If Italy dominating Team USA in the ongoing Pool 8 game wasn’t already painful enough for American fans, the commentary from Joe Davis and John Smoltz seems to have made things even worse. The game is already done, and Italy won 8-6 against a team many expected to contend for the championship.

But interestingly, it’s not just the scoreline that has fans upset more, but a lot of the frustration is being directed at the commentators themselves. And honestly, if you think back, this isn’t the first time Joe Davis and John Smoltz have caught heat from fans for their commentary.

“Joe Davis and John Smoltz, nightmare booth.” One fan shared his honest review of the ongoing commentary.

Fans were already on edge watching Team USA struggle in the game. But the broadcast booth didn’t exactly help calm things down. Reportedly, as the team kept falling behind, emotions ran high, and apparently even Smoltz got caught up in the moment, letting a hard f-bomb slip on air.

And considering how rough the game was for the U.S., a lot of viewers could at least understand where the frustration was coming from.

But the moment also reignited the ongoing criticism surrounding Smoltz and Davis. Over the years, Smoltz has become a pretty polarizing voice as Fox’s lead commentator. But the prime accusation against him is that he leans heavily into the past. He often complains about modern baseball things like analytics, newer strategies, and the decline of traditional small ball.

So, for viewers who enjoy how the game has evolved, that constant criticism can feel a bit exhausting.

Joe Davis catches some heat, too. Since he’s been the voice of the Dodgers since 2016, some fans think his familiarity with the team shows during national broadcasts, leading to accusations that he’s biased.

So when Smoltz and Davis ended up in the booth for the USA vs. Italy game, the reaction from fans was pretty predictable. And with Team USA already having a nightmare performance on the field, the commentary just ended up adding to the frustration for a lot of viewers.

Team USA fans are left unimpressed with the commentary

Fans are wondering what actually let them down during the game. Smoltz and Davis’ commentary or Team USA’s performance? “John Smoltz makes me turn down the volume. “Why is he such a downer?” One fan said. “DON’T SAY THAT JOHN SMOLTZ,” another added.

So, the major issue was using foul words during the commentary. Surely that came out of the heat, considering how Team USA was leaking runs, but fans do expect better commentary. Result? Fans are complaining about the overall experience of the game.

“John Smoltz and Joe Davis chuckling while Team USA gets eliminated before the playoff round,” another user remarked. “John Smoltz at one point or another has used the phrase “thunder in his bat” for every player on the US roster,” another added.

Till the 5th inning, Italy was leading the game 8-0, and an imminent defeat was around the corner. However, as per the fans, Smoltz and Davis are not sounding like anything is happening over the field. And if we recall how baseball fans are sensitive with their team, Smoltz might have played with fire. Moreover, Smoltz’s calling Team USA’s sluggers having thunder in their bat is so contradictory, considering they couldn’t score a single run till the 5th.

Therefore, fans had had enough of the Fox’s commentary panel. “John Smoltz makes everything worse. Change my mind,” one fan said. It was a haunting night for the American fans. The scoreboard went against them. Team USA is now struggling to survive in the WBC. And the commentary failed big time for the fans.