Friday, January 14, 2005
Booya!!!!!!
What's wrong with just reading me the scores? What's wrong with describing the action in a highlight? Why does every sportscaster want to become a pop culture icon?
I'll admit, I thought it was cute at first. Craig Kilborn's "reverse - rotation - splash!", Chris Berman's "He - could - go - all - the - way!", Dan Patrick's "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him....." ESPN's sportscasters started trying to make sports even more colorful by adding catch-phrases and an irreverent tone to their reading of scores and narration of highlights. When one or two were doing it, it was cute. The fact that fine sports journalists like Bob Ley and Charlie Steiner weren't made it more fun and intersting when something unexpected would come out of Keith Olberman's or Craig Kilborn's mouth.
Unfortunately, they created a monster. I believe Stuart Scott was the first sign of the sports journalism apocalypse. Booya! He may know the game, he may be a gifted storyteller, but the catch-phrases have got to go. It's not so much that I'm annoyed at his attempt to have fun, I get annoyed that all of his verbal ministrations (assuming such a term is even possible) draw attention away from the Super Bowl or World Series game at hand. "Did you hear what Stuart Scott said on Sportscenter last night?" "No, I was busy actually watching the content of the highlight."
And if it had stopped with Stuart Scott maybe, just maybe, I could have lived with it. Believe me, you haven't seen sad until you see KELO's resident bufoons try to work the same crap into High School Football highlights. Or until one of the twenty-something first-broadcasting-job weekend sports guys in the Rapid City market try to get "colorful." "If I say 'Booya!' enough times, maybe I'll land that big job in Chicago within the next six months!" Yeah, pal, it could happen. Why don't you try actually pronouncing 'Tiospay Zina' correctly before you work in another tired Backstreet Boys reference. Let's tell a coherent story with your highlights. While we're at it, since you're undoubtedly shooting most of your own video, re-read the section of the camera's operating instrutions entitled "white balance," and learn a thing or two about framing your shots. Oh, that's right, when that big network gig comes along you won't be shooting your own video. Right, you won't be in this market long enough to need to learn to do your job well. That attitude oughta bring you that dream job in no time.......
I realize that sports is supposed to be fun. In a local newscast, it's the only part of the show that isn't serious business - well maybe the weather in Southern California. But imagine if this were to spread to other parts of the newscast:
"Here we see amatuer video of the tragic tsunami in Southern Asia - this ain't Bedford Falls and there won't be a Merry Christmas!!!!"
"In this Department of Defense video, we see a napalm strike on the radical defenders in Fallujah - and that's a little bit warm...."
"After approval by both houses of congress, the handgun bill was brought before the President. BUT NO!!!!! REJECTED!!!!! THAT'S A POCKET VETO, BABY!!!!!!!"
BOJ
"You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him......"
I'll admit, I thought it was cute at first. Craig Kilborn's "reverse - rotation - splash!", Chris Berman's "He - could - go - all - the - way!", Dan Patrick's "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him....." ESPN's sportscasters started trying to make sports even more colorful by adding catch-phrases and an irreverent tone to their reading of scores and narration of highlights. When one or two were doing it, it was cute. The fact that fine sports journalists like Bob Ley and Charlie Steiner weren't made it more fun and intersting when something unexpected would come out of Keith Olberman's or Craig Kilborn's mouth.
Unfortunately, they created a monster. I believe Stuart Scott was the first sign of the sports journalism apocalypse. Booya! He may know the game, he may be a gifted storyteller, but the catch-phrases have got to go. It's not so much that I'm annoyed at his attempt to have fun, I get annoyed that all of his verbal ministrations (assuming such a term is even possible) draw attention away from the Super Bowl or World Series game at hand. "Did you hear what Stuart Scott said on Sportscenter last night?" "No, I was busy actually watching the content of the highlight."
And if it had stopped with Stuart Scott maybe, just maybe, I could have lived with it. Believe me, you haven't seen sad until you see KELO's resident bufoons try to work the same crap into High School Football highlights. Or until one of the twenty-something first-broadcasting-job weekend sports guys in the Rapid City market try to get "colorful." "If I say 'Booya!' enough times, maybe I'll land that big job in Chicago within the next six months!" Yeah, pal, it could happen. Why don't you try actually pronouncing 'Tiospay Zina' correctly before you work in another tired Backstreet Boys reference. Let's tell a coherent story with your highlights. While we're at it, since you're undoubtedly shooting most of your own video, re-read the section of the camera's operating instrutions entitled "white balance," and learn a thing or two about framing your shots. Oh, that's right, when that big network gig comes along you won't be shooting your own video. Right, you won't be in this market long enough to need to learn to do your job well. That attitude oughta bring you that dream job in no time.......
I realize that sports is supposed to be fun. In a local newscast, it's the only part of the show that isn't serious business - well maybe the weather in Southern California. But imagine if this were to spread to other parts of the newscast:
"Here we see amatuer video of the tragic tsunami in Southern Asia - this ain't Bedford Falls and there won't be a Merry Christmas!!!!"
"In this Department of Defense video, we see a napalm strike on the radical defenders in Fallujah - and that's a little bit warm...."
"After approval by both houses of congress, the handgun bill was brought before the President. BUT NO!!!!! REJECTED!!!!! THAT'S A POCKET VETO, BABY!!!!!!!"
BOJ
"You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him......"
# posted by Blind Orange Julius @ 9:40 PM 
