On another thread someone noted that OLN showed as much in an hour as CBS does in 2 1/2 hours- very true. Another lesson to learn- show the freaking meet.
Although, Visa may want a little air time at the local Middle School; if that brings the sponsor's $ in then we can give a little.
Video Producer wrote:
Keep up the pressure. You may get what you want, better announcing. The number of video feeds, audio feeds, camera positions, spotters, grips, etc. are limited by money. Budget determines the quality of coverage, simple arithmetic of projected expenses set off by receivables from sponsors, advertisers, meet directors and the federations.
This is an excuse. It's bullshit.
Even the well-funded telecasts that come along every four years have very much the same low-level announcing/announcers.
Instead of trying to impress us with your knowledge, acknowlegge the fact that these announcers (all of them) are bad choices.
That's the ticket. The fat cats just wanna get fatter. Dwight Stones sounds great on NBC when he has a dozen stats geeks feeding him information. If Bob Costas worked a lone meet he'd sound like a dunce too. People who pay a measely $5 on WCSN complain like hell don't do anything to support T&F, such as pick up a video camera and submit meets on YouTbe, they just bitch from their basement t.v. room when everything isn't perfect. Screw you cheap do-nothings.
It's not about money or hierarchy stats on hand or who do you know. It's about loving the sport that you commentate and expressing that into a microphone. It's realizing you don't show up to work for just a paycheck. It's happening in Europe but not on ESPN, NBC, or CBC.
You are so full of shit. What have you done for T&F. Where are your credits. What shows have you done. Which interviews have you conducted, articles written, books authored, results gathered, pictures published. Show me your credits, URLs. You don't know jack. All you do is bitch.
Right On wrote:
You are so full of shit. What have you done for T&F. Where are your credits. What shows have you done. Which interviews have you conducted, articles written, books authored, results gathered, pictures published. Show me your credits, URLs. You don't know jack. All you do is bitch.
You will love it in my country!
I agree with this completely. Especially number 2.
faithful viewer wrote:
So I took some notes for the ESPN2 crew to work with:
1. Excitement!
You're commentating at the highest level of the sport and your voices should reflect it. Note the tone of seriousness when introducing the competitors. They aren't stumbling over pronunciations for godsakes; the elite athletes should be as familiar as starting quarterbacks in the NFL. As the race unfolds the voice builds in layers; normal cadence and volume at the outset leading up to quickening in delivery. You are shouting by the last few seconds of the race. I wanted to hand the commentator a towel at the conclusion of the race.
2. Play-by-play, not human interest
I really don't care what the Visa Champions are doing at the local middle school during the race. Likewise, I don't need to be made aware of a comparison at my local track, etc. These athletes are 100 levels above the viewer, no comparison necessary. I already appreciate what they are doing. Can you imagine Dwyane Wade's feats being related by telling me to imagine jumping over 2 of my couches stacked together or some nonsense? I also don't care what Dwyane Wade does off the court; if I did I'd google it. Just describe his actions in an enthusiastic way.
3. Knowledge of the Events and Athletes
As mentioned earlier, stumbling over pronunciation is unacceptable. As is not understanding when splits are incredibly fast or slow, when an athlete is breaking from their normal trend. Think about the staff of any NFL, NBA, or MLB broadcast. They know so much about their sport that the strategy speak usually goes slightly over my head. This NEVER happens with ESPN track broadcasts. The Rome men's 1500 was such a good example. The announcers were about to blow a gasket when the pace rolled 51, 1:48, 2:46. Dwight had little to say about it, and didn't understand the consequences of it. The OLN crew was right on top, recognizing that the rabbits had gone too fast, and the leaders would be fading down the stretch, but the fact that WR pace was on deserved to be recognized.
4. Historical References
The lore of the sport must be maintained. For example, the Carter/Wariner matchup should be built up by mentioning the athletes backgrounds and a little reference to the 19.32, 19.63, 43.91, and the 43.18. OLN had some good references to El G and to some old field event things.
So in conclusion, you all (ESPN2 track crew) seem like nice people who are enthusiastic about your jobs. You just need to tighten up your product... a lot. This isn't roller hockey filling air time on ESPN2, it's the greatest sport in the world.
Fantastic voyage... Now everyone email Nike, Adidas, Asics, GM, AT&T, Tyson Chicken, Toyota, Gaz De France, Omega, Reebok, Oracle, Home Depot, ING, LaSalle Bank, Epson, and Seiko and get them to advertise and sponsor the broadcasts, and we will have the shows you want. A piece of cake. Report back here on this thread with progress reports. The crew is enthusiastic and waiting in L.A. ready to go when you have all the funding confirmed. Thanks for all the hard work. We appreciate it.
There is a commentator that beats Larry hands down.
Don Whittman the CBC (Canadian B.C.) head commentator of track events. He mispronouces competitors names something awfull.
Last year he identified Ramzi as being from Burundi.
Guess what? last Saturday he did it again a couple of times.
Unexcusable when commentating from a studio in Toronto a day after the meet.
Right On wrote:
You are so full of shit. What have you done for T&F. Where are your credits. What shows have you done. Which interviews have you conducted, articles written, books authored, results gathered, pictures published. Show me your credits, URLs. You don't know jack. All you do is bitch.
What you have are a small group of media people who are elbow-deep into the sport who've developed a comfort level that is resistant to change. People like Sir Walt Murphy and Garry S. Hill, who tend to over-personalize any criticism about the way they go about their business. I'd venture the above comment was made by an influential decision-maker, because that's the usual response.
The "what have you done for T & F?" question is how typically they throw back any constructive criticism. If you examine the attitudes of many of our sport's power brokers, that's exactly what you'll see. Enacting change might lower their comfort level, so why bother? Life is good. Carol, Dwight, and Larry have been part of the family for 20+ years and no one is going to pull the plug on them. It is absolutely unthinkable.
Who have YOU interviewed? What have YOU done for the sport? What results have YOU gathered?
Translation: Let me bluster my way through this. It's always worked before.
I was too busy watching Natalie Gublis loose the Jamie Farr LPGA event in sudden death. Overtime with just Natalie, (and the South Korean woman).
Losing never looked so good.
rty.y8/. wrote:
What you have are a small group of media people who are elbow-deep into the sport who've developed a comfort level that is resistant to change. People like Sir Walt Murphy and Garry S. Hill, who tend to over-personalize any criticism about the way they go about their business. I'd venture the above comment was made by an influential decision-maker, because that's the usual response.
The "what have you done for T & F?" question is how typically they throw back any constructive criticism. If you examine the attitudes of many of our sport's power brokers, that's exactly what you'll see. Enacting change might lower their comfort level, so why bother? Life is good. Carol, Dwight, and Larry have been part of the family for 20+ years and no one is going to pull the plug on them. It is absolutely unthinkable.
Who have YOU interviewed? What have YOU done for the sport? What results have YOU gathered?
Translation: Let me bluster my way through this. It's always worked before.
Same kind of crap Joe Lieberman is trying to pull on Ned Lamont--I deserve this, how dare you even challenge me.
Over at the Track & Field News board, we've got our own Malmo torching E. Garry Hill's defense of Dwight Stones with the following:
"Your proposition is saturated with ignorant bliss. This is especially disturbing since it's coming from the editor of the self-proclaimed "Bible of the Sport." Is it any wonder why your magazine is becoming more and more irrelevant with each passing year?"
And then he starts getting critical.
TViewrer ask:
>>EXCELLENT POINT. Phil kicks a*s.
I can live without the other guys that OLN has doing the tour commentary. >>Who's this Bob Roll guy anyway?<<
We had some fun with that knucklehead on this board a few years ago, your boy Phil as well.
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=37761&thread=37235
You may have an axe to grind Garry & Walt, the "Israelis" of T&F ;-) I don't in particular. But I predict the gravy train will soon be over for them. We won't be strapped to them much longer. The cost of internet streaming video is dropping like a shot put. Soon anyone with a camcorder will be able to produce and broadcast live shows from any meet. You will be able to subscribe to a streaming video server for a reasonable cost. This is synonymous to a "broadcast station", except that instead of broadcasting to a metropolitan or geographic area, it will broadcast video to the entire world via the internet. The stranglehold that a few "insiders" and "good old boys" have on video will soon be broken in the same dramatic way it has already been broken in the editorial, radio, and still photography arenas.
Hey, Hodgie-san, I perused that whole thread again. I was new to the board and posted a couple oftimes as ... weltex. That was a real knock down drag out, wasn't it? Seeing you and malmo in full regalia was fun.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Sadly enough for the American viewers, I was in similar thought back in 91 when I lucked into a cable system which carried Eurosport. The announcing was superb-professional in every way and quite enjoyable.