Baseball Analyst makes ‘major league’ criticisms
Dave Belyea // October 11, 2012
Everyone – myself, included – has their own expert opinion on how to improve their favourite sports team’s dynamic, approach, and performance. Well, the ‘couch coaches’ and self-proclaimed sports gurus using their infamous sense of hindsight (read: bias) of course would have made a better move here and there to get their team to a deep playoff run. But what else is new? Being the constant subject of scrutiny and criticism is a common occurrence for all professional sports organizations – it comes with the business. From outside the company, critics will always have an ‘I told you so’ perspective, but complaints from within an organization made public can lead to far more severe consequences. Need an example? Look no further than the unexpected situation Rogers Sportsnet recently found itself in as the Major League Baseball season came to a close.
This predicament is centered around sixteen-year MLB veteran and current Sportsnet baseball analyst, Gregg Zaun. Appearing between innings of the network’s coverage of Blue Jays baseball games, Zaun is a familiar face to the organization and its fans after playing five seasons for the franchise in starting and backup catcher roles. On September 23, 2012, the retired backstop delivered a demoralizing rant about the 2012 Blue Jays club, publicly questioning key fundamentals and behaviour from top to bottom of the organization. This merciless barrage of criticism was on full display while he was featured and airing live on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, a well-known radio station of sports fanatics.
Zaun’s unapologetic and outspoken personality is magnetic. Like Don Cherry, he draws the public attention of fellow experts, fans, and media reporters, likely a major reason why he was hired by Sportsnet. Unleashing his opinions to such a passionate audience was typical – after all, he is a baseball analyst – this is in his job description. Or is it?
Technically, Zaun’s insight was a self-inflicted wound to Rogers Communications, the multimedia giant that owns both Sportsnet and the Toronto Blue Jays. Therefore Zaun was technically ‘biting the hand that feeds him’ (albeit indirectly) so to speak, by publicly blasting the Blue Jays which are arguably one of his employers’ most valuable investments. And he did it through Rogers’ own radio station. Ouch.
The tirade became particularly heavy-handed when Zaun singled out the club’s Manager, John Farrell and, referring to General Manager Alex Anthopolous as a “number-crunching ‘bean counter’ incapable of truly understanding the game.” Zaun went on further to question the mentality of the clubhouse and their desire to win. He also pointed out leadership issues. Farrell and Anthopolous each acted professionally and downplayed the harsh words in an attempt to diffuse the situation. After the whole debacle, Rogers Communications and Zaun both declined comment when asked if there would be any repercussions for his statements.
The mixed reaction from listeners evolved through social media, comment boxes on website pages and letters sent directly to the studio. These ranged from expressing approval of Zaun’s honest assessment of the current situation, to outright fury that a man who isn’t in the clubhouse could make such accusations. Some applauded the brave stance he took, while others called for his resignation. Let’s look into this situation a bit further, shall we?
As mentioned above, there are pros and cons to the argument that it was appropriate for Gregg Zaun to make such controversial comments. The incident itself was an honest evaluation by a passionate sports analyst. Some may say he was ‘just doing his job.’ Bringing his major league experience and insight into the broadcast booth and explaining the game’s intricacies is a valuable commodity. And, let’s be honest, the flare he adds probably doesn’t hurt television ratings. While Zaun’s job is to critique teams, I highly doubt Rogers imagined it would be their club that he would dismantle.
When these perspectives come from within the organization and are made available to public criticism, there can be some major negative effects. The Blue Jays have traditionally followed a policy set to keep issues internal and avoid distractions from the sport itself. Zaun clearly ruffled a few feathers and prompted an unintentional media onslaught with his take on the team, disregarding the organization’s usual manner of conduct. The difficult scenarios Rogers faced were taking criticism for firing a well-liked television personality or allowing him to possibly sound-off on the organization again by continuing his broadcasts. While Zaun remained on the Blue Jays’ broadcast team for the rest of the MLB season, there’s speculation around him returning next year.
Keeping in mind your organization’s guidelines of proper protocol when dealing with problems is critical since their values, image, and reputation are at stake when being spoken of in a public forum. While I half-heartedly agree with Zaun’s brazen move, calling out management in order to invoke change, there is a time and place for everything. Perhaps he could have brought up his points in a more respectful fashion. As Marshall McLuhan once said, “The medium is the message.” It may not be what you say but how you say it that garners your audience’s attention. During a country-wide radio broadcast while a frustrating season of disappointment came to a close may not have been the time, or the place, to take action.
When dealing with mass media outlets, organizations should ensure they are aware of what will be said and how it will be communicated, taking a proactive approach and preventative measures to negative attention. Unfortunately, the organization is ultimately held accountable for each employee’s actions while they are on the job whether they can control it or not. Either way, I’m willing to bet my next Proline winnings that the Sportsnet communications department needed a few innings of relief after batting cleanup in this public relations fiasco.
