Comments on how to improve NBC's coverage.

[Chemistry66]

Even better: livestream the competitions with the broadcast team and then re-broadcast an shorter, edited version for the network TV.

But that would make too much sense!

 

[semosk8tfan]

Somethings about the NBC coverage drive me crazy:
not allowing IN to show some of the lower groups but NBC doesn't show them either because they are replaying SPs or showing fluff
Tara and Johnny (I enjoy their backstage stuff but I wish they would find some grown ups to do the commentary)
Tanith has some great comments but needs to watch Ted Barton on the JGP youtube coverage and learn that less is more

But they also did somethings very right:
offering the NBC livestream for the first time for skating (pay attention IN, that stream works on tablets and phones and my wifi!)
replaying the ladies event on Sunday when the hockey game got postponed. They could have filled with lots of things and it is great that they chose skating!!
the NBC figure skating homepage was awesome with the score tracker, all the videos and social media
expanding the technical score box, like it so much better than what was used previously

I think that Johnny and Tara went over the top complaining about the judging in the men's event. By the end they sounded like whiny kids who didn't get their way

 

[RABID]

My suggestion would be to send Johnny and Tara to the actual competitions not just for the Nationals (and this year to Boston for the Worlds, I presume), but to all the GPs, GPF, EC, 4CCC, and the Worlds. I like them as commentators anyway, but they were clearly a lot more excited about the competition when they were actually on site in St. Paul, and that translated into a more enthusiastic and lively commentary, imo. It must be hard to be enthusiastic when you already know the results of the competition that you're commenting on. Let them do the broadcast live, even if it airs later.

I have no problem with most things in moderation. But sometime when a performance is exceptional you don't need to get excited for the viewers and you have to have faith that even someone who is only a casual fan can still realize that he is seeing something exceptional. Sometimes less is more. Conversely, sometimes I feel like they are trying to sell me something and it feels like manipulation. To be fair that's usually my reaction to skaters I'm NOT a fan of but I like to think I can be honest with myself and give credit when it is due. "it's the actor's job to make the audience cry, and not the actor's job to bring himself to tears." (I read that somewhere)

 

[stella luna]

less commercial breaks tbh. So we can see the slow-mo replays of who under-rotates and is not called on it. I think Johnny and Tara are fine.

I like this idea. Also, I remember the good old days when they didn't show one skater and then go to a commercial.

 

[mskitty]

If I was a casual viewer, I probably would've change channels during the 2nd hour of the broadcast. The ladies in positions 7-12 did not skate very well and there was no way any of them were going to land on the podium. (Note: this is nothing against these ladies. Even during the height of ice skating's popularity in the US, I can recall friends commenting on the falls that typically occur in this group and the lack of 'something' that made this less interesting for the casual viewer.)

Totally, agree. As a pairs fan, I would love to see more coverage of pairs (and dance) and less coverage of the lower-tier singles. Some of the skaters in the second groups aren't as polished or interesting to watch, and NBCs obsession with singles-- especially ladies singles-- is my biggest pet peeve with their coverage. I was so happy this year to discover that some of the Grand Prix events were broadcast on Universal Sports cable channel, so I got to see some of these other disciplines. I would have loved to had this option for Nationals.

Also agree that the yellow dots were hard to see, but I liked that each element was named.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Interesting to see people in this thread complain about the second hour of Saturday night's coverage and think NBC was wasting time showing the lower-tier skaters instead of top skaters from other events or something else of more importance. In the live ladies thread people were whining when NBC rebroadcasted the top men's short therefore missing the 3rd to last group. There was also fear that they wouldn't show the 2nd to last grouping. Just shows you can't please everyone

 

[Blades of Passion]

My suggestions for improving NBC coverage: replace Johnny and Tara.

I've never found any value in Tara's commentary and she did her worst this weekend, saying "you can place Max's skating skills with anyone in the world."

 

[FlattFan]

They are stepping in the right direction. I like the elements chart to be a bit more informative. They should also need to separate the component marks at the end of each skater's program, so people can get an idea what the hell is making up the other half of the score.

 

[NoStefaniaNo]

Most people are less interested in competitions when they already know the results and in this age of getting our news and information via social media it is hard to avoid knowing the standings. It does a disservice to people who are fans or who have at least a passing interest to not show the competition live. I very much agree with the people that say NBC should at least stream the full competition live. IceNetwork simply isn't up to the task. To be honest, with the multiple channels NBC has, they could also broadcast it live on NBCSN or the like. Then they could repackage the show like they usually do, with a focus on the highlights and present that as their broadcast on their main channel.

Facebook is getting into live sports coverage. It will be interesting to see how they make the traditional broadcasters step up their game. They are focusing on football now, but with the heavy role social media plays in Olympic sports like figure skating I can see some real potential, even though I'm not really a fan of using Facebook anymore.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

Get rid off Tara and Johnny and replace them with Jenny and Dave from TSL? Yes? :agree:

I'm over T & J, they're not cute anymore, not funny, I don't care what they are wearing. I actually find them a little creepy. Tara is always so overly made up she doesn't look human anymore.
Johnny speaks with an air of superiority and Tara forever reminding us that she won an OGM. . They give their opinions way too much as if their opinions were the last word and they are the foremost experts on everything.
They are predictable, tacky and uninteresting.

 

[Matilda]

get rid off tara and johnny and replace them with jenny and dave from tsl? Yes? Yes.

no.

 

[semosk8tfan]

Get rid off Tara and Johnny and replace them with Jenny and Dave from TSL? Yes? Yes.

no, no, NO

I appreciate the interviews that Jenny and Dave do but they are even more opinionated than Tara and Johnny and would be awful as commentators. Those two need to stick to what they are good at: on-line snark

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Get rid off Tara and Johnny and replace them with Jenny and Dave from TSL? Yes? :agree:

No No No No NO #:gaah:

No way should that ever happen!!!!! Johhny and Tara may annoy the crap out of me at times but they do a good job of it

 

[apgold]

On the positive side, I enjoyed Tanith's commentary on ice dance, even if she had the tendency to talk too much.

To be fair to Tara, it's Terry who constantly reminds us that she won a OGM at 15. He says it at every competition, maybe it's in his contract lol? And I like Terry generally, but it gets repetitious. Johnny's commentary is informative but he is very biased and it shows.

As much as I like TSL, they are way too "in jokey" to be commentators. The general audience of NBC would have no idea what they are talking about half the time.

 

[Culturevulture73]

Replace Tara and Johnny with Dave and Jenny? No.

I can't understand why people complain about them giving opinions as experts. That's what they are paid to do - that's the point.

I really like the new box with dots but it should use bigger dots and something besides yellow and white - I have a big high def TV and I couldn't see them

I agree that they were livelier being onsite. And since at least one commentary session for a comp this year was done at 3 in the morning, I'm sure they liked it better. NBC should send them onsite - Terry and a fleet of people went to several overseas golf tourneys, even when Golf Channel wasn't running their own cameras (cf Solheim Cup in Germany). NBC needs to fill up all those hours on Universsl HD…

 

[Chemistry66]

Interesting to see people in this thread complain about the second hour of Saturday night's coverage and think NBC was wasting time showing the lower-tier skaters instead of top skaters from other events or something else of more importance. In the live ladies thread people were whining when NBC rebroadcasted the top men's short therefore missing the 3rd to last group. There was also fear that they wouldn't show the 2nd to last grouping. Just shows you can't please everyone

I think the big issue with not showing some of the groups was that their skates weren't even allowed to be streamed by IceNetwork once NBC's broadcast went live, even though NBC wasn't showing those skaters.

 

[SoundtracksOnIce]

Get rid off Tara and Johnny and replace them with Jenny and Dave from TSL? Yes? :agree:

I'm over T & J, they're not cute anymore, not funny, I don't care what they are wearing. I actually find them a little creepy. Tara is always so overly made up she doesn't look human anymore.
Johnny speaks with an air of superiority and Tara forever reminding us that she won an OGM. . They give their opinions way too much as if their opinions were the last word and they are the foremost experts on everything.
They are predictable, tacky and uninteresting.

Replace them with just about anyone. Their comments drive me nuts and I find Johnny hard to listen to. This weekend he sounded like his mind was on anything but the skating in front of him. Bring back Sandra and Scott.

 

[karne]

Replace with Jackie Wong and Lynn Rutherford.

You know it to be true.

 

[mrrice]

I've never found any value in Tara's commentary and she did her worst this weekend, saying "you can place Max's skating skills with anyone in the world."

I hate to be "Snarky" but, when Tara says.....What they need is a "Clean Skate" I could just slap her....Duh!! I would love it if they could provide something interesting to add to the commentary that maybe people don't know. I think this is where she could learn from Tanith, who I think does a great job with Ice Dance.

 

[NAOTMAA]

I think the big issue with not showing some of the groups was that their skates weren't even allowed to be streamed by IceNetwork once NBC's broadcast went live, even though NBC wasn't showing those skaters.

Its business, they made a deal with the USFSA and ISU for the rights so I don't think they have a connection to IceNetwork and allowing them to show it would be crazy