ADVANCE to the rear! It has become abundantly clear that the more cameras and on-air personnel that networks assign to live coverage of significant sports events, the better the chance of not getting live coverage of significant happenstances.
Two Saturdays ago, NBC cut to a collection of reaction shots before viewers could see who finished second and third in the Preakness. That the favorite, Funny Cide, won, meaning that the maximum number of viewers were alive in exacta and triple wagering, made no difference. The primary story was abandoned in favor of “look-what-we-can-do!” TV.
Six days later, it happened again. The Devils had just defeated the Senators in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup semifinal. Good series, great game.
But as the players began the series-concluding handshake – one of the best traditions in any sport – ESPN renewed its outrageous habit of bolting such scenes for interviews. In this case, ESPN’s Brian Engblom chatted with Joe Nieuwendyk, who had left the game, injured, and was in street clothes.
Nothing that Engblom asked couldn’t have waited. No viewer would’ve chosen that interview over the sight of the teams exchanging handshakes. But that made no difference. “Look-what-we-can-do!” comes first. Again. And again and again.
P.S.: Saturday, during Pistons-Nets, ESPN aired a tape that was supposed to show how Detroit’s Chauncey Billups hurt his leg in the Sixers’ series when he landed on Eric Snow’s foot. But as Billups landed, the view, highlighted at the bottom of the screen, disappeared behind the sudden appearance of ESPN’s “Bottom Line” scores and promos insert.
But what else is new?
*
While the debate continues as to whether the Nets have bad fans – or enough fans, or enough corporate customers – because they don’t sell out playoff games, it’s worth noting that as the Nets have advanced, ticket prices have risen while the starting times – 8:35 p.m. for Game 3 vs. the Pistons Thursday – grew later for the sake of national TV.
There is a way to settle this thing once and for all: The Nets significantly lower playoff ticket prices while reasonably ensuring that games on school/work nights get patrons home before midnight.
That’s not gonna happen? Maybe, but until it does, we’ll never know, will we?
*
Jim Nantz, arguing Thursday with Chris Russo on WFAN, claimed that Russo totally missed the historical and social significance of Annika Sorenstam playing in a PGA event.
Odd, last month Nantz – and everyone else on CBS during The Masters – not once, in four days, mentioned the historical and social significance of Augusta National’s refusal to admit women as members.
*
On Wednesday, a program on TBN, an evangelical network, featured Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin. It must’ve been a couple of years old because Sanders spoke of having recently joined CBS’s NFL pregame show.
Throughout their appearance, Sanders and Irvin whipped themselves into frenzied testimonies as to having surrendered their sorry souls and sins of the flesh and wallet to the Lord, Almighty, hallelujah! The live-on-tape studio crowd went wild. Praise the Lord!
Update: Sanders can now be seen on CBS talking street-slick trash – about how one player “pimp-slapped” another, for example – while Irvin merrily indulges all kinds of garbage, but especially sophomoric sexual innuendo, as a regular on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
When these two testified on TBN that the answers can be found in “The Book,” they must’ve been referring to “Elmer Gantry.”
*
Metro’s “Bid New York” show Wednesday included for on-line auction a Nolan Ryan-autographed photo of Ryan punching Robin Ventura during a game in 1993. Classy.
We watched that game on ESPN. There was a lot of dusting going on, and when Ryan threw at Ventura, who was then with the White Sox, Ventura charged towards the mound and then slowed, realizing he didn’t want to get into a punchout with the 47-year-old legend.
And so Ryan, after throwing at Ventura, essentially got a free shot. And now it’s a moment that’s suitable for framing, autographing and profit.
*
Bob Papa, radio voice of the Giants and an ESPN blow-by-blow man since 1994, is leaving ESPN “to pursue other opportunities” after this week’s “ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.” He’ll be replaced by Joe Tessitore, a sportscaster on Hartford’s WFSB-TV and a frequent sub for Papa.