LAWRENCE, Kansas — Even after the Kansas men’s basketball team had escaped with a one-point victory against UCLA last night, something just didn’t feel right. How could officials have put 0.7 seconds back on the clock after reviewing the same footage I’d seen on television?

The issue to me was not whether KU’s Mario Little was in fact fouled but whether the official had called the foul before time had expired in the second half. After the replay had aired several times, it was clear that the official hadn’t raised his arm until after time had run out.

Filed under:
Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Technology by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kansas — In the wake of several suicides involving gay teens ranging in age from 13 to 19, “cyberbullying” has quickly become the buzzword du jour.

These events are a stark reminder of what those of us in the gay community already know: being gay isn’t easy. But while the issue of anti-gay bullying is very real, cyberbullying is not simply limited to straight people targeting gays.

Since the early days of chat rooms, message boards and instant messaging, there has been an opportunity for people to attack others with little or no consequence.

Filed under:
College, Opinion/Editorial, Social Media, Technology by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kansas – In a demonstration of trigger-happy media and bloggers, a slew of folks jumped all over the story that Duke senior Jon Scheyer had tweeted his cell phone number following his team’s National Championship victory Monday night. He didn’t.

Filed under:
College, Social Media, Technology by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Audience metrics are a funny thing. Enormous value is given to what are simply estimates. In “traditional media” like radio and television, they have always been admittedly flawed in one form or another. After all, in the days before cable, how could anyone possibly know how many people are actually watching a television show? The same has always been true of radio. It’s impossible to measure with absolute certainty an audience receiving an over-the-air signal.

Filed under:
Technology, Television by Scott A. Winer

O’FALLON, Mo. – Where do I begin? There’s been a lot of interesting television in the last week, and some other intriguing item looking forward.

Late Night

Saturday Night Live delivered one of its best episodes in recent memory. And I have a pretty good memory, particularly with regard to SNL. Beginning with a well-executed cold open and perhaps the most physically demanding monologue since Bill Murray scaled the “Homebase” set 10 seasons ago, Joseph Gordon-Levitt proved himself a more-than-formidable host. Musical guests Dave Matthews Band made yet another appearance on the show. DMB is the only musical act I can think of who’s performances have now spanned the three longest-tenured directors in SNL’s history – the late Dave Wilson (with host Courteney Cox in 1994), multiple appearances with director Beth McCarthy Miller, and now Don Roy King. I have no doubt I’m the only person who really cares.

Filed under:
Late Night TV, Music/Variety, Sports TV, Technology, Television by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kan. – I don’t typically take requests for what I whine about. But there are always room for exceptions.

Apparently, my mate Ben Smith (he’s English), who–according to a recent Twitpic–is in charge of Major Accounts and the Social Media Manager for The World Company, wanted my opinion on Twitter development.

I’m still not sure why he would ask me. After all, his “Twitter Grade” is 99.7 out of 100. That’s higher than the ever-popular @shitmydadsays or the absurdly underused @Oprah and only .18 less than @drdrew and @jimmyfallon. My score is a mediocre 94.

But he asked, and he shall receive.

I read Ben’s tweet on Sunday afternoon.

Filed under:
Opinion/Editorial, Social Media, Technology by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kan. – By now, it’s hard to have totally avoided the news of the video taken through a peephole that shows ESPN reporter Erin Andrews walking around a hotel room nude. The blog post that surfaced in the media late last week is getting all kinds of reactions–from outraged to obscene.

ESPN attorneys took immediate action, sending a cease and desist letter to the blog’s owner. Andrews’ own attorney subsequently released a statement confirming what had previously only been suspicion of the identity of the “Hot naked blonde.” Deadspin, which has been covering developments in the story since it broke, has reported that the video had actually been online for months before widespread news of it broke.

Filed under:
Opinion/Editorial, Social Media, Sports TV, Technology, Television by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Some people are fast learners. Others are not. As the number of Baby Boomers engaging in social media rises, I’m finding more and more how little my parents’ generation understands the new interpretations of some classic technologies. My generation, particularly the twenty-and-thirtysomethings, seem to understand it better. But even among people my age, not everyone gets the newest incarnations of social media like “microblogs,” a term that barely does it justice, most notably Twitter.

The most import thing to understand with a thing like Twitter, unlike with e-mail or even a cell phone, is that it functions much like the news cycle. Part of the appeal of Twitter is that it’s an instantaneous, steady flow of information. It is, in effect, one huge group conversation. And, as with any conversation, timing is everything. If you wait too long to comment on something someone has said, then it will be too late. The moment will have passed. If you limit yourself to talking only with a small group, you’ll never meet anyone new.

Filed under:
Opinion/Editorial, Social Media, Technology by Scott A. Winer

ROSWELL, Ga. – After Johnny Knoxville hosted one of the funniest episodes of Saturday Night Live all season, and possibly one of the funniest in the last few years, Will Ferrell returned last Saturday to host one of the worst SNLs I have ever seen. Aside from the “Cold Open” and “Celebrity Jeopardy!” the show got worse by the minute.

To add to the problems, SNL has been technically unsound for many of the past few episodes, a fact that is inexcusable. I have had many experiences with remote sports productions that have gone smoothly despite being in a new location every week, facing new challenges in each venue and juggling issues arising from producing TV for both standard and high definition. A show like SNL that is shot in a studio with its own control room in standard definition has no reason to be experiencing tech problems on a regular basis. Many of these errors have been made by operators rather than equipment. The show hosted by Tom Brady had several graphics that were put on screen at the wrong time; the Cameron Diaz-hosted episode was horribly flawed with misplaced or poorly-timed visual effects (like the pixelated blur made famous by “COPS”); and the Ferrell show most notably featured a cut to something other than a camera (still not sure what it was) during one of the sketches.

Filed under:
Late Night TV, Music/Variety, Opinion/Editorial, Technology, Television by Scott A. Winer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After my month-long hiatus from writing these little gems because of this thing called college, I have returned with a multitude of material. Perhaps my standards are too high, but I unfortunately have more disappointment to share than elation. Allow me to begin with a critique of ESPN’s Thursday night college football crew. Regardless of how anyone may feel about S.U. alum Mike Tirico’s falsetto touchdown calls, Kirk Herbstreit’s quarterback mentality (not as bad as Joe Theismann) or Lee Corso’s bizarre antics, I have a bone to pick with two men I actually know: Bo Garrett and Mike Schwab, the producer and director, respectively. I don’t care how good a player might be; the nickname “Pacman” is not to be used on graphics in lieu of a kid’s first name. I am quite familiar with West Virginia’s Adam “Pacman” Jones. He was the star running back at Westlake High School, just south of the airport in Atlanta, and my high school football team had the misfortune of crossing his path while I was shooting my second jockumentary, Inside the Game II. He was called “Pacman” then, and he may be called that for the rest of his life. That still doesn’t mean you put it on a graphic. Mookie Blaylock and Tiger Woods are one thing, but “Pacman Jones”? I think not.

Filed under:
Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Technology, Television by Scott A. Winer