|
Post by rockhopper on Oct 21, 2014 13:14:58 GMT -5
Al Scates is interesting... ... Also, sometimes it's hard to hear him over the other noise. Amen! I could hardly hear him last time and I really wanted to be able to hear him.
|
|
|
Post by mikegarrison on Oct 21, 2014 15:06:02 GMT -5
When an author has a series of books, or a movie has a lot of sequels, there is always an issue about how much you try to make sure a first time reader/viewer can pick up on versus making sure you don't bore all the people who have read or seen all the previous works. A sports announcer is potentially in that same situation. You have to make it at least a little accessible for the casual or brand new fan, but you also have to understand that the vast majority of your audience will either 1) already know as much about the sport as you do, or 2) be sitting right next to somebody else who can explain the libero. Don't dumb it down too much! If you make it seem like volleyball is a crazy niche sport that should be showing at 2 am on ESPN8, that's what it will be.
As for the rally scoring thing, I agree this shouldn't be an issue. But for many of us, we did grow up with our exposure to volleyball mainly being:
1) only three hits (block not counting as a touch violates this) 2) rotate the positions (libero violates this) 3) you only score on the serve (rally scoring violates this) 4) win by 2
If they suddenly started scoring baseball such that you got a run for every putout you made, it would be hella confusing for somebody who hadn't heard about the rule change. You would have to explain it, for sure. But after a few years you would probably stop explaining it unless somebody asked, or unless you were trying to compare scores from today with scores from a match 15 years ago.
When I learned how to play volleyball, you could block the serve, but the serve couldn't touch the net. Now the serve can touch the net, but you can't block the serve. Nevertheless, not something that has to be explained every match.
What should be explained at the start of a match is the difference between a 6-2 and a 5-1 -- if one team is running one and the other is running the other. Or if a coach changes halfway through a match!
You don't need to explain that the NCAA allows 15 subs, not including the libero, UNLESS the team gets close to running out of subs for a match. Then a good announcer should recognize that it is about to happen and explain to the audience that the coach is now starting to face some difficult decisions.
And PLEASE, don't tell me for the umpteenth time that "a good setter always goes back to the player that just made an error." But a good setter also finds the mismatch. And a good setter goes to the hot hand. And a good setter is unpredictable. All of which might violate the idea that if your struggling freshman just hit the ball a mile wide, perhaps you don't need to set her on the next chance you get.
Don't just say they need to get more production from the middle -- explain why a team is having trouble getting their middles involved in the offense. Talk about the passing, or the setting, or the way the middles seem to always be out of position in transition, or whatever else is the reason why.
Don't just say "Soandso from the back row!" Point out that the setter got to the ball well behind the 3 meter line, and the only play that was not going to be a trap set was to go for the pipe.
Overall, the rule should be to ADD VALUE with the commentary, not just to talk over the action.
|
|
MyNameHere
Sophomore
Enter your message here...
Posts: 189
|
Post by MyNameHere on Oct 22, 2014 22:33:29 GMT -5
Or if a coach changes halfway through a match! Coaches being rung up by the refs are my favorite kind of reality TV.
|
|
|
Post by volleydude444 on Oct 23, 2014 7:36:48 GMT -5
Thanks for all the responses guys, some really great stuff to think on. Full disclosure I've been a color commentator for the past few years at both the HS and college level. I enjoy doing it and I want to get better so I'm trying to avoid the pitfalls that are mentioned in this thread. I played and coached in the past but have been out of coaching for a few years and just want to make sure I'm still up on the game. Not talking down to the viewers is probably the biggest thing to take away from this. I had always suspected that vball fans felt that way but I was never really 100% sure, now it's confirmed which is good so thank you. I'm happy to say I've never explained the Libero rule ha ha ha!!! When an unusual play happens I'll usually explain the rule once, just for clarification but then that's it. I also like to know tactics/strategy myself but it's hard to chat with coaches before a match and get them to reveal anything specific so I'm sort of left to guess as the match goes on and see what plays out. Some stuff is obvious, some is not. I also try to track the rotations to see what match ups are interesting. Anymore feedback please keep it coming. Sorry if we said you suck. Don't worry, I'm not any of the commentators that you guys mentioned in this thread. Ha ha ha!!! Ironically, I was at a vball store in PA this past weekend and the girl working there was talking about the Penn St/Perdue match and said she HATES when commentators talk down to the audience!! Small world
|
|
|
Post by HR Puff on Oct 23, 2014 8:14:38 GMT -5
So I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the commentators that are covering your favorite teams. Who do you like? Who not? What are some pet peeves announcers do/say that drive you nuts? What would you like to hear/see more of? I know he does B1G games, but Mike Wolf....best in the business.
|
|
|
Post by beb12345 on Oct 23, 2014 15:18:55 GMT -5
ESPN 3,,,,,all bad. Sorry.
Big Ten,,,not so bad.
Karch,,,the best.
|
|
roger
Sophomore
Posts: 211
|
Post by roger on Oct 24, 2014 6:55:13 GMT -5
My peeve is that I wish they would not talk so much. I am annoyed at the simplistic things that so many discuss that teaches little about the game and shows almost no insight into the actualities. I wish that rather than staring at the players seated while the coach talks during timeouts that they would show a screen of stats to date including the names of the players and their numbers. Telling me that Polmiller(SPELING?) does not help since I do not get a clear picture of her and if my memory fails then I do not have a number. The other wish would be that for every server her name is shown and of course that would include her number so that some continuity can be established.
With so many matches ;now on the tube continuing to show names and numbers is far better for the tv watcher than scanning the crowd or the redundancy of the most recent Nebraska match in which they repeatedly showed how long it has been since their opponent that night had beaten Nebraska. Now that is a statistic for the ages and so vital to understanding what is happening NOW>
|
|
|
Post by volleylover26 on Oct 24, 2014 10:32:01 GMT -5
I wish they would show the substitutions, especially with teams running 6-2s and using serving subs. Why do the cameras do close-ups of the next server (and the old people behind them either staring at their butts or conspicuously trying 'not' to stare at the server's butt!) instead of showing us who is going in and out? It seems very intentional, as if all camera people were told to 'not' show the substitutions. Very often the announcers don't comment on the substitutions either. Unless you're a fan that has every player's name and number memorized, it's hard to keep up with who's on the court. I find myself with my laptop open during matches looking up roster info to see who's on the court. I like the broadcasts that show a small graphic at the bottom of the screen with player name, hometown, class, etc., because that provides info on new servers at least without adding the extra gab by the announcers.
|
|
|
Post by Phillytom on Oct 24, 2014 11:14:07 GMT -5
+1 Hannah Werth was great, I think she's got a big future as a broadcaster. I think she's doing the Big Ten network. Obviously new at it, not polished yet but she is SUPER enthusiatic about the game and pointed out a lot of subtle things that a high level player would know. I learned a lot from her. Just upbeat and seemed to be having the time of her life watching volleyball. BTW she looks do different out of uniform -- hardly recognized her from her playing days. I saw Hannah Werth was doing some commentating. Forget which matches. I liked the way she explained what exactly the player did right or wrong when going up for a kill. More technical info than you hear all the time from other announcers/color commentators. I agree about some of the announcers that go off on a tangent while play is going on. Sometimes I'd catch myself yelling at the screen "Hey, stop yapping and pay attention to the game that's going on in front of you"
|
|
|
Post by WI FIB on Oct 24, 2014 13:34:17 GMT -5
So I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the commentators that are covering your favorite teams. Who do you like? Who not? What are some pet peeves announcers do/say that drive you nuts? What would you like to hear/see more of? I know he does B1G games, but Mike Wolf....best in the business. Please tell me you're kidding. "Double touch?"
|
|
|
Post by tenfootliner on Oct 24, 2014 15:25:36 GMT -5
Audrey Flaugh BTN.....I enjoy her.
|
|
|
Post by austintatious on Oct 24, 2014 16:51:40 GMT -5
I know he does B1G games, but Mike Wolf....best in the business. Please tell me you're kidding. "Double touch?" I hate "double touch" more than anything and just seems so playground.
|
|
|
Post by vbplaya on Oct 24, 2014 17:24:30 GMT -5
I hate "double touch" more than anything and just seems so playground.
Playground? Maybe he's saying "Double Dutch"!
|
|
|
Post by mikegarrison on Oct 24, 2014 17:37:18 GMT -5
I hate "double touch" more than anything Why?
|
|
|
Post by hammer on Oct 24, 2014 17:40:14 GMT -5
I hate "double touch" more than anything and just seems so playground. Playground? Maybe he's saying "Double Dutch"! The Double Dutch Bus ...
|
|