not a regulated profession, sports broadcasters are at the mercy of whoever happens to have the good fortune of being the producer of the broadcast, or the franchise owner. There is generally no negotiation of talent fees, and you usually accept what is offered you. For those of us who have been around long enough to be considered senior commentators, the irony is that youth is considered a premium, not experience. Then again, maybe it’s not youth, but whoever is cheaper.

Those of us in the large (and older) section of the sports broadcasting community who were part of the Vintage Television PBA broadcasts of the early 1990’s all pay tribute to and express our gratitude for the experience. Our boss then, Bobong Velez, was a stickler for detail, very thorough in his critique of our performance, uncompromising in his standards. Of course, since it was a new concept to some of us at the time, a few veterans resented having their errors pointed out to them. And some of those discussions got intense. Some people always wanted to be right. Thanks to that training, most of us went on to become better broadcasters, and many of us are lucky to still be doing the job we love. 

Having said all of the above, it is incumbent upon our sports broadcasters to know exactly what the protocols are for what they are doing. If you are a sports news reporter, then you aren’t supposed to be editorializing, if you are an analyst, then break down the game and nothing more. If you are an anchorman, then your job is to do all the talking when the basketball crosses halfcourt, for example, while your partner analyst should just shut up. We have seen far too many analysts fall in love with their own voices and railroad the broadcast’s audio. 

Also, as more and more of our colleagues start out in radio (a career path I would strongly recommend), and transition to television, they should be aware of the differences between the two. Sadly, nobody is really teaching that. On radio, you have to explain every single nuance of what is going on to an audience that is blind to all the action. You don’t have to do that for TV.

Lastly, the audience also has a responsibility to call out announcers who aren’t doing their job. There are some who don’t prepare, or coast, or downright make things up. The audience shouldn’t take it. Period.