Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between female and male play-by-play and color commentators during women’s ncaa tournament games. The games were recorded from March 21, 2010, to April 7, 2010, and a random sample was extracted from the games recorded for analysis. A content analysis was conducted to analyze the audio commentary by female and male play-by-play and color commentators on nine women’s ncaa tournament telecasts on espn3.com. A Ð2 test of independence was conducted to test three research questions regarding whether comments on female athlete’s athleticism, mental abilities, and team importance would vary by gender of the commentator. The results indicate an evolution on the part of male announcers when commenting on athleticism and team importance that differs from previous studies. Overall, the results of the current study suggest that there is a significant relationship between gender and commentary. Further research investigating the differences of these relationships is recommended.

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