NBC

[sjk]

This is absolutely unwatchable.

[gIracing]

:lol:This is absolutely unwatchable.:lol:

man did you beat me to the punch or what?

Yeah, I really give a flying **** what the costar of Heros thinks about the derby.

HRTV is providing the best coverage... ESPN is watchable, but NBC is literarly for the guy who NEVER watches horse racing

[dylbert]

NBC is consistant, that is consistantly BAD! They've lost Major League Baseball, NFL football, NASCAR... dang, wish they'd lose horse racing too.

I was afraid they'd move coverage to internet like they did some weeks ago. ESPN does much, much better job. Randy Moss has been one of my favorites since his days as Oaklawn Park beat writer. Jerry Bailey is getting better; I don't think any of the former jockeys are that great. Jeannine Edwards is top flight in paddock and should get more air time. Quint K. (who cares what his last name is) is another that I can do without. Hank can't pick horses much better than he picks NFL games and scares me when he likes same pick as me.

Damn, I'm tired of Tom Hammond already too. Third-rate announcer and I don't care that he's from Kentucky. Back to racing -- good luck all! I am attending wedding minutes after race ends (not my own...hahaha).

Bet BIG, win BIGGER!!!

[JustRalph]

with 20 horses, I am just wondering how hard calling this race is going to be?

What a nightmare!!!

[Spendabuck85]

I agree that NBC coverage is poor. My mute button gets used evrey time Hank comes on, I can't stand him.

[DougReding]

It's HORRIBLE. But of course, it's because they are creating their broadcast for people who probably only watch one race every year. It would be nice if they ran it on two channels: one for the general public who wants to know who their favorite stars like and why, and a second, serious broadcast for those who actually have an interest in the sport. This would be really easy for NBC to do actually.

[banacek]

I agree on the commentary, but the overhead shot of Street Sense making his move was really nice.

[BeatTheChalk]

This is absolutely unwatchable.

Indeed....and the ever present ever annoying Bob Costas. The question is
WHY ?? I was expecting a much bigger deal about the Queen :lol: Of
course we were reminded that she owns horses. At least NBC didnt make
all nice and all slurpy and such. And Durkin ? was at his absolute worst.

[JustRalph]

It's HORRIBLE. But of course, it's because they are creating their broadcast for people who probably only watch one race every year. It would be nice if they ran it on two channels: one for the general public who wants to know who their favorite stars like and why, and a second, serious broadcast for those who actually have an interest in the sport. This would be really easy for NBC to do actually.

Damn good idea. They could bring in some decent players (at the races types? ) and run it on CNBC and all of us would get our fix. Probably wouldn't hurt the ratings that much at all.

[PaceAdvantage]

And Durkin ? was at his absolute worst.

At least he didn't completely miss Street Sense making his winning move like some other supposed "superior" announcer once did on another major racing day.

[BeatTheChalk]

At least he didn't completely miss Street Sense making his winning move like some other supposed "superior" announcer once did on another major racing day.

Are the initials of said superior announcer ... T D ? In my California daze or
days .. take your pick ....He was never my favorite announcer. And it just
got worse as the years wore on. IMHO of course :lol:
*** Rolling like a winner indeed ***

[JustRalph]

At least he didn't completely miss Street Sense making his winning move like some other supposed "superior" announcer once did on another major racing day.

I was talking to my wife about this the other day while they were replaying it on HRTV. I told her,

"Finally a horse sprouts wings and catches the leader, and he misses it!" :lol: She didn't get it............ and immediately went back to ignoring me

[Froggy]

How can anybody think HRTV has great coverage.

During the day on just about every race as the horses were loading into the gate they would go to a commercial.
After they just had 50 min of blab time it was time for a station break.

Froggy

[Tom]

But compared to ESPN and NBC, they looked terrific.!
You want to look skinny - hang out with fat people.

[JustRalph]

How can anybody think HRTV has great coverage.

During the day on just about every race as the horses were loading into the gate they would go to a commercial.
After they just had 50 min of blab time it was time for a station break.

Froggy

Ok, here is why. I figured this out immediately and turned the channel. They had to go to station break right before each race because ESPN was carrying the races live. It is a contract thing. That is why they would show you the race on tape after the commercial each time. I figured this out the first time it happen and clicked over to ESPN's coverage. HRTV has to wait one minute or so after the race is run to play it "on tape delay" It's a TV thing. The next time you see them doing this, it is a que that somebody else is carrying the racing live and you are on the wrong channel. I got to watch every race live. I did flip back and forth though.

[Bubbles]

From my Derby Report Card Thread

NBC. Big, BIG thumbs down. From the pre-race coverage to the race itself, it was TERRIBLE. I tuned in around 5:30, and I saw not ONE serious look at a horse in the form of a package. They made a clear attempt to highlight a town with Dominican, but nobody cares about a bunch of kids running with stick horses. What about something on Curlin, who, coming into this race, was the ultimate "undefeated, untied, unscored upon" horse?

And THEN we get to the race itself. Oh boy.

The worst decision a network has made since the "Heidi" Bowl was around the far turn. Of ALL times to go to an overhead camera, they went then, and viewers had to deal with a horrible shot of Street Sense shooting up the rail without knowing what horse it was. It was the Breeders' Cup all over again, except this time, it was camera shots instead of saddlecloths. Why not use that angle at the start when everyone's scrambling for position? At least then, you don't risk losing a horse who's making a big-time run.

I am a television/radio major at Ithaca College, and I believe NBC deserves as much criticism as humanly possible for today's horrible coverage of "the best two minutes in sports."

[gIracing]

I liked HRTV so much that I would rather wait to watch the Tape Delay.

funny enough, I STILL have not seen the stretch drive, as my satillate went out for like 3 mintues DURING the race

It pisses me off to no end, people who have no idea of the magnitude of the race, they come in to cover something that HRTV, and TVG have been building up for months, and come and trivalize evertyything. As a handicapper who has been there from the beginning, no I don't care who Rick Pitno thinks is going to win the derby.



Give HRTV a year or so, let them get their own cameras down there (or their own cameras in general) they will be fine.

I actually like Randy Moss.. he is from my home track (oaklawn) and deserves better.

[Snow Chief]

The overhead was great . . . . for the replay, but watching the race for the first time the traditional view should not be tampered with. Awful coverage. I di like that Tom called out the "Yumfecta" as absolute garbage though.

[Bubbles]

I di like that Tom called out the "Yumfecta" as absolute garbage though.That was the one thing that prevented me from giving it an F- in my report card! :D

[PaceAdvantage]

Watching it live I actually appreciated the overhead because I immediately saw the orange saddle cloth and knew Street Sense was a lock at that point. He got the trip he wanted and needed. I couldn't believe that horse got such a clean trip up the rail, and the overhead emphasized that point at just the right time.

Then again, I've never been one to get too upset about switching camera shots.

[JPinMaryland]

I agree I think it was a good idea. One should understand that when something is done differently for the first time, it is going to be unnerving. They had never done that.

But think about it, it is much easier to see exactly in what path these horses are making their moves on the turn. Then they cut to the pan for the stretch run so you dont lose any of that drama. Sure the overhead feels a bit more antiseptic but you can really tell where in terms of path these horses are coming from.

I can recall spedning countless hours back and forth with the video trying to discern exactly where horses that are coming between horses are on the turn. I think it works.

[JustRalph]

I still want one of those range rovers cruising inside the rail like they have in Dubai......... I would have loved that angle when Street sense went by

[depalma13]

At least he didn't completely miss Street Sense making his winning move like some other supposed "superior" announcer once did on another major racing day.

Of course, he knew what to look for.

[Snow Chief]

I guess why i didn't like it was that i heard durkin call street sense so i looked for him coming wide (don't know Borel well enough obviously) and missed the heart of the move.

[gIracing]

by the time he called it, the move was almost done. if you go back and look about 5-6 seconds before that and see just how far he came back from, I had to tip my hat