hi guys
I like the move to ESPN.
Seems to me that they've done an EXCELLENT job of covering the 2006 Breeders' Cup (so far).
The previous coverage on NBC (with Tom Hammond at the helm) had (from my perspective) all-to-often been tired and/or predictable.
Whatta ya think?
Respectfully.
ESPN TV delivers excellent Breeders' Cup coverage
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Yup we get more Kenny, more Randy, the Hammer picks the Juvenile winner, Miesque's Approval makes grandma proud and Ouija Board rocks it...today's gone well. Hearing Eddie Castro (congrats Eddie!) speak a strange combo of English and Spanish not far from whatever it was that Anne Heche spoke when she was Celestia(or whatever)... We even got an interview with Lord Derby. The stuff on Kiaran was great--what a guy. All the people have seemed interesting and fun to watch as have the horses. Nice coverage and congrats to all the jockeys, trainers, and owners so far. Lovely racing guys.
OMG, just watched a rather interesting bit of coverage that never would've hit NBC...Kenny's breeding segment. I'm scarred! LOL. I feel like I need to take a shower.
OMG, just watched a rather interesting bit of coverage that never would've hit NBC...Kenny's breeding segment. I'm scarred! LOL. I feel like I need to take a shower.
Last edited by Heidilady on Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana"
-
kimberley mine
- Breeder's Cup Contender
- Posts: 1811
- Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:43 pm
Er...hello Heidilady
At least ESPN recognizes the fact that it's the BREEDERS' Cup.
Good for ESPN to venture into the breeding shed...and I too smiled when I saw the segment was reported by Kenny Mayne
.
Best to you.
Respectfully
At least ESPN recognizes the fact that it's the BREEDERS' Cup.
Good for ESPN to venture into the breeding shed...and I too smiled when I saw the segment was reported by Kenny Mayne
.
Best to you.
Respectfully
Last edited by FOS on Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kimberley mine wrote:I am enjoying it tremendously, but...
...WHO THE HECK thought that spot about Victory Gallop getting jiggy with the ladies was a good idea?
I'd have suggested some candles but they're in a barn so bad idea. Perhaps some courvoisier and a little Barry White."Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana"
hi guys
I thought Chris Fowler was a smart choice to host the ESPN Breeders' Cup coverage...and that he made an excellent presentation to not only the expected BC audience, but also likely attracted a legion of ESPN College Gameday fans that might otherwise care little (or less) about horseracing.
I think the industry wins today with ESPN's sports-savy audience and style of coverage, moreso than it did with previous NBC-style coverages.
Scheduled BC coverage ended approx an hour ago (on ESPN)...but even at this moment, ESPN continues to televise (intermingled with other sports news) plenty of commentary, interviews, opinions, insights and overviews re todays BC and horseracing in general.
I like it.
Respectfully
I thought Chris Fowler was a smart choice to host the ESPN Breeders' Cup coverage...and that he made an excellent presentation to not only the expected BC audience, but also likely attracted a legion of ESPN College Gameday fans that might otherwise care little (or less) about horseracing.
I think the industry wins today with ESPN's sports-savy audience and style of coverage, moreso than it did with previous NBC-style coverages.
Scheduled BC coverage ended approx an hour ago (on ESPN)...but even at this moment, ESPN continues to televise (intermingled with other sports news) plenty of commentary, interviews, opinions, insights and overviews re todays BC and horseracing in general.
I like it.
Respectfully
FOS wrote:hi guys
I thought Chris Fowler was a smart choice to host the ESPN Breeders' Cup coverage...and that he made an excellent presentation to not only the expected BC audience, but also likely attracted a legion of ESPN College Gameday fans that might otherwise care little (or less) about horseracing.
I think the industry wins today with ESPN's sports-savy audience and style of coverage, moreso than it did with previous NBC-style coverages.
Scheduled BC coverage ended approx an hour ago (on ESPN)...but even at this moment, ESPN continues to televise (intermingled with other sports news) plenty of commentary, interviews, opinions, insights and overviews re todays BC and horseracing in general.
I like it.
Respectfully
I especially liked it when he called Sheik Rashid - Sheik Hamidan. I guess they all look alike to him.
-
geowarrior
- Leading Sire
- Posts: 3593
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
- Location: Spokane, WA
I thought that although there were some glitches, that generally speaking the coverage was good. I thought that far more than NBC or ABC they managed to give some impressions of the personalities of the horses (in what is really a very short time period between races), as well as some of the human personalities involved also. And I found their profiles less sappily sentimental than others I've seen on other networks.
I liked the fact that they brought a European reporter in to give the European perspective.
On another thread, of course, there is an argument as to how graphic or inappropriate the coverage was of the breakdowns of Pine Island and Fleet Indian. I thought they did their best to be respectful and restrained, and I liked the little clip tribute to Pine Island that they must have put together at short notice, showing some of her finest moments. And the team was well informed - they all knew Pine Island personally so it felt like a more sincere type of coverage. I also noticed that generally when they were talking about a particular horse, the camera was actually on that horse, (not 100% but mostly) which is a beef I often have with t.v. racing coverage generally. Commentators often discuss a horse while showing an image of another one or of a lead pony.
The breeding segment was a little disappointing. I might have liked it to be a little more educational.
But I only have basic cable, and what a treat it was to get all those hours of coverage of racing on basic cable. I also feel that they can improve on this first time effort in future years as they will have learned some things from today.
I liked the fact that they brought a European reporter in to give the European perspective.
On another thread, of course, there is an argument as to how graphic or inappropriate the coverage was of the breakdowns of Pine Island and Fleet Indian. I thought they did their best to be respectful and restrained, and I liked the little clip tribute to Pine Island that they must have put together at short notice, showing some of her finest moments. And the team was well informed - they all knew Pine Island personally so it felt like a more sincere type of coverage. I also noticed that generally when they were talking about a particular horse, the camera was actually on that horse, (not 100% but mostly) which is a beef I often have with t.v. racing coverage generally. Commentators often discuss a horse while showing an image of another one or of a lead pony.
The breeding segment was a little disappointing. I might have liked it to be a little more educational.
But I only have basic cable, and what a treat it was to get all those hours of coverage of racing on basic cable. I also feel that they can improve on this first time effort in future years as they will have learned some things from today.
geowarrior wrote: And I found their profiles less sappily sentimental than others I've seen on other networks.
That's like saying that Shakespeare was a better writer than a Monkey at a Typewriter; it's a major understatement...
I liked the fact that they brought a European reporter in to give the European perspective.
I 100% agree that it was a good move and I was absolutely flabbergasted that ESPN managed to make so many positive innovations relative to how lesser networks cover major racing events (I expected the sports pros to do better, just not that much better).
The excellence pervaded even how the races were shot; which was consistently good and showed an understanding of what I always say; namely that if you make the direction overly static out of misplaced conservatism and/or laziness you'll never capture the dynamism of a horse race.
With the way the races were shot on NBC, you'd think that D.W. Griffith never invented the close-up or at least that the director had highly inadequate knowledge of how to use shot variation...
Actually, I'm still almost not sure if ESPN's coverage actually happened or if it was just a wonderful dream.
-llbean
"What happened is merely a sample of what might have happened, weighted by probability."
http://www.venturageoscore.com/
http://www.venturageoscore.com/
hi geowarrior
Bull's-eye...I couldn't agree more.
It's a fact that horses breakdown...sometimes catastrophically. It is what it is...a sobering reality.
I say deal with it in an honest yet sensitive, thorough, forthright, professional and diplomatic fashion. I believe it was the intention of Dr Bramledge and the host, commentators and producers of the program...to do just that. Arguably NOT an easy task.
Dealing with the injury and/or loss of a wonderful thoroughbred is arguably difficult under any conditions; and arguably the ramifications (and/or viewers' perceptions) can be magnified on national (and/or international) television, but if the alternative is to attempt to sweep it under the rug or even minimize it, I cannot support that. Fans and viewers should be made aware of the risks and dangers of it all, and are entitled to a prompt, honest, thorough and quality report re what they saw (or thought they might have seen) and the gravity of the situation.
Sometimes an ugly wart might be exposed, but to ignore it or attempt to glance over it when something serious occurs, should be unacceptable. Arguably integrity in ESPN's reporting is key (and it was, to my way of thinking), if credibilty is to be maintained.
I even felt that the segment (hosted by Jerry Bailey) about the starting gate (including related dangers) was informative while at the same time making viewers aware (or prepared might be a better choice of words) that something (possibly not so good) might occur. I submit that there is value to such pre-emptive (if you will) reporting, and it would not surprise me if we see more of that kind in the future.
ESPN must have had quite a volume of information and videos available (and at their fingertips) if such a tribute was prepared on such short notice.
Yes, they seemed VERY well informed.
Excellent point.
I sense that in time ESPN will offer more.
That said...and recognizing that this was ESPN's maiden voyage re full Breeders' Cup coverage...I thought that Kenny Mayne's segment pertaining to thoroughbred breeding and the shed...was likely quite informative to many (if not most) viewers.
If the day's racing was titled the Owners' Cup...or Trainers' Cup...or Jockeys' Cup...the segment would certainly have been different. Since it was Breeders' Cup day though, I liked the decision by ESPN to touch on (and share with viewers) thoroughbred breeding, and go into the breeding shed where it all begins?
Absolutely. I found ESPN to be somewhat bright and bushy-tailed and always respectful of the events as they unfolded, as compared to what was (to my way of thinking) becoming all-too-often boring...uninteresting coverage by NBC. As for former Breeders' Cup host Tom Hammond, he seemed to have become (to a large degree) an announcer/host that all-too-often was on auto-pilot...and flying in the direction of boring, and predictable.
I hope (and actually expect) that ESPN will continue to expand their thoroughbred horseracing coverage, and I look forward to their 2007 Breeders' Cup telecast.
Respectfully
geowarrior wrote: I found (ESPN's) profiles less sappily sentimental than others I've seen on other networks.
Bull's-eye...I couldn't agree more.
geowarrior wrote: On another thread, of course, there is an argument as to how graphic or inappropriate the coverage was of the breakdowns of Pine Island and Fleet Indian.
It's a fact that horses breakdown...sometimes catastrophically. It is what it is...a sobering reality.
I say deal with it in an honest yet sensitive, thorough, forthright, professional and diplomatic fashion. I believe it was the intention of Dr Bramledge and the host, commentators and producers of the program...to do just that. Arguably NOT an easy task.
Dealing with the injury and/or loss of a wonderful thoroughbred is arguably difficult under any conditions; and arguably the ramifications (and/or viewers' perceptions) can be magnified on national (and/or international) television, but if the alternative is to attempt to sweep it under the rug or even minimize it, I cannot support that. Fans and viewers should be made aware of the risks and dangers of it all, and are entitled to a prompt, honest, thorough and quality report re what they saw (or thought they might have seen) and the gravity of the situation.
Sometimes an ugly wart might be exposed, but to ignore it or attempt to glance over it when something serious occurs, should be unacceptable. Arguably integrity in ESPN's reporting is key (and it was, to my way of thinking), if credibilty is to be maintained.
I even felt that the segment (hosted by Jerry Bailey) about the starting gate (including related dangers) was informative while at the same time making viewers aware (or prepared might be a better choice of words) that something (possibly not so good) might occur. I submit that there is value to such pre-emptive (if you will) reporting, and it would not surprise me if we see more of that kind in the future.
geowarrior wrote:I thought they did their best to be respectful and restrained, and I liked the little clip tribute to Pine Island that they must have put together at short notice, showing some of her finest moments.
ESPN must have had quite a volume of information and videos available (and at their fingertips) if such a tribute was prepared on such short notice.
geowarrior wrote:And the team was well informed - they all knew Pine Island personally so it felt like a more sincere type of coverage.
Yes, they seemed VERY well informed.
geowarrior wrote:I also noticed that generally when they were talking about a particular horse, the camera was actually on that horse, (not 100% but mostly) which is a beef I often have with t.v. racing coverage generally.
Excellent point.
geowarrior wrote:The breeding segment was a little disappointing. I might have liked it to be a little more educational.
I sense that in time ESPN will offer more.
That said...and recognizing that this was ESPN's maiden voyage re full Breeders' Cup coverage...I thought that Kenny Mayne's segment pertaining to thoroughbred breeding and the shed...was likely quite informative to many (if not most) viewers.
If the day's racing was titled the Owners' Cup...or Trainers' Cup...or Jockeys' Cup...the segment would certainly have been different. Since it was Breeders' Cup day though, I liked the decision by ESPN to touch on (and share with viewers) thoroughbred breeding, and go into the breeding shed where it all begins?
geowarrior wrote:I also feel that they can improve on this first time effort in future years as they will have learned some things from today.
Absolutely. I found ESPN to be somewhat bright and bushy-tailed and always respectful of the events as they unfolded, as compared to what was (to my way of thinking) becoming all-too-often boring...uninteresting coverage by NBC. As for former Breeders' Cup host Tom Hammond, he seemed to have become (to a large degree) an announcer/host that all-too-often was on auto-pilot...and flying in the direction of boring, and predictable.
I hope (and actually expect) that ESPN will continue to expand their thoroughbred horseracing coverage, and I look forward to their 2007 Breeders' Cup telecast.
Respectfully
FOS wrote:It's a fact that horses breakdown...sometimes catastrophically. It is what it is...a sobering reality.
I say deal with it in an honest yet sensitive, thorough, forthright, professional and diplomatic fashion. I believe it was the intention of Dr Bramledge and the host, commentators and producers of the program...to do just that. Arguably NOT an easy task.
Dealing with the injury and/or loss of a wonderful thoroughbred is arguably difficult under any conditions; and arguably the ramifications (and/or viewers' perceptions) can be magnified on national (and/or international) television, but if the alternative is to attempt to sweep it under the rug or even minimize it, I cannot support that. Fans and viewers should be made aware of the risks and dangers of it all, and are entitled to a prompt, honest, thorough and quality report re what they saw (or thought they might have seen) and the gravity of the situation.
Sometimes an ugly wart might be exposed, but to ignore it or attempt to glance over it when something serious occurs, should be unacceptable. Arguably integrity in ESPN's reporting is key (and it was, to my way of thinking), if credibilty is to be maintained.
Profoundly true, FOS, people can detect when something is being swept under the rug and on a deep level it will disturb them much more than candor would have.
Sometimes an ugly wart might be exposed, but to ignore it or attempt to glance over it when something serious occurs, should be unacceptable. Arguably integrity in ESPN's reporting is key (and it was, to my way of thinking), if credibilty is to be maintained.
I 100% agree and this years BC Telecast was an excellent builder of credibility for the ESPN racing team (you could really tell that they understood that the stakes were much higher vis a vie quality of coverage and they all brought their A Games)...
I even felt that the segment (hosted by Jerry Bailey) about the starting gate (including related dangers) was informative while at the same time making viewers aware (or prepared might be a better choice of words) that something (possibly not so good) might occur. I submit that there is value to such pre-emptive (if you will) reporting, and it would not surprise me if we see more of that kind in the future.
I honestly didn't think about that advantage but you are right. That was a big advantage of airing the segment and given how well ESPN handled everything; I wouldn't be surprised if they took that into account.
That said...and recognizing that this was ESPN's maiden voyage re full Breeders' Cup coverage...I thought that Kenny Mayne's segment pertaining to thoroughbred breeding and the shed...was likely quite informative to many (if not most) viewers.
If the day's racing was titled the Owners' Cup...or Trainers' Cup...or Jockeys' Cup...the segment would certainly have been different. Since it was Breeders' Cup day though, I liked the decision by ESPN to touch on (and share with viewers) thoroughbred breeding, and go into the breeding shed where it all begins?
I agree here as well and actually I found Kenny's piece, besides giving a sense of TB Breeding in a very short time to viewers unfamiliar with it, to be a very deep meditation on the limits of anthropomorphizing animals and the Man's emotional relationship to the horse (i.e. how he "deals" with the question of how to think about something some of them care greatly about and which is like him in some ways, but at the same time a thing that is a different species and which is not really "equivalent" to Humans).
In fact, it was even Movie-Like in how it was about a protagonist (Kenny Mayne) descending into a World related closely to something he cared about, but still a World quite strange to him.
Also, it had the virtue of continuing the theme of Kenny Mayne’s earlier segment on Hose Travel, namely that of taking anthropomorphism further than it usually is for the sake of well done and subtle dean-pan humor (also, anyone who cares about comedy should study closely how Kenny, in the horse travel segment, delivered the line: “it’s just like a barn… except it’s not made of wood”; he made that joke at least 50 times better than how it must have been written down).
Absolutely. I found ESPN to be somewhat bright and bushy-tailed and always respectful of the events as they unfolded, as compared to what was (to my way of thinking) becoming all-too-often boring...uninteresting coverage by NBC. As for former Breeders' Cup host Tom Hammond, he seemed to have become (to a large degree) an announcer/host that all-too-often was on auto-pilot...and flying in the direction of boring, and predictable.
Right on, FOS, Hammond was always a grave peeve of mine and Fowler was a huge step upward for the BC (also, I seem to recall Fowler hosting an earlier race on ESPN this year and even relative to that performance, which was still better than Hammond, in the BC Chris really brought his A Game; as did Jerry Bailey who somehow managed to improve even off how well he usually does).
-llbean
"What happened is merely a sample of what might have happened, weighted by probability."
http://www.venturageoscore.com/
http://www.venturageoscore.com/
hi llbean
It seems to me that ESPN poured a very strong and level foundation to build upon. I personally liked Chris Fowler as the Breeders' Cup program's anchor, and I like the freedom that I sensed was entrusted to Jerry Bailey. I also liked Jeannine Edwards work very much (among others).
I can only hope that ESPN continues to aim high to produce a quality, very entertaining and informative racing program. Hopefully that will not only satisfy but also benefit all the participants, including the viewers and the industry in general. Over the long term viewer loyalty should strengthen, audience should increase (hopefully dramatically) and interest and participation in the sport could broaden.
That said, what do you think of the Netjets commercials? They often get a chuckle out of me. Talk about a limited targeted audience.
I could almost envision the commercial starting with Bernie Mac saying...for all of you out there that are underachievers or losers...this TV commercial is not for you; but if someday you score a big deal or inherit Aunt Mary's millions, give us a call...we'll help you blow it
Best to you.
Respectfully
It seems to me that ESPN poured a very strong and level foundation to build upon. I personally liked Chris Fowler as the Breeders' Cup program's anchor, and I like the freedom that I sensed was entrusted to Jerry Bailey. I also liked Jeannine Edwards work very much (among others).
I can only hope that ESPN continues to aim high to produce a quality, very entertaining and informative racing program. Hopefully that will not only satisfy but also benefit all the participants, including the viewers and the industry in general. Over the long term viewer loyalty should strengthen, audience should increase (hopefully dramatically) and interest and participation in the sport could broaden.
That said, what do you think of the Netjets commercials? They often get a chuckle out of me. Talk about a limited targeted audience.
I could almost envision the commercial starting with Bernie Mac saying...for all of you out there that are underachievers or losers...this TV commercial is not for you; but if someday you score a big deal or inherit Aunt Mary's millions, give us a call...we'll help you blow it
Best to you.
Respectfully