Track & Field Channel

Re: Track & Field Channel

C'mon Gar! I'm shocked that a hardcore fan like you would defend a clown like Hammond. Isn't it obvious that he knows virtually nothing about the sport and simply reads a script when he offers "insights" about the events and athletes? Can you imagine an announcer who knows nothing about basketball reading aloud a bio of Shaq or Kobe, or announcing that the object of the game is to put the ball through the hoop? I suppose Hammond is there to appeal to non-fans, and he may (see prior post). But I loathe him.
Carol Lewis is atrocious too. Yesterday she made so many mis-statements that she had to include "excuse me" in every sentence.
Thank god the networks usually see fit to have at least one announcer who knows what he's talking about, like Stones.
I thank Anon for reminding us of Vic Holcheck (sp?). That guy was great.

Re: Track & Field Channel

>C'mon Gar! I'm shocked that a hardcore fan like
>you would defend a clown like Hammond. Isn't it
>obvious that he knows virtually nothing about the
>sport and simply reads a script when he offers
>"insights" about the events and athletes? Can
>you imagine an announcer who knows nothing about
>basketball reading aloud a bio of Shaq or Kobe,
>or announcing that the object of the game is to
>put the ball through the hoop?

Explain Brent Musberger.

I don't find Hammond all that bad.

Re: Track & Field Channel

I think OJ is available...

Dwight is the guy, he knows our sport inside out, is honest (eg: saying the shot was a let-down yesterday), and can explain technique, history, tactics etc. I'm actually warming to Carol for the same reasons. As a Brit in the States I can't emphasise enough how awful the coverage is here compared to Europe. I have given up hope for T&F on TV here, it simply does not fit into the culture.

BTW...I use OJ, pre-trial, as an example of how bad it can get here. I heard him commentating on an indoor meet in the late 80's early 90's (?) and laughed out loud at his ignorance of T&F.

[luv2run]

Re: Track & Field Channel

>Tom Hammond...NOT! Marty Liquori, Larry Rawson
>would be good. Verne Lundquist is not bad at
>track. Dwight is always very good. Carol Lewis,
>too.

Carol Lewis good? Please. She is horrible.

[jsquire]

Re: Track & Field Channel

Carol Lewis good?
>Please. She is horrible.

Either I missed something, or she did on Saturday. She claimed Debbie Ferguson was from Jamaica until she read the jersey that said "Bahamas".

Is Ferguson an immigrant to the Bahamas, or is Lewis clueless?

Re: Track & Field Channel

actually, I thought Masback was the best on television, but he's got a better gig, right now!!

Hammonds fits the network drone type you get all too often, a professional announcer who lacks depth of knowledge, where he can think on his feet while an event unravels...

that's where the specialist color commentors are supposed to step in.

CArol has name recognition due to her brother...

I generally hit the MUTE button and watch the event

[BillVol]

Re: Track & Field Channel

I honestly haven't seen as much of her (Lewis) as the others. I thought she was good on the couple of telecasts I saw, but maybe I have her overrated.

Tom Hammond has certainly improved and works hard at it. He actually does a good job. But I can't overlook that he's a Kentucky boy and he gives my Vols a hard time occasionally on basketball telecasts. ;-) He's been doing SEC hoops for as long as I can remember, going back to the days when his color man was Joe "String Music" Dean.

Re: Track & Field Channel

Play by play folk arent supposed to do the technical jargon. That's a job for the color commentators. I think Tom Hammond is the best play by play announcer on TV right now. If a play by play man talked technical the way us track junkies wanted, what little track there is would be off the air.

Some of you guys sound like you were even hatin' on Jim McKay broadcasts of the 70s.

As far as "action and only action", let's be real: This is American Television. Though I will say that it has gone a couple of steps over the top, you are going to have some form of human interest. I don't have a problem with Gail Devers stories on her Graves Disease, Or Glory Anozie having to go back home after Sydney to bury her fiancee. Has anyone ever realised that adversity (besides talent) drives these athletes to the Olympic level as well?

[jsquire]

Re: Track & Field Channel

As far as "action and only
>action", let's be real: This is American
>Television.

Are you kidding me? Have you seen American Television's coverage of baseball, basketball, football, golf, NASCAR, or any other sport percieved as "major"? The problem is that the networks think they have to broaden the audience by putting in that crap. The truth is that real sports fans want to see real sports.

Re: Track & Field Channel

>As far as "action and only
>action", let's be
>real: This is American
>Television.

Are
>you kidding me? Have you seen American
>Television's coverage of baseball, basketball,
>football, golf, NASCAR, or any other sport
>percieved as "major"? The problem is that the
>networks think they have to broaden the audience
>by putting in that crap. The truth is that real
>sports fans want to see real sports.

You are absolutely correct. I still believe that human interest stories about overcoming adversity to get to that level is fine. The problem is that it's in over over over over over overkill. Peace.

[JRM]

Re: Track & Field Channel

Personally, televised track and field are synonymous with Geoff Gowan and Don Whitman (CBC Sports). Their voices should be digitized so that they can call the events indefinitely!

[jake the snake]

Re: Track & Field Channel

marc davis

Re: Track & Field Channel

I usually make sure I am watching any meets with other track fans. We provide our own commentary, and occasionally catch some of the unintentional hilarity from the more green announcers. In short, for us, it doesn't matter who's on. The way it's presented right now, the general public isn't going to develop more interest, so the low level of knowledge displayed by a lot of the talking heads makes no difference.

[jsquire]

Re: Track & Field Channel

>I still believe that human interest
>stories about overcoming adversity to get to
>that level is fine. The problem is that it's in
>over over over over over overkill. Peace.
>

CBC's Olympic coverage does the human interest stuff, but they rarely let it last more than 30 seconds (and usually it's more like 10 seconds). Their only problem is that their announcers can literally take interesting sports and make them boring. Even Don Cherry's foil on "Coach's Corner" is an easy target because he has no personality whatsoever.

Re: Track & Field Channel

Does anyone have a copy of the movie THE GAMES, starring Ryan O'Neal. I know it is not been sold on VHS, but hopefully someone has taped it. I would love to have a copy.