Racing fans get shafted by ESPN

[Stevie Belmont]

http://prayingforcash.com/5.html

[Bubbles]

While I can't really see the grounds for complaint regarding the Rushaway (ungraded stakes, probably next to no impact on the Derby picture), I agree that this is getting out of control. If the Lane's End had gotten the shaft, I'm sure there'd be more of an uproar.

Does anyone know what's planned for next week prior to the Winstar?

[Tom]

Why do they even bother to schedule horse racing? Obviously, it is the last thing they want to show. Give the contract to a network that would actually show live races.

Where is NTRA on this? Why don't they get involved on behalf the sport they are supposed to be representing?:lol:

[JimG]

I think commen sense dictates live sporting events should get priority over taped sporting events and ESPN/ESPN2 work together to coordinate.

In this particular situation the tennis match on ESPN2 and the horse racing (also ESPN2) event were both live. The figure skating (ESPN) was taped. Tennis and horse racing should have both been shown in their entirety on ESPN/ESPN2. Instead they insist on letting one live event bleed into another live event and horse racing does seem to get the shaft when that occurs.

Jim

[Figman]

Why do they even bother to schedule horse racing? Obviously, it is the last thing they want to show. Give the contract to a network that would actually show live races.

Where is NTRA on this? Why don't they get involved on behalf the sport they are supposed to be representing?:lol:

The NTRA represented by Keith Chamblin this past Thursday in Saratoga at the Racing Museum was bragging what a good job they do with horse racing on TV!
My best guess is that there is no NTRA followthru when things go wrong. The NTRA just follows the montra "Let it be".

[KYJACK]

If memory from my broadcasting days serves correct; TV networks have a longstanding rule: "NEVER cut away from a live event where the outcome has NOT been determined.

This came about as a result of the 'Infamous Heidi' incident. Back in the 60s/70s, I think CBS was airing a NFL game on Sunday. The children's movie 'Heidi' was scheduled to start after the game, say at 8pm. Well, the game went into overtime. But at eight, the network cut away as scheduled and started the 'Heidi' movie right on time! The uproar from this caused the above rule to become the norm!

I noticed it come into play during the recent NCAA Basketball tournaments. Some unimportant teams were playing a game, before the really important 'University of Kentucky' game.:lol: Well, the first game ran over a bit and the first couple of minutes of the Kentucky game did not air. Like any true-blue fan, I normally listen to the game on the radio for the play-by-play and watch the TV for the visuals. So, it was obvious that they did this!

Anyhow, this seems to show up more on ESPN/ESPN2, due their scheduling of live events back-to-back with no buffer programming in between. The big guys like CBS, NBC and ABC may schedule a "post-game wrap-up' show that can be cut as needed. Or, they will time shift the following programs and air everything in their entirety on a delayed basis. e.g. the 11pm newscast may end up starting at 12midnight! (This also explains why your ReplayTV/TIVO/VCR may only record part of a show!) I've also seen them axe an entire show to get back on time.

My big gripe with ESPN/ESPN2 is that with stuff like this happening quite often, is that they don't normally repeat the showing of horse racing shows (Except for 'At the Races', 'Wire-to-wire' and those hourly morning shows ("Breakfast at Churchill Downs" or "Breakfast at Pimlico" which preceed the actual Derby and Preakness coverage). Heck, even if they replay it at 2am, the next morning, I could still tape it for later viewing/analysis of the race!

IMHO, if it looks like the preceeding live event is going to run over more than a few minutes - the announcers and crew should begin RECORDING a full program of coverage. Then when the other live event finishes, the actual ESPN Network will do a JIP (Join-in-progress) of the horse racing show. On CBS, for example you'll hear the announcer's say "For those of you just joining us, ...." and then begin a mini-recap of what's happened so far. Then later that evening or during the week, they could air the 'Taped' full coverage show, for the fans! This way everybody would win! After all, are the ESPN/ESPN2 networks so jammed packed with (meaningful :D ) coverage 24/7 that then can't schedule a rerun of major events? (Other cable channels will rerun 'NEW' shows - eg. USA, SciFi, Weather Channel, CNN. Even NBC will rerun a new 'Tonight Show' a week later at 2am!)

Jack

[GameTheory]

Certain things they are contractually obligated to show -- the end of those NCAA games, for instance...also football. They will never leave one of those events, although they will sometimes cut off the beginning. Tennis is not much higher up the totem than horse racing. I watch most of their tennis coverage, and it is always getting pre-empted at the beginning and sometimes at the end depending on what is coming after it, and they also prefer to re-show a match on tape they showed already aired earlier (when it was live) than show whatever match is actually going on at the moment if an American is involved in the taped match (even if the live match is between highly ranked players). So they don't cover tennis, they cover Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and the Williams sisters (none of whom I like). Drives me nuts, but ratings rule...

Luckily, even though I bet on horses, I don't have much interest in watching them on TV, so their horse racing coverage doesn't get to me. I did find Mayne's "if and when tennis ends" line hilarious, though...

[foregoforever]

Anyhow, this seems to show up more on ESPN/ESPN2, due their scheduling of live events back-to-back with no buffer programming in between.

They always schedule buffer programming. We're it.

They've probably watched too many network Triple Crown shows. You know how they run ... about an hour and 15 minutes of pre-race blather, followed by the 2-minute race. They figure that the first 80% of the horseracing hour is disposable. Many times, unfortunately, they're correct.

It doesn't help that racing typically starts at 4:00 or 5:00, which is going to be on the tail end of a live event that started at 1:00 or 2:00 and may run long. And races pretty much run as scheduled, give or take a minute or two, so racing is a programmers' dream. It provides a buffer after the unpredictable sport, yet can be counted on to wrap up on schedule, thus putting the evening's programming back on plan.

[Indulto]

Originally posted by Figman:

The NTRA represented by Keith Chamblin this past Thursday in Saratoga at the Racing Museum was bragging what a good job they do with horse racing on TV!
My best guess is that there is no NTRA follow thru when things go wrong. The NTRA just follows the montra "Let it be".FM,

That was the Beatles. I’ve never understood what the NTRA was actually supposed to do. It has no authority to resolve issues like signal pricing or anything else that cooperation between tracks would achieve. Now they can’t reclaim the Triple Crown Bonus claiming the NYRA’s splitting off and CD’s YUM arrangement as the problem. It’s time for “Go Baby Go” to get up and leave.

Did you actually attend any of the round tables and/or the fan forum? If so, did anyone take a position against rebates?

[BIG RED]

I will say just one small thing. I was watching ESPN for the races with a freind, on the big screen. He doesn't follow racing like I do, but he was POed that tennis was on. He kept asking me what was going on. Shoot, I don't know. My point I guess, is here is a guy wanting to watch and it wasn't there? Not going to get new viewers that way.

[JohnNUtah]

commen sense? Montra? Stick with the 25 cent words til you can spell the $1 ones correctly.

[JimG]

commen sense? Montra? Stick with the 25 cent words til you can spell the $1 ones correctly.

Kiss my ass. How was the spelling on that?

Jim

[Tom]

Kiss my ass. How was the spelling on that?

Jim

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:


Somebody shook that tree again!

[GaryG]

Kiss my ass. How was the spelling on that?

JimJim, to borrow from my friend Jim Rome, that was an EPIC post. That was one that makes you say "I wish I had said that". :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[Indulto]

Originally posted by JimG:

Kiss my ass. How was the spelling on that?

JimJG,
Are you French and female?

[JohnNUtah]

thatz all, makes up for yer inbreedin

[GaryG]

There is no inbreeding in Utah? With all of that polygamy I thought it would be rampant.....:eek:

[JohnNUtah]

Get out your copy of Deliverance and continue your hero worshipping. And be proud that cornholes are still your #1 cash crop in Tennessee.

[Tom]

Run your spellchecker over the Terms of Use Agreement you signed.....I think you did not read it.

[BIG RED]

This place has gone insane at times. You can have good threads started where ever and then, like Tom has said, the tree was shook. I'm taking a break for awhile. Later, and wish all good luck. :ThmbUp:

[kenwoodallpromos]

Never heard of it!
But FYI, being from the San Fransicko bay area, our #1 cash crops here are welfare, social security, SSI, disabilty payments, unmemployment, begging, collecting soda containers, and food stamps!
And in case you didn't know, people in the bay area invented computer spell checkers! (Now if only red staters can learn to use it!LOL!!

[shots]

Never heard of it!
But FYI, being from the San Fransicko bay area, our #1 cash crops here are welfare, social security, SSI, disabilty payments, unmemployment, begging, collecting soda containers, and food stamps!
And in case you didn't know, people in the bay area invented computer spell checkers! (Now if only red staters can learn to use it!LOL!!
You forgot muggings and drug sales.