Another Take on the Steve Phillips Situation
by 
Following the news on Steve Phillips last week I broached the question of what that meant for MLB 2K10. The commentary was probably the only redeeming quality from 2K9 and the duo of Gary Thorne and Phillips was made a big marketing point. After these developments it would appear that 2K would have no choice but to make a change. Still with only four months until release the opportunity to do so is limited and makes it a difficult task.
Owen Good at Kotaku (and also featured on Deadspin) has chimed in on the topic and agrees that he can’t stay in the game as the scandal is too significant to ignore.
Phillips is a recidivist philanderer, and the latest ESPN scandal is top-of-mind for baseball fans. If his only television appearance in 2010 is on a gaming console, it makes his dismissal more conspicuous by half, and it’s 2K’s problem to manage, not ESPN’s.
It would be one thing for Phillips to disappear out of the spotlight now but if he were to show up in 2K10 everything would come back to the surface. 2K would not even be able to advertise their commentary team. We’ll see if 2K is willing to respond to the situation as it would be really interesting to hear what their plan is at this point. If they do respond I’ll have another posting regarding that.
October 29, 2009 at 2:25 pm
totally agree. i wonder who theyll get to do the color commentary now
October 29, 2009 at 9:57 pm
WAT U MEAN? its not like there DEFINITLEY gonna replace him.
October 29, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Because if there's anything negative or petty to report about 2K, you can count on Pasta.
October 29, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Thats right, Pasta really needs to stop making 2K or Steve Phillips do foolish things. Hey Pasta why did you make Phillips do this? Thats biased lol
October 29, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I was the only one out there to criticize EA for putting steroid users on their covers. Shawne Merriman with NFL Tour and Luis Castillo with Madden 08 En Espanol. Doesn't matter the company if the situation is pertinent and worthy of discussion I'll post it. Which has always been the case.
October 29, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Contrary to what you may believe a lot of athletes use performance enhancers. oxygen tanks and lighter and more durable equipment, and unparalleled treatment, are all performance enhancers. Shawn Merriman and Steve Phillips are men and just like any other man they are not perfect. Dwight Howard has a child out of wedlock that he doesn't support does he get taken off of the cover? As long as they are not breaking the law why should it really matter? After all I'm pretty sure half the people on here have tried drugs or drank under aged. We are all men and make mistakes so I say keep him in the game if the game sales will stay the same. But we all know that all of the news outlets will criticize 2K and hurt their sales just to make a BS point.
October 29, 2009 at 2:37 pm
any ideas who they will replace him with?
October 29, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I vote for Lawrence Taylor & Emitt Smith they were both great as commentators for ESPN : )
November 8, 2009 at 12:51 pm
just throwing a crazy one out there- tim mcarver, or jim palmer
October 29, 2009 at 2:38 pm
At the rate they use him probably a second Gary Thorne
October 29, 2009 at 2:40 pm
When I first found out about the Steve Phillips stuff I completely forgot about how he was in the 2K game. I think its cause I wanted to do all I could to forget it.
October 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm
i'll bet tom hammond is available! ::pukes::
October 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm
and pukes
October 29, 2009 at 2:58 pm
3 words MLB THE SHOW 10
October 29, 2009 at 10:01 pm
lol not for 360 owners, HAHA MicroSOFT!
October 29, 2009 at 3:06 pm
agreed
October 29, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I think some of you guys caused pasta to be so biased, and I used to believe he wasn't…but I watched this guy post article after article this week and I have to tell you, anything that wasn't about 2k got little to no comments, and if you don't believe me, go check for yourself. Even the comments from the nba live patch couldn't compare to those of 2ks, even though its already obvious(every except here) that 2k will outsell live. But if you're a 2k fanboy, I wouldn't worry about it too much, this site is only one of thousands, and its too small to make a difference, it might get lucky and sway a hundred people. keyword:might
October 29, 2009 at 3:48 pm
This is so disappointing for Xbox 360 owners. When can we expect a decent baseball game like The Show on Xbox? The Bigs series are good but I am more of a purist looking for a simulation game.
October 29, 2009 at 10:11 pm
im with you on that. but i have ps3!! haha!!!
October 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Again, I suppose its Pasta's fault that the 2K commentator got caught up in this or that the 2K community manager made a foolish public statement. Doesn't make them any less worthy of posting just because they are 2K related.
October 29, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Some of you guys will say anything to stay on pastas good side, as if there was a prize. Don't get me wrong, if you're one of the guys with the yellow "pasta points" i completely understand, after all you've gotta get those points. I'm just glad there's some of us that will speak our own mind, and actually give OUR own opinions. But things like this(so called points system), is almost laughable when it comes to a video game site:
Talk positively about live grants you: thumbs up
Talk positively about pasta grants you: two thumbs up
Talk negatively about 2k grants you: thumbs up
Talk negatively about pasta grants you: two or more thumbs down
Taking a shot at EA grants you: thumbs down
Taking a shot at 2k grants you:two or more thumbs up
*This is correct in 95% of every article, expect some of the pasta followers to argue otherwise, but do YOUR homework.
THUMBS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 29, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Hey dumbass maybe you should know the system before you talk ignorantly about it. This is Intense Debate that has the point system based on number and quality of comments. Anyone with an ID account can rate comments. No surprise that stupid comments get thumbs down and quality ones get thumbs up. Just having an ID account gives you an automatic +1 on the comment to. So there you go.
October 29, 2009 at 5:53 pm
The Intense Debate system is also used on other sites. So you can earn points at those places as well..check this site out: http://www.intensedebate.com/home
How's that for doing homework?
October 29, 2009 at 4:13 pm
You don't want to get on Pasta's bad side. I'll you that right now lol
October 29, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Why, is he supposed to be afraid of the big bad pasta padre, LOL. Be afraid, be very afraid says fred. LMAO!!!!
October 29, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Steve Phillips got on my bad side a few weeks ago and look what happened.
October 29, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Pasta you're an idiot. You're trying to make a non story a story. Who cares its a game. I buy MLB the Show each year but even if MLB the Show had Hitler as their color commentator, i'd still purchase it. Grow up dude and stop trying to bash 2k all the time. I wonder how you never commented on Marv Albert being NBA live despite his sexual incident. Love how you criticize NBA 2k when it comes to working on a patch but yet you praised NBA Live before their patch even came out, despite the fact that the game had bugs. Report some fair reporting, stop trying to sway people one way or the other, no wonder this is just a blog.
October 29, 2009 at 5:31 pm
How is Pasta trying to persuade anyone? All he is doing is pointing out facts. Phillips got fired and the reason he was fired could hurt 2K with potential negative publicity if they keep Phillips in the game.
It's no different when Dan Heatley was replaced as NHL 2004's cover boy after he drove drunk and his friend was killed in an accident.
The Marv Albert situation was along the same ilk but happened years ago. The Philips story is relevant today.
Don't like Pasta's site, don't visit….Simple as pie…
October 29, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I was being sarcastic.
October 29, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Like I said earlier, gotta get those points. LoL, I like how you gave me a thumbs down, is that all, I was hoping for more.LoL
October 29, 2009 at 5:22 pm
What? I didn't give you a thumbs down. I don't even use them. They are pointless.
October 30, 2009 at 7:24 pm
pfft, i always talk shit to him. It's not really shit, just pointing out facts regarding his bias.
I think this is a non issue about Phillips. Wasnt Harold Reynolds fired for basically the same thing, yet picked up by the MLB Network, which is funded by MLB itself? I dont think they will change anything. I dont think they should really.
October 29, 2009 at 9:30 am
MLB 2k series is dead. If it weren’t for the fact that its the only game available for the 360 it would have crashed and burned 2 years ago. I think its high time that 2k free up the MLB License so other, more competent game manufactures ie: EA Sports can make a game. Everyone knows the the Triple Play Series/MVP Baseball from EA was the finest baseball game around.
I just Thank god I am a PS3 owner and I don’t have to worry about it. MLB the show is a gem of a game and I cant wait to see what they put up next year.
October 29, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I agree that MLB 2k sucks but i found it funny how you mentioned that 2k should open the license for more competent companies like EA. You mean the same EA that releases Madden each year, the same EA that barely ever tweaks Madden and just releases subpar game each year since they exclusive rights? I know Madden is popular and thats because Football is the number one sport in this country but the Madden game is by no means close to being the top sports game out there. 2K sports has abused the MLB license just as much as EA abused the NFL license, both franchises are garbage and exclusive right should be done away with. Even if EA obtain the MLB license, they would screw it up like they did with Madden. They need to make open competition on both sports because you're right that MVP baseball was the best baseball franchise out there but NFL 2k was the better football game out there when there wasn't any NFL exclusive license.
October 29, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Nah MVP 2010 would be siiiiiiick. MVP 2005 was one of the best sports games ever, they were heading in the right direction.
November 8, 2009 at 12:56 pm
But EA would have to step up thier game. They know how good the Show is, and Ea wouldn't be satisfied being No 2 in anything,
October 29, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I say with 2K's track record, they will just delete Phillips' commentary just as the did with deleting "Devil" from Devil Rays when the team changed the name.
Pasta, hard to believe that new baseball titles will be out in close to four months? Damn, time flies….I haven't even played MW2 yet….
October 29, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I'd think 2K would look to another ESPN voice to replace Phillips…Rick Sutcliffe maybe?
Although, it wouldn't surprise me if they went back to Miller and Morgan. Ugh.
October 29, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Well looks like another horrible year for 360 baseball
I dream of a day when they resurrect EA's MVP baseball series. MVP 2005 was one of my favorite sports games ever.
October 29, 2009 at 10:21 pm
im with you on that. but i have ps3!! haha!!! u made the choice. anyway if you notice, the 2k9 graphics for mlb look very very similar to MVP 05. thats just sad.
November 8, 2009 at 12:57 pm
eamods.com Mvp 05 with modern rosters.
October 29, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Contrary to what you may believe a lot of athletes use performance enhancers. oxygen tanks and lighter and more durable equipment, and unparalleled treatment, are all performance enhancers. Shawn Merriman and Steve Phillips are men and just like any other man they are not perfect. Dwight Howard has a child out of wedlock that he doesn't support does he get taken off of the cover? As long as they are not breaking the law why should it really matter? After all I'm pretty sure half the people on here have tried drugs or drank under aged. We are all men and make mistakes so I say keep him in the game if the game sales will stay the same. But we all know that all of the news outlets will criticize 2K and hurt their sales just to make a BS point.
October 29, 2009 at 7:15 pm
kinda miss ben brinkman
October 30, 2009 at 1:41 am
Brinkman was hired by 2K to do 2K7, 2K8 and 2K9. Part of a 3-year plan.
However, Brinkman left after 2K8 and Visual concepts took over for 2K9.
October 29, 2009 at 8:13 pm
You cant keep him in the game for the sole reason that it would make the game inaccurate. Steve Philips is no longer and MLB broadcaster, plain and simple. I agree with the notion that they will simpley delete his commentary from the game and just run with Morgan and Miller.
October 30, 2009 at 2:47 am
Just like Steve Kerr is doing NBA Live???
GTFOH!! You puppet!!!
MLB 2K10 will be another great game from 2K.
It’s all the skilless peons who whine about it because they lack the skill to actually learn the game.
October 30, 2009 at 12:28 am
guys DON'T care about Phillips cheating on his wife with a co-worker, who turned out to be psycho…i seriously, think this topic is overblown…if the David Letterman fiasco was able to blow over so quickly, and he was able to continue working with a minimal, if any, drop in ratings (viewership)…then i definitely don't think that 2K's association with Phillips is anything to worry about…the guy isn't exactly a big-name outside of the baseball world…if you can put a convicted rapist and nutjob on the cover of Fight Night (Tyson), i definitely don't see how Phillips is going to hurt sales or create problems for 2K…especially when the release is what, six months away?
if the game had ESPN ties, then i could see there being a problem, but as that has been done away with in recent years…i fail to see the argument here…people do embarrassing things all the time…and if anything, sports/video game/movie/music fans have shown to be VERY forgiving as long as they get their quality medium…
October 30, 2009 at 1:48 am
I think this is where t daley's argument comes into play though…he will most likely not be broadcasting baseball in 2010. This is an issue of realism.
Unfortunately, 2K baseball games have thrown realism to the side (every game was a home run derby in MLB 2K9 until a patch dropped, the well-documented changing of wall sizes in ballparks to ad space for ads).
October 29, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Mlb sux. Not goin back after this years game!
October 30, 2009 at 2:57 am
I hope Phillips keeps bangin' other women. Debauchery is the new black.