Hersh Article: Announces TV Hosts for Nationals, Kwan Interested in Commentating

[Hsuhs]

He knows Sports from a wide perspective. He does not know the sport as an authority but does know the kinds of questions to ask to get skating experts to talk about the sport in an authoritatve and interesting manner.

He does NOT present himself as a skating authority, and that is much more honest than what many other sports hosts project to the viewer.

I find him to be one of the few consumate professionals in broadcasting in presenting sports on TV as Sport!

A TV-personality with a personality? It's a plus, I agree. So is it right to assume that Costas' writers are not on strike?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I believe when you hang around an ice rink for long periods of your life, one's vocal chords tend to sound at a higher pitch. Boys too, have this problem if you haven't noticed. The atmosphere in an ice rink, I don't think it is all that healthy.

It could be that Kwan's vocal chords have lowered since she is not in ice rinks or arenas so much nowadays. When you heard her on the View, was it recently? or was in during her competitive years?

Joe

 

[merrybari]

He [Costas] knows Sports from a wide perspective. He does not know the sport as an authority but does know the kinds of questions to ask to get skating experts to talk about the sport in an authoritatve and interesting manner.

He does NOT present himself as a skating authority, and that is much more honest than what many other sports hosts project to the viewer.

I find him to be one of the few consumate professionals in broadcasting in presenting sports on TV as Sport!

Well said! I agree. Also with the post that his (Costas) inclusion in "the booth" means that NBC is taking this event seriously.

I know Dick Button is in the minds of most the "guru" of figure skating. However I often find him annoying and sometimes downright insulting to the skaters.

I agree with Michelle, there are positive ways to comment on a failed element and negative ones. Too often, IMHO, Button's are negatve. Admittedly he does know a lot about the sport, ( big understatement ) but I do hope he tones it down a bit at Nationals. Too much chatter during the actual performance is also distracting. I can see the fall, I don't need someone telling me why it happened - would rather have that information during the slo-mo/replay.

I prefer Paul Wylie and Scott Hamilton. Both use a positive style that I find informative, constructive, and far less offensive to the skaters.

Sorry for the tangeant - just my two cents in the mix on several earlier posts as well.

 

[Mathman]

A TV-personality with a personality?

If smug smart-alecky self-admiring know-it-all constitutes a personality...

 

[visaliakid]

If smug smart-alecky self-admiring know-it-all constitutes a personality...

You can always choose to not watch! LOL Nah! Not even the most ardent skating fan would make that choice, when not watching means you don/t get to see it from any other source.

Gee all those attributes you subscribe to him abound aplenty on any skating discussion board I have ever participated in! You should be able to let it roll off your shoulders!

 

[capcomop]

If you haven't seen her since she stopped competing (or even before) how do you know?

Kwan is definitely my favorite… but her voice? Watching her interview on The View made me cringe.

Wow that was almost FIVE years ago.
Have you seen her since?
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3684481
This is just a fun video she did for Good Morning America with a Special Olympic Athlete. They had both been at the opening cermonies the night before.

http://russiatoday.ru/spotlight/release/591/video
This one won't play well for me and it isn't the one I really wanted (there was a great interview on World Weekly in China. The interviewer was speakign Chinese and Michelle was translating for herself and then responding in English) but it is a much more recent interview then five years ago!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Wow that was almost FIVE years ago.
Have you seen her since?
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3684481
This is just a fun video she did for Good Morning America with a Special Olympic Athlete. They had both been at the opening cermonies the night before.

Don't fret this. Kwan haters will say she can't do anything right given the chance. I believe they are upset with poster like you who will not admit that Tara, Irina and Sasha skate better. Don't give into their opinions (that's all they are - no facts whatsoever) and ignore their tirades. What else do they have to offer?

Joe

 

[R.D.]

Forget all this bickering about MK- I think this year's broadcast team is set in stone and IMO is quite promising...especially if they add extra NBCSports.com coverage of, say, the medal ceremonies and additional analysis after the broadcast. I do like the producer's approach of covering it more like a sporting event, though...the ultimate treatment would be all LIVE, of course.

 

[demarinis5]

I do like the producer's approach of covering it more like a sporting event, though...the ultimate treatment would be all LIVE, of course.

and MICHELLE KWAN. Forgive me RD, I could not resist.

 

[merrybari]

especially if they add extra NBCSports.com coverage of, say, the medal ceremonies and additional analysis after the broadcast. I do like the producer's approach of covering it more like a sporting event, though...the ultimate treatment would be all LIVE, of course.

Oh I hope they do add medals and such. Also totally agree it's great it's covered like a sporting event. That's a major step forward IMHO!! LIVE would be good! :thumbsup:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

and MICHELLE KWAN. Forgive me RD, I could not resist.

MK is a dirty word. Wash your mouth out.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Oh I hope they do add medals and such. Also totally agree it's great it's covered like a sporting event. That's a major step forward IMHO!! LIVE would be good! :thumbsup:

ABC treated it like a sporting event. And Ladies usually got the Medal Ceremony. FYI. Not too many people hang around for the ceremonies at the Arena. The house gets colder but the die hard fans are still there to take those photos of the gals in the victory skate around the arena. I do not think you will see the Victory Skate on TV.

Joe

 

[merrybari]

ABC treated it like a sporting event.

I think they tried - but to me that attempt was shot in the foot as soon as they decided to broadcast by tape delay - a week after the fact. Referencing baseball, basketball, football, the A-Team sports so to speak - we don't see them a week after they've been played.

I realize tape delay lets them edit to show specific things but delaying still - again in my opinion - makes it seem more of a slide into the entertainment arena than the sports field.

That said, I know NBC is doing the same thing - but at least the same day delay, not a week later. Tough call. I'm really looking forward to some fresh faces, voices, and viewpoints as called by the new team. After 43 years, it's time for a change.

Yes, I found out for myself first hand at Skate America, my first "in person" competition, that not many stay for the ceremonies. I wouldn't have missed them - but I'm a diehard so even tho' I was chilly, that was my choice to stay and honor the athletes accomplishments. Would've seemed rather rude to me to leave in any case. But - that's just me.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I don't know who Costas is, but as for the rest of the ppl mentioned, I think only Dick Button is capable of producing at least partially original, funny and meaningful comments.

Costas is an annoying, thinks-he-is-sombody little man who does the NFL stuff on NBC.

 

[Tonichelle]

Bob Costas is very recognizable, and yet forgettable all at once...

He's the one who kept bringing up the 02 scandal at the last olympics (ok so all of NBC did... they're so annoyingly biased)

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Costas is an annoying, thinks-he-is-sombody little man who does the NFL stuff on NBC.

Um... Bob Costas is a very recognizable and respected sports journalist... so I'm not sure why all the angst... if he's attached that's good for skating...

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Oh I hope they do add medals and such. Also totally agree it's great it's covered like a sporting event. That's a major step forward IMHO!! LIVE would be good! :thumbsup:

Figure Skating IS A SPORTING EVENT!!! If the fans don't start viewing it as such and demand that its treated as such, neither will the casual fans it will continue to lose ground... Sport is the key word in promoting skating. It would also be good if we could lose the "Olympic" piece, but I'm willing to be patient around these things...

And Joe is right - ABC did treat skating like a sport and I doubt that we can expect the same from NBC.

 

[show 42]

Set it carefully. I did not do it carefully once, and when I returned home I had hours of hockey and basketball.

Joe

I always set two VCRs, just in case one of them flubs up........42

 

[jennylovskt]

Dick Button I wish he will stay around as long as he can! I love the team NBC has chosen. Don't really care bout Michelle commentating. It certainly won't hurt anything.

 

[R.D.]

And Joe is right - ABC did treat skating like a sport

Don't agree AT ALL. I thought they covered the US Nats like a sporting event with more LIVE coverage and all, but their other programs? No way. It was always packaged as a fluffy, cutesy type of entertainment show. And shown a week after the fact? Treated it like a sport, sure