Anyone seeking employment will agree; it’s tough out there. Economic uncertainty has led to a decline in hiring and popularized the term “job huggers” to describe workers who are “holding on to their jobs for dear life.”
Sports broadcasters have always been considered job huggers. Even in the best times, survival is challenging. Employment status can change on a whim, and much of it is beyond their control. Doing their best can improve their chances, but there are no guarantees. The owner, the front office, or the network may prefer someone else behind the microphone. Once a decision has been made, there’s usually little recourse.
The instability of the broadcasting industry has become more evident recently when The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli reported that the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network decided not to renew the contract of Baltimore Orioles play-by-play announcer Geoff Arnold.
The decision not to bring back Arnold is curious. He’s an award-winning broadcaster, named the 2023 Maryland Sportscaster of the Year. He was also a finalist last year for the Florida Marlins’ TV play-by-play job. Also, earlier this month, he was named one of Front Office Sports’ 26 play-by-play announcers to watch.
After Ghiroli broke the story on X, the announcement of Arnold’s exit was met with disappointment. Arnold had been associated with MASN and was featured in a 2020 story by The Athletic when he was initially hired at the age of 32.
In a recent post on X, Arnold responded to the outpouring of support by writing: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out today via call, text or social media it really means a lot! I’m very thankful to the team for six great years of broadcasting Orioles baseball. Sometimes things in this industry don’t always go as you expect them to go, but life is a wild adventure and the next great thing is usually around the corner.”
That’s a classy response to a difficult situation. Arnold is taking the high road, likely because he knows how difficult it is to get one of these coveted jobs. Being an unemployed broadcaster is a special kind of hell. Opportunities at the highest level are scarce, as individuals in those roles often cling to them for as long as they can. When a job does open up, the competition is fierce. If you’re not on a team’s radar early, you probably don’t have a chance.
As bad as things are today for sports broadcasters, the situation could deteriorate further with the possibility of an MLB lockout in 2027. The Athletic reported that several teams could scale back operations with a potential work stoppage looming after next season.
If so, that’s an unfortunate, harsh reality. Losing your job through no fault of your own is particularly painful. Hopefully, Arnold is right and that something great is in his immediate future.
As Ghiroli summed up about sports broadcasting on TikTok: “It is a completely unfair business.”
@britt_ghiroli Sports media is a great job and a brutal biz. #sportsmedia #orioles #sportsbroadcasting ♬ original sound – BrittGhiroli
About Michael Grant
Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.