ripping NBC a new one....

[gh]

This is basically a tennis story, but good relevant track reference a few grafs in:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 18IQ5L.DTL


story title is

<<NBC's coverage a pile of guacamole>>

[trackstar]

I posted this reply:

While I hate to defend NBC's coverage of the Olympics, which I agree is mostly awful, I'm afraid you used a bad example. Track & field fans are also marathon fans, so we like seeing uninterrupted marathon coverage. What rankles us is showing "soft and fuzzy" athlete profiles instead of actual competition, and ignoring the field events altogether.

[502CD]

Even more so, if you're just some average Joe/Jane competing and you don't have a story NBC could care less about you. But if you fell through the ice or something when you were little and survived because you clung on to your dreams of being an olympic skater or something then NBC will probably sponsor you.

[Marlow]

Re: ripping NBC a new one....

<<NBC's coverage a pile of guacamole>>

I take it this is the new euphemism for sh*t?! I'm STILL upset over their Olympic T&F travesty last year. I was reduced to watching a pixelly, intermittent feed from the Bahamas, ferkreisakes! :evil:

[Pego]

Re: ripping NBC a new one....

<<NBC's coverage a pile of guacamole>>

I take it this is the new euphemism for sh*t?! I'm STILL upset over their Olympic T&F travesty last year. I was reduced to watching a pixelly, intermittent feed from the Bahamas, ferkreisakes! :evil:

...and that would have been great, if it did not keep freezing up from the server overload.

[Dietmar239]

Re: ripping NBC a new one....

<<NBC's coverage a pile of guacamole>>

I take it this is the new euphemism for sh*t?! I'm STILL upset over their Olympic T&F travesty last year. I was reduced to watching a pixelly, intermittent feed from the Bahamas, ferkreisakes! :evil:

It's not like it's ever going to improve. Why do you think we don't have the best athletes going out for the high jump anymore? It's because cable non-coverage has pretty much eliminated it from people's minds! :evil:

[MJR]

the norwegian feed was much better, although you had to mute it, as it was almost as bad as the american commentary (albiet only because i couldn't understand a word)

[The Klingon]

See. This is what I am talking about. Track fans complain about track coverage. Tennis fans complain about the tennis coverage.

You just can't please everybody no matter what you do. :lol:

But anyway. It is what it is.

[guru]

One thing we as track fans can be eternally grateful for - we don't have Dick Enberg.

[BillVol]

One thing we as track fans can be eternally grateful for - we don't have Dick Enberg.

OHHHH, MYYYY, guru! How could you say that!

NBC is as bad in tennis as they are the other sports. But we actually have an American in the final tomorrow. Roger will roll over him, but this is good anyhow.

I wonder BTW how the BBC has John McEnroe for the women's singles? He's the best color commentator in the game, and NBC can't get him?

[paulthefan]

I posted this reply:

While I hate to defend NBC's coverage of the Olympics, which I agree is mostly awful, I'm afraid you used a bad example. Track & field fans are also marathon fans, so we like seeing uninterrupted marathon coverage. What rankles us is showing "soft and fuzzy" athlete profiles instead of actual competition, and ignoring the field events altogether.

soft and fuzzy stuff can be good but when it is 99% of what we get it is sad. I like the athlete profiles, and realize we need to give the housewife and her accountant husband something to watch. The problem is that there is so little track and field content. Nevertheless the commentators have greatly improved. The new NBC team was pretty good.

[The Klingon]

One thing we as track fans can be eternally grateful for - we don't have Dick Enberg.

Wait a minute. Hold on. Now according to some posters on this board, Carol Lewis is the worst announcer/commentator on two legs. :lol: :lol:

Whats wrong with Dick Enberg?? I know he usually does not announce track and field but still...... I watch tennis all the time and I don't really has a problem with Enberg. But anyway, it is what it is.

[Dutra]

I wonder BTW how the BBC has John McEnroe for the women's singles? He's the best color commentator in the game, and NBC can't get him?

I must be hearing things then. Wasn't that John McEnroe on the broadcast this morning (Saturday) for the women's final?

[BillVol]

Dutra, I was given incorrect info about that. Thanks for the correction. He was also on the men's final, which ended about an hour ago!

[tandfman]

Whats wrong with Dick Enberg?? I know he usually does not announce track and field

But I believe he used to. IIRC, he was part of the announcing team at the first World Championships in Helsinki in 1983.