PantherFanz
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Found this article and thought it had some good points. There is getting to be too much distraction on the screen during a game broadcast. I do not so much mind all the superimposed lines on the screen, that does make it more useful to me. But I really could care less about 60 second updates on other games. I have a TiVO and a remote control if it that important to find out the Cardinals vs. Seahags score.
NFL TV coverage is mediocre at best
Sunday, October 2, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Republican-American
There isn't a sports entity around more intertwined with television than the NFL. Much of the league's success, as we are often reminded, stems from the decision years ago to equally share revenue from the national TV contract.
This system has been pointed to ever since by other leagues as a model of what many of them (mostly small market owners) would like to see utilized in their sport. And in fact, revenue sharing (along with a fairly strict salary cap) has allowed the NFL to prosper in the one area that other sports have failed -- competitive balance.
The days of the great dynasties are over in the NFL. The Patriots would seem to argue against this fact, but more on that in a bit.
In any given year (or on any given Sunday), a team in the NFL can rise up out of nowhere and challenge for a playoff spot or better. In recent years we've seen the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons reach levels few thought they would during the heat of summer training camp.
It has made for a more interesting sport and it's all due to the relatively equal sharing of the massive TV broadcast money.
So, with a league that can trace its wide success directly to the television booth, why does the latter routinely do such a mediocre job of covering the sport? A few examples:
A couple of weeks ago Kansas City running back Larry Johnson was arrested on a domestic violence charge, days after playing a leading role in a win over the Jets. Was this issue discussed the following week? No, just how Johnson's running ability could help his team. Ignoring or downplaying off-field incidents is one thing for a backup lineman, but this was a fine example of how the networks brush off such 'news' in favor of off-tackle runs and screen passes.
To watch a game today you almost need your reading glasses since so much information is being thrown at the viewer across the top or bottom of the screen.
Scores are great every few minutes (whatever happened to the 10-minute ticker?), but constant garble and instant updates on first downs is a bit distracting. "Chargers 0, Raiders 0 ... Tomlinson 2 rushes for 5 yards ..." Does that really help your enjoyment of the game?
It will be less of a problem next year, but I can't think that Monday night games ending at 12:30 a.m. on the East Coast is a good thing.
The yellow first down line superimposed on the field was a great invention, but now we have blue lines and red lines and shaded areas. It looks like a multi-colored high school field with lines for different sports.
The NFL wouldn't be where it is today without television, but sometimes it seems like they've had one too many meetings and are just doing too much thinking. Let the game speak for itself occasionally.
NFL TV coverage is mediocre at best
Sunday, October 2, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Republican-American
There isn't a sports entity around more intertwined with television than the NFL. Much of the league's success, as we are often reminded, stems from the decision years ago to equally share revenue from the national TV contract.
This system has been pointed to ever since by other leagues as a model of what many of them (mostly small market owners) would like to see utilized in their sport. And in fact, revenue sharing (along with a fairly strict salary cap) has allowed the NFL to prosper in the one area that other sports have failed -- competitive balance.
The days of the great dynasties are over in the NFL. The Patriots would seem to argue against this fact, but more on that in a bit.
In any given year (or on any given Sunday), a team in the NFL can rise up out of nowhere and challenge for a playoff spot or better. In recent years we've seen the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons reach levels few thought they would during the heat of summer training camp.
It has made for a more interesting sport and it's all due to the relatively equal sharing of the massive TV broadcast money.
So, with a league that can trace its wide success directly to the television booth, why does the latter routinely do such a mediocre job of covering the sport? A few examples:
A couple of weeks ago Kansas City running back Larry Johnson was arrested on a domestic violence charge, days after playing a leading role in a win over the Jets. Was this issue discussed the following week? No, just how Johnson's running ability could help his team. Ignoring or downplaying off-field incidents is one thing for a backup lineman, but this was a fine example of how the networks brush off such 'news' in favor of off-tackle runs and screen passes.
To watch a game today you almost need your reading glasses since so much information is being thrown at the viewer across the top or bottom of the screen.
Scores are great every few minutes (whatever happened to the 10-minute ticker?), but constant garble and instant updates on first downs is a bit distracting. "Chargers 0, Raiders 0 ... Tomlinson 2 rushes for 5 yards ..." Does that really help your enjoyment of the game?
It will be less of a problem next year, but I can't think that Monday night games ending at 12:30 a.m. on the East Coast is a good thing.
The yellow first down line superimposed on the field was a great invention, but now we have blue lines and red lines and shaded areas. It looks like a multi-colored high school field with lines for different sports.
The NFL wouldn't be where it is today without television, but sometimes it seems like they've had one too many meetings and are just doing too much thinking. Let the game speak for itself occasionally.
