Memo To All Sports Networks: Please Stop With All Of The Crazy Gimmicks
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I mean seriously....a dog almost died last night. Do you want that on your shoulders FOX Baseball? A dead Bulldog??? I didn't think so.
But seriously, networks....less is always more. Forget the Who's Now type gimmicks for a moment (those actually might make some revenue), and let's talk about the Kayaks, The Camermen with ADD, and the Desperate Housewives' Stars in the booth.
When is enough, enough? Do you understand how much you are detracting from the game??? From USA Today....
“Why do directors cut away from stuff viewers want to see? Fox's quick trigger ruined an intriguing moment during the All-Star Game ceremony honoring Willie Mays. As the "Say Hey Kid" walked toward center field, viewers saw Barry Bonds reach from behind to hold his hand. Mays, 76, looked startled. What happened next? Who knows? Fox cut to a woman clapping in the upper deck. The camera returned a few seconds later. But the moment was gone, and the two weren't holding hands.”Mike McCarthy is dead on with this assessment, and it happens all the time. The most recent trend is for cameramen to get a shot of the coaches shaking hands as a team wins a Championship.
I DON'T F'ING CARE ABOUT THE COACH!!!!!!!!! No one does. I want to see the players dogpiling and celebrating on the field. And without Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore ruinating it!
I understand that you have to do things for sponsors like the "Taco Bell Hit This Ball Off A Tee For A Homerun And Win A Million Dollars" thing. That's fine. But when you blur out your Homerun Derby contest for 10 seconds because someone holds up a sign that reads, "Joe Buck Sucks" (true story....reader RigginsO was watching the game on MLB.com at the time).....then I have a problem.
Just let what happens at the game and in the crowd speak for itself. I don't care about Kenny Mayne or Eric Byrnes in a kayak. I don't care about Erin Andrews sliding down Bernie's slide in Milwaukee (okay maybe a little bit). And I definitely don't care who the hell the producers and grips are when the National League is finally starting to make the game interesting!!!
What I do care about is the little girl picking her nose when going to commercial, the interview of Willie Mays by Jeter and Griffey, the Ichiro inside the park homer that you almost missed as Byrnes' dog swam to Alcatraz, and the Say Hey Kid moment in the outfield that you cut away from.
I think Sarah from Strike Zones and Endzones sums it up best.....
"I understand that there are a lot of sensitivities to this situation. I also know that networks have corporate suits and advertisers to answer to but it’s the media’s job to show real life reactions. It’s what makes live television so appealing. It’s also what makes media outside mainstream media (like blogs) so valuable and why there is a constant MSM/Blogger battle*. When you’re done watching what the MSM wants you to see, head to the internet to see what they wouldn’t show you."Which is why I now bring you Eric Byrnes almost killing his dog in McCovey Cove while Ichiro makes history!!!!
What They Wouldn't Show You (Strikezones and Endzones)
TV REVIEW: Excitement of game overshadowed Fox's effort (SF Gate)
Networks take bold steps to offer all-access viewing (USA Today)
11 Comments:
Not that you'd ever want to, but you should check out Canadian network coverage of Raptors games. I'd say they miss at least 10-15% of game play while they're trying to get a close up of the guy who just made a basket, or show the crowd clapping or some other useless crap. Nevermind the replays. They're completely incapable of showing a game where both teams play uptempo offense. I find myself begging for them to cut from the crowd shot so I can see TJ Ford pushing the ball up the court.
FYI - I particulary enjoy it at the end of the clip when Buck opens his can of enthusiasm. What an a-hole.
adding insult to injury, as ichiro rounds the bases, all FOX gave us was a nice shot of the expanse of outfield grass between griffey and the baseball. in effect, during a history making play in a baseball game, niether, the runner, nor the fielder, nor the ball, was on the screen. bravo, FOX, bravo.
I enjoyed the dog interlude. I found it to be the most interesting part of the All-Star festivities.
I say give that dog his own show.
Gotta get Berman or Kruk in the kayak. They just got to.
Also, Bruin the bulldog was outstanding. He hightailed it out there, he definitely sensed Ichiro's inside the park HR that happened just seconds later.
i live out in the southwest..i watch games on mlb on my pc...i have listened to some of the worst announcing atlanta,san diego..i noticed that places where the fans are fairweather they don't even bother to call balls and strikes..places like detroit,chicago ,philly they call em but its like there annoyed to even let you know whats going on in the game...fox is the worst..and when i was growing up tim mcCarver was a decent announcer...scary yeah i watched the ichiro thing last night and thought wheres the shot of him running the bases...they also seemed to not see where the ball landed too...
Loved it when they did the personality profiles of Ortiz and Utley during the at bats of Morneau and Hudson. Good move.
But seriously, I mean seriously, why did you seriously think about the game, seriously?
Seriously though, has anyone heard of East Coast Bias?
Seriously? Me either.
And why did? Do you mean WHAT did???
they weren't even close to missing ichiro's homer ... are you kidding me? what are you talking about?
For some reason, Eric Byrnes with a microphone reminds me of Pepper from Dodgeball