“It’s like they think their pay will be docked if they close their mouths for two seconds.”
If they stop talking then a lot of people will get to concentrate on the game for once and realize just how boring it really is and they might stop watching.
My initial hatred of announcers came from watching American football. They are by far the worst. Maybe you're right about the reason.
BTW, German announcers doing soccer aren't as bad. And overall racing announcers aren't as bad as the games played on fields. Golf announcers annoy me with their whisper voices, trying to add tension and excitement to the most boring pro game on the planet.