Is That PA Announcing?

It's okay to call me "old school" after reading this...if that makes you feel better. And, you might also say the same about Al Michaels. We're both veterans of broadcasting and being around sports teams our whole lives. And, neither of us is a young man anymore. 

Al had a problem with the Rams PA guy as he was broadcasting the game on Amazon Prime (weird for me to write that) Thursday night. You can read all about Al's take on the Rams game presentation here. A bit of research tells me the Rams PA announcer is a fellow named Sam Lagana (photo #2). Now, I have no particular gripe with Mr. Lagana as he is likely following orders on how he should be doing the job. There is no doubt that whomever is in charge of game presentation at SoFi Stadium for Stan-the-Sham's squad has encouraged poor Sam to "hype it to the max". If this is just Sam's style, I then blame the team for hiring him in the first place. I'm sure they knew what they would be getting if so.   

My issue is that a PA announcer should NOT be a cheerleader over the PA system. And he/she/they should certainly not be screaming stuff over the system throughout the entire game. That's what some pro teams have decided is the role of the guy at the microphone, and that's what you get from the Rams. The days of Jim Holder elegantly and eloquently informing fans of the situation at key moments along the way, as he did for the Football Cardinals and St. Louis Rams, have disappeared into the mist.

If a team wants cheerleading, they would do better to follow the lead of the Blues. We have a DJ fire up the crowd with announcements and music from time to time. In-game hosts also do that along the way. And we have actual cheerleaders too. I am allowed to make the announcements important to the game at stoppages in play...or just after a goal or penalty. It's a dignified approach. But, I guess, who cares about dignity anymore?

If I were a Rams fan anymore, I would loathe the idea of attending a game at which somebody screams over the PA system all game long. Maybe that works in LA? Doubt if it would in St. Louis. While they have our former team, and a multi-billion dollar facility in Inglewood, they also have a kindergarten approach to game presentation. Some fans actually come to games to enjoy the sport. 

OK...go ahead and call me "old school".