Meth Bowins Not In The Booth This Weekend
- Thread starter Fryowa
- Start date
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
Like "racism", the word "sexism" is used way to much in our culture to accuse someone who criticizes a minority or woman for anything. But in this case it does seem like there's a morsel of truth when it comes to criticism of Beth Mowins.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
There may be some that don't like her simply because she's a woman. For me, I don't give a shit what gender she is (even if gender does appear to be fluid nowadays). What I do care about is how well she knows the game, the teams she is covering, her ability to convey the action on the field in a concise, easy-to-understand manner, and doesn't try to become the "show" herself.
Some of the stuff she does okay at, others she just plain is not good at. When you couple that with her practically unlistenable voice....it's a recipe for a crappy day of listening to the Hawks.
Fryowa
Administrator
This. I could listen to Robin Roberts call tennis and basketball all day. She knows her particular sports, doesn't have an obnoxious voice, and like any good play by play person, knows when to be quiet.
mopkins
King Kong
I'm not crying "sexism", but people view Harry Caray as a legend and especially toward the tail-end of his career he didn't know jack sh*t about the players he was covering or what was happening on the field. he was always drunk and telling people what a players name backwards sounded like. Can you imagine the outrage if Beth Mowins did this live on air? This forum might meltdown....and yet Caray is a legend and Beth Mowins doesn't know anything about the sport she's covering? It just doesn't make sense to me
Fryowa
Administrator
You can get your fill and then some on MNF. Keep her out of Kinnick Stadium.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Judging someone by how they went out, instead of their whole body of work, isn't the best means of judging someone. By that measure, Hayden Fry was a shitty football coach. I'm not a Cubs fan in the least...in fact I pretty much loathe them...but to say Caray was a bad announcer because his last few years were terrible doesn't do justice to his contributions to sports broadcasting.
Fryowa
Administrator
Caray had personality though. He was a loveable, harmless dumbass who was wholeheartedly invested in one team and you could feel the soul that he put into his broadcasting, whether he was good at it or not. Listen to his speech about how eventually the Cubs would win a Series and tell me he didn't have heart and class
Having him call games was like sitting in your living room with your faithful Cubby fan uncle Bob after he's had a few Old Styles and bullshitting about the game and baseball in general. He was the "comfort food" of sports broadcasting, and for better or worse he made people feel comfortable. He didn't have to be able to pronounce players' names because no one cared. People liked him.
Berh Mowins is the complete, 180° opposite of Harry Caray. Her voice is grating, she restates the obvious ad nauseum during games, and doesn't know the first thing about football, let alone the intricacies. She bounces around from stadium to stadium every week with people hoping they didn't draw her number. Just the fact that so many people hate her announcing speaks to the fact that she sucks. Do you hear people up in arms over Robin Roberts doing college basketball or tennis? No, because she was awesome at it.
And to give to the "reverse sexism" argument (flame away if you guys want), I'd argue that if she were a guy, there is zero chance she'd be in the booth at all after the completely ridiculous job she does of calling games. Although I do have to admit that Lee Corso still has a job, so maybe I'm wrong there.
mopkins
King Kong
not really my point. Im saying what would your reaction be if Beth Mowins virtually ignored all the action on the field and went on a 10 minute rant about Cracker Jacks on-air? This forum would melt down.
Fryowa
Administrator
Cub fan or not, watch this and tell me Harry Caray didn't have passion for his team and the sport in general. I'm sorry, but if you think Beth Mowins for one second holds a candle to Caray then you are just plain out of touch.
mopkins
King Kong
Corso is on air for similar reasons to your Harry Caray example. He's this old bumbling idiot who people (for some reason) love and then he puts on mascot heads and people (somewhere) laugh.
I will say that ESPN has branched out a little out-of-norm to find the right talent. Not saying Beth Mowins is a talent, because she's not, but I really enjoy that cross-eyed white dude who calls college basketball games. He's got a face made for radio but he is really good at what he does.
mopkins
King Kong
I never once said anything close to that. You clearly didn't read what i said...yet I am out of touch. K
edit: i swore
Fryowa
Administrator
But you did compare the two people. Your first post wasn't about the Cracker Jack thing, it was about Harry Caray's career in general:
That sounds to me like you're doing a "what if" between Harry Caray and Beth Mowins.
Big difference though between a "team" hired announcer and a "national" announcer who covers multiple teams for ESPN. Also a huge difference between a boring ass baseball game with lots of dead time, 162 games, not to mention a bad team most years vs. football. Harry was in the booth purely for the entertainment value, he was great for ratings. Yes, he was bad from a technical standpoint the last few years, but a lot of people tuned in just to hear those names spelled backwards and for him to screw up names and go off on tangents. He was so bad he was good. For me, it's not about gender. I kind of like the lady (Jess Mendoza) on ESPN who covers baseball ... she knows her stuff ... and Dottie Pepper does a great job covering golf.
Last edited:
mopkins
King Kong
I'm saying its hilarious to me that people still hold a grudge for one mistake Beth Mowins made on live television 3 years ago. Meanwhile a legend like Harry Caray can go on a 5 minute cracker jack rant on live television and people will say "that's just Harry being Harry".
its like how Joe Buck can occasionally provide some great commentary on a game but people still hate him because its cool to hate Joe Buck and Nickleback. Its just absolutely insane to me the amount of energy people expend actively hating broadcasters
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
"Hey Hey ... Jack and Mary Snodgrass are here from Elkhorn Wisconsin." - In best drunk slurred speech.
mopkins
King Kong
I do agree with the team vs national point you bring up. Cubs fans wanted Harry so the Cubs gave them Harry. That makes sense to me.
I just find it interesting that most people, myself included, see a woman calling a football game and immediately throw up their guard and criticize her every mistake. Its like how women demand equal pay and equal treatment, yet expect men to open the doors for them still. We live in a weird time
