The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

I hate to criticize any televised coverage of track and field as I know beggars can't be choosers BUT...

I feel like I watched the Marion Jones Show. The women's lj was a close competition until the 4th round but we didn't even get to see Grace Upshaw (who by the way has one of the best jumps this season)!

Not only that, but they'd cut away from almost any other event when MJ was about to make an attempt...like no one else mattered. These guys simply don't get it.

One more beef: Why does NBC continue to show the long jump from the front? The viewer has no perspective of distance. Ridiculous!

[tafnut]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

It seemed like the MJ show, because it WAS the MJ show. When you hype a sports event, you pick a couple of people to highlight before, during and after. NBC did a good job of that. Dwelling on the LJ made good drama, the Mo shoes thing was good, the SP was good, Webb was good, etc. etc. That's how you promote something, and lord knows we could use the positive spin on our sport.

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

Agreed. The Mo thing was fun. But drama?

Come on! This is not the Marion Jones Show. Last I checked, I was tuning into a track meet. Yes, track and field needs help in the promotions area but this is NOT the way to do it. Shoot, Marion is not even out of the woods yet with respect to the Balco scandal and we're going to make her our spokesperson? Give me a break.

As for drama, if you wanted real drama in the women's lj, show the other competitors. I'm psyched that I have access to the CBC. If this is how NBC is going to cover the Olympics than I'll take a pass.

[decamouse]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

How about the women's vault - 3 girls than have gone 15' - in the background you here that thye made there opening hgt

[tafnut]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

"If this is how NBC is going to cover the Olympics than I'll take a pass."

See ya. As for me, I'm reserving the ol' Barcolounger for those two weeks!

[lefterisp]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

I love Marion but I love Grace Upshaw even more. They could have shown 5 Marion jumps (they didn’t have to show us her 5th attempt) and show 1 Grace jump. Grace is one of the most graceful athletes I have seen in person. On a different note ...off to the Tucson elite... starts a little bit late... must be the heat.

[huh?]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

Which show were you watching. On NBC, they DID show one Grace Upshaw jump.

[Bob Duncan]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

>I love Marion but I love Grace Upshaw even more. They could have shown 5
>Marion jumps (they didn’t have to show us her 5th attempt) and show 1 Grace
>jump. Grace is one of the most graceful athletes I have seen in person.
My thoughts exactly. She was world ranked fifth last year, too. She was defintely short-changed.

But you can hardly blame NBC for their lengthy interviews of Jones. And she is always such a good inteview, almost always oozing good vibes and easily the mental match for whatever they throw at her, just an incredibly likeable person. [They should let Tim Russert have a go at her on "Meet The Press"!] I hope that she survives this BALCO thing with her reputation intact. I don't blame her one bit for threatening lawsuits. Until proven dirty, she is easily the best ambassador for USA track and field.

[333]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

Before the 100m the director only took a shot of 2 people: Marion and Merlene. No one else got even a glancing shot. I don't mind focusing on the big name, but come on, I want to see who else is in the race - and no I don't just mean a list of names on the screen - lists of names to the exlusion of images are for newspapers not for television. I have seen this done repreatedly when Marion is in the race. Again, I understand highlighting the star, but it's inexcusable to not take even a single shot of the competitors. It's just wrong.

[Pego]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

IMHO this was one of the best T&F telecasts by the US network in years.

[lefterisp]

Re: The Marion Jones Show...oops...Home Depot Invite

>Which show were you watching. On NBC, they DID show one Grace Upshaw jump.

Now that I am watching it again (taped it), indeed they did (for few seconds). I missed it the first time.