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How would you improve sports broadcasts?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Dick Whitman, Sep 17, 2012.

  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Someone mentioned on the cheerleader thread that networks don't care about serious sports fans. And that's true. But let's dream a little. You're emporer of sports broadcasting. What do you want out of your broadcasts that you aren't getting now?

    Some thoughts to get us going:

    * 22s in football. So many people have big screens and HDTV now, it seems like the time has come to show us the entire field, or at least have that option as viewing progresses to more of an a la carte experience.

    * Camera on the field between plays, not on the coaches or the fans or in the huddle or close-ups of players. I want to see substitutions. I want the announcers breaking down those substitutions.

    * More varied camera angles in baseball. It seems universally understood at this point that the center-field camera is the best option. But I'd love to see the ball come off the bat and have some idea of where it's headed.

    * Love the overhead, blimp camera in golf, where you can see the ball traverse the hole's layout through the air.

    * No more sideline interviews with coaches. Done. Same with in-game dugout interviews in baseball.

    What else?
     
  2. Flying Headbutt

    Flying Headbutt Moderator Staff Member

    If you're an announcer and your schtick is forced? Gone.

    You also better smarten up your broadcast. Don't talk down to people or act like anyone watching doesn't know shit. Add to the broadcast, don't just be there for it. Too many idiots in those booths. Color commentators should be more in the vain of Ron Jaworski/Orel Hershiser/Jim Palmer and less like Tim Ryan/Rob Dibble/Joe Theisman.
     
  3. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    * Less on-screen clutter. Is it really necessary to have the time/score box up top (where down and distance is located) AND have a huge on-field graphic superimposed on the field with the same thing?

    * Smarter graphics. After the first incompletion by a quarterback, I don't need CBS to have a graphic pop up that says Fantasy Watch that says "Flacco 0/1"

    * Zero shots of the crowd.

    * No more Joe Buck. And throw out McCarver as well. More Al Michaels.

    * I'm with you on the overhead golf shots from the tee.
     
  4. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I was watching a game on ESPNU on Saturday and it occurred to me that the crawl at the bottom of the screen was running a schedule, instead of giving live scores, which would have been of use. For example, it would say "UAB at South Carolina, 7 p.m." And then pause on that for 30 seconds before moving on to "New Mexico at Texas Tech, 7 p.m." for 30 seconds. In the mean time there were a dozen active games and it would have been nice to have crawling scores, quarters and times across the bottom of the screen.
     
  5. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Stop showing the stars of the network's new TV show sitting in the stands. I don't give a shit if Faux Celebrity is a football fan, and I'm not going to watch their show just because they're attending the game.
     
  6. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    I improve sports broadcasts by turning off the volume.
     
  7. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    How about a second audio track for the viewers that know the game, sort of like the directors commentary on a DVD. Have an alternate color-person tell the audience something that they don't already know, be more technical on the defensive scheme, discuss O-line blocking. It would be nice if I was told what Brady or P.Manning look at when they approach the line of scrimmage that makes them audible or pretend to audible..discuss if the cover-2 is really a disguised man-to-man.

    If Dungy,Jawsor Gruden are so smart this should be a pleasure for them instead of feedi gnus the lowest common denominator.
     
  8. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Did someone use Jaworski as a representation of what a good color analyst is like?
     
  9. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Did you see Gruden's "interview" of Peyton Manning this week? Goodness gracious.

    "What is going through your head when you come through that tunnel? Are you angry?! Excited?! I want an honest answer!"
     
  10. trifectarich

    trifectarich Well-Known Member

    I could write a thousand words on the subject, but one of my biggest pet peeves: Use the bottom-of-the-screen scroll for its intended purpose — up-to-date scores. You ought to be able to go through a Sunday afternoon of NFL scores in one minute or less. You can't possible satisfy all the fantasy geeks, so don't even try. I remember one college basketball game a couple of years ago, the game was less than 2 minutes old and after the score, the scroll goes to say NC: Hansbrough 0-1 FG, 1 REB . . . just a complete waste of screen space.
     
  11. JosephC.Myers

    JosephC.Myers Active Member

    I understand Vince McMahon gets a lot of crap sent his way (and deservedly so), but he did come up with the concept of the "floating camera" behind the offensive unit and it's been a staple of sports broadcats ever since.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  12. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    Fewer people in the broadcast booth.
     
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