NBC Venting Thread

Think about the only person you know of that used to be world class in track, and has announced for NASCAR...

Oh it's NBC track and field announcer Ato Boldon.

That's weird, a sarcastic post with sarcastic replies on LRC.

Agree! The Olympic Channel coverage is way better. I don't understand why people are even watching it on NBC?

Hate how you watch a jump and the board has been calibrated as 6,7,8 m etc but the announcement declares 22 feet and blah blah inches. That's just stupid right there.

Hate how you watch a jump and the board has been calibrated as 6,7,8 m etc but the announcement declares 22 feet and blah blah inches. That's just stupid right there.

Why would anybody watch NBC for track coverage?

Seriously, WTF?

Watch the BBC. Use a VPN or proxy.

Rick Allen's job is play by play, he's doing a decent job at that, but I do think you could find someone better. The color commentary is really what's lacking. We get dumb anecdotes about something that happened on social media months ago, meh I guess ok, but I just feel it could be better.

run with the wom wrote:

Look, if we keep this up they will bring back Carol Lewis and Larry Rawson. They are doing great!

Excellent point. But you left out one of the "Awful Three." And that's why I'm not as critical of this team as I might otherwise be. Because we could still be listening to Tom Hammond.

Enough said.

runn wrote:

Rick Allen is horrible- he knows nothing about track and thinks he's fooling people.

I like Masback BUT he (and others) tend to talk too much and won't call the race.

In the 800 they completely ignored Bosse's move on the back stretch (ONE example).

I'm I the only one who can't STAND listening to Craig Masback? The guy drones on like a lawyer who knows if he rambles on semi-knowledgeably he can keep billing time. Seriously - who says "notwithstanding" on a sports broadcast? That word shouldn't ever be used outside of a legal document.

Sure he knows the sport well having been an elite runner, former USATF CEO, and broadcaster for years, but how often does he say anything that insightful? Oh thanks for letting me know steeplechasers drill holes in their shoes, and taking the entire turn to explain that. Oh and great, they're running fast, or slow, or honest.

Bring back Tim Hutchings. He added actual color to the broadcast, and made a sport that most find boring, somewhat exciting.

He is a lawyer Yale Law School '94

Manteo Mitchells should learn the rules before he educates others about them. He should learn what being on the bubble means before telling others what it means. A useless addition to the announcing booth just more verbal diarrhea,

clueless .

NBC Gold has been worth it so far for the DL meets and the different feeds for this meet. No announcers yelling and spewing monsensical, worn out talking points. I have no idea how Ato has developed this great reputation amongst this crowd. He may be less likely to trip over his own tongue but beyond that he provides very little insight that is not obvious with your own eyes. Watching the live feed has been great and the mic picks up coaching cues for the jumps and the athletes celebrating post race.

We'll put in a request for the announcers to use small words for you.

We'll put in a request for the announcers to use small words for you.

Well played.

Let me put it this way. Listening to Craig talk makes me feel like I'm on a conference call at work. That won't stop me from watching the distance races, but it's not going to help grow any interest in a sport that just isn't very popular to begin with.

I have nothing against Masback. I appreciate his contributions to T&F. I just don't enjoy his commentary.