Is Yankee booth for homers? YES!

Happy Anniversary?

As the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network’s 10th anniversary on March 19 approaches, it’s a question that must be asked after its president, Tracy Dolgin, described YES as a “homer network.”

His description, which appeared in the middle of a feature story on YES in Newsday, confirms what we’ve been saying about Al Yankzeera since it debuted in 2002. Yet by calling YES a “homer network,” Dolgin also cavalierly threw YES voices — who have vehemently disagreed with us for years — under the bus.

Ladies and gentlemen of YES, think about it: Your own boss — not some bald columnist — is calling you a bunch of cardcarrying, pinstriped pom-pom wavers. Dolgin ain’t mincing words. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.

Unfortunately for Dolgin, the foundation of his theory is built on a book of soggy match sticks. He justifies his conclusion by saying all regional sports networks are on the air for the sole purpose of serving up home cooking. His theory is not only debateable, it’s not true. It’s a lie.

Look at the past. Before Cablevision purchased the Madison Square Garden Network, MSGN was highly critical of the Knicks and Rangers. This criticism led to numerous internal debates between team officials and MSG Network suits. Realizing MSGN would be a more entertaining/credible product if it were independent, the feuding executives found a way to co-exist without muzzling the network.

All you have to do is go back and look at the work of Marv Albert (Knicks), John Davidson (Rangers) and Bob Page (Sports Desk) to see that this particular regional sports network never pulled its punches.

A current example is SportsNet New York. People who work in the TV sports industry (including some YES voices), and those who cover it, have noted the independent approach taken by SNY’s Mets voices Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez and Gary Cohen. Much of SNY’s on-air success has been attributed to their strong, unvarnished opinions, which are often at odds with Mets brass.

Freewheeling voices, who are paid by teams, can also be heard on the radio side. Like the Giants Radio Network. Carl Banks and Bob Papa will never be accused of being cheerleaders.

“I use the word ‘homer’ proudly, as opposed to a journalist fearing that word,” Dolgin told Newsday. “When you are watching a game (on YES), I’m very proud to say we’re rooting for the home team on our air.”

We’re sure Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, John Flaherty, David Cone and the rest of YES’ voices (and executive producer John Filippelli as well) are absolutely thrilled to hear their boss say that one of the skillsets he appreciates most is their unique ability to root “for the home team on our air.”

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