T.O. was second choice for dropping the towel

I am waiting for the day when sports on tv were just sports on tv. I could care less for half time shows and humorous intros with non-sports celebrities. Save the non-football entertainment for the commercials. The one event that gets it right on money is the NCAA tournament on CBS. It's all basketball all the time.

posted by jasonspaceman at 11:25 AM - reply - flag:

Except for the interminable "One Shining Moment" during the last telecast.

posted by trox at 11:48 AM - reply - flag:

Instant nostalgia. It's a growth industry.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:30 PM - reply - flag:

You know...when I read this headline, I originally thought it was John Madden who was going to wear the towel and then drop it. **SHUDDER**

posted by grum@work at 02:15 PM - reply - flag:

I had the same reaction as grum except without the image of a towel-less Madden (thanks for the second upchuck, buddy!)--who would want to see Sheridan in a sexual image with Madden? Seriously, there is some major brain damage in the ABC Sports executive suite!

posted by billsaysthis at 02:21 PM - reply - flag:

preach jason PREACH

posted by david at 02:24 PM - reply - flag:

Save the non-football entertainment for the commercials. Couldn't agree more. The one event that gets it right on money is the NCAA tournament on CBS Couldn't disagree more! CBS tourney coverage is crap! They cutaway from close games...they stay on blowouts...they cut to the studio (the studio...who gives a shit about the studio when the action is on!?!?). I love the tourney...best drama in sports right now...but CBS's coverage is awful. You can buy the package to be sure you get 'all' the games...but you don't. The game that is broadcast in your region is blacked out. If that is the game you want to watch you are screwed...if they cut away from that game (and they will...probably at a crucial time to hear what Jimmy Nantz is doing in the studio) you are done...wasted money. They have taken my money two years in a row for the package and they have screwed me out of the early round games I want to see nearly every time. Going to take a deep breathe now...(mumblegrumbleJimmyNantz grumbleCBSisstealingfrommemumb legrumble).

posted by stofer71 at 02:39 PM - reply - flag:

So, CBS's coverage of the tourney sucks. It kills me every year to think that all four games of the tourney could be on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN Classic if the NCAA could pull its head out of its ass. But that said, it doesn't suck because of the sports-as-entertainment problem the rest of this thread is about. I'll at least give them that much.

posted by tieguy at 03:13 PM - reply - flag:

During the AFC game last Sunday, I swear I saw Gumbel say something like "those are some interesting numbers - numbers are important in football and also in crime fighting - like on the news series Numb3rs..." I know that this is nothing new, but it continues to suck. Another reason to watch the game with the sound turned off except when the refs are talking.

posted by Joey Michaels at 03:49 PM - reply - flag:

But that said, it doesn't suck because of the sports-as-entertainment problem the rest of this thread is about. I'll at least give them that much. Agreed...I realized that I was careening off topic...but that damn Jimmy Nantz and his cohorts at CBS just make me so damn mad. Back on topic...my favorite sports broadcasting moment: Announcer: "Hey...look who it is in the front row...the gang from the OC!" ColorlMan: "Wow...who knew they were all such big fans of [insert appropriate home playoff team here]...I sure like watching them on Fox Thursdays at 8pmE/7pmC." The fact that the network(s) set up these pre-planned plugs as a spontaneous moment is an insult. And...while I am at it...how in the hell did Hank Williams Jr. get a lifetime contract on that MNF intro? The TO intro, and every other one MNF trotted out this year are so lame...doesn't anybody who works for ABC see that? Who watches these intros and says..."wow, that was awesome!" "Are you ready for some football?" YES! Get the hell off the screen so I can watch!

posted by stofer71 at 03:58 PM - reply - flag:

Madden. Towel. There's my chances of nightmare-free sleep out the window. I know nada about you guys coverage of sports, but I do know that the game is the main event. You don't switch to the studio or adverts or whatever when the game is in progress. It's against nature.

posted by squealy at 06:52 PM - reply - flag:

...I originally thought it was John Madden who was going to wear the towel and then drop it. I'd hit it. And my name is Andreas Lilja.

posted by NoMich at 07:17 PM - reply - flag:

This all brings back memories of Mr. Lumpy.

posted by yerfatma at 08:08 PM - reply - flag:

All I can say is that the EPL (and other European) matches we get here start within minutes of the broadcast time, sometimes so quickly they don't even get a chance to show the lineups. And of course there are no commercial breaks, not to mention no studio cutaways.

posted by billsaysthis at 11:12 PM - reply - flag:

EPL sounds like it rocks.

posted by Joey Michaels at 11:22 PM - reply - flag:

CBS tourney coverage is crap! They cutaway from close games...they stay on blowouts...they cut to the studio (the studio...who gives a shit about the studio when the action is on!?!?). I love the tourney...best drama in sports right now...but CBS's coverage is awful. Yea, the coverage might be suspect but it's all basketball, which is the point I was trying to make.

posted by jasonspaceman at 04:30 AM - reply - flag:

Joey, if you get FoxSportsWorld (changing names, FYI, on Feb. 7 to Fox Soccer Channel) just turn it on pretty much any time from 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning (in your time zone) until late Sunday evening. You'll get English, French, German, Brazilian, Argentinian or even American soccer depending on the season. With the name change I guess there'll be even more. It does rock. So, by the way, does your concept for Porky's: The Old Farts movie.

posted by billsaysthis at 07:25 PM - reply - flag:

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

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