Earlier this season, I laid into SI.com writer, Steve Davis for his poor season preview of the Wizards and his comments about the Wizards not making many changes. Tonight I have to give him credit for coming out and putting into words what most MLS fans have been saying for years about the announcers and crews that do MLS broadcasts around the league. He brings up 5 and a half points on how to improve local broadcasts, and after watching the FSC broadcast of the Wizards game, I think many of the points can be carried over to them as well. Using his points, let's take a look at last Saturday's game against Houston.
1. Get the damn lineup graphic right. FSC had Kansas City lined up in a 4-4-2 with Davy Arnaud and Kei Kamara up top and Josh Wolff and Ryan Smith playing in the midfield. Anyone who has seen the Wizards play this year knows that's not the way KC regularly lines up. They line up like a lot of teams are starting to do lately, in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrid formation.
2. Use a damn lineup graphic. FSC actually did do this. Although they did not have anything that showed who was on the bench for KC on Saturday night.
3. Long, static shot of someone. This is one of my biggest pet peeve, and while FSC isn't as bad as some, the worst was last year when the Wizards just piggybacked off of the home teams broadcast and had the broadcasters in studio in KC. The broadcast would do one of their close ups and Sean Wheelock and Kevin Souter wouldn't have a single clue about what to talk about. Just show the game.
3a. Replays. Another one where FSC doesn't do well, I don't remember specific examples from the KC game this weekend, but there have been plenty of times when the broadcast has missed a big play because they were showing a replay.
4. Pronounce the names correctly. This may have been my biggest gripe about Saturday's game. Particularly when it came to midfielder Stephane Auvray who they pronounced like ovary, the female reproductive organ. Although looking at the Wizards media guide again I can't totally blame them as they have the pronunciation as OH-vray. When it really sounds more like AH-vrey based off of the Wizards broadcasts.
5. Stop talking. Another big one, seriously we don't need every spare second of air time filled with some nonsense. Let the game tell the story a bit, let the fans cheering tell the story a bit. Don't fill every second of air time with your voice.
I like that someone in a bit of a higher position has stated something like this as it's something that really needed to be said, I've taken to watching most games on mute or on a low volume so I don't have to hear what the announcers are saying because 2/3rds of the time it's just so bad.
Monday, May 03, 2010
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4 comments:
Agree on point 5, especially. American announcers, no matter the sport, can't seem to shut up. I don't care what Josh Wolf had for breakfast or that Jimmy Conrad was 12 when he got his first goal (no idea, just an example).
They need to take a cue from the epl broadcasts in terms of audio and video. That and the camera work looks so bush league at times.
Couple more specific things.
1. Kyle Martino and JP Dellacamera had completely different pronunciations for Sebastian LeToux the other night. FFS, you are in the same booth and work for the team he plays for. Sort it out pre-game.
2. When they do the graphic and it says 4-4-2, someone should hit Christopher Sullivan with a Taser of he says they are playing a 4-3-3.
I agree so much that the announcers talk way too much. Often when I turn on a European game in the middle of it I wonder if they are announcing because they don't say anything for a few minutes, which is really nice. With soccer I feel like constant talk is a bit of a distraction from actually watching the game.
Please pass on this message to Sasha and Dave. Hint, hint.
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