the honesty I would expect the announcer to have an actual "fan" rooting interest. I'm sure each particular announcer feels he has a different amount of freedom to criticize. They have to worry about balancing their ongoing relationships (with coaches/team/employer) with their honest conclusions. I didn't mean to imply that hometown announcers never criticize. I only meant to say they are almost always rooting for the team and showing greater excitement when their team does well.