Fellow prominent figure Mike Breen defended the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fox play-by-play man Joe Davis.
Breen defends Joe Davis
Breen is a longtime TV voice for the New York Knicks and ESPN’s lead NBA play-by-play announcer, calling big-time series like the NBA Finals for decades.
During a big conference call on Monday ahead of ESPN’s 2026-2027 NBA coverage, Breen was asked about bias seeping into commentary during a game featuring a broadcaster’s home team or current employer.
The question pointed directly at Davis and his coverage of Dodgers games on Fox.
“You know, it comes with the territory, so you just have to expect it,” Breen said, per Awful Announcing. “I’m glad you brought up Joe Davis because I watch all the baseball games. I am such a Joe Davis fan. I think he’s done an incredible job. I listen to his calls when the Dodgers do things and when the opponent does things. I don’t see any bias at all.
“A couple of years ago — I’m a huge Mets fan, and he did a Dodgers-Mets National League Championship Series. And as a huge Mets fan, I did not notice any bias towards the Dodgers. I think he’s done an incredible job.”
How announcers handle bias accusations
Like the Dodgers in plenty of marquee postseason series, the Knicks made a run to the NBA Finals in 2026, where Breen faced similar accusations of bias when calling the games between New York and the San Antonio Spurs.
Breen chalks it up to being part of the job and something that comes with the territory.
“I heard some of that during the Knicks and the Spurs during the Finals last year, but you just try and do the best you can. I try and get as excited for a big Knicks basket as I did for the Spurs or any other year when the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years, when the Nuggets won their first championship ever. You try and have that same energy.
“The backlash is part of the job, and again, to reiterate, I think Joe Davis has been amazing in the job he’s done.”
Davis is highly regarded in the industry and regularly gets chances to call NFL games and the World Series.
With the Dodgers out of the World Series for the first time in two years, Davis can shut down any bias talk by calling a potentially great World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.
