Kevin Brown - Baltimore Orioles announcer

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Anyone following this?

 

He said on-air that the Orioles struggle against Tampa Bay, and the Orioles suspended him for saying it.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/orioles/2023/08/08/orioles-announcer-kevin-brown-suspended-mlb-broadcasters-show-support/70548573007/

 

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/kevin-brown-orioles-broadcaster-suspension-tampa-bay-rays-GPALSNKBXNGETJ4OBDKULCH3YQ/

 

 

[dpberr]

They can get away with it in today's political climate where you've got a media that's grown comfortable with censoring.  Either fans don't care or don't know.  You also just have very fragile people today, and there's definitely one in Orioles management.  Kevin Brown probably got the "you're an employee of the Orioles.  You don't work for ESPN.  Your job is to call a game, not be an analyst.  Tow the line.  Maximum positivity."

 

In the 90s, fans and the media would be all over the team for doing something like this.  There wasn't anything over the top or even inaccurate about Kevin Brown's presentation. My guess is they didn't like the graphic that spelled it out under a title "Tropical Depression." Haha.  

 

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Sheesh!  Tough room, that Orioles brass. 🤨

[SinceThe70s]

I was watching the Mets game last night and they went out of their way to have the Mets lead announcer rip into the Orioles - they even had a camera on him during the tirade. I think some other announcers did the same on other broadcasts.

[Charles Romes]

I’m thankful that they seem to allow, maybe even encourage, the NFL Network announcers to take stances that are anti-league once in a while. 

[US Egg]

The commentary tip toe in sports has been evident in broadcasts and surely more difficult to navigate than ever before.
 

Never know what is going to bristle fragile ears of those on high…..or low.

[Gregg]

Larry The Cable Guy on Twitter: "I cannot believe this guy got suspended just for giving stats on the series history! That’s all he did. The O’s top brass need to grow a pair and enjoy the ride this year. Why keep series stats if they offend you. What a bunch a crybabies. #freekevinbrown" / X

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I think Mike in Horseheads should boycott the Oriole Bird as avatar, and return to the GOAT.

 

[Mike in Horseheads]

Best record in the AL, 2nd best in MLB and idiot owner take the focus off that. SMH

Edited August 8, 2023 by Mike in Horseheads

[Gugny]

7 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

I was watching the Mets game last night and they went out of their way to have the Mets lead announcer rip into the Orioles - they even had a camera on him during the tirade. I think some other announcers did the same on other broadcasts.

This is interesting to me. I didn’t watch the game. I’m assuming you’re talking about Gary. What did he say??

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

This is interesting to me. I didn’t watch the game. I’m assuming you’re talking about Gary. What did he say??

I think he said the Os struggle against the Rays.

 

 

 

[Gugny]

3 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

I think he said the Os struggle against the Rays.

 

 

 

Im talking about the Mets’ broadcaster. 

[SinceThe70s]

5 minutes ago, Gugny said:

This is interesting to me. I didn’t watch the game. I’m assuming you’re talking about Gary. What did he say??

 

Yup it was Gary. In between innings they put the camera on him specifically for his comments. Here's the main excerpt:

 

"Let me just say one thing to the Baltimore Orioles management, you draped yourself in humiliation when you fired John Miller and you’re doing it again. And if you don’t want Kevin Brown there are 29 other teams that do. It’s a horrendous decision by the Orioles. I don’t know what they were thinking, but they’ve gotten exactly the reaction that they’ve deserved. It’s just a shame because the Orioles have played so well and now they’ve diverted attention from that. And now have made themselves a laughingstock.”

 

https://nypost.com/2023/08/07/broadcasters-blast-orioles-after-report-they-suspended-kevin-brown/

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Yup it was Gary. In between innings they put the camera on him specifically for his comments. Here's the main excerpt:

 

"Let me just say one thing to the Baltimore Orioles management, you draped yourself in humiliation when you fired John Miller and you’re doing it again. And if you don’t want Kevin Brown there are 29 other teams that do. It’s a horrendous decision by the Orioles. I don’t know what they were thinking, but they’ve gotten exactly the reaction that they’ve deserved. It’s just a shame because the Orioles have played so well and now they’ve diverted attention from that. And now have made themselves a laughingstock.”

 

https://nypost.com/2023/08/07/broadcasters-blast-orioles-after-report-they-suspended-kevin-brown/

Thank you. Bravo, Gary!!

[UConn James]

I believe I saw a headline that said a Yankees announcer also laid in on O’s front office.

Broadcasters have to stick up for their own lest other or their own ownership tries to put the screws to them and the job just becomes happy-face jingoism or else you’re canned.

[Gregg]

Imagine if the Orioles owner was the owner of the Bills in the 70's and he heard Van Miller say, "and the Dolphins have now beaten the Bills 20 straight times". Guy would probably have a heart attack.

[UConn James]

On the FB page of Bobby Trosset:

Quote

 

Former #Orioles play-by-play broadcaster Jon Miller (pictured left, next to the late Chuck Thompson) opened up to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly about this week's Kevin Brown debacle and even reflected on his own similar dealings with Peter Angelos that ultimately led to his 1996 exit after a 15-year run in Baltimore's booth.

Miller now views getting run out of town as “the best thing that ever happened, and I was too dumb at the time to realize it.”

Jon Miller is a legendary figure in the industry and a Hall of Famer in his 27th (!) season calling games for the San Francisco Giants. 

If not for the Angelos Way, maybe he'd still be with the O's: 

“I wanted to stay in Baltimore because I always thought, well, Ernie Harwell, Jack Buck, Vin Scully, they were in one place for a long time,” Miller said. “They were totally identified with those teams. That’s what you strive for as a baseball broadcaster. I thought Baltimore could be that place for me.”

After not renewing his contract and communicating to his agent that he preferred a broadcaster who would “bleed more orange and black," Peter Angelos publicly denied that he wanted Miller out. 

Still, to this day, Jon Miller hasn't forgotten: 

"It hit me wrong, how he lied about all of that."

Nearly 27 years later, all of this feels eerily similar to how John Angelos is mistreating Kevin Brown, and it wouldn't surprise me if it runs one of the up-and-coming talented voices out of town, too. 

 

Full piece: https://tinyurl.com/2s44vrt7

 

That was back pre-Internet and 24/7 media with space to fill. Hopefully Angelos continues to feel the heat on his BS.

[JESSEFEFFER]

On 8/8/2023 at 6:10 PM, Mike in Horseheads said:

Best record in the AL, 2nd best in MLB and idiot owner take the focus off that. SMH

The kind of idiocy at the top that will ruin nice things.  And the Orioles are full of them nice things to ruin.  Thing was that Brown read the history from pregame PR notes and someone in production made a graphic that said as much.  This is Captain Queeg and strawberries kind of thinking by Angelos.  Brown back in the booth tonight.

[SinceThe70s]

5 minutes ago, JESSEFEFFER said:

The kind of idiocy at the top that will ruin nice things.  And the Orioles are full of them nice things to ruin.  Thing was that Brown read the history from pregame PR notes and someone in production made a graphic that said as much.  This is Captain Queeg and strawberries kind of thinking by Angelos.  Brown back in the booth tonight.

 

Are you an Orioles fan?  If so is Brown really good?

 

The ground swell of vitriol against the Orioles coming from established broadcasters has been striking. I'm left wondering whether they spoke out to protect the profession, Kevin Brown or both.

 

To put my question in context, the Mets broadcaster spoke glowingly of Kevin Brown and I had to question how much he knew of him given there are 30 teams and it seems unlikely he's heard of and has a score card on all, but maybe there's a buzz around Brown - as a Mets fan we saw early on how good Kevin Burkhardt was so for all I know Brown is on a similar path. 

[JESSEFEFFER]

6 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Are you an Orioles fan?  If so is Brown really good?

 

The ground swell of vitriol against the Orioles coming from established broadcasters has been striking. I'm left wondering whether they spoke out to protect the profession, Kevin Brown or both.

 

To put my question in context, the Mets broadcaster spoke glowingly of Kevin Brown and I had to question how much he knew of him given there are 30 teams and it seems unlikely he's heard of and has a score card on all, but maybe there's a buzz around Brown - as a Mets fan we saw early on how good Kevin Burkhardt was so for all I know Brown is on a similar path. 

I paid for MLBTV Oriole games this year in expectation of their ascendency.   He delivers a smooth stream of factual content but lacks a discernable personality.  In that work environment that make sense now.  I think he is at his best when he works with Palmer.