Reader has suggestions for SEC TV Network
February 26th, 2010 | 
Author: Vaught’s note: Kentucky fan Tom West has seen enough of the SEC TV Network to have an opinion on the quality of this year’s games.
By TOM WEST
Will Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive ever crawl out from under the obscene pile of cash he raked in on the deal with ESPN long enough to evaluate the quality of the SEC Network. If he does, here are a few things he should consider:
1. It is great that every men’s basketball game and every football game is broadcast in some form or another, but quality should not be sacrificed for quantity. I would rather listen to a game on the radio than try to watch a game that is being broadcast with cameras that were obviously purchased from the local public access channel.
2. Mark Gottfried is a great announcer hire, but where did some of these other kids come from? Yes, ESPN is located in Connecticut, but do they really need to fill out their announcer ranks with graduates from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting? Or was that the Columbia school that used to advertise all the time?
3. The stats and graphics used in the broadcasts are inaccurate way too often. I watch a lot of SEC games, not just UK, and I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a foul called and the announcers never say who it was on or how many they have. One of them even said it has been over three decades since a team went undefeated in the SEC. They also seem to have a problem with getting the score right. I see one team make a 3 and the opponent gets the points and keeps them for a good minute or two.
4. The Big Ten (with 11 teams) Network, which I guess pioneered the whole conference network thing, does a really nice job on their broadcasts of events as well as their magazine-format shows. As much as I really don’t like that conference, their network is light years ahead of the SEC’s and was from its first year on the air.
I realize that anyone can make a mistake every once in a while, but it just seems that the SEC Network is really just an on-the-job training program for wanna-be broadcasters.
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Agree or disagree? Let us know.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tom has it right. Many of the SEC broadcasts are really hard to watch because of rambling commentators, errors and overall poor broadcast quality.
Great Piece!!! I do see some of the Issues that TOM WEST points out…The worst Brodcast of them all Is the ESPNU broadcasts..No matter what teams or League is Playing, They are Horrible..I didn’t realize that ESPNU meant LITERALLY!!! Its BAAAAD! but BOB KNIGHT and BRENT MUSSBURGHER couldn’t be “PROPT UP” by the best of the best in the TECH dept. TOM WEST, Thank you for this article, I was starting to think It was Just ME..lol!!! GO BIG BLUE!!!!
Since I am usually at most games, it’s hard for me to offer an informed opinion. That’s why I want to see how all of you feel and it’s obvious from the first two posts here that Tom West is on to something. Keep the comments coming. The SEC office does pay attention
BTW: Don’t let the SEC network anywhere near MIKE PRATT… I invite the BIG BLUE fans to turn back and forth to the UT radio Network and the UK radio network and listen to Burt burdlcamp, And burt is called great by some in the SEC..lol!!! I Beg to differ and I think you will agree..MIKE PRATT Is better than Most COLOR men on the SEC TV network no doubt…Give up some of the CASH SEC, But Keep away from (MIKE PRATT)…GO CATS!!!
Tom’s right about the quality of the brodcasts. Terrible quality all the way around and we have had numberous games with a 9PM start. If the 7PM game goes to OT we miss the first 10 minutes of the game. The regions should be able to choose to carry the local region games as they have done in the past.
Tom is right. But I’m just thankful Raycom is OUT.
Tom is right but money talks. As long as the ESPN money train keeps flowing nothing will change.
Agree on EVERY point. The Crap-O-Vision Hi-Def cameras, which broadcast in 240p are horrendous. And we laughed constantly at the score keeping, or lack thereof.
It really does suck that the Big Slow 11 outdoes the SEC and they don’t win JACK in football or basketball!!
The thing about not announcing fouls is an epidemic though. Less and less announcers, on ALL the networks, give timely information anymore. They are all more enamored with talking about other things than giving actual play-by-play. But who doesn’t want to know about the announcers’ wives, past glory-days and who they think might get to the tournament from the North American Upper Middle West Coast Mountain Valley Athletic Conference? Who gives a crap about the actual game you’re watching?
I’M SURE THE SEC NETWORK WILL EVENTUALLY GET IT RIGHT. MAYBE NEXT YEAR!
GO BIG BLUE!!!!
I agree. I have been especially frustrated at the announcers failing to make clear on whom fouls have been called.
I too agree that the Big Ten conference channel is very nice. There games are some of the best HD programming I have seen. They are better than espns HD broadcasts for some reason.
I agree on all points we have mentioned here. The fuzzy pictures, poor camera angles, cutaways from action to crowd or coach shots. These bug me more than bad announcing. I do have to ask everyone though. Does Brad Nessler and his style of play by play keep Dick Vitale more engrossed in the game he is watching or is it me. These last 3 UK games Dickie V has called, he is not rambling as much as he used to do. You all know what I mean, the promos about upcoming games, the PTP’s , this guy making a great pro from a mid level Big Ten school. I think Nessler and his abilities, also he rides and teases Dick like no one else does, keeps Dick on track.
Tom
I usually turn down the sound and watch the action – that way, if there is a misunderstanding of who did what – its mine.
My husband and I spend the night talking about how bad these games are. I’m almost ready to bring back Jefferson Pilot. How bad is that!!!! I have to disagree with you on Vitale. He is the most incessant talker I have ever heard. You never know who fouls, who scores, who does anything – he is too busy rambling. Then when you think you might get a picture of a good play, the cameras are aiming at his wife or his friend or some random soul in the stands. I know the SEC got lots of money for the exposure – but the devil must have been in the details – they didn’t promise HDTV, good graphics, decent reports – just exposure for lesser schools. The devil is still laughing.
Wow. Never dreamed it could be this bad. Seems like the SEC would make sure to take care of this. Befuddles me. Keep the comments coming and I will forward them to Mike Slive myself at the SEC Tournament
With the history ESPN has with the SEC I was shocked to see the SEC sign any kind of contract with that network. I was not surprised to see video that would have looked bad in 1958 (and I have a HDTV so it isn’t on my end). I’m not surprised at the camera angles that are blocked by sociopath fans who don’t want people to see the games especially if those people are UK fans. I wasn’t surprised to see third rate announcers who fail to give information on fouls, fail to correct bad information that they do give and spend more time talking about what it was like when they played in jr. high at Backwater, Montana. After all ESPN has given us Dick Vitale, who still spends more time talking about games that aren’t of interest to anyone but him. He must have spent half of the second half of the USC game talking about his wife or talking to Magic or talking about the ACC not having any good teams or how great the Big East is yadda yadda yadda. He did manage to get in his obligatory remarks about Duke though. He never misses a game without talking up his favorite state. If anyone doubts NC is his favorite state I can direct you to some video on YouTube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=453iCUDjgG8&feature=related I could direct you to video of Vitale warning coaches not to come to UK also but one link at a time. I just can’t imagine why the SEC trusted ESPN to do right by them given the endless string of ACC and Big East homers that populate that network. I guessed ESPN was out to sabatoge SEC basketball and it looks like I was right. When was the last time anyone saw video as bad as ESPN broadcasts on their regional network channels? It’s horrendous and it can’t be denied. ESPN is no friend of the SEC. I think ESPN hoped to catch UK during their off years and totally sink UK’s recruiting ship by putting a few games on the regional networks and not showing the other games at all. ESPN is no friend of UK or the SEC.
Hello Larry. Longtime reader and first time poster. I first must say that you run a great blog and I appreciate all the info you bring to the table. I want to echo everything everyone else has said. At the beginning of the game last night I about lost it due to ESPN switching from the UK game to the last seconds of regulation in the UGA Vandy game. I live in Louisville. This should never happen in the state of KY. Hopefully next year they will really get their stuff together.
I get so tired of the present game being watched become little more than an advertisement for future broadcasts.Dick Vitale loves basketball and ESPN should give him his own show to constantly ramble for the 12 Duke fans who would tune in. He is not a commentator for he ignores action on the court to blather about who knows what ! Critical plays are frequently ignored and the viewer has no idea what happened due to camera placement, etc. Forget about important replays. I am glad we have a DVR or our frustration would be compounded. Vitale may be a good ambassador for basketball, but he certainly does not meet the job requirements of calling a game.
Again, more insights I really had no idea about. I learn so much daily here from true fans like you
What we have now is light years ahead of what we used to have, but there is substantial room for improvement.
Broadcast quality is bad, bad. Can put up with other stuff. Big 10 has us beat on everything.
Larry,instead of writing a lengthy post I will just say that every one of these comments hit the nail right on the head. One thing I would like to see added to the broadcast is to see the player introductions,with all the hoopla.It just adds to the excitement and build up of the game.
I think Tommy brings up a good point. Whatever happened to showing player introductions and pre-game entertainment. Sometimes you tune-in and the ball is being thrown in the air for tip-off. Great points by everyone here. The SEC Network is truly a work in progress. Picture quality would be at the top of the list for me. Ever since HD came out, it’s hard to go back to that grainy looking picture. It’s hard to make heads or tails of things. It can be very frustrating to the home viewer.
Forget the Big Ten Network being better. The Indiana High School football championship games were better than the trash we get from SEC Network. Fuzzy pictures, (anyone have a recoding of the UK-UGA game that Larry can see? Reminded me of the pre-cable days when you had to position the rabbit ears just a certain way) camera angles that miss plays, graphics that look like Windows Movie Maker.
As to the chatter, I thing the Big Ten Net realizes something that SEC hasn’t caught on to yet: the people watching conference games are for the most part, fans of THAT conference. If I’m watching UK, I don’t care to hear about Duke or Pitt, or UCLA (exception: I do like when they talk about how bad UNC is this year heh heh heh) But I don’t mind them mentioning Ole Miss, or Alabama, or Vandy, because those teams will impact UK’s season.
Another thing that rags me. One of the selling points of this was that our games would air in the top 20 cities, helping our recruiting and giving fans access to our games that weren’t carried nationwide. But the last time I checked, the SEC Network afilliates in many big cities, including New York, carry the football games only, not the basketball games.
Tom Burke My wife mentioned to me about Brad keeping Dicki{Mr EGO} V in line. I dont know I listen on computer to Tom & Mike and also follow on CBS game tracker
When it was RAYCOM, you gave the picture quality a pass, because it is a small network, and you don’t expect premiere equipment. But in partnership with ESPN, there is no excuse, if they wanted the partnership, they should have the responsibility to provide equipment that is capable of an HD broadcast, I pay extra money to my cable provider for HD and that is not what I get. With the comitment comes the responsibility to fulfill their end of the bargain.
Also, I agree that ESPN (or the SEC tv Network) treats the whole broadcast as a training ground. So many times we have missed action on the court because of some nonsense unrelated camera shot of whoever. Or they don’t show timely replays, or when they do, they time it to interfear with the current play on the court.
I will however say that even with all that is said about Dickie V, I do like him and think that he holds an important place in college basketball. It’s a case of whether you like himm or not, I respect his love of the game, and his passion for college basketball.
I too would like to see player intros, as well as pre game focus on the atmosphere from the crowd and so forth.
It’s college, run some pregame interviews in the student section or something………….
Thanks Juan for the info on Dick. I like him, too. But again, I seldom watch UK games on TV that he calls.
Again, I’m amazed at how bad the quality must be. I am going to tape the next few games and watch for myself.
Just based on what we have here, I am amazed the SEC office does not demand more from the broadcasts.
Were they this bad in football, too?
First of all, I love your blog Larry. Great job on keeping the fans informed. I would have to agree with everyone else that have posted before me. I don’t know if it’s possible, but the games I have watched on my computer on ESPN360 actually seem to be better quality. I also agree that some of the commentators have been sub-par at best. I miss Larry Conley and Tom Hammond calling the games. To me, they were the best in the SEC. They really brought the exitement of the game out on television. You could get a feel for the game in listening to the exitement in their voices. And most important of all, they had knowledge of the history of the SEC as well. Did those guys retire? ESPN should offer them jobs for next year! And then again, it could be worse. Knight and Musburger could be calling the SEC games….
Larry, thanks for running my comments. It is good to know that I am not thonly one disappointed in lack of quality on the SEC Network. I do hope you will have the opportunity to share everyone’s comments with Mike Slive next week. I will be there as well and if I see you, I will be checking to see if you brought any Burke’s Bakery with you. I spent half my childhood in that place!
Tom, that is the best place in the world to eat. I love everything at Burke’s.
Thanks for sharing. I want this site to be a forum for fans as well to share ideas and information.
I am hoping next week to get Sarah White of Nashville to help me plan a vaughtsviews.com gathering before the Friday game
Sounds like a great idea… you bring the pineapple danish from Burke’s as I live in Frankfort now!
That is one of my favorites