THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Monday, May 19, 2008

Live-to-tape broadcasts with the ending pre-known

By Tangotiger, 01:12 PM

Why, why, why would the NHL Network (channel 401 on Cablevision, NJ) broadcast the tape-delayed live broadcast of a game (GREAT!), but will feature a scroll bar at the bottom telling you the final score of the game? I’ve got to now force myself to not let my eyes wander.

I know someone else here (Rally?) said that the MLB.com games have a somewhat similar problem, in that you can tell how much broadcast time is left in the game (because of the scroll bar), and therefore, likely precludes certain outcomes if you are nearing the end of the scroll bar.

• Sabermetrics • Media • Other Sports • Hockey

#1 (see all posts) 2008/05/19 (Mon) @ 13:32

The time issue is the same problem I have with poker on TV ... with two minutes to go, you know the guy behind is going to go all in and get beat.

Also, on SportsCenter they also run the scores on the scroll bar ... drives me nuts.

#2 MGL (see all posts) 2008/05/19 (Mon) @ 18:19

One of the many thousands of uses of duct tape…

Or if your TV/broadcast allows, change the size/resolution of the picture…

#3 (see all posts) 2008/05/19 (Mon) @ 22:16

Yes, the mlb.com viewer still has this and other issues.

I listen to the Pirates while at work, 98% of the time on demand after the game is archived. I do not know who has won.

To combat the scroll bar, I move the right half off the screen, so I can only see the left side of the scroll.

They have a “News” box in the lower left - I’m in the 5th inning, and I see the “News” that “Pirates lose in extra innings” gee thanks

This year with the new viewer they did put a button to “Show Linescore” which is good - but never thought of another to “Show Highlights” - I really hate to see “Soriano’s Two Homers” out of the corner of my eye.

#4 Bobby Swift (see all posts) 2008/05/20 (Tue) @ 16:43

This used to happen with UEFA Champions League coverage on ESPN2. Two games are played simultaneously, and ESPN2 would air one game, and ESPN Deportes would air the other, or ESPN Classic would air the other game on tape delay. But they would show highlights of the other game during halftime, and even give score updates unannounced during the game. Enough people complained, so now the announcers do not discuss the other game and they give adequate warning before showing highlights at halftime. So, if even ESPN will listen to angry viewers, maybe Cablevision will as well.

#5 (see all posts) 2008/05/21 (Wed) @ 03:12

The two things that absolutely kill any potential for MLB.com in Japan is the fact that all games are blacked out, and that they make it impossible to watch the games without having the score to that game appear on your screen. Mind-bogglingly stupid.

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