Rematch can do without another ‘homer’ gig

Sure hope we get the international announcing crew for the telecast of the big WBC super-flyweight title rematch between Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

Tell you why.

This scribe splits time between Thailand and Vero Beach, Florida in the US.

I was stateside for the pair’s first encounter in March, a bout clearly won by Srisaket.

But you would never have known it if you bought what the announcers calling the fight were trying to sell.

That HBO duo on duty — Jim Lampley handling blow-by-blow and colour/analyst Max Kellerman — are normally very solid.

But for this fight they clearly sold out and became shameless shills for their company boy, Chocolatito, who is under contract with the American cable giant. (Possible reason in a bit.)

Lampley and Kellerman turned in a “homer” performance for the ages.

I found their lame attempts to portray Gonzalez’s performance as dominant and afterwards expressing “Chocolatito wuz robbed” sentiment deplorable.

This was no Manny Pacquiao v Jeff Horn deal, deserving of controversy.

This was a well-earned upset of a terrific and previously unbeaten fighter.

Other media outlets, thank goodness, were not in lockstep with HBO.

Their recounts of events were much more accurate, giving the Thai fighter credit where it was so obviously due.

What fight were Jim and Max watching, I wondered incredulously.

With 30 years of all types of TV sportscasting experience under my belt — including play-by-play duties — yours truly was shocked to see the seasoned pair cast aside the basic tenet in the calling of a national sports event: objectivity.

“Homers” are commonplace, of course, on local TV and radio broadcasts of baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey contests in the US. It’s an accepted practice. Most l ocal announcers are employed by the teams whose games they call and are expected to exhibit some degree of favouritism for the home side.

I can live with that, even though some can’t.

But national telecasts are a different kettle of fish (thrown in for any Brits reading this).

Impartiality is a must (you know, like it USED to be the rule in US network news).

Alas, it was miserably missing in the first Gonzalez v Srisaket fight.

So why did Lampley and Kellerman sell out?

Possible reason: HBO’s star stable is shrinking fast and they are fearful of losing further ground to Showtime, UBC on Fox and other newcomers into sweet science viewing.

These days HBO is clinging for dear life to just a handful of meal tickets — Chocolatito, Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and a few others — rather than a plethora of luminaries as in the past.

Hence, there may have been a “play ‘im up big” dictate that came down to Jim and Max from upstairs beforehand.

Hopefully, HBO is selling overseas rights to this fight with no partiality strings attached.

If recent form holds true, longtime international announcer Dave Bontempo will be calling the action.

There’s less likelihood of Bontempo also going the homer route. Fairness has always been his calling card.

For many years Dave had served as the international analyst alongside blow-by-blow man “Colonel” Bob Sheridan.

Of late, though, Bontempo has been a one-man show, performing both roles while Sheridan has dealt with health issues.

Dave does a nice job to these eyes and ears. He lets the telecast breathe (doesn’t talk non-stop) and does not tell the viewers what they can see for themselves.

The knowledgeable Bontempo gives us only what we need to know and communicates boxing basics very well.

Best of all, his enthusiasm is natural and not affected.

Let’s hope his call of t his fight doesn’t become — as happened with Lampley and Kellerman — INFECTED.