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Orioles Announcers Possess Varying Degrees of Expertise on Kendrick Lamar-Drake Beef

Stephen Douglas

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Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald called Sunday's Baltimore Orioles-Cincinnati Reds game on MASN. The away team crushed the home Reds, 11-1, leaving plenty of opportunity for Kevin Brown to really explore the space. By the time Adley Rutschman singled in the seventh inning, Brown was referencing the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef.

"Gets a piece! Flares it over De La Cruz, which is basically like hitting a ball over a skyscraper! And Ramon scores on the RBI single. He's got more hits this week than Kendrick Lamar."

This reference was met with complete silence before McDonald said, "I know there's a joke in there somewhere." Without missing a beat Brown shot back that the reference, "went over your head just like it went over De La Cruz's."

Brown surely cannot be surprised that McDonald didn't get it. Just last season he had to explain to McDdonald who blink-182 was. Expecting a guy who apparently missed out on mainstream music culture over the last two decades to know who is involved in the latest rap beef seems unlikely. The man isn't even stay up to date on ice cream flavors.

Along those same lines, Brown did the audience a disservice by not asking McDonald if he has ever heard of Drake. In fact, he should probably make it a point of emphasis to see how many times he can make a popular culture reference that McDonald doesn't get. The Orioles currently have one of the best records in baseball and own the best run differential in the American League. There should be plenty of low stakes late game situations to really get creative.

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Stephen Douglas

STEPHEN DOUGLAS