Supercross Broadcast RANT
Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:31 pm
Feel free to read and to debate. This is just my view on the program that FOX Sports puts on. I don't mean to directly attack any of the FOX team as people, just the way the program is presented come Supercross night.
Okay, so I've been watching SX on TV for probably 7 years now and I don't really know why, but I feel like the broadcast on FOX is just getting worse. For me, being from Australia, the race is usually on ESPN on Sunday at around midday (which is Saturday night in US). Usually I am working at this time so I can record the 3hr program and watch it when I get home. Generally I can get through the program in about 1hr and 20 minutes by just watching the racing and some interviews (skipping commercials and all the other shit-talk) This past Sunday I stayed home and watched the race live and I was so disappointed.
First of all; the team of commentators. Daniel Blair I think his name is, is quite knowledgable when it comes to Supercross and he is a great track-side commentator as he can get his point across swiftly and it provides the viewer a good insight into track conditions and/or IMPORTANT reports on rider(s). Jeff Emig is also knowledgable (obviously) but just can't seem to get his point across quick enough. It takes him like 2-3 laps to finish his point about something usually irellevant and outdated. We get it, you won the championship a thousand years ago, please just call whats happening infront of you and stop talking about things that don't matter.
And as for Ralph and Jenny, wow. I feel like Jeff and Ralph hate eachother at times, and if I'm honest, I probably would hate Ralph too, no offence. He is not knowledgable in the sport at all and doesn't really know what he's talking about. I feel like he hasn't spent a day of his life at a Supercross the way he talks nonsense about whats happening on screen. If he didn't have timing and scoring, plus facts written infront of him, I guarantee he wouldn't be able to handle it in the booth. Half the time he gets the riders name wrong, makes points that Jeff blatanly contradicts/disagrees with and signifies importance over facts that are not important at all. The facts that they pull out are sometimes quite good, but lots of them are irrelevant to whats happening in the 2018 championship, and don't really need to be said halfway through the main event whilst a great battle is happening.
I have nothing against Jenny Taft as a reporter or a person in general, however I don't think she is a good fit for a supercross presenter at ALL. "When I spoke with _____ earlier, he told me..." seems to be all she says and they usually throw it to her when theres an amazing battle on the screen that Ralph and Jeff should probably be calling from the booth. She takes wayyyyyy too long to make, yet again, an irrelevant point. And the interview DIRECTLY after the main event?? I get it, they want the viewers to see the emotion of winning a main event. But give them 5 minutes to at least have a talk to their mechanic/team manager/family etc. She doesn't even let them get their sponsors ready. (I mean Goggle sponsor around the neck, energy drink in hand, cap on etc.)
I believe FOX have tried to tick all the boxes when it comes to a reporting team and they have done that. They have a female reporter, an ex-champion of the sport, a "young" reporter, and the commentator whom everyone knows his voice. However I don't belive Jenny, Jeff, Daniel and Ralph are a good dynamic. The racing is happening at such a rapid pace and I feel like the team the way it is, just can't keep up.
I won't babble on for too long but since I did watch the FULL 3 HOUR Program on Sunday, I realised just how much unnessecary behind the scenes trash we see. The feature on Justin Brayton was nice, their Science of Supercross with McGrath is insightful and the Makeup2Mud movement is also well done. HOWEVER, I do not believe these need to be shown as much as they are in the Supercross program. All this extra, b-roll bullshit that I don't really want to watch when I'm trying to sit down and enjoy some good supercross RACING. I understand that advertisements/endorsements need to be run or whatever, but I just feel like it's overpowering the screen time of the athletes, and to be honest, it's turning me off watching it. (Even though I record and watch it every week
)
Anyway, thats just my comments on the broadcast. Feel free to debate/read I really don't care, I felt like writing.
Okay, so I've been watching SX on TV for probably 7 years now and I don't really know why, but I feel like the broadcast on FOX is just getting worse. For me, being from Australia, the race is usually on ESPN on Sunday at around midday (which is Saturday night in US). Usually I am working at this time so I can record the 3hr program and watch it when I get home. Generally I can get through the program in about 1hr and 20 minutes by just watching the racing and some interviews (skipping commercials and all the other shit-talk) This past Sunday I stayed home and watched the race live and I was so disappointed.
First of all; the team of commentators. Daniel Blair I think his name is, is quite knowledgable when it comes to Supercross and he is a great track-side commentator as he can get his point across swiftly and it provides the viewer a good insight into track conditions and/or IMPORTANT reports on rider(s). Jeff Emig is also knowledgable (obviously) but just can't seem to get his point across quick enough. It takes him like 2-3 laps to finish his point about something usually irellevant and outdated. We get it, you won the championship a thousand years ago, please just call whats happening infront of you and stop talking about things that don't matter.
And as for Ralph and Jenny, wow. I feel like Jeff and Ralph hate eachother at times, and if I'm honest, I probably would hate Ralph too, no offence. He is not knowledgable in the sport at all and doesn't really know what he's talking about. I feel like he hasn't spent a day of his life at a Supercross the way he talks nonsense about whats happening on screen. If he didn't have timing and scoring, plus facts written infront of him, I guarantee he wouldn't be able to handle it in the booth. Half the time he gets the riders name wrong, makes points that Jeff blatanly contradicts/disagrees with and signifies importance over facts that are not important at all. The facts that they pull out are sometimes quite good, but lots of them are irrelevant to whats happening in the 2018 championship, and don't really need to be said halfway through the main event whilst a great battle is happening.
I have nothing against Jenny Taft as a reporter or a person in general, however I don't think she is a good fit for a supercross presenter at ALL. "When I spoke with _____ earlier, he told me..." seems to be all she says and they usually throw it to her when theres an amazing battle on the screen that Ralph and Jeff should probably be calling from the booth. She takes wayyyyyy too long to make, yet again, an irrelevant point. And the interview DIRECTLY after the main event?? I get it, they want the viewers to see the emotion of winning a main event. But give them 5 minutes to at least have a talk to their mechanic/team manager/family etc. She doesn't even let them get their sponsors ready. (I mean Goggle sponsor around the neck, energy drink in hand, cap on etc.)
I believe FOX have tried to tick all the boxes when it comes to a reporting team and they have done that. They have a female reporter, an ex-champion of the sport, a "young" reporter, and the commentator whom everyone knows his voice. However I don't belive Jenny, Jeff, Daniel and Ralph are a good dynamic. The racing is happening at such a rapid pace and I feel like the team the way it is, just can't keep up.
I won't babble on for too long but since I did watch the FULL 3 HOUR Program on Sunday, I realised just how much unnessecary behind the scenes trash we see. The feature on Justin Brayton was nice, their Science of Supercross with McGrath is insightful and the Makeup2Mud movement is also well done. HOWEVER, I do not believe these need to be shown as much as they are in the Supercross program. All this extra, b-roll bullshit that I don't really want to watch when I'm trying to sit down and enjoy some good supercross RACING. I understand that advertisements/endorsements need to be run or whatever, but I just feel like it's overpowering the screen time of the athletes, and to be honest, it's turning me off watching it. (Even though I record and watch it every week
) Anyway, thats just my comments on the broadcast. Feel free to debate/read I really don't care, I felt like writing.
commentators have drove me nuts since I started watching racing 10 years ago