Toggle sidebar

Will NBC learn anything from ESPN?

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
HopsHunting

HopsHunting

Registered User
May 18, 2010
100
0
As a US viewer, I really am tired of NBC. I'm really tired of Mike Milbury and if I never saw him on TV again, I'd be fine with it. I sort of like what I'm seeing from the hosts on ESPN. Having two of the best American players in recent times is a lot better than a failed GM.

Is this the first time we've seen the ref cam? I've always felt like hockey has never caught on with the US audience because of the lack of innovation in technology. We've watched the same camera angle forever, but ESPN has mixed it up a bit- primarily with the ref cam. My wife also commented that they were drawing on replays more and she liked it.

Thoughts?
Click to read more...
 
HopsHunting said:
As a US viewer, I really am tired of NBC. I'm really tired of Mike Milbury and if I never saw him on TV again, I'd be fine with it. I sort of like what I'm seeing from the hosts on ESPN. Having two of the best American players in recent times is a lot better than a failed GM.

Is this the first time we've seen the ref cam? I've always felt like hockey has never caught on with the US audience because of the lack of innovation in technology. We've watched the same camera angle forever, but ESPN has mixed it up a bit- primarily with the ref cam. My wife also commented that they were drawing on replays more and she liked it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grOttsHuuzE
 
You are seeing ideal ESPN right now as they are trying make themselves an attractive future broadcast partner. They might be able to handle broadcasting a few games a week on ESPN2, and maybe put a premier game on ESPN or ABC. Nonetheless, they would not reshape their entire broadcast schedule to show every playoff game in April/May like NBCSN is willing to do. I would rather have a channel like NBCSN devoted to hockey rather than ESPN who will fit it in when it's convenient.

Hull is just a younger version of Milbury or Cherry - a loud-mouth commentator that complains about everything for the controversy. Given a few seasons with Hull, everyone would be griping the same amount they do for Milbury.

They would need better broadcast teams too because Bucigross and Melrose are the weak links of their respective teams; however, adding Pang has really helped shore up their depth.
 
Xokkeu said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grOttsHuuzE
Click to expand...

Didn't glow puck cost Fox a bloody fortune? You can't say it is bothersome though, right?

Frank the Tank said:
You are seeing ideal ESPN right now as they are trying make themselves an attractive future broadcast partner. They might be able to handle broadcasting a few games a week on ESPN2, and maybe put a premier game on ESPN or ABC. Nonetheless, they would not reshape their entire broadcast schedule to show every playoff game in April/May like NBCSN is willing to do. I would rather have a channel like NBCSN devoted to hockey rather than ESPN who will fit it in when it's convenient.

Hull is just a younger version of Milbury or Cherry - a loud-mouth commentator that complains about everything for the controversy. Given a few seasons with Hull, everyone would be griping the same amount they do for Milbury.

They would need better broadcast teams too because Bucigross and Melrose are the weak links of their respective teams; however, adding Pang has really helped shore up their depth.
Click to expand...


With the deal the NHL made with NBC, is that contractually possible? They should give them the "Rivalry Night" and make an effort to actually schedule good opponents in those games.
 
I'm a US viewer, lifelong hockey fanatic, and I don't mind Millbury. I don't think he's great, and I like when he's an idiot, but...whatever.
 
Ref cam has been used by Sportsnet for a bunch of Leaf games and All Star game last year. It was also available as dedicated angle for their Game Centre app. It wasn't great at first - movement was too jerky and video quality was a bit off. It has really improved for WC.

So, it should have been available for NBC but they probably need to justify the cost.
 
I was thinking about this yesterday and I like ESPN's coverage so far. I thought that it would be barebones, like their college hockey coverage. I'm very pleasantly surprised that it seems on par with NBC and, maybe, even slightly better to watch.

One thing that I really like is that they go straight to the studio analysis after periods. NBC always makes you sit through a long commercial break. ESPN doesn't make you wait and you get instant reaction from the experts, before they've had time to lower their heart rate and collect their thoughts (ex. you might get a "Wow! What an ending!" that you wouldn't get after 4 minutes of commercials).

Another thing that I like is that the digital scoreboard in the upper-left corner is so small, light-colored and clean. NBC's is larger, darker, not situated so much in the corner, has more graphics and stands out more.

I'm also really enjoying Hull, despite the fact that he's clearly not a skilled analyst or communicator. It's hilarious that he's scored the 4th-most goals in NHL history and, yet, his analysis seems as obvious as you might expect to come from your wacky uncle. He says things like "let the puck do the work," which, initially, sounds smart, until you realize that it's an empty cliche that means nothing and that literally anyone could sound smart by saying. He's a legend, though, so can't help but keep nodding your head. I might get tired of him if he were on every broadcast throughout the season, but I'd like to see NBC hire him for special events, such as for Winter Classic, All-Star and playoff games.
 
I love the ref cam. It's always been a good idea, but this is the best execution we have seen.

I also like Hull and Chelios. Linda Cohn is terrible though. Melrose is good, but his overall level of professionalism leaves something to be desired. His outfit at the opening ceremony was terrible and he sometimes talks too informally on the commentary.
 
Frank the Tank said:
You are seeing ideal ESPN right now as they are trying make themselves an attractive future broadcast partner. They might be able to handle broadcasting a few games a week on ESPN2, and maybe put a premier game on ESPN or ABC. Nonetheless, they would not reshape their entire broadcast schedule to show every playoff game in April/May like NBCSN is willing to do. I would rather have a channel like NBCSN devoted to hockey rather than ESPN who will fit it in when it's convenient.

Hull is just a younger version of Milbury or Cherry - a loud-mouth commentator that complains about everything for the controversy. Given a few seasons with Hull, everyone would be griping the same amount they do for Milbury.

They would need better broadcast teams too because Bucigross and Melrose are the weak links of their respective teams; however, adding Pang has really helped shore up their depth.
Click to expand...

As a TV personality you want someone to get in touch with fans, Milbury has experience in this area by beating them with a shoe....He's about as far from charismatic as you can get, not quite the kind of personality you want.

Besides this, the biggest problem with NBC and Milbury is the alternative. Jones is just like Milbury, you've got two mud headed goons leading the broadcast. The only time their views differentiate is in the pre-planned conversation which completely lacks any insight only is only outdone by the lack of genuineness.

Add Ferarro or Weekes to one of Jones & Milbury and you've got a different broadcast. Replace Jones & Milbury with Kypreos and you're starting to make progress. Ferraro/Weekes & Kipper is a VERY different show.
 
55 said:
I love the ref cam. It's always been a good idea, but this is the best execution we have seen.
Click to expand...

I've got a GoPro that my daughter and I try to play hockey with. The videos are always really shaky. I'd love to know what kind of stabilizer they are using.
 
HopsHunting said:
I've got a GoPro that my daughter and I try to play hockey with. The videos are always really shaky. I'd love to know what kind of stabilizer they are using.
Click to expand...

check out the making of BBC planet earth of whatever. They had a camera that kind of floated within itself on a helicopter that was flying around chasing animals.
 
God, I hope NBC doesn't "learn" anything from ESPN.

Just finished EURvCZE - I never really pay much attention to the intermission commentary on national TV. Yeah, I'm myopic. *shrug* And when I'm DVRing, it condenses a 3 hour ordeal into an enjoyable 80 minutes. So, frankly, I'm not really qualified to talk about the studio broadcasters....except that during the very first preliminary game, the studio talking head said Chara was from Slovenia.

The commentators are fine. I don't mind Doc's scores and waffleboards - either way, I'm fine. Maybe I'm not listening, but I don't hear any non-hockey related plugs - no, "Ford Fusion is the official vehicle of ESPN's coverage of the WCH". They DO seem to be buddy-buddy with shop.NHL and the god awful NA jerseys, and they do plug the schedule, which is just good practice.

The graphics people need to be fired. Giroux as a defenseman? I'm a myopic "only follow my team until the playoffs" guy, and even I know that's dead wrong. They had a 5v3 - perhaps the first one of the actual tourney? - and they had no idea how to clock it. First 3:40-something goes up - presumably the SUM of the times. That's not how it works - that's not how ANY of this works! The clock ticks down for awhile. Then the graphics head probably calls Skippy the Intern and tells him to fix it...so Skippy says, "screw it", and turns it off until it's 5v4. Proof that the "ESPN knows hockey" is still apropos.

Finally, 3v3 OT happens. They stick 3v3 right up there the whole time. Yes, it's great for the non-hockey folk, but c'mon. And I had to pause it to double check, but the CGI boards flashed "Europe" a split second before the goal.

The CGI board advertisements are a minus, but I do get a chuckle when they get sprayed and you see the real advertisement underneath. And I get that CGI ads = $$ for ESPN, precisely because they ARE distracting. Why not put actual info up there 10% of the time - like shot count - to trick us into looking there, and finding ads once in awhile?

Lest I get into ranting too much, the ref cam is a big plus. The NHL needs to get these in every game, and fast.
 
Human Bean said:
It works for Don Cherry.
Click to expand...

Don Cherry is in on the joke. I refuse to believe that he isn't self aware.

I think Milbury is self aware as well that he's an utter tool, which is why Milbury is, honestly, one of my favorites on NBC...although that's not saying much.

JR is just a straight up ass, though. Never liked him.
 
ESPN has been surprisingly not bad. They have not annoyed me as much as NBC usually does. My biggest gripe about ESPN was how they buried all those exhibition games on ESPN3.
 
ESPN has been worse than NBC, in my opinion. The commentators are pretty brutal. Hull, whoever the intermission chick is, Melrose, and Buccigross are all pretty bad and annoying. And Levy isn't as good as I remembered. Weekes and Pang are the only two worth listening to.

Outside of that, the ref can is really just a gimmick. It doesn't add any value to watching the game. And I've never had to watch two periods of a game without commentators on NBC, unlike one of the preliminary team NA games. Frankly, hockey will never be treated like a first rate sport on ESPN. It will never get the same focus or airtime it gets from NBC. It will be constantly relegated to ESPN3 or ESPNNews, and will be cut off in favor of bowling or whatever like it had been before NBC.
 
Prefer NBC big time after a couple of games. ESPN just come across as amateurish and each game feels like a college game. NBC's presentation blows ESPN out of the water as well.
 
Is the ref cam even because of ESPN? It is certainly part of the "world feed" because also Sportsnet shows it, so at least it is not some ESPN exclusive thing. Somehow I think they would be testing this even if games were on NBC. I don't expect to see the ref cam in every regular season game.

I only watched some minutes of pre-tournament games on ESPN and it was brutal and instantly made me miss NBC, that say s a lot. Have they at least found the rink audio volume slider by now?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom