Jim & Bob's Palatial Baseball Blog

Sunday, October 15, 2006

The Lyons Sleeps Tonight

Fox Sports has rather famously canned rather famous nutball Steve Lyons this weekend over what it deems insulting comment he made during Saturday’s ALCS broadcast.

Personally, I have little use for Lyons’ color commentary. He’s adequate, but oftentimes I think he’s working too hard to be funny. He’s like that guy in the office who’s always “on.”

Having heard the exchange that got Lyons fired, I think it was a case where he was trying too hard to be “on,” stretching really hard to make a joke where there was no need for one. I thought it silly, but not malicious, and certainly not anything more inane than some of the other babble he offered this weekend.

But the guys who brought us Married with Children, ‘Til Death, and Family Guy evidently thought it was offensive enough to earn Lyons a ticket to the employment agency. Bravo for life’s little ironies.

Speaking of the ALCS crew, I have to give credit where it’s due. As much as I run down Fox and its announcers, I thought Brennaman, Lyons, and Piniella did a good job. Well, an adequate job in Lyons’ case.

I was most pleasantly surprised by Piniella. I didn’t expect much from him, but I found his analysis cogent and informative. Sometimes he would make a comment seemingly at random that didn’t go anywhere, but overall his conversational style gave fans an insight into the situations without a sense that they were being talked down to. If Steve Stone weren’t such a pompous windbag, he’d be Lou Piniella.

So, Sweet Lou, I beseech you – you have a brilliant career in broadcasting ahead of you. Don’t risk it by accepting a managing gig. Think of the children, Lou – without your wisdom, they’ll have to learn from McCarver. And I don’t think any of us wants that.

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