(09-15-2013 10:07 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Meh, it is the network's first year. If you look back on the cheesy graphics, sound effects, etc. that ESPN used to have early on you would say they suck as well.

It's 2013 and they have other networks and plenty of time to get it ready, so it's hardly an excuse vs. ESPN on the early days of cable tv.

I preferred ESPiN in the early days, cheesy productions and all. They had better quality reporting in those days...

(09-15-2013 03:05 AM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  

(09-15-2013 12:17 AM)CoogNellie Wrote:  I can't quite put my finger on it but the coverage and the studio they work from just looks amateur. CBS, NBC, and obviously ESPN all put on a great, professional looking product, but Fox Sports 1 has not impressed me at all.

If you are going to take on ESPiN, you either need to offer sports fans something different or do the same things better. In my limited viewing of FS1, the network offers nothing new. IMHO, they are simply imitating ESPiN and not doing it as well.

I was hopeful that FS1 would be the anti-ESPN, offering insightful commentary instead of the crap spewed at ESPN by the likes of Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith and their wannabes.

This is probably the biggest disappointment so far. I remember some of the quotes from Fox people pre-launch that FS1 was going to emphasize "fun" and intimated that ESPN was actually too intellectual. It's like they're doubling down on going after the lowest common denominator element. Bleh. I really wish there was the equivalent of NPR (meaning in temperament and journalistic approach as opposed to politics) for sports on TV. Smart can fun, too - the NBA on TNT studio coverage is fantastic where they can balance legit discussions and busting each others' chops. (To be sure, Charles Barkley is a one in a million commentator. You can't replicate that guy.) ESPN actually has shown that it can do it with Outside the Lines (which, of course, they've now relegated to lower rated ESPN2 time slots).

The Fox game coverage has been fine. They have a staff that has worked on Super Bowls, World Series and Daytona 500s, so I think they'll be able to raise their game for the biggest events. The studio coverage, though, hasn't shown anything to indicate that they're offering something different or better than ESPN. ESPN has has been so dominant for so long and we're so used to their rhythms and tendencies that we forget that sports coverage actually can be a lot worse on other networks.

And look - Fox doesn't have to go far in finding a good studio formula. The Fox NFL Sunday studio crew has excellent chemistry with a solid mix of hard analysis and softer entertainment aspects. They're probably the best of all of the NFL studio crews (although that might not be saying much). It's achievable, but I know how enticing it is for network executives to go after "junk food calorie" ratings by going into the gutter for the lowest common denominator as opposed to emphasizing quality.

I think there's fun and then there is the childish stuff that at times is hurting fox sports live. I mean, the first show, they had a promo for the Saints/Texans game the next day and the guy is literally screaming Saints, Texans, 4pm, fox like something you would not believe. It feels bush league.

(09-16-2013 09:32 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  And look - Fox doesn't have to go far in finding a good studio formula. The Fox NFL Sunday studio crew has excellent chemistry with a solid mix of hard analysis and softer entertainment aspects. They're probably the best of all of the NFL studio crews (although that might not be saying much). It's achievable, but I know how enticing it is for network executives to go after "junk food calorie" ratings by going into the gutter for the lowest common denominator as opposed to emphasizing quality.

If Fox opts to go for knowledgeable and authortative, they will have a slower path to ratings success for the studio shows but will eventually gain the reputation as the spot to go to for serious fans and the blabbering heads at ESPN will be blabbering about stories that Fox broke.

Fox has an incredible advantage if they tap into it. They have regional reporting teams across the nation for the Fox Regionals. They own Scout which has a number of good folks out there doing local coverage and should hit many stories before they become national.

Yahoo! is the leader in "print" sports coverage and that is in good measure because the Rivals network gets them in the door on a lot of stories.

(09-15-2013 10:07 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Meh, it is the network's first year. If you look back on the cheesy graphics, sound effects, etc. that ESPN used to have early on you would say they suck as well.

They were state of the art at the time. Technology has improved just a little bit since then.

(09-15-2013 12:24 PM)goofus Wrote:  I would put on about the same level as BTN

Well guess who programs Big Ten Network?

(09-15-2013 01:27 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  I'm not complaining about Fox, ESPN, or NBC graphics as long as CBS is running a ticker where Final next to a score is on a yellow background. If I'm not watching closely I'll catch it out of the corner of my eye and look up to see what the foul was.

Yeah that caught my eye too. That was very distracting.

they already said they're changing the yellow final for next week.

(09-16-2013 08:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I preferred ESPiN in the early days, cheesy productions and all. They had better quality reporting in those days...

You mean they actually had reporting in those days. These aholes today think the actual sporting events are just the backdrops for their own opportunity to mug for the camera and push their agenda (or the network's agenda). Put three of them together and they are so selfish they talk over one another. I don't want them telling me what to think about what I just saw and if just one danged one of them knew the actual rules of the game when they are talking through a review of action it would be helpful.

The coverage for the most part is simply pathetic. If the FOX crew will just give me the details behind the scenes and permit me to draw my on conclusions it would be a big improvement.

(09-16-2013 03:26 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 08:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I preferred ESPiN in the early days, cheesy productions and all. They had better quality reporting in those days...

You mean they actually had reporting in those days. These aholes today think the actual sporting events are just the backdrops for their own opportunity to mug for the camera and push their agenda (or the network's agenda). Put three of them together and they are so selfish they talk over one another. I don't want them telling me what to think about what I just saw and if just one danged one of them knew the actual rules of the game when they are talking through a review of action it would be helpful.

The coverage for the most part is simply pathetic. If the FOX crew will just give me the details behind the scenes and permit me to draw my on conclusions it would be a big improvement.

Quality reporting definitely took a big hit when Howard Cosell retired, even if his voice was rather boring. And ESPiN becoming part of the popular culture didn't help matters any...

Of course, it could be worse. In another dimension the CFA never won their court case, and Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and others of that ilk would be the only games on TV - even with ESPiN. But at least those folks don't have to watch their games, while listening to the announcers discuss another game that's not even being played at that moment...

(09-16-2013 03:26 PM)JRsec Wrote:  Put three of them together and they are so selfish they talk over one another. I don't want them telling me what to think about what I just saw and if just one danged one of them knew the actual rules of the game when they are talking through a review of action it would be helpful.

The coverage for the most part is simply pathetic. If the FOX crew will just give me the details behind the scenes and permit me to draw my on conclusions it would be a big improvement.

Yeah, I think we've all forgotten how the best announcers used to say less and let us watch and absorb things for ourselves.

Want an example? Watch Keith Jackson and Bob Griese call the Colorado-Michigan hail mary from 1994, in the video clip below. (If this play happened today, the announcers would be talking all over each other and would never shut up.)

(09-16-2013 09:35 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I think there's fun and then there is the childish stuff that at times is hurting fox sports live. I mean, the first show, they had a promo for the Saints/Texans game the next day and the guy is literally screaming Saints, Texans, 4pm, fox like something you would not believe. It feels bush league.

Look up some videos of Jay Onrait promoting CFL games on TSN's SportsCentre (ESPN is a minority owner of TSN). They're done exactly the same way.

(09-15-2013 05:19 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  After spending the last 12 season in the Sun Belt, watching North Texas play ESPN3 and mid-week ESPNU games, in dimly lit glorified high school stadiums (especially Fouts), Fox Sports 1's production looks amazing. I'm so glad to be in C-USA with games on Fox's regional channels and Fox Sports 1. I thought our game against Ball State looked great on T.V. (other then the small attendance). Our weekly T.V. show Beyond the Green airs on Fox Southwest in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. I think they do a great job with it. I'm really happy with Fox.

I watched a decent chunk of that Ball State/North Texas game ..... those announcers need to be commended.

Unlike your usual ESPN broadcast, the FSN guys (Mark Followil and Brian Baldinger) ONLY talked about the game in front of them, and ONLY talked about Ball State and North Texas. They spent no time talking about the SEC game "coming up next on ESPN", or "College GameDay", or whatever other nonsense ESPN is promoting. They only focused on the teams and athletes on the field who were giving their all in a competitive college football game.

Just wanted to point that out, the announcers professionalism Saturday really stuck out to me. Followill even knew to (politely) correct Baldinger when he accidentally said "North Texas State" one time.

Quote:Some of the changes I would make on FS1:

1) No panel on Fox Sports Live - I think the panelists themselves aren't bad, but the concept just doesn't work. Let Andy Roddick, Donovan McNabb, etc. do interviews and provide insight where it is appropriate. Let Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole have the lions' share of the show.

They've been growing on me a bit. They've quit stepping on each other toes (as they seemed to do a lot earlier).

Quote:2) Go back to the old FSN/Fox ticker. The dark background made for easier reading than the new ticker that is being deployed across all Fox Sports platforms. Put the sidebar on a diet.

The ticker is actually something I've liked... I do agree the sidebar needs to be thinned out a little bit.

Quote:2. I don't mind the ticker other than the "breaking yellow bar" that shows up just to say that their is programming on FS2, that is annoying cause they show it like every minute. Also, the in game ads during football games are VERY annoying, they show enough ads during commercials.

actually the ingame ads dont' bother me... providing they stick to the ball game during the ad-template. But don't show me the ad-template then go to commercial almost immediately afterwards.

Quote:3) Not cancel as many Speed and Fox Soccer shows, at least not immediately. It would make a good alternative to the endless staple of MMA repeats, and Wind Tunnel would be a good lead in to Fox Sports Live on Sundays.

Agreed.

Quote:4) Put a 5 PM and 6 PM Eastern version of Fox Sports Live on Fox Sports 2. Promote it on Fox Sports 1.

Why they haven't done this yet, I have no idea.

Quote:5) Start a "Fox Baseball Daily" at 7:00 PM Eastern. Really surprised this hasn't happened already. Let it kick over to Fox Sports 2 when pre-empted by live events.

Surprised they haven't done this yet. (Bump CGW and put Baseball Dailyi on at 4pm CST/5 pm EST)

Quote:I have a feeling Crowd Goes Wild will be the first FS1 cancellation. When it happens, move the 4:00 and 4:30 shows into the 5:00 hour.

I've been TRYING to enjoy CGW... please move it to the morning talk show circuit hours or something, please? It's the one show I've been unable to stomach whatsoever.

In terms of the in-game production. They've put E*** to shame honestly. The picture is crisper, cleaner (at least to me) and the announcers are talking about _THE_ game they're covering. Fox has clearly bettered E*** in that regard.

I was watching the UEFA Champions League game on FS1 that is not live, and the ticker gave the score for the game.

NBCSN right now is showing Minor League Baseball's AAA Championship Game. I know NBC has all of the CSN baseball resources available to it, but this is an event that would be in Fox Sports 1's wheelhouse.