WCSN-location of commentator? Dwight Stones?

Video Producer wrote:

American audiences want American oriented commentary, so we cannot pipe in British or other english speaking feeds.

...and, I believe that this comment is also way off the mark. We happen to be fans of a sport that is truly international. I'm not talking about the jingoistic, every four years let's cheer on 'our' Americans. For the true fan, it's the performance that counts not the performer. Everyone was psyched yesterday when the Rome 5000 times were posted. It was amazing that there were ten under 13 minutes but the American fan was also happy for Ritz running 13:16 or :17. Try explaining to the average baseball, (U.S.)football, 'Dream Team' fan that it's really a good performance even though he was only 14th or whatever place he got. Track/Athletics fans would be raving about Harmut Weber or Bert Cameron runnng the times (in their day) that Wariner is running now. It's the effort and performance that's recognized. It doesn't matter much what country the performer's from. If it's a U.S. guy, great...but that doesn't mean that Geb doesn't get just as many kudos for what he's done.

It's how it's been forever. I don't make the rules. I just work here ;-) Many viewers just switch the channel by reflex, when a foreign accent is heard whether it's Indian-English, Australian-English, or Welsh-English, etc. If it's free nobody complains. If they pay as little as a dollar, then people bitch if you don't show Alice Schmidt's fur on the tube. There are so many more variables affecting quality coverage theses days. All media companies of various forms are being squeezed by the internet and digital technology. Everything is so cheap and mostly free these days. The price is so low, the availability and demand is so great, for high quality sports apparel directly from sources in 3rd world countries, that soon the major sports apparel sponsors that we depend on will be history. We will have to find new sponsors in a sport that is very frugal and cheap.

So why does coverage of the TdF use Phil Liggett, why did ESPN have Tommy Smyth covering the football WC (although Smyth isn't fit to clean Liggett's boots)

You ask yourself why MLB, NCAA, NFL, NBA, etc. have few or no foreign announcers. I don't know why. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

If I'm channel surfing and I see Track & Field Coverage on the TV - I could care less what language is being spoken - just show me a lot of the race that is currently up and fill with field events and/or show live field events when there is down time between the actual races. Is it really that hard?!?!?!?

Have a running time at the bottom of the screen- give some splits, etc. at the bottom of the screen. I don't need anymore than that. Same goes with the field events - when an athlete is up at the bottom of the screen - have their jumps/throws/etc completed so far and their current standing, current international standing/ranking, the meet record, and world record. That would be more information then we ever get from any announcer - and would free up more money for better editing of the video that is shot- and more often then not - NOT SHOWN!

The issue is not really DS, but the guys feeding the annoucer with information. Perhaps DS had no assistance. These guys are cheap. There are so many T&F stats geeks who know all the athletes numbers, mothers, h.s. coach, steroid dealer, what magical cup of joe they order at Starbucks, etc. I didn't watch the meet that DS stumbled on WCSN so I don't know what WCSN or the independent producer setup. The announcers for the most part are just talking heads. They have to have people feed them real-time data, and tell them what's going on, whether at the meet, or if not budgeted, remotely from L.A. The bottom line is we are limited by financial variables and the coverage quality directly reflects that. You get what you pay for. We are not the IAAF, which flew in, housed, and filled 1/10 of the seats at Helsinki (all the seats at the finish line) with 'IAAF Family' dignitaries from national federations and mucky mucks. We don't have that kind of money. Sorry.

In the end, Dwight Stones isn\\\'t nearly as good as he thinks he is. If you ever get to know him, truly one of the biggest pricks in our sport on the American scene.

His \\\"know it all\\\" comments often showed how little he knows compared to what he thinks he does.

"You ask yourself why MLB, NCAA, NFL, NBA, etc. have few or no foreign announcers. I don't know why. That's just the way the cookie crumbles."

Isn't obvious? For the most part, those sports don't exist outside of the US. Sure, basketball is popular in many areas of the world, but the professional league in question takes place entirely within the US (with the occasional Canadian team).

Athletics, on the other hand, is a truly global sport, reaching every inhabited continent and hundreds of nations. I cannot see track fans (or even sports fans in general) tuning out because the knowledgable and talented announcer happens to speak with a British accent.

The BBC has done well to get Michael Johnson in their booth -- why not swing the door both ways?

The American T.V. audience and the American T&F audience in particular is "American". They want to see coverage of their fellow country men and women. Just look at letsrun and notice all the rave in the distances about lincoln, ritz, webb, hall, lukezic, tollefson, fleshman, sara babe, drossin, when the real world stars are kenyans and ethiopians. People see themselves and hear themselves and want confirmation from T.V. That's the way it is in every country I've been to as well. People have substituted their grandparents stupid wars, with sports, and are still generally extremely nationalistic. Personally I could care less either way. I like everybody.

I understand that Americans want to hear about Americans. What some of us are disputing is that they would rather hear subpar commentary from Americans than superior commentary from non-Americans.

Video Producer wrote:

You ask yourself why MLB, NCAA, NFL, NBA, etc. have few or no foreign announcers. I don't know why. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Like Mobile9 asks/states 'Isn't it Obvious?' You don't know why? You don't know why?? Now I have to question your sincerity in this discussion. You use 4 predominately American sports and then add 'etc.'. Well in this case what's etc.? Soccer has 'accented' announcers, golf too. If I'm not mistaken, Jackie Stewart was an auto-racing announcer. Noticing any kind of connection here? International sports vs. American-only sports. The next time you're producing something, take the time to notice the announcer. If he/she has no accent and gives shoddy reporting, take it to the bank that the audience will not like the announcer's work. If the announcer does have an accent and does a good job, the audience will embrace and congratulate that announcer. I have to assume that, if you're participating in a track and field message board, you have an interest in T&F. Ask yourself...Would you rather hear a bad 'american' announcer of a good 'accented' one calling a meet?

Email WCSN and tell them. I don't know what the production arrangements were like. Perhaps someone didn't show up because of the L.A. freeway traffic. Like everybody freaked at Helsinki when Dan didn't show up til the last minute. Be aware that the technology is dramatically changing as we speak. Linux video servers purchased last December will be 1/4 the cost by early next year. Internet backbone capacity is increasing so fast you can expect to have available 100,000 HDTV-2 quality T.V. channels on your home computer in a few years. With 3G cellular, TV shows can be watched on cell phones, and YOU personally will be able to shoot road races, ultras, track meets, hot dog eating contests, and uplink real-time streams to video servers and show them to a worldwide audience. We'll see how *your* commentary is ;-) Whether the WCSN business model can compete in this new world remains to be seen. Certainly independent video producers are watering at the mouth ;-)

I just have a general comment about the whole issue. I think from years of experience with Dwight that he is a complete idiot. He makes comments that are completely off base. For example I was watching the 96 Olympics during the LJ and the Great Carl Lewis catches a huge jump and all Dwight has to say is that Carl sneaked a peak at the board. Who cares if you jump 27, 28 feet who cares if you look at the board. Keep your mouth shut.

I'm going out on a limb but everyone who watched the WCSN feed is a true track fan. I'm sure we can count on one hand the number of Joe Blow sports fans that have signed up the the Golden League webcast. That being said I would prefer the British announcer from earlier meets. More insightful, a breath of fresh air. Dwight did the best he could and I commend him for that but I couldn't believe he didn't know the winner of the W800. Dwight the only people watching the webcast are true fans so you have to bring your A game.

DE wrote:I'm going out on a limb but everyone who watched the WCSN feed is a true track fan. I'm sure we can count on one hand the number of Joe Blow sports fans that have signed up the the Golden League webcast.

Hear, hear. How many of us don't even know French but watched the Lausanne meet anyway? And how many of us get BBC America on our cable package? This "we only want Americans" stuff is BS as far as niche sports go, else Phil Ligget would be out of a job.

DE wrote:Dwight did the best he could and I commend him for that but I couldn't believe he didn't know the winner of the W800. Dwight the only people watching the webcast are true fans so you have to bring your A game.

Our complaint is that he DID bring his "A game" and simply isn't capable of any better. The people who were feeding him info did let him down, but he also simply didn't do his homework. When I announce just a little local HS meet, I do a lot of prep work. It's inexcusable to not have the ARs down on paper, and not to know that there was an athlete in the race capable of breaking it. ANY time a record can go, you must be on top of it before you turn on the mike.

Hello?

Dwight Stones doesn't do his homework. You really need to remember the key element here... Dwight thinks he already knows it all.

Good point.

Video Producer. If Jack Buck is doing a remote on track meet it is not from earth. The man is dead.

cattleman wrote:

Video Producer. If Jack Buck is doing a remote on track meet it is not from earth. The man is dead.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!