Improving Current Sports Coverage By Network

[Drew22]

I grew up with the Braves on TBS, and I know it sounds weird, but when they took the Braves off of TBS it was like they took some of my childhood with them. TBS is one of the reasons the Braves became so popular.

That's like mine. I grew up watching Braves games with Skip Caray, Joe Simpson, Don Sutton, and Pete Van Wieren. Now only Joe is still doing games.

[TrueYankee26]

Not that I'm totally opposed to it, but rather than "improving" anything, you've just suggested we go back to how it was 10 years ago.

1999 was better, sports coverage wise, at least IMO.

[TrueYankee26]

ABC: Agreed with "Lose the ESPN tag." It's stupid, IMO. Are we really supposed to believe that for however long there's going to be a sporting event on ABC, that ESPN has taken over the whole thing? Come on now. Plus, note to whoever schedules the Sunday NBA games: THERE ARE MORE THAN 10 TEAMS IN THE NBA! We are tired of seeing the Celtics, Lakers, Cavs, and other teams with manufactured superstars EVERY SUNDAY. Show some variety. There is no excuse for there being teams in the NBA that don't have a national TV game, let alone a national TV HOME game. Let everybody get at least one game on ABC, or ESPN on ABC, excuse me. Don't change what you do with college football, though. That's the only place where having ESPN actually improved the product.

CBS: Don't change too much, other than find a way to spice up your boring ass NFL pre-game show.

NBC: Give them the World Series back. I am tired of hearing Joe "the Robot" Buck & Tim "He hit a ground rule double, so he only gets to advance to second base." McCarver. Other than that, everything else you cover, like CBS, is spot on.

FOX: I love FOX...but damn, stop adding gimmicks onto your sports. That damn robot has annoyed so many people over the past couple of years. The Digger Cam is amazingly lame. You could've added a ground camera without adding a cartoon camera. And finally, if they haven't gotten rid of the baseball cartoon guy that taught pitches like "this is a fastball!", then they need to. Basically, FOX needs to stop adding stuff that appeals to the 6-10 year old audience.

ESPN: On SportsCenter, get rid of the talking heads on that show. Just give us anchors, highlights, and occasional reports. That's it. I do not want to hear so-and-so's opinion on what's going on in sports today. You have a bunch of shows made just for that, keep it out of SportsCenter. Also, the same thing I said for your NBA coverage over on ABC, goes for what you do for the MLB. The Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and Cubs do not need to be on national TV every other night! Spice it up! I am tired of basically not watching your MLB coverage during the week because I know that it's going to be one of those 4 teams for the early evening game.

TBS: [Homer]Bring back the Braves on TBS.[/homer] Nah, unlike others who dissed TBS only because it wasn't a big-time network, I actually thought that your coverage of the playoffs is pretty good. I'd find a way to show more, and at least give viewers an alternative to the ESPN early game.

VS: Please make it seem like you are more than a niche network, improve the production. There are times where I have to turn up the TV just to make out what's going on audio-wise.

They don't have Braves games on TBS anymore? I didn't even notice that. I was actually planning on watching the Braves a lot this year due to their acquisition of Garret Anderson.

Yeah, they stopped after the 2007 season.

[ninersdd]

How about the NFL doesn't leave games right before the last play(like the Pack-Titans). Also its flat-out stupid that a hockey game can get preempted for a prehorse race show

[tp49]

I grew up with the Braves on TBS, and I know it sounds weird, but when they took the Braves off of TBS it was like they took some of my childhood with them. TBS is one of the reasons the Braves became so popular.

That's like mine. I grew up watching Braves games with Skip Caray, Joe Simpson, Don Sutton, and Pete Van Wieren. Now only Joe is still doing games.

Don Sutton's coming back to work Braves games this season.

[MadmanLA]

In this age of digital television, with over-the-air stations having the capabilities to broadcast mutliple streams of programming concurrently on the same channels, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS stations (especially the ones without in-market sister stations) broadcast mutliple NCAA tourament games at the same time. They've already done it in Atlanta and Milwaukee, and probably in one other market I can't think of. It can be helpful especially if you have multiple regional/local teams being forced to play on the same night, at just about the same time. Of course, it's not gonna happen anytime soon thanks to CBS and NCAA's deal with DirecTV.

There was an occurence last year when UCLA and Cal State Fullerton had games at the same time...KCBS carried the UCLA game, while one of the local independents, KDOC (based in Anaheim, directly south of Fullerton) carried the CSF game. KCAL, which is the sister station to KCBS (and the backup CBS network outlet), would have likely carried the Fullerton game, but had a Laker telecast that night, which gets top priority on KCAL.

[Viper]

ABC: Get rid of the "ESPN on ABC" garbage. It cheapens ABC, and it makes ESPN look like the more dominant channel. Also, lose the NBA, and let NBC broadcast it. Bring back the ABC Sports presentation, graphics, and logos back. And get Monday Night Football back.

The whole point of ABC spinning off their sports coverage to ESPN was basically compartmentalization on Disney's part to save money - they have a whole arm of the corporation (ESPN) whose specialty is sports coverage, so they let them handle all of it, even the stuff that actually airs on ABC, and let ABC focus on developing a lineup of overrated scripted dramas, unfunny sitcoms and lame talent shows more conventional TV programming. If "ESPN on ABC" ever goes away it will be because Disney has elected to get ABC out of televised sports altogether and leaving it entirely to the ESPN "family". Which actually wouldn't surprise me all that much if it happened.

[TrueYankee26]

So that means, the ABC Sports name will not be seen a lot anymore, if at all.

[epper]

NASCAR: Give it back to CBS.

NFL: NBC is my current favourite coverage. The best blend of graphics, commentators and pre-game show. CBS is a close second.

MLB: Fox is great, but only when it's the secondary team (can't remember their names), NOT Buck/McCarver.

NBA: No one beats TNT.

[Riot!]

NASCAR: Give it back to CBS.

NFL: NBC is my current favourite coverage. The best blend of graphics, commentators and pre-game show. CBS is a close second.

MLB: Fox is great, but only when it's the secondary team (can't remember their names), NOT Buck/McCarver.

NBA: No one beats TNT.

I totally agree. TNT is amazing at NBA games, and The M;B on FOX is great.

[BJBerthiaume]

I grew up with the Braves on TBS, and I know it sounds weird, but when they took the Braves off of TBS it was like they took some of my childhood with them. TBS is one of the reasons the Braves became so popular.

I also grew up watching the Braves on TBS, and I'm from Minnesota! There would be a game on like every night, and now TBS only has games on what, Saturday? Horrible.

Also, you forgot to mention TNT and their NBA coverage.