Now You See It - But...

There are a lot of moving parts to a live sports television broadcast; under the hood, you have camera operators, utilities (cable wranglers), statisticians, graphics operators, graphics coordinators, a technical manager, a technical director, a score box operator, replay operators, engineers, and on and on and on. To the viewers, all of the effort of these folks put forth live on the air in a frantic television truck somehow funnels out through a couple of announcers and the visuals that are presented.

What is often overlooked, but one of the most vital components of any sports broadcast - is the audio. You might not realize it as you see it...but how you hear it can make a dull broadcast an Emmy winner. When that linebacker collides head on with the league's top running back, you can see the hit in live, HD color right there in your living room. But with a talented audio engineer on the mix, you'll not only see it...you'll feel the impact!

Home theater continues to improve; in this day of affordable digital surround, viewers expect bigger audio. Notice I didn't say "louder" audio. Just bigger. Bigger as in mic placements in new places (like that linebacker's shoulderpads). Bigger as in stereo surround, dropping the viewer directly into the middle of the basketball court (not just the shoe squeaks, but the pushing and jostling & 'pass me the ball' comments). Bigger as in a solid thud you can hear and feel in your gut as that heavyweight fighter lands a haymaker to the jaw.

Next time you're watching the big game, think about all the audio elements happening live, on the fly. Think about how many mics it took to get that sound, how somebody had to dream up those mic placements and wire up the stadium, and how a person stands over the massive digital audio console, pulling faders up and down to make sure the right channels are open at the right moments to deliver that audio to you - always fresh and piping hot! It's truly an overlooked art that puts the viewer on the field, in the huddle, in a way that no camera can do alone.

A Sigh of Relief

The great NFL labor dispute is no mas. In a much-publicized, sometimes contentious debate over profits, free agency, schedule structure, and many other vital points, both ownership and the NFL players union came to terms in time to salvage the entire 2011 season. Well, unless you want to get technical and count the Hall of Fame preseason game which was scrubbed.

Had the entire season been lost, as had been feared, surely there would have been much hoopla about the numbers: tallying up the massive losses - league revenue, lost merchandise sales, player salaries, individual team profits, etc. However, it's quite likely that you would not have read much about a very significant group of professionals that would have been permanently impacted by a lost NFL season: the talented men and women who work hard to televise each game, bringing all of the hits, bombs, and blitzes into your living room or sports pub.

Those of us who work to televise live sports events are primarily paid by the game, on a freelance basis. It's a "no workee/no eatee" business...and most of us like to eatee.

Had the entire season been lost, some of the more fortunate television pros would have picked up other work on other sports events. The greater portion of us might have struggled to pick up part time work or drained our savings accounts, with those funds being lost forever.

So on behalf of all of my fellow sports TV pros, thanks to the players, league, and owners for working out a compromise and saving the 2011 NFL season. And thank you, the fans, for supporting your favorite teams and watching our hard work each week.

A Waste of Good Air Time

Ever find yourself watching the final round of a golf tournament, and see clubhouse interviews of the tourney leaders, prior to their title round starting? I see a pattern here, and it usually goes something like this:

Announcer: "What are you going to try to do out there today?"

Golfer: "Well, you know, I'm going to try to go out there and 'shoot a low score' and see what happens."

Announcer: "Well, good luck today. Folks, there you have it - he's going to try to shoot low!"

Not exactly riveting commentary, is it? I mean, doesn't every golfer want to shoot low? Isn't that the point of the game? Wouldn't it be more entertaining (and insightful) to hear a golfer share something with the viewers that we don't already know? Here's how that same interview might sound, if the viewers were to be treated to some actual inside secret:

Announcer: "What are you going to try to do out there today?"

Golfer: "Well, I've got to disrupt his game anyway I can. So for breakfast I ate a plate of Brussels sprouts and broccoli, along with a giant bowl of baked beans. If he isn't thrown off by the smell of methane, I do a mean impression of Rodney Dangerfield. Maybe I can bust a few lines from Caddyshack on him during his back swing. "Last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it!" If all else fails, I'm gonna try to get the gallery involved in singing the Coke song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing..." as we make the turn. He might beat me, but one way or another it's gonna be the longest round of his life!"

Now THAT would be entertaining.

The Blog is Back, and in 3D

After a time out, the blog is back! And there's been a lot of sports television happening since the last post. Amidst the great games, drama, and back stories, there is a new technological development in the works - and it will be here for everyone before you know it - 3D.

At the Masters at Augusta this year, ESPN treated us to a 3D broadcast of the tournament. They had piles of glasses on tables in the media center, and anyone could stroll up, don the glasses, and be mesmerized. Or nauseous. Or ambivelant. 3D golf actually looked pretty cool, although not perfected just yet. Certain objects featured a very pronounced 3D look, such as overhanging tree limbs, deep bunkers, and grandstands - while others were barely noticable. Graphics were kind of wacky to watch as they appeared on screen, seemingly floating in space about 100 yards in front of anything else. And they wiggled up and down very slightly, which would get old pretty fast, especially after viewers were a few pints deep at their favorite sports watering hole.

Still, 3D is the future of sports television. Rumor has it that the technology is also being developed to eliminate the need for the goggles at all. Before you know it, we'll all be watching our favorite sports in full, vivid, in-your-face 3D. Except for Texas Hold 'Em. For the love of God, we do not need to see poker in 3D.

Serena's Worst Side Overshadows 2 Great Champions

I worked the U.S. Open tennis tourney again this year; upon flying home, several friends asked me about the tournament. Sadly, no one wanted to know about the "REAL" storylines that unfolded in this year's Open (inspiring wins by Juan Martin Del Potro & Kim Clijsters). Instead, everyone - - and I do mean EVERYONE only asks one thing: "So were you there for the Serena incident?"

The answer to the question is, yes...I was there. But how and why did THAT become the story of the tournament? Let's not forget that she was about to lose that particular match anyway. Let's not forget that Clijsters was unseeded, coming back from retirement, childbirth and honestly - probably just hoping to make a respectable showing on her way back to competitive tennis. Instead she became the first mom to come back from maternity retirement and win the U.S. Open. Awesome story right there. Let's not forget that Juan Martin Del Potro blew Cilic off the court, then knocked out Rafael Nadal, then had to go through Roger Federer to win the title. Awesome storyline right there. Playing so many stout matches in one tourney proves that his win was no fluke - it wasn't as if he got lucky and let someone else take out the big guns before him. No, Del Potro did it the hard way - and fully deserves his big fat paycheck and crown.

It is really sad that a great tournament with two great champions, both fighting long odds to win their titles, is completely overshadowed by one person's tantrum. Serena is a great tennis player in her own right, but let's keep the focus where it belongs - on those who rolled up their sleeves and played the best tennis in Flushing.

Cut!! Ok Everyone, Just be Yourselves for a Bit...

Last week I worked a televised junior golf tournament in New Jersey, at Trump National. Donald Trump himself was there, walking the course everyday, following the teen golfers with great interest. Our cameras picked up a few shots of Mr. Trump, chatting with friends, chatting with golfers, eating, spectating...all the 'normal guy' stuff you don't necessarily picture him doing.

I must admit, my respect level for him rose quite a bit as I watched him interact as a regular person. At one point he stopped to deliver an interview for our cameras and rather than talk about himself, he praised the young golfers in the tourney and gave props to his grounds crew for working hard to have the course in tip-top shape.

That brings me to my point: even in the sports world, people behave differently off-camera than they do on-camera. This goes for reality television too, where participants are often encouraged to greatly exaggerate their actions and emotions for maximum television ratings. We should all remember that no matter how outlandish people may appear when the cameras are rolling, they are generally just like all of us when the cameras aren't present: they go to the bathroom, they spill food on themselves, they pick their noses, and they cry real tears.

Still, I do wish "the Donald" had pulled me aside and whispered, "You're fired!" just once. I mean, I would always have that story to tell, you know?

Want to Appear on TV at a Major Sports Event?

A few weeks ago I was working the Masters at Augusta. I know I'm stating the obvious, but I love that place. This was my 11th year there and weather-wise, it was the best. The tournament itself was also spectacular, with a great storyline (Tiger's return), Phil and Tiger paired up on the last day and both lurking just behind the lead pack, and a three-way playoff at the end. Congrats to Angel Cabrera, and congrats to Kenny Perry. Kenny is one of professional golf's gentlemen and it would've been a great feat had he held on at the end.


Something only seen in our TV trucks and thankfully not by viewers at home: some drunken bozo took a half-gainer into a bunker on 17 just as Tiger was preparing to chip to the green during the final round. People, this is not how you get put on television! (it wasn't even given a mention by the announce crew) If you want to be seen on TV during one of the four Major golf tournaments, the best two ways are: 1) be a behaved member of the gallery and settle for being part of the out-of-focus background, or 2) learn how to rip 'em off the tee and tighten up that short game. That's pretty much it right there. Getting drunk and doing something idiotic doesn't get you on television; it only gets you arrested.