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After doing the World Series for Fox for the fourth year in a row, Joe Davis proudly declared that he was “fortunate to call” the game. But this time, the moment that should have made him look more credible has instead drawn him into controversies. From fans accusing him of being biased towards the Dodgers to now, the voice from the Padres has thrown him under the bus. Why? Well, for hosting the winning Parade in L.A. The firestorm erupted after Davis appeared at the Dodgers’ World Series victory parade, barely a few days after calling the final game. There he was, front and center at Dodger Stadium, shaking hands with players like Shohei Ohtani and celebrating alongside the championship team. A perfect moment, the Dodgers’ play-by-play announcer hosting the parade, but his role wasn’t just that, especially after being one of the voices in the Fall Classic. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Chris Russo, the longtime sports radio personality known for his passionate takes, didn’t hold back. “When you’re a national broadcaster and you’re the voice of the sport on a big stage, and then they, in one of the crippling losses that a franchise is going to have in the history of the sport, that’s as bad a loss as you’re ever going to have,” Russo said. “And I got Joe basically, the body’s not even cold yet, and I got Joe at Dodger Stadium doing a freaking Dodger parade. Oh my God, that’s bad.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Russo went further, claiming Davis had shown obvious favoritism throughout the series. “He’s supposed to be right down the middle. Obviously, he’s rooting his a– off for the Dodgers in the World Series,” he continued. Russo criticized Davis’s final call and his decision to focus on Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in moments that felt disconnected from the broader national audience. “That’s wrong, and that’s not the way you do it,” Russo insisted, suggesting the Dodgers should have told Davis to skip the parade given his role as the series’ voice. The man who had just called the series as a supposedly neutral national broadcaster was now visibly celebrating with one of the teams he had covered. The timing felt off, especially given how devastating the loss was for Toronto. The criticism carries extra weight given Russo’s background. Known as “Mad Dog” for his fiery on-air persona, Russo has built a career on controversial opinions that spark debate. Just weeks before, Russo landed in hot water with ESPN after implying colleague Jessica Mendoza was involved when he took a cannabis gummy before appearing on First Take. Later, he admitted that he “got in trouble” for dragging her into the situation. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports And let’s not forget, he’s also a noted San Francisco Giants fan, and the Giants-Dodgers rivalry runs deep. So, does his outrage stem partly from that longtime animosity rather than pure sympathy for Blue Jays fans? Well, only he knows! ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Davis, who took over as Fox’s MLB voice from Joe Buck in 2022, showed in this World Series that the limelight isn’t just limited to players or the skippers. The announcers are also being watched more closely in a time when every word and action is amplified. And it wasn’t Russo alone who trashed his actions; the other voices weren’t quite happy either. Critics question the call during the Games A lot of people in the baseball world weren’t happy with Joe Davis’s coverage of the World Series, which added to the criticism that Chris Russo started. Their reactions showed they were concerned about correctness and paying attention to detail. “Awesome Game 6.” Bill Simmons said on X, “And kudos to Davis and Smoltz for mentioning Joe Carter 2300 times in the past hour but never mentioning how Barger inexplicably drifted off second and got nailed for the final out.” “Kind of an important moment!” The Ringer founder was upset because he thought Davis and John Smoltz should have pointed out Addison Barger’s terrible baserunning mistake in a play that decided the game. That’s not it! Reggie Jackson, a Hall of Famer, felt the same way and wondered if Davis knew enough about baseball history. “The guy b-casting now on World Series. What’s his name, I know Smoltzy. How’s he say Muncey has the same postseason HRs as Ruth?? … get it right, please .” He called Davis’s comment “embarrassing” and said that Ruth and Mantle’s World Series figures were not comparable to present postseason stats. Both point to a bigger problem: audiences want national broadcasters to mix accuracy with emotion. If you leave out important information or get facts wrong, you could lose a fan base that knows a lot about the subject. For veterans like Simmons and Jackson, these kinds of mistakes ruin the realness that makes baseball’s biggest moments last forever.
