Sports stars take commentator jobs at Asiad

Park Chan-ho

By Kwon Ji-youn

Korea’s first U.S. major leaguer Park Chan-ho is back. This time, the retired pitcher will not be on the mound, but instead behind the microphone as a commentator.

He will be on the front lines in a fierce battle among local television networks preparing to lure viewers with star commentators during the upcoming Incheon Asian Games.

“I will do my utmost to provide a vivid account of the national team’s pursuit of gold based on my experience as a national team member,” he said Tuesday.

Park, who retired in 2012, will join former Kia Tigers outfielder and former LG Twins manager Lee Soon-chul in the SBS commentators’ booth while his achievements are still fresh in the public’s mind.

The nation’s three major broadcasters SBS, MBC and KBS, have scouted former and active sports heroes to provide commentary during the event, which is slated for Sept. 19-Oct. 4.

Last week, KBS held a welcoming ceremony for its Asiad media personnel.

They included female archer Ki Bo-bae, who topped the podium at the 2012 London Olympics, and taekwondo gold-medalist Cha Dong-min. Though young, at 26 and 28, respectively, they are expected to provide fresh observations that recall their own recent medal hunts.

Following a successful commentary debut at the Brazil World Cup, Lee Young-pyo will again feature in coverage of football games for KBS during the Asiad.

The former Tottenham Hotspurs defender, who retired last year, has successfully developed his career as a commentator, winning credibility during the World Cup for his accurate predictions, sharp calls and blunt analysis.

KBS also selected handball legend Yoon Kyung-shin, former baseball player Lee Yong-cheol and Olympic silver-medalist gymnast Yeo Hong-chul for the Asiad.

MBC will stick with World Cup commentators Ahn Jung-hwan and Song Jong-gook for football coverage. Ahn and Song, both former star players who contributed to Korea’s fourth-place finish in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, will be joined by sports broadcaster Kim Sung-joo.

Having sports stars as commentators is nothing unusual for broadcasters, which spare no effort in trying to increase their viewership.

But experts say that the phenomenon became more noticeable around 2000 with Korean sports starts shining in overseas competitions and leagues.

“This is when the public began focusing on stars like celebrated golfer Park Se-ri and Park Chan-ho, who were reaping international success. The 2002 World Cup really became a turning point ― that is when broadcasters became fully aware of how important such international sporting events were to overall viewership,” said culture critic Ha Jae-keun.

But the competition to employ sports stars got fiercer this year. For example, each major broadcaster sent some 60 to 80 media personnel to Sochi, Russia, for Winter Olympics coverage. That is three times the usual number sent to cover the Winter Games.

This has led to concerns that such a focus on celebrity-status commentators may backfire, as sports stars often are not so professional outside their area of expertise.

“Looking back at the Brazil World Cup, most of the commentary fell short of the public’s expectations,” Ha said. “They weren’t as professional as they once had been. Broadcasters and commentators alike have to be careful not to let them become entertainment shows.”