ESPN Makes Final Decision On Announcer Ben McDonald

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 1:12 PM ET

Ben McDonald, one of ESPN's Major League Baseball announcers, made his disdain for hockey pretty clear during yesterday's broadcast pretty clear when he declared he had no interest at all in watching ESPN's NHL opener next week. As much trouble as that remark got him into with fans, will ESPN itself penalize him for it?

“Are you asking if I’m going to be watching?…There is zero chance I will be watching,” McDonald declared after being asked about ESPN's Opening Night NHL coverage for this Tuesday. “I’m just going to be honest with you.”

"There is zero chance I'll be watching, I'm just gonna be honest with you." - ABC/ESPN MLB analyst Ben McDonald with a ringing endorsement of ESPN's NHL Opening Night coverage. pic.twitter.com/OaWXf68hsy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2025

McDonald was quickly raked over the coals for it, not just because he insulted NHL and hockey as a whole, but also for seemingly criticizing his own network's content.

But no visible punishments seem to be forthcoming for McDonald. According to Front Office Sports, McDonald will be back on the microphone for ESPN's telecast of Game 3 in the Cubs-Padres NL Wild Card round.

ESPN’s Ben McDonald Stays on Padres-Cubs Call Despite NHL Flap - https://t.co/P82mPE5WOg via @FOS
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) October 2, 2025

The Outrage Continues

McDonald may not face the wrath of ESPN for his remarks, but fans won't be giving him the same courtesy any time soon.

Fans decided to turn McDonald's apparent disdain for hockey back on him in a slew of responses on social media:

"It's crazy that any baseball fan could say they don't want to watch hockey when they watch the most boring sport in the entire world. Baseball is brutal," one user remarked on X yesterday.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 05: A view of the logo during ESPN The Party on February 5, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for ESPN)

"Thought it was kinda weird how defiant he was. It’s part of his job to at least pretend to be interested in promoting other ESPN programming," another remarked.

"So glad someone posted this … absolutely terrible. Could have made his comments in a different way that indicated he wasn’t a hockey guy but would be watching in support of the network … Instead, his sounded like a baseball schmuck who is “too good” to waste time with hockey," a third wrote.

"What an incredibly strange thing to say when you are employed by a SPORTS CHANNEL."

"Ironic as he's watching the most boring sport on the planet."

Suffice it to say, people have strong opinions about both hockey AND baseball.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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