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April 26, 2006
I loathe Fox
Fox to innovate BCS coverage | ajc.com
They're broadcasting the BCS bowl games (except the Rose) next year, including the new championship game. And it will suck. Suck hard.
Fox simply doesn't cover sports well. Never has, never will. Their "innovations" always take the form of adding in sound and visual effects and ignoring the actual game. The box that keeps track of the score -- that's good. Everything else is a distraction, an annoying distraction. And this sounds bad even for Fox.
• More people stories. And not just players. Goren remembers watching members of Ohio State's band stretch before they went on the field for the first time at the Fiesta Bowl."These folks were ready to go out and compete against the band from Notre Dame. I just thought that was great," he said. "And I never saw that on television. We want find stories about the bands, the cheerleaders and the fans in the stands. You're going to see more flavor."
Translation: During game action, they will cut to the sideline bimbo who will give us all the exciting story of the tuba player's battle with scoliosis or the cheerleader who's raising her two young siblings because her parents were killed by owls or whatever sob story wins in the pitch meeting. It will be utterly loathsome, and meanwhile in a little box in the corner you'll be able to see the ongoing drive. Don't worry, they'll probably cut away if there's a touchdown.
Posted by Mac Thomason at April 26, 2006 03:38 PM
Comments
AND NOW SOME OF THEIR TALENT IS GOING ELSEWHERE
Posted by: VINCENT at April 26, 2006 04:21 PM
AND NOW SOME OF THEIR TALENT IS GOING ELSEWHERE
Tony Snow Named White House Press Secretary
Posted by: VINCENT at April 26, 2006 04:22 PM
I fear you're right. Fox isn't alone, the other networks are doing it, too, have been for awhile.
"Here's Bob Costas in front of a giant CapitalONE logo to talk about nothing in particular for the next 30 minutes, during which time you'll see -- if you watch closely! -- 10-20 seconds of pulse-pounding action highlights from yesterday...!"
Posted by: Jeff (no, the other one) at April 26, 2006 04:38 PM
Sure, the Olympics. But not football. That's really going too far.
Posted by: Mac Thomason at April 26, 2006 06:32 PM
Killed by owls? Bwahahahahahahaha!
Posted by: Kathy at April 26, 2006 07:18 PM
The incident that brought this all home for me was when Randy Moss (?) performed a simulated moon of the crowd at a game. The Faux talking heads went on for the rest of the game about how horrible and shameful that was, and how Moss should get in trouble (and, boy howdy, did he ever) over this. I don't need a lesson in morals while I'm watching a football game, thanks very much Faux.
Just watch the game with the sound turned down and some good tunage on in the background. You'll feel better, you'll pay closer attention to the game (if you want to follow what's going on), and you won't have to listen to the Faux talking bobbleheads.
Posted by: (: Tom :) at April 27, 2006 07:57 AM
The trouble is, as far as I'm concerned football doesn't listen well on radio. I can use the "TV Sound off, radio on" technique for baseball (assuming no tape delay, a problem out here), but I don't think football translates well to radio. I remember trying to listen to the Redskins back in the Sixties on radio, and I don't remember it working well.
Posted by: Linkmeister at April 27, 2006 12:03 PM
Good radio play-by-play broadcasters are virtually extinct. I did baseball back in the 1980s (easy compared to football, and especially basketball). Most everyone now is really a TV person forced to do radio, and they have no old-school role models to learn from.
Posted by: Jeff (no, the other one) at April 27, 2006 12:50 PM