New York broadcasters come to defense of suspended Orioles announcer
On Monday, Awful Announcing reported that Orioles play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Brown, who has been off the air since July 26, is allegedly serving a suspension for his comments before the team's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23.
Baltimore has since denied the accusations, but what exactly did Brown say to warrant the rumored indefinite ban? Many are wondering the same thing after the publication posted the clip of the comments on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network commentator simply stated a fact: Baltimore was 0-15-1 in the previous 16 road series at Tropicana Field, which resulted in a 3-18 record from 2020 to 2022. At no point was Brown being disrespectful towards the organization; he merely read the information from the broadcast's pre-made graphic and was removed from his position because of it.
As word of the alleged suspension spread, fellow broadcasters nationwide have stepped up to defend Brown, including YES Network's Michael Kay and Gary Cohen of SNY.
Kay, the television voice of the Yankees, first took to social media to criticize the Baltimore organization. The 62-year-old continued to bash the team and Orioles CEO John Angelos for the "disgraceful" decision on his radio program, "The Michael Kay Show."
"Come on! Make it make sense," Kay tweeted. "MLB has to get involved. This is an awful look and a terrible thing to do to a terrific broadcaster. New York fans of both teams are so lucky. Neither ownership group ever censors the Mets or Yankees booth. The truth should never be penalized."
Then, Cohen, the play-by-play announcer for the Mets, took his shot at the Orioles, specifically delivering a message to the team's ownership group during the broadcast of New York's game against the Cubs on Monday.
"Let me just say one thing to Baltimore Orioles management: You draped yourself in humiliation when you fired Jon Miller, and you're doing it again," Cohen said. "And if you don't want Kevin Brown, there are 29 other teams who do. It was a horrendous decision by the Orioles. I don't know what they were thinking, but they've gotten exactly the reaction that they deserve."
Both Kay and Cohen were spot on. It was an embarrassing move by Baltimore, and besides, it's not a secret that the Orioles have struggled in recent years. The team hasn't finished higher than fourth place in the American League East since 2017 and has had three seasons with at least 100 losses over that period.
Now that the Orioles are finally enjoying a successful season, one that could culminate in a championship, ownership has found a way to make a mockery of the franchise.
If the suspension is true, Orioles ownership can't do much to change the public's perception of the matter, even if Brown is reinstated. However, that would be a good place to start.
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