How would you improve sports broadcasts?

Someone mentioned on the cheerleader thread that networks don't care about serious sports fans. And that's true. But let's dream a little. You're emporer of sports broadcasting. What do you want out of your broadcasts that you aren't getting now?

Some thoughts to get us going:

* 22s in football. So many people have big screens and HDTV now, it seems like the time has come to show us the entire field, or at least have that option as viewing progresses to more of an a la carte experience.

* Camera on the field between plays, not on the coaches or the fans or in the huddle or close-ups of players. I want to see substitutions. I want the announcers breaking down those substitutions.

* More varied camera angles in baseball. It seems universally understood at this point that the center-field camera is the best option. But I'd love to see the ball come off the bat and have some idea of where it's headed.

* Love the overhead, blimp camera in golf, where you can see the ball traverse the hole's layout through the air.

* No more sideline interviews with coaches. Done. Same with in-game dugout interviews in baseball.

What else?

 

Stop showing the stars of the network's new TV show sitting in the stands. I don't give a shit if Faux Celebrity is a football fan, and I'm not going to watch their show just because they're attending the game.

 

I improve sports broadcasts by turning off the volume.

 

How about a second audio track for the viewers that know the game, sort of like the directors commentary on a DVD. Have an alternate color-person tell the audience something that they don't already know, be more technical on the defensive scheme, discuss O-line blocking. It would be nice if I was told what Brady or P.Manning look at when they approach the line of scrimmage that makes them audible or pretend to audible..discuss if the cover-2 is really a disguised man-to-man.

If Dungy,Jawsor Gruden are so smart this should be a pleasure for them instead of feedi gnus the lowest common denominator.

 

Did someone use Jaworski as a representation of what a good color analyst is like?

 

Did you see Gruden's "interview" of Peyton Manning this week? Goodness gracious.

"What is going through your head when you come through that tunnel? Are you angry?! Excited?! I want an honest answer!"

 

I could write a thousand words on the subject, but one of my biggest pet peeves: Use the bottom-of-the-screen scroll for its intended purpose — up-to-date scores. You ought to be able to go through a Sunday afternoon of NFL scores in one minute or less. You can't possible satisfy all the fantasy geeks, so don't even try. I remember one college basketball game a couple of years ago, the game was less than 2 minutes old and after the score, the scroll goes to say NC: Hansbrough 0-1 FG, 1 REB . . . just a complete waste of screen space.

 

I understand Vince McMahon gets a lot of crap sent his way (and deservedly so), but he did come up with the concept of the "floating camera" behind the offensive unit and it's been a staple of sports broadcats ever since.

 

Fewer people in the broadcast booth.