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, Kan. – When I said three weeks ago that, for CBS, this year’s NCAA Tournament “may very well be the network’s own shining moment,” I never could have anticipated the whirlwind ride that followed. Not only were we treated to two overtime games in the first session of the first round, but we were also treated to close game after close game, upset after upset.

In a year with so much uncertainty about the future of the tournament, teams delivered the most exhilarating set of games in history. They showed off everything that is right with the current format, making a seemingly imminent expansion to 96 teams look that much more ridiculous.

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Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, 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.

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

LAWRENCE, Kan. – On a cold January night in Eastern Kansas, the heated rivalry between the Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers was reignited inside Allen Fieldhouse. The gates opened and the students poured in, decked out in their crimson and blue, filling the highly-sought-after student sections to the brim.

Meanwhile, outside the venue in the 53-foot-long high definition production truck for ESPN’s first night of “Student Spirit Week,” temperatures were also rising beneath the collars of some of the telecast’s key production personnel. As has become the custom at KU, countless students donned their royal blue “Muck Fizzou” t-shirts, displaying the now-trite spoonerism reflecting the student body’s hatred for the Tigers. And, while ESPN may be on cable, it still has standards for what it will and won’t allow on the air. The t-shirts did not make the cut.

Often the case – as with the Fieldhouse’s TV-unfriendly layout – since the school won’t change, the network must. The result: director Ken Dennis and his team of camera operators must be constantly vigilant to keep the shirts off the air. So, no matter how brilliant the paint job is on your face, if your torso is covered in a “Muck Fizzou” shirt, don’t count on getting any air time. To complicate matters further, since the game is in high definition, Dennis must be aware of the wider frame that HD allows, ruling out even more shots.

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College, Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Television by Scott A. Winer

ROSWELL, Ga. – As the 2006 NCAA Tournament enters its second week of competition, I will be in Atlanta, somewhere neither of “my teams” – the Kansas Jayhawks and Syracuse Orange – will be: the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. In the Atlanta bracket, a superior #12 Texas A&M team defeated Syracuse, an overrated 5 seed that only made the tournament because of its unlikely run in the Big East Tournament. Meanwhile, #4 Kansas was in early-season form, looking like a shadow of the Jayhawks that won the Big 12 Tournament the week before, losing to Missouri Valley runners up Bradley, an at-large 13 seed triumphant in the opening weekend. Bradley will play top-seeded Memphis in the Oakland regional semifinal tomorrow night. The early departure for the Jayhawks and Orange marks the second straight year that both 2003 finalists have failed to win their first round games.

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Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Television by Scott A. Winer

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A new feature produced by SWPnet, “From Allen Fieldhouse to Your House,” aired tonight on Jayhawk Sports Talk: Monday, taking a behind-the-scenes look at CBS Sports’ production of college basketball at Allen Fieldhouse. Conversations with CBS director Mark Grant and announcers Craig Bolerjack and Dan Bonner complement exclusive footage of pregame preparation to provide unprecedented access for college television to take an inside look at network sports production. The premiere coincided with legendary announcer Max Falkenstien’s appearance on the show. Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.

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Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Television by Scott A. Winer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Let me be the first person to say that ESPN did a horrendous job in its coverage of last night’s ridiculous finish to the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons basketball game. Blame is being handed out in various directions to all parties involved, but no one seems to be pointing any fingers at the 24-hour sports network in its third year covering the National Basketball Association with its sister network ABC.

If there was ever a reason for people not to watch the NBA, then this is it. What is it that separates the NBA from college basketball? Furthermore, what separates the NBA from other professional sports leagues? The answer is the way it is shown on television. Should anyone be all that surprised when this happens in a league that is all about invading personal space? How else could anyone possibly rationalize the use of “Floor Cam,” which shows nothing but the spandex shorts that the players wear under their uniforms? This is the league whose poster boy is an accused rapist, whose players are the most notorious for infidelity, promiscuity, drug use, alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

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Opinion/Editorial, Sports TV, Television by Scott A. Winer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With the new NFL television contract extensions finalized for CBS and Fox, I suppose that most of the executives and production personnel at the two networks could rest easier as Week 10 blindsided football fans with a plethora of unexpected victories and losses around the league. Everything from the surprising demise of the Holmes-less Kansas City Chiefs to the Vick-torious Atlanta Falcons, who are somehow flying under the radar despite a 7-4 record, provided viewers with a little drama, suspense, and – thanks to the Steelers and Browns – intrigue. Indeed, I was watching the Pittsburgh-Cleveland bout, which at the very least made infinitely more sense than Evander Holyfield’s mismatch the night before. I was, however, watching the game in the midst of a few dozen college students. While I try to temper my criticism of sports telecasts, at least in public, the twenty-somethings around me were not so careful with their words. “I don’t like Dierdorf,” one of them said. “He probably wouldn’t like you either,” I thought – silently, of course. These kids mocked the slightest inflection in an announcer’s voice, his word choice, his criticisms of their favorite team, and proceeded to knock CBS’ pregame show, The NFL Today, for everything from the animated segment featuring the fictitious Thurston Long to why they think Shannon Sharpe doesn’t belong on the show.

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