| FTBL Random Thought: CBS versus ESPN Game Coverage

[TideatMileHigh]

While at my reserve unit this weekend, it finally dawned on me what made CBS' coverage of college football much more enjoyable than Mickey Mouse Inc: Respect for the game.

CBS' crew for college football respect and understand a college football game. The stadium shots, camera work, and sound production produce a very immersive feeling that no ESPN game has ever captured. I legitimately think that the production crew for CBS' college football games actually love/respect the sport and take pride in showcasing college football to the country. ESPN productions reek of corporate watered-down shit. Also, I think Brandon mentioned this, but CBS doesn't litter their coverage with annoying graphics and news crawlers.

I got into college football in 2007 when I was 13. My first real memory of the SEC on CBS was when Alabama played Florida State in 2007. I noticed how CBS covered a college football game was very different from how ESPN covered Alabama against Arkansas and UGA the previous two weeks. The CBS coverage had a much more "epic" feel to it. I'll miss their coverage, and I'm not looking forward to our games being the sole property of Mickey Mouse Inc.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

100%. I totally get that some get annoyed with Gary and the crew harping and trying to create narratives... they did it again yesterday with that silly replay fest after the half of Bond's catch... but there are very, very few CFB broadcast crews that fans don't constantly gripe about.... and ESPN is littered with guys who distract from the game with some of the nonsense they say... so in that regard... things ain't getting better. And you nailed the other side too... the actual production is worlds better if you're paying attention. We are going from a Mercedes product to a Ford product....

 

[252BAMA]

My only problems with CBS were the lousy $55M per year contract and the 5 minute commercial breaks. The $55M really irked me. Broken into 15 shares (SEC office gets one) that was $3.67M per school. And for Bama it was only $733,333 per game because CBS would USE them for 5 games each year. If Bama owned the TV rights to those games they could have easily gotten $3.67M per game. So Bama was royally screwed by the contract.

 

[rick4bama]

I think a lot of us didn't like the way Gray would harp on a certain play. Take the pass that Bond caught for the first down. He not once talk about Bond catching it and his knee was down. Minnie one CBS 0. @TideatMileHigh we all going have to love the crawler.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Fewer cameras and far fewer replays from ESPN.

 

[TerryP]

Fewer cameras and far fewer replays from ESPN.

I made some phone calls on this one. Average, for an ESPN game on a Saturday? Four cameras. CBS brings a dozen, plus. There were a few calls Saturday that they referred to as a "pylon cam shot." They weren't. It was another camera.

ABC brings the same equipment for one game a week.

While we'll see the SEC get more money from ESPN, we're losing good coverage. We're not too far from seeing remote color analyst, consistently.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I made some phone calls on this one. Average, for an ESPN game on a Saturday? Four cameras. CBS brings a dozen, plus. There were a few calls Saturday that they referred to as a "pylon cam shot." They weren't. It was another camera.

ABC brings the same equipment for one game a week.

While we'll see the SEC get more money from ESPN, we're losing good coverage. We're not too far from seeing remote color analyst, consistently.

When what would otherwise be an obvious instant replay review gets missed because of limited camera angles, there will be uproar.

I wonder if there is anything in the TV contract that requires minimum camera coverage? Perhaps the SEC should have their own cameras for IR reviews.

 

[TerryP]

I wonder if there is anything in the TV contract that requires minimum camera coverage? Perhaps the SEC should have their own cameras for IR reviews.

A REALLY good question. I went there. There isn't. It's all about that paycheck.

 

[BamaFan334]

Give me CBS all freaking day long. I'll take Brad and Gary, and hell, bring Verne back too.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Actually....even Gary chilled some...him n vern wereto much...but Brad seemed to have more control and is really good..

But they do grab a straw and keep sucking... ok they could have reviewed Bonds catch...should have ...would have stood...nothing indicated it wasnt a catch..
If it had beencalled not a catch...probably would have stood also..
But harped n harped on it...just say what you gotta say. And let it go...

Surprised really...therewasnt more made of the " 4-31" with push off by bond...
Minor but is there...

 

[ElephantStomp]

Blame it on CBS

 

[Davestwin]

Blame it on CBS

Seriously … why? Because they don’t have Disney money to spend? This larger and larger taking over of smaller and smaller is killing American culture and local businesses. It’s already killed local hardware, pharmacies, building supply, household supplies, grocery, clothing, “fresh” vegetables, radio stations, food products, restaurant supply and a host of other businesses that used to be local to every large town and most midsize towns. It’s been happening to TV stations for a while now and it’s only getting worse. Your “local stations are owned by the same firms that own local stations regionally and more and more nationally. Now it’s hard to see Viacom/CBS as anything other than big business but compared to Disney they’re not in the same league. Disney’s market cap is 8 times that of Viacom/CBS and are also much more diversified which means their tentacles reach other economic segments as well. I’m in the construction business and it’s happening in our industry as well. The big guys continue getter bigger by either buying market share via acquisitions or by putting the smaller GC’s out of business. What difference does that make? It makes a great deal of difference to local economies, to their workforce, to the financial support of local charities and so on. Where does it end?

What’s happening used to be hedged by monopoly laws yet they’re so watered down now as to be a joke. Congressmen and Senators both federal and state have been campaign funded into supporting globalism which is shorthand for monopolistic take over every business sector locally, regionally and nationally. In metro Atlanta (which is ever expanding) with homeowner projects and household supplies you’ve basically got two choices … Lowes or Home Depot. And there’s not a sliver of difference price wise or in variance of products and manufacturers offered. And ask any supplier how much they’re beaten down on their prices and terms by those giants. It’s the same with WallMart. More and more local and regional suppliers simply can’t compete and have either died or are dying on the vine.

I could go on but you get my point whether you agree with it or not. Though the only thing you can really disagree with me is on whether you applaud globalization or not. Everything else is factual. And we’re all guilty of for letting this happen. We want cheaper everything. The truth though is at some point, their products are no longer cheaper. Once they’ve killed or bought the competition their prices go up and up. Look no further than pharmacies. Once the local pharmacies were either bought or put out of business the price of everything they sell went through the roof. Now, there are only a few drugstore chains and one of them Walgreens will be bought by one of the larger behemoths or go under. They’re already closing hundreds of locations. Anyway, I know it’s now inevitable but that doesn’t make it anymore digestible.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Seriously … why? Because they don’t have Disney money to spend? This larger and larger taking over of smaller and smaller is killing American culture and local businesses. It’s already killed local hardware, pharmacies, building supply, household supplies, grocery, clothing, “fresh” vegetables, radio stations, food products, restaurant supply and a host of other businesses that used to be local to every large town and most midsize towns. It’s been happening to TV stations for a while now and it’s only getting worse. Your “local stations are owned by the same firms that own local stations regionally and more and more nationally. Now it’s hard to see Viacom/CBS as anything other than big business but compared to Disney they’re not in the same league. Disney’s market cap is 8 times that of Viacom/CBS and are also much more diversified which means their tentacles reach other economic segments as well. I’m in the construction business and it’s happening in our industry as well. The big guys continue getter bigger by either buying market share via acquisitions or by putting the smaller GC’s out of business. What difference does that make? It makes a great deal of difference to local economies, to their workforce, to the financial support of local charities and so on. Where does it end?

What’s happening used to be hedged by monopoly laws yet they’re so watered down now as to be a joke. Congressmen and Senators both federal and state have been campaign funded into supporting globalism which is shorthand for monopolistic take over every business sector locally, regionally and nationally. In metro Atlanta (which is ever expanding) with homeowner projects and household supplies you’ve basically got two choices … Lowes or Home Depot. And there’s not a sliver of difference price wise or in variance of products and manufacturers offered. And ask any supplier how much they’re beaten down on their prices and terms by those giants. It’s the same with WallMart. More and more local and regional suppliers simply can’t compete and have either died or are dying on the vine.

I could go on but you get my point whether you agree with it or not. Though the only thing you can really disagree with me is on whether you applaud globalization or not. Everything else is factual. And we’re all guilty of for letting this happen. We want cheaper everything. The truth though is at some point, their products are no longer cheaper. Once they’ve killed or bought the competition their prices go up and up. Look no further than pharmacies. Once the local pharmacies were either bought or put out of business the price of everything they sell went through the roof. Now, there are only a few drugstore chains and one of them Walgreens will be bought by one of the larger behemoths or go under. They’re already closing hundreds of locations. Anyway, I know it’s now inevitable but that doesn’t make it anymore digestible.

I completely understand what you’re saying. When a company (CBS) gives a contract and say take it or leave it and said other entity (SEC) says no thanks and CBS says “we’re walking away” then it’s on them