TV Coverage

I mentioned in an earlier post that I saw the Indiana at Michigan State game on television Sunday. The contest from East Lansing was broadcast on Comcast Local. Now, as I am thrilled to see more college baseball on the tube, especially of the Big Ten variety, it pains me a bit to complain, but I must.

The broadcast wasn't, well, see, it wasn't very good. The director and/or his (or her) technical director did not have a good afternoon. Nor did the camera people. As an example, there's a runner on first. We see the generic shot from the centerfield camera. We see the pitcher's back and the batter, catcher and homeplate umpire awaiting the offering. This is where things went astray.

The pitcher turns and throws to first. However, the director (or TD) punches up a shot of the batter. The announcers make some indication as to what has happened to the play at first ("Oh, that was close" or "He made it back safely".), but we see the hitter who is looking at the play or the coach at third. Suddenly, the camera shot changes to the play at first where the runner is dusting himself off and the ball has already returned to the pitcher. Basically, it's our second straight look at nothing of note. Alas, this type of sequence occurred on several occasions throughout the game.

The crew just had trouble keeping up with the ball all day long. (Let's just say the camera people didn't have their best day, either.) It gave the impression that those in and out of the production truck didn't seem to have much feel for baseball. I believe it was the Comcast Local's first game of the season, so I'll give them some slack. They didn't spend a month down south warming up for the Big Ten opener. Besides, there is plenty of time for improvement, gang. We all have bad days at work, just most of ours go unnoticed. I really do appreciate your hard work, as I know how difficult producing a quality broadcast can be.

In addition to the Comcast Local coverage, I saw about three or four other college games over the weekend. All were on one of the three Fox College Stations. Now, the Fox coverage puzzles me to no end, as well. It seems whatever the station is broadcasting does not correspond to what the on screen guide indicates is on. That means it says college baseball, but I get softball. Or gymnastics. Or high schools sports. (I'll skip wondering why there are HS sports on Fox College Stations for now.) That makes it just a bit difficult to figure out what is on and what's going to be on next.

Then there are the games themselves. I saw one of the USC vs. Oregon State games three times, minimum, over the weekend. It was the same game each time. Not the Friday night game, one day and then the Saturday game, the next. Nope, it was the same dang game every stinking time. What's up with that? No other Pac 10 game was taped over the weekend? Forget another conference game, was no other USC/OSU game taped? (Update: I just learned that the OSU @ USC series wasn't even played this past weekend. Which is even worse as they are running repeats--three times over--of games over a week old. Is there nothing live going on?)

Well, to be accurate, at least one other Pac 10 game was taped. I saw the Arizona vs. Arizona State game twice. Once on Sunday and again on Monday. They did play other games out west this weekend, right? Does Fox know about that?

Then there is the regional breakdown of FCS--Atlantic, Central and Pacific. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, if I told you that the Florida vs. Ohio State game was going to be on, which of the three channels would you guess it would appear? Yes, you guessed it. FCS-Pacific. A game that was already over a week old between a Southeastern Conference school and a Big Ten institution was on the FCS-Pacific. Makes perfect sense to me.

I know I should not complain. I'm lucky to have any college baseball on television, but I really do want to watch and it's just a bit challenging when I can't figure out where, when or on which channel I'm supposed to look.