Yeah, I’ve been watching. I thoroughly enjoyed Bill Simmon’s observations. It’s so stream-of-consciousness – it’s hilarious – but I also find myself just nodding in agreement at so many of his points.
Like this random SPOT ON observation:
The awkward cut to “Prison Break” star Stacy Keach in the stands during the sixth inning … it’s almost like Fox is trying to parody itself at this point. I don’t even think ESPN would do something like that. Seriously, can you imagine Mike Patrick pointing out Michael Madsen and the stars from “Tilt” in the stands during a Sunday Night Football game as Paul Maguire chimed in, “I’m gonna tell you something right now, that’s a good TV show!”
hahahaha
Also:
The non-controversy of Jermaine Dye’s 3-and-2 HBP which may or may not have hit his bat, immediately followed by a truly fantastic baseball moment — Konerko’s grand slam — followed by Buck immediately calling it a controversy (umm, can I enjoy the grand slam replays?) and 400 replays of the last Dye pitch. OK, this wasn’t funny. Not at all. But does everything have to be a controversy? Who’s to say Dye wouldn’t have walked on the next pitch? Wasn’t the story there how Houston switched pitchers in the biggest moment of the game — against the only legitimately dangerous hitter on the White Sox — and brought in a guy who immediately gave up a grand slam? No second-guessing at all there?
It did hit his bat, though. But man. That grand slam was something. I don’t have a horse in this race, but I felt two things at the same time watching that occur: I felt the THRILL of the White Sox fans, the absolute hysteria … and I felt the gut-clenching misery of the Astros fans … grand slam. Wow. Devastating. Exhilarating.
More observations on the general suckiness of the broadcasters:
Speaking of announcers noticing things, I was on the phone with my buddy Gus during the top of the ninth, when the Astros rallied for two to tie the game. Before Jose Vizcaino came up to pinch-hit, Gus points out that we were in “Jose Vizcaino territory” and adds, “Remember, he had the big hit in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series against the Mets.” Well, that’s a significant piece of information — you would think that this would come up at some point during the at-bat, with video cued and everything. Nope. So Vizcaino singles to tie the game, and about 3-4 minutes later, McCarver makes the Vizcaino/2000 connection. Interesting.
Watching Joe Buck and McCarver interact – is sometimes so embarrassing that I find myself looking away. To spare them my seeing and perceiving their craven hollowness.
The rain was pouring down in Chicago, it looked like the game might not go on, they cut away to a reporter standing there with a huge umbrella, blithering on about “well, the tarp came out … then they took the tarp off … and now we don’t know WHAT the hell is going on, guys! Back to you!” Cut back to Joe Buck who literally says something like, “Yes, but your hair looks amazing.” Did anyone else hear that? I swear, he said some stupid banter about “gee, your hair looks terrific” to the rain-beleaguered dude standing in the monsoon. It was so STUPID.
I know it gets monotonous – everyone criticizes those guys – but they deserve it.
Tonight’s controversy: the roof!
Go Sox!
I want to bitch slap Joe Buck right after I kick Bob Costas in the teeth. I’m just glad they’re on separate networks. God, if those two ever do team up, my rampage will become a thing of legend.
Ever since Costas appeared in my favorite guilty pleasure exclaiming, “You’re excited?! Look at my nipples!” I haven’t been able to thing badly of him. It helps that I don’t watch the sports he covers.
Ha ha! You’re right, Scott. When he’s parodying himself, he’s quite likable but good God, his sports commentary makes me want to kill myself. For example, he referred to both Mariano Rivera and Ramiro Mendoza as “slender Panamanians.” More than once and on separate occasions. I’m all for mixing up the language and being descriptive but I mean, really? Slender Panamanians? It sounded like he was calling the Westminster Dog Show, not a baseball game.
curly – hahahahaha
oh my god, that “slender pandamanian” thing just made me laugh so hard. i love it when sports announcers stretch to describe things. sheila, remember when niki was telling us about two announcers calling a football game around thanksgiving? and it was coming back from commercial and the camera was on like…a pelican? or a swan?? and one announcer was like, “just in time for thanksgiving.” [long pause] and the other one was like, “pelicans have nothing to do with thanksgiving. turkeys do.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Totally!!
Yeah – it’s very funny when one announcer does NOT validate the other announcer’s poetic metaphors. it’s hysterical.
I sometimes think that my two young daughters could do better than Buck and McCarver, and they neither speak much English nor understand much baseball.
I will watch pretty much anybody playing abseball, anytime, anywhere, but those two morons have a rare gift: they make me want to swith off the game.
abseball? swith?
Hmmm – someone needs to stop watching the World Series at 2am and get some sleep…
“I want to bitch slap Joe Buck right after I kick Bob Costas in the teeth.”
Nah, Costas already had to do color commentary on the 2004 Olympic Opening Ceremonies alongside Katie Couric. That’s enough punishment for several lifetimes.