Kevin Brown absence explained?

[Dipper9]

3 minutes ago, CallMeBrooksie said:

It's fine if you don't want to spend energy on it, but that doesn't mean it's unimportant. When the top of your org is a poop-show comedy of errors, you it's generally hard to attract and retain talent. There are lots of examples of this playing out over the course of O's ownership, including examples that impact the on-field product (GM and Manager hirings).

For instance, it's reasonable to wonder if Elias is annoyed with ownership to the point of immediately bailing whenever his contract is up. We seem to have struck gold that the O's hired him and gave him room to operate, but Mike's stock has never been higher now that he's effectively turned the O's around 180 degrees, and he could go work anywhere he wants now once his time is up. I strongly disagree that it's not worth discussing or worrying about.

Good points, but I'll simply counter with this...Elias is going where the money is, regardless of which broadcaster the owner suspends in the booth.  My opinion...the team couldn't care less who's in the booth.  

[oriolediehard]

14 minutes ago, CallMeBrooksie said:

You don't think the Orioles acting-Owner behaving in this manner is an area of major concern to fans of the team? I don't think anyone here is deluded into thinking our actions or voices can bring meaningful change, we're just discussing how much it sucks and what it means for the O's. All of us here are perfectly capable of doing two things at one time... cheering for the team and being vehemently opposed to the ownership group.

It's actually pretty common in sports.

I think us the fans should protest this off-season if ownership don't spend to keep our team in tact. Let the ownership see that fans will not tolerate being cheap and showing they don't care about us the fans.

[Bemorewins]

8 minutes ago, SteveA said:

This is my guess.   Keep in mind that I am NOT defending the ridiculous move by Angelos or his thin skin.   I am just looking, like we all are, with a microscope to try to see what could possibly have annoyed Angelos in the seemingly innocuous broadcast clip.

But if I were to guess what he objected to, it would be the sarcastic little comment where Kevin said  "yeah it's been a minute" referring to 2016 or 2017 or whenever we last won a series there.

Once again I say don't shoot the messenger.   I think Angelos' thin-skinned reaction is ridiculous and over the top just like everyone else here.   But I'm just pointing out that the [slight] use of sarcasm to make fun of how bad the Orioles were is probably what pushed Johnny A over the edge.   It's one thing to acknowledge how bad the team is, but when you get [slightly] snarky/sarcastic it could come off as making fun of how bad the team was rather than just reporting it.

But if that “slight” thing can elicit that type of reaction/response from him, it speaks to a very petulant/insecure/petty person who can go off the hinges at anytime and direct his ire against anyone. It’s not the kind of org culture that you want your leadership creating. People who have to walk on egg shells when they go to work, usually decide at some point that it is best to work somewhere else.

I don’t see us being able to attract great people and retain the one’s that we have with this kind of behavior from our owner. It’s a toxic org culture that he has/is created/creating. 

[LA2]

17 minutes ago, SteveA said:

This is my guess.   Keep in mind that I am NOT defending the ridiculous move by Angelos or his thin skin.   I am just looking, like we all are, with a microscope to try to see what could possibly have annoyed Angelos in the seemingly innocuous broadcast clip.

But if I were to guess what he objected to, it would be the sarcastic little comment where Kevin said  "yeah it's been a minute" referring to 2016 or 2017 or whenever we last won a series there.

Once again I say don't shoot the messenger.   I think Angelos' thin-skinned reaction is ridiculous and over the top just like everyone else here.   But I'm just pointing out that the [slight] use of sarcasm to make fun of how bad the Orioles were is probably what pushed Johnny A over the edge.   It's one thing to acknowledge how bad the team is, but when you get [slightly] snarky/sarcastic it could come off as making fun of how bad the team was rather than just reporting it.

I appreciate your anaysis, as  always, but I think it's deeper than that and probably involves not just what Brown said but other acts by other members of the production crew.

Edited August 8, 2023 by LA2

[Bemorewins]

2 minutes ago, oriolediehard said:

I think us the fans should protest this off-season if ownership don't spend to keep our team in tact. Let the ownership see that fans will not tolerate being cheap and showing they don't care about us the fans.

Unless we have 90-100% of fans on board with this, that kind of gesture will have no effect whatsoever.

Remember when WNST and their owner had the “free the birds” protest?

[Dipper9]

1 minute ago, oriolediehard said:

I think us the fans should protest this off-season if ownership don't spend to keep our team in tact. Let the ownership see that fans will not tolerate being cheap and showing they don't care about us the fans.

OMG.  Seriously?  This worked so well from 97 to 2012.  

All your protests will do is give Angelos an excuse for why he moves to Nashville.  "The fans stopped supporting us."  "We are a first place team with only middle of the pack attendance."  "They booed us when I suspended the broadcaster."  "It's the fans fault we moved.  Look in the mirror Baltimore."  

[Sports Guy]

 

[Tony-OH]

9 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I think this whole thing is stupid.  I think JA is wrong, I think KB is being punished unfairly.  And he seems like a good, humble guy.  I am sure he is embarrassed by all of this.

I also don't think this is that huge of a deal.  I'm a Redskins/WFT/Commies fan.  We just got rid of Dan Snyder...and there's nothing that JA has done that compares to what Dan Snyder did over the years.  When JA starts suing his own season-ticket holders, call me.  This is tiddlywinks in comparison.

That said, I agree....we can love the team, hate the owner.  

I think many fans have done this for a long time around here! 

While all of this is just an unneeded distraction that makes the whole organization look bad, at the end of the day, I care about the Orioles beating the Astros tonight.

We'd all love to have new owners, but I won't let the ownership affect my fandom just like I didn't ultimate allow Jennifer Grohndal and her lackies affect my love of the Orioles when they took my press pass away after 20 years. I was an Orioles fan before them, and will be an Orioles fan long after they are no longer associated with the Orioles. 

All we can do is hope MLB or finances at some point pressures the Angelos family into selling.

[Roy Firestone]

1 hour ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Thanks for sharing your insights here, Roy. One question on the bolded, though. I get that you're confirming it is indeed about the comments regarding the series in Tampa, but is there anything else re: the logical chain on how that's suspension-worthy (or any sort of action, to frank) from JA's perspective? What about that completely innocuous seeming segment was at issue?

As I understand it from very, very reliable sources, this is the ONLY reason he was suspended. Kevin is not only a bright, talented broadcaster, he's a good "soldier" in terms of keeping out of the franchise's politics and policies. This is very unfair and upsetting to him, but he's not the kind of person to fan any flames and will try and put it to rest or keep it on a low key basis by his choice. This young man worked really hard to get this job, and believe me he earned it. He has no desire to make waves. But I think he'll leave if he gets the chance and the offer...and believe me, he'll find work...lots of it, because hes very ,very good at what he does.He's also a GREAT person.

[Gurgi]

6 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Nestor Aparicio just totally dropped the bomb on John Angelos in this post:

https://baltimorepositive.com/dear-john-angelos-youre-a-civic-disgrace-just-like-your-father-now-sign-the-lease/

I had my run-ins with Nestor many years ago, but this well-written piece gives a lot of history of how this petty family has treated people across the board. And yes, I do find it ironic that this was posted on a site called Baltimorepositive.com.

His point about not paying the market rate for a GM?  Isnt that childs play money as compared to the players?  Couldnt a cheap team like the Orioles manage to pay the GM top shelf pay?   We will have to wait till whenever Elias's contract is up to see what happens.   I will say Elias as done so well that he will have zero problems getting a major market team to give him pay in the top five of GM's in my opinion.  Angelos needs to be aware of that and be cheap other places than the pay of the GM.

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

 

Britt reported this last night and then today on her radio spot.

[HakunaSakata]

Here's the thing. John Angelos clearly craves the attention. That's why he's scheduled/held press conferences, just happened to be next to Elias (trying to look important) on the national televised came, etc. If you're going to choose to be in the public eye (lots of owners don't) then you have to realize than you're stepping out of the Roch Kubatko glorified PR person world and into the world of the real media who aren't on your payroll and who are going to report the good and the bad. He still doesn't seem to get that point and expects everyone to praise and applaud everything he does. If he can't take the heat, perhaps he needs to get out of the kitchen (and become more of a silent/behind the scenes owner). 

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

I think many fans have done this for a long time around here! 

While all of this is just an unneeded distraction that makes the whole organization look bad, at the end of the day, I care about the Orioles beating the Astros tonight.

We'd all love to have new owners, but I won't let the ownership affect my fandom just like I didn't ultimate allow Jennifer Grohndal and her lackies affect my love of the Orioles as well. I was an Orioles fan before them, and will be an Orioles fan long after thing are no longer associated with the Orioles. 

All we can do is hope MLB or finances at some point pressures the Angelos family into selling.

Yes, correct.  Looking forward to the Astros game tonight.

I agree with you 100%.  

For the longest time, I thought Dan Snyder was going to be the Skins owner for most of the rest of my life.  And I was just determined to outlast him.  Just flat out, outlast him.  To your point about being an Orioles fan before this current ownership and being a fan after them...I felt the same way about the Skins.  I feel the same way about the Orioles.

It took a monumental effort to get Snyder out of DC but it happened.  Of course a lot of it was due to legal pressure, but it still happened.  

I don't know what it'll take for the Angelos family to sell the team.  I believe they understand they're not liked...and if they didn't know before yesterday, they certainly know now.  

But just like Snyder, I suspect that not being liked isn't enough for the Angelos family to let go of the team.  I don't know if there's anything legal in JA's closet that could make him to be forced to sell the team if it came to light, but I hope so.  I think, right now, that's the only way.

Until then, I'm just here to outlast him.

[osfan83]

8 minutes ago, Dipper9 said:

Good points, but I'll simply counter with this...Elias is going where the money is, regardless of which broadcaster the owner suspends in the booth.  My opinion...the team couldn't care less who's in the booth.  

Right...but if the money is close, go anywhere but Baltimore. So if we want to keep Elias, we will have to pay more than any other team. And these kinds of stunts don't go unnoticed. If you give JA two packs of sugar in his coffee instead of three you might get suspended. If you have choices, why would you ever work for the Orioles? 

[Three Run Homer]

2 hours ago, ORIOLE33 said:

Is it me or is this story starting to get into the overblown stage? 

It's an attack on a member of the media, so naturally the media is going to give it a lot of attention.  If John Angelos didn't know that, he's a fool.