Ugh. It is very difficult to watch the late innings of playoff games on FOX. As opposed to seeing the normal camera angels and shots you see for 162 games during the year, you see about 20 different shots between every pitch.
Example: Show close up of Brad Lidge's face. Pan to Matt Kemp in the Dodgers dugout. Show replay of some dumb shit-little kid with his face painted who is pissed off the previous pitch that was 2 feet of the plate and in the dirt wasn't called a strike. Switch to close-up of Casey Blake's face so that we see all his nose hairs. Pan to an old lady in the stands with her hands on her face (Note: this shot is often of a nun.). Show Nomar in the dugout holding a bat. Switch to a low angle that shows Lidge on the mound with people waving towels in the background. Quickly show the Phillies pitching coach. Switch back to the towel waving shot. Show some 20 year old douchebag in the stands holding up a sign that says something about 1980. Hold on him for too long and then finally go to the traditional centerfield camera shot right when the ball is coming out of Lidge's hand.
Honestly, that makes the end of these games unwatchable for me. I like to see the pitcher in his wind-up or in this case the stretch in order to get a feel for the at bat. I don't need the human interest in the stands type stuff. This isn't the Olympics. The network doesn't need to pander to the female viewers.
On another note, I don't know if Harry Kalas calls a good game or not, but he has the best voice for sports announcing. (Duk at the Big League Stew has a good post and video of Kalas from yesterday.) His voice with the great video is what made Inside the NFL such a great show. I also remember him doing some college basketball for ESPN in the mid-80's. This was when ESPN only had the Sun Belt Conference and junk like that. I must have watched about 20 games with Kalas announcing and UAB playing. I have the memory of Kalas saying Gene Bartow stuck in my head. And yes, I did and still do watch way too much sports.
Friday, October 10, 2008
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3 comments:
Couldn't agree more, Goldy. The worst is the super, super, super zoom in of the pitcher. FOX loved to do this to Andy Petitte. You could see ever pore of his skin, even without HD.
Another classic is when they show nobody warming up in the bullpen. Just the bullpen with guys sitting there...over and over and over.
What makes it worse is Joe Buck. That guy takes "smugness" to a whole other level.
In fairness to Joe Buck, the Cardinals haven't been in the postseason for two straight years now. It's difficult times for Mr. Metrosexual.
I particularly liked your "some douche with a 1980 sign."
I didn't watch last night - did Manny pummel Tim McCarver in the broadcast booth at any point during the game?
I would like to have 20 different camera angles of that, if possible.
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