Joe Buck (Courtesy Fox Sports)
Fox Sports is obviously biased this World Series. It clearly wants one team to win. Just which team it’s biased toward depends on who you ask. Or who you read on Twitter.
Now, anyone in the TV business will tell you this is silly. The only thing Fox Sports is rooting for is a close, seven-game series. It wants a big audience that watches long games and brings in lots of advertising revenue.
Still, Indians fans think announcer Joe Buck is pulling for the Cubs. But why? Buck used to call games for the Cubs’ rivals – the Cardinals (as did his father), so there’s not even a baseball rivalry reason why he’d want the Cubs to win. Still, this:
BREAKING NEWS: Joe Buck and Kyle Schwarber look forward to HAPPILY eloping after this #WorldSeries ! #TribeMania pic.twitter.com/riSGAiEjIn
— Aaron Holmes (@aholmes825) October 27, 2016
Joe Buck when he talks about the @Cubs during the #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/PqcPIoH9YN — Daniel Strain (@strain326) October 31, 2016
And there’s the wedding registry someone created at Bed, Bath and Beyond for Joe Buck and Cubs player Kyle Schwarber. Over on the Cubs fans’ side, there is some anti-Fox anger, too. Some of them think Buck and his crew want a Tribe win:
I realize Joe Buck grew up a Cardinals fan rooting against the Cubs but MLB & Fox need to step in. Guy is clearly cheering for the Indians.
— CubWin (@CubWin) October 26, 2016
Joe Buck is the worst announcer. Hyping up the Indians from the start — Payton Dudley (@pduds) October 26, 2016
We fielded a highly scientific poll on Twitter during the game, asking fans if they thought Fox was biased toward the Cubs or the Indians. (Ed. note: Next time include “Neither.”) The results there? People voted 83% to 17% that there was a pro-Cubs conspiracy. (The sample size was 18, so science that!) It should be noted that Buck has heard these complaints before. So much so, that his Twitter bio even acknowledges it: 
Of course, there are some clear heads. I suspect this is the best description of the phenomenon:
My Twitter followers are split right down the middle on who Joe Buck roots for. They’re 100% in agreement that it’s not for their team.
— Dave Choate (@DaveChoate) October 31, 2016