From MLB.com and AwfulAnnouncing.com
Analysis by Steve Dombrowski in SRM 334 (section 1)
America is always intrigued by an underdog story. This year that story is the rise and sudden success of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has not made the playoffs in 21 years. Every year for the past seven, TBS has had the rights to broadcast all of Major League Baseball’s Divisional Series along with one of the Championship Series. This year, while watching the Pirates take on the Reds at PNC Park along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh I was absolutely shocked by the lack of coverage of the pregame ceremony. The Buccos have been waiting over two decades for this and the emotions were extremely high. As a baseball fan, I was extremely intrigued by what they would do to celebrate and all TBS did was talk in the studio about how emotional it actually was. So we did a little research on the subject and we discovered that I was not the only one let down by TBS’s coverage as a whole.
With the popular demand in our society for coverage of sporting events, it is now essential to have top of the line analysis of the game. Especially now that it is playoff time, every pitch is critical. During October, baseball is competing with the NFL, college football, NHL, and the NBA preseason. All four major sports are playing at some part of their season so it is crucial that TBS gets the game perfectly. However, they have not. Fans and other analysts within the profession have been complaining about the ridiculous camera shots and at times lack to a quality audio. Another issue TBS is having is lack of experience in the booth. Cal Ripken, former Orioles great, was taken out of the studio and put in the booth for the first time in these playoffs. He replaced former Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who was demoted to the “B game” announcer. Smoltz had a generally good reputation for his commentary and it was a bit curious why he was replaced. Luckily Ripken has not been doing anything too bad to get noticed. However, when an announcer is poor or biased to a part in the game, many fans will change to some other game or at best mute their television. This is not what you want if you are paying millions, possibly billions of dollars for the rights to air the game.
This topic is relevant from a media standpoint because these issues are all about the production and success and blunders that go in to trying to make a game as pleasurable as possible. For example, the Truss Cam that was implemented at a couple of stadiums for these games is a cool new way to see different angles and get you up close and personal from a outfielders perspective. An example was Carl Crawford falling in to the stands to make a catch. The Truss Cam followed his whole route to the ball and showed us what it took to make such a spectacular play. However, an important lesson I have learned from our class is that you need to listen to your audience. Learn what they want to see from a game and give it to them. Announcers and analysts are trying to steal the spotlight and it takes away from the pleasure of simply viewing the game. Personally, with all of the technology, there is sometimes nothing better than curling up to watch a great game in the comforts of your home. However, if TBS wants to compete on Sundays with the NFL and get majority ratings, they need to adjust to the wants of their audience. There is nothing better than October baseball. From the first pitch to the last, there is constant focus and intensity from every single player on that field. The game itself is great. That alone can draw viewers in to see what is going in a game out in Los Angeles, or Boston, or even Pittsburgh. However, the analysis makes or breaks the ratings and unfortunately TBS just cannot catch up.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Analysis of why athletes with injuries continue to sit out
From ESPN.com and Fox Sports
Analysis by Nick Toombs in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article that I chose is about Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski sitting out. The article is an ESPN piece highlighting player comments saying that they believe Gronkowski has been ready to return for a while. His team feels that he is ready to play but Gronkowski is waiting on clearance from his own independent physician, Dr. James Andrews. Several players are quoted within the article suggesting that Gronkowski appears to be ready to go based upon his performance in practice. There has also been tension between the organization and the player stemming from media coverage of Gronkowski partying with his injured arm during the offseason.
This article was retrieved from ESPN and was written by senior NFL writer Ed Werder. ESPN has had extensive coverage of Rob Gronkowski since he has entered the NFL. ESPN specifically plays a huge role in the types of sports stories that get major attention in sport media and they can influence the public’s perceptions of certain situations. By continually posting stories that suggest a rift between the Patriots organization and Rob Gronkowski, the media can create conflict whether real or perceived. ESPN ‘s reporting on this particular situation has been biased. Since they control most of the sport media market, they can sway public perception based upon their reporting. The article is titled “’Resentment’ toward Rob Gronkowski” which suggests negatively about the Patriots tight end. ESPN largely dictates what will become big news and what will not with every other sport media outlet available because ESPN is the leader in the industry.
This article is an opinion piece written by ESPN. Rob Gronkowski is a polarizing figure in sports, which makes this story necessary to be reported on in ESPN’s eyes. This article relates to this course because it shows how the media affects public perception. ESPN is a major news outlet so when they publish negative stories about a particular individual, the consumer of the information is subconsciously influenced. It is also in the best interest to publish as many stories about Gronkowski as they can because they can determine what becomes “newsworthy.
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Analysis by Ayrton Glasper in SRM 334 (section 2)
Recently, the media has brought into the public eye, the questionable injury status of two top football players. Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots, have been scrutinized by the media because of their lack of appearance on the playing field. Steven A. Smith, NFL Game Day, ESPN’s Sports Center, and sports magazines across the nation, to name a few, are dissecting under the microscope why these two very talented football players are either sitting on the bench with “injuries” or playing “hard” during practice yet nowhere to be seen on their respective game days.
Firstly, Jadeveon Clowney a junior at South Carolina University gained instant fame, thanks to the media, with his “perfect hit” in the January, 2013, Outback Bowl. Due to much off-season hype, Clowney was soon reported to be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. However, with a slow start to his season, multiple minor injuries, and making the decision to sit himself out of a game, media controversy on this talented footballer snowballed. Many football analysts question whether Clowney does not want to play this year in fear of risking a serious injury as did his teammate last year, Marcus Lattimore. It has been reported that such an injury could not only ruin his chances of getting drafted as a first-round pick but also derail him from a prospective NFL career with a huge contract. We as fans can only wonder how much of what is being reported by the media is true. Is Clowney being selfish by falsifying or exaggerating his injuries and only thinking of his future with the NFL, or are his injuries legitimate?
Secondly, the controversy surrounding Clowney and his “injuries” has been compared of late, to similar questionable behavior from Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. The “Gronk” as he is known in the sports world, has also been plagued with injuries. Earlier this year, he underwent back and arm surgery causing the media to closely follow and constantly report on his possible return to the football field with the Patriots. To the media’s bafflement, even after hard weekly practices, the Gronk is still absent from the field on game days. Analysts are scrutinizing the reasons behind him not playing. Is this another case of not playing in order to avoid any risk of getting hurt and losing millions? It has been reported that under the Gronk’s $54 million dollar contract extension of 2012 with the Patriots, he could lose a huge chunk of it because of an injury. So could the media be right? Is the Gronk being selfish and delaying his return to playing football because of the contract the millions at stake?The media has brought a significant amount of attention, many would say too much, to both of these talented players by constantly reporting and debating on the reasons behind their lack of playing time on the football field. We the public can only speculate how much of these reports are true. We can only judge from what we read and see from the various videos, interviews, and articles however, at the same time we must also take into account that the media can be bias and have a subjective opinion on the topic/discussion. As far as these two players are concerned, the media appears to portray them as being selfish with underlying monetary reasons behind their so called “injuries.” Fact or fiction? Today, the media is highly advanced and with modern technology and the introduction of “twitter” and mobile “apps” for example, sports media coverage is intensive, fast, and easily accessible. The public now has access within minutes, even seconds, of any breaking news, scores, and all kinds of updates. Through the new communication model the media and fans can relay and respond respectively to all of the latest sports news.
Analysis by Nick Toombs in SRM 334 (section 2)
The article that I chose is about Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski sitting out. The article is an ESPN piece highlighting player comments saying that they believe Gronkowski has been ready to return for a while. His team feels that he is ready to play but Gronkowski is waiting on clearance from his own independent physician, Dr. James Andrews. Several players are quoted within the article suggesting that Gronkowski appears to be ready to go based upon his performance in practice. There has also been tension between the organization and the player stemming from media coverage of Gronkowski partying with his injured arm during the offseason.
This article was retrieved from ESPN and was written by senior NFL writer Ed Werder. ESPN has had extensive coverage of Rob Gronkowski since he has entered the NFL. ESPN specifically plays a huge role in the types of sports stories that get major attention in sport media and they can influence the public’s perceptions of certain situations. By continually posting stories that suggest a rift between the Patriots organization and Rob Gronkowski, the media can create conflict whether real or perceived. ESPN ‘s reporting on this particular situation has been biased. Since they control most of the sport media market, they can sway public perception based upon their reporting. The article is titled “’Resentment’ toward Rob Gronkowski” which suggests negatively about the Patriots tight end. ESPN largely dictates what will become big news and what will not with every other sport media outlet available because ESPN is the leader in the industry.
This article is an opinion piece written by ESPN. Rob Gronkowski is a polarizing figure in sports, which makes this story necessary to be reported on in ESPN’s eyes. This article relates to this course because it shows how the media affects public perception. ESPN is a major news outlet so when they publish negative stories about a particular individual, the consumer of the information is subconsciously influenced. It is also in the best interest to publish as many stories about Gronkowski as they can because they can determine what becomes “newsworthy.
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Analysis by Ayrton Glasper in SRM 334 (section 2)
Recently, the media has brought into the public eye, the questionable injury status of two top football players. Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots, have been scrutinized by the media because of their lack of appearance on the playing field. Steven A. Smith, NFL Game Day, ESPN’s Sports Center, and sports magazines across the nation, to name a few, are dissecting under the microscope why these two very talented football players are either sitting on the bench with “injuries” or playing “hard” during practice yet nowhere to be seen on their respective game days.
Firstly, Jadeveon Clowney a junior at South Carolina University gained instant fame, thanks to the media, with his “perfect hit” in the January, 2013, Outback Bowl. Due to much off-season hype, Clowney was soon reported to be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. However, with a slow start to his season, multiple minor injuries, and making the decision to sit himself out of a game, media controversy on this talented footballer snowballed. Many football analysts question whether Clowney does not want to play this year in fear of risking a serious injury as did his teammate last year, Marcus Lattimore. It has been reported that such an injury could not only ruin his chances of getting drafted as a first-round pick but also derail him from a prospective NFL career with a huge contract. We as fans can only wonder how much of what is being reported by the media is true. Is Clowney being selfish by falsifying or exaggerating his injuries and only thinking of his future with the NFL, or are his injuries legitimate?
Secondly, the controversy surrounding Clowney and his “injuries” has been compared of late, to similar questionable behavior from Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. The “Gronk” as he is known in the sports world, has also been plagued with injuries. Earlier this year, he underwent back and arm surgery causing the media to closely follow and constantly report on his possible return to the football field with the Patriots. To the media’s bafflement, even after hard weekly practices, the Gronk is still absent from the field on game days. Analysts are scrutinizing the reasons behind him not playing. Is this another case of not playing in order to avoid any risk of getting hurt and losing millions? It has been reported that under the Gronk’s $54 million dollar contract extension of 2012 with the Patriots, he could lose a huge chunk of it because of an injury. So could the media be right? Is the Gronk being selfish and delaying his return to playing football because of the contract the millions at stake?The media has brought a significant amount of attention, many would say too much, to both of these talented players by constantly reporting and debating on the reasons behind their lack of playing time on the football field. We the public can only speculate how much of these reports are true. We can only judge from what we read and see from the various videos, interviews, and articles however, at the same time we must also take into account that the media can be bias and have a subjective opinion on the topic/discussion. As far as these two players are concerned, the media appears to portray them as being selfish with underlying monetary reasons behind their so called “injuries.” Fact or fiction? Today, the media is highly advanced and with modern technology and the introduction of “twitter” and mobile “apps” for example, sports media coverage is intensive, fast, and easily accessible. The public now has access within minutes, even seconds, of any breaking news, scores, and all kinds of updates. Through the new communication model the media and fans can relay and respond respectively to all of the latest sports news.
David Price realized Twitter rant was a mistake
From USA Today
Analysis by Courtney Wright in SRM 334 (section 1)
After the frustrating game 2 of the ALDS, David Price took to twitter to let his followers be aware of how he felt. His frustrations stemmed from the TBS commentator’s comments on air and David Ortiz’s reaction to his two homeruns. On national television, TBS commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci said, “This is the playoffs, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should have come out sooner”. Price reacted to the commentators by insulting them and calling them nerds while implying they had never played sports at a higher level.
After the media took such notice to Price’s rant, he decided to send out an apology to all those who were offended by his words and disappointed with what he said. Along with tweeting an apology, Price reached out in person to the media and to David Ortiz. Ortiz replied with saying how they respect one another as players and that is was “no big deal”. The media made it seem like Price had it out for Ortiz and vice versa, when in reality it was just post-season competition, there were no personal vendettas against each other.
In light of the media coverage of Price’s twitter rampage, Rays’ GM, Joe Maddon, chimed in with his opinion of setting social media restrictions by stating, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments…David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing”. He does not think it is his place to make such decisions for his athletes and that they must learn from their mistakes and to respect the media. As we have discussed in class, respecting the media is important behavior by professional athletes in our modern day society. Price made it known how sorry he was for his actions and has learned a lesson he will most likely not make again any time soon.
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Analysis by Monica Paolicelli in SRM 334 (section 1)
After David Ortiz, of the Boston Red Sox, hit a homerun and watched it intently from home plate, David Price was furious with his performance throughout the night with a 7-4 loss. He called it a “dark spot in his career” and the TBS commentators could not agree more. Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci commentated this ALDS game 2 and Hayhurst said “Price should have been pulled from the game earlier, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should’ve come out sooner.” Price was extremely embarrassed by this and criticized the TBS broadcast crew as being nerds and water boys during their sports careers. He took to Twitter with this tweet after the game, “Dirk Hayhurst … COULDN'T hack it … Tom Verducci wasn't even a water boy in high school … but they can still bash a player … SAVE IT NERDS” -@DAVIDprice14. Price’s criticisms proved nonsense as Verducci has covered the sport of baseball for decades and Hayhurst made the majors. David Price is saying that only those at or above his talent and accomplishment level have the right to criticize his performance. Do commentators, for any sport, have the right to criticize performance when a professional player is playing badly? I believe that they do have this right to inform the public audience with who is having a record-breaking game and who is having a bad performance that night. Athletes like David Price need to be aware that they are on television with a wide audience and will likely be criticized for performance. The media has the right to produce stories based on performances, even though they have never played professional baseball. This current event is all about respecting social media as well as professional commentators. David Price was angry, took to Twitter, and he definitely learned his lesson. He sent out an apology tweet shortly after explaining how he embarrassed himself, his family, and his organization. General Manager, Joe Maddon commented about installing social media policies throughout the organization with, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments … David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing.” Respecting all the constituents involved in sports media as well as coaches and other players takes a lot of self-control and humbleness. This is rare to find in professional sports where all athletes have stellar backgrounds and multiple honors.
Analysis by Courtney Wright in SRM 334 (section 1)
After the frustrating game 2 of the ALDS, David Price took to twitter to let his followers be aware of how he felt. His frustrations stemmed from the TBS commentator’s comments on air and David Ortiz’s reaction to his two homeruns. On national television, TBS commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci said, “This is the playoffs, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should have come out sooner”. Price reacted to the commentators by insulting them and calling them nerds while implying they had never played sports at a higher level.
After the media took such notice to Price’s rant, he decided to send out an apology to all those who were offended by his words and disappointed with what he said. Along with tweeting an apology, Price reached out in person to the media and to David Ortiz. Ortiz replied with saying how they respect one another as players and that is was “no big deal”. The media made it seem like Price had it out for Ortiz and vice versa, when in reality it was just post-season competition, there were no personal vendettas against each other.
In light of the media coverage of Price’s twitter rampage, Rays’ GM, Joe Maddon, chimed in with his opinion of setting social media restrictions by stating, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments…David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing”. He does not think it is his place to make such decisions for his athletes and that they must learn from their mistakes and to respect the media. As we have discussed in class, respecting the media is important behavior by professional athletes in our modern day society. Price made it known how sorry he was for his actions and has learned a lesson he will most likely not make again any time soon.
---
Analysis by Monica Paolicelli in SRM 334 (section 1)
After David Ortiz, of the Boston Red Sox, hit a homerun and watched it intently from home plate, David Price was furious with his performance throughout the night with a 7-4 loss. He called it a “dark spot in his career” and the TBS commentators could not agree more. Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci commentated this ALDS game 2 and Hayhurst said “Price should have been pulled from the game earlier, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should’ve come out sooner.” Price was extremely embarrassed by this and criticized the TBS broadcast crew as being nerds and water boys during their sports careers. He took to Twitter with this tweet after the game, “Dirk Hayhurst … COULDN'T hack it … Tom Verducci wasn't even a water boy in high school … but they can still bash a player … SAVE IT NERDS” -@DAVIDprice14. Price’s criticisms proved nonsense as Verducci has covered the sport of baseball for decades and Hayhurst made the majors. David Price is saying that only those at or above his talent and accomplishment level have the right to criticize his performance. Do commentators, for any sport, have the right to criticize performance when a professional player is playing badly? I believe that they do have this right to inform the public audience with who is having a record-breaking game and who is having a bad performance that night. Athletes like David Price need to be aware that they are on television with a wide audience and will likely be criticized for performance. The media has the right to produce stories based on performances, even though they have never played professional baseball. This current event is all about respecting social media as well as professional commentators. David Price was angry, took to Twitter, and he definitely learned his lesson. He sent out an apology tweet shortly after explaining how he embarrassed himself, his family, and his organization. General Manager, Joe Maddon commented about installing social media policies throughout the organization with, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments … David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing.” Respecting all the constituents involved in sports media as well as coaches and other players takes a lot of self-control and humbleness. This is rare to find in professional sports where all athletes have stellar backgrounds and multiple honors.
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