Is It Time to Revisit the "Silent" Sports Games?

@FourWalls (86875)
United States
November 1, 2015 6:36pm CST
On December 20, 1980, NBC made history when it broadcast an NFL game with no play-by-play commentators. After enduring some positively PAINFUL blabbing from the Fox Sports crew during the World Series game yesterday and the NFL Cowboys-Seahawks game today, I'm wondering if it's time to revisit that brainchild of NBC Sports executive Don Ohlmeyer. Reading through Twitter, Facebook, and comments, it's apparently that there are a lot of people who are fed up with the nonstop talking and beating-a-dead-horse comments from the announcers. A friend of mine joked today that she'd like to feed Joe Buck (covering the World Series) into a wood chipper, to which another friend replied, "Only if you feed Harold Reynolds first." When American Pharoah won the Triple Crown friends and I were watching a feed from the Horse Racing Network. In one of the most beautiful things I've seen in sports recently, jockey Victor Espinosa took the colt, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, on a "victory lap." I marveled at the fact that the announcers were silent, allowing the viewers at home to soak in this incredible moment in sports history without ruining it. My friend told me it wasn't the NBC feed and assured me that they were talking nonstop if they were showing it -- that's a big "if," assuming NBC wasn't showing a replay of the race or in a commercial break. Yesterday's coverage of the Breeders' Cup Classic, where American Pharoah walked off a winner, was marred by such nonsense. The problem I have is that these announcers feel it's mandatory that every nanosecond be filled with talk. It does NOT. Our lives aren't that way. These bozos would probably ruin a beautiful sunset by incessant chat and "commentary" instead of just enjoying it. There are times that a broadcaster is necessary (such as an explanation of a call, injury update, etc.), but for most of the time anymore, they just seem to be in training for filling hot-air balloons. I'd like to see another game without announcers yakking. Of course, that's what the mute button is for, isn't it?
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1 response
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Nov 19
Vin Scully knew when to be quiet during a game.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86875)
• United States
12 Nov 19
Oh, didn’t he. And he never let a story get in the way of a game. I’ve heard Marty Brennaman yapping during an entire AB, and all you heard was “takes high, ball four” or “he’s out on strikes” about the game, but plenty about whatever he was talking about.
1 person likes this