Sports Media Spotlight: Busy time for sports brings needed familiarity, makes good TV

We’re a week-plus into the 151st year of college football, a handful of days away from the start of the NFL season and, in an only-in-2020 scenario, the Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby have been contested the past two Saturdays.

During a busier-than-ever time, sports broadcasters are doing the best they can with limited access and much different atmospheres. They’re also doing OK with ratings and viewership amid a crowded calendar of activity.

It’s only going to get busier.

This week will feature MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL action, as well as the U.S Open tennis tournament. Of course, auto racing has been underway for weeks.

It seems like everything but Penn State football has returned, but that’s a subject for a little later in the column.

First, broadcasters deserve almost universal credit for what they’ve done to this point. There has been an added degree of difficulty with everything and a good dose of silliness at times.

Topping my silly list are those distanced interviews by standout ESPN veteran Holly Rowe during WNBA coverage. Almost reliably she stands 6 feet away from whomever she’s interviewing but then they somehow half hug or shake hands afterward.

Ultimately, though, the offerings across networks and sports have been generally good sports television.

While the lower energy without fans in attendance has hampered all involved, from players to play-by-play personnel and analysts, broadcasts have seemed fairly familiar. That’s a good thing.

Conference confusion

OK, it’s later (from above) and while this was written a few days before it appears in the paper and online, it’s hard to imagine that more clarity has developed around the Big Ten Conference and its decisions regarding football season.

Maybe they expected others would follow their lead. Maybe they’re confidently invested in the science. Maybe the decision makers will ultimately prove to be prepared and prescient.

At this point, though, it’s easy to question the decisions. And, in fairness, there was never any second guessing. Critics jumped on things from the start.

Even with all the comparisons (how can high schools, the ACC and the SEC do it while the Big Ten cannot) and now the politics (there’s no way the president help things), one of the more interesting aspects for me has been the lack of unity.

Never mind the reported 11-3 vote. Organizations should debate, even disagree, about big topics, and unanimity would’ve seemed contrived.

After that, though, they should be on message together and that has not been the case for the Big Ten at all.

The media has had easy pickings for controversy because coaches and athletic directors, who would demand a team-first, keep-it-quiet-in-public stance from their teams and underlings are instead publicly doubting and questioning conference leadership.

It’s an interesting approach, and you have to wonder if their staffs and teams are taking note.

Media matters

Lazy sports media approaches happen internationally as well as locally. Two recent examples, one relating to Formula One racing and one related to the State College Spikes, provide examples with a striking similarity.

On the F1 beat, reporting about champion Lewis Hamilton’s contract negotiations in recent weeks has consistently noted that he does not want to finalize a big-money contract with so much employment uncertainty for others as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He thinks signing a multimillion dollar contract would be a bad look at this time.

Unfortunately, while media members have dutifully noted his stance, none have asked Hamilton what he thinks will change in a couple months, or even a half dozen months, as he works to finalize a deal before next season.

Locally, the campaign to “Save Our Spikes” has been earnest and organized, and it ultimately boils down to an effort to encourage folks to spend on or speak about the Spikes.

The advocacy effort was obviously hampered by the lack of a minor league baseball season.

At the same time, the lack of a sizable media contingent locally has prevented much deep or different reporting about the topic. It would be helpful to know how much of a threat really exists to a team playing in State College next season, no matter the league.

Additionally, some perspective about the value of the team and 30-some home games a season, especially compared to other things amid the pandemic, would be helpful. We’ve gotten parroted lines about the team’s impact on the hospitality industry, for example, but how many people — accounting for how many hotel rooms and how much money — actually travel from out of town to see the Spikes?

Few people seem to notice the superficial nature of coverage, and maybe it does not matter for either story. However, with more leagues, organizations and teams controlling their own messages, and with media companies cutting back, such approaches might be normal practice going forward.

Tuner tidbits

• His real name is Anthony Darelle, but sports fans and sports broadcasting viewers know him as Booger. That’s Booger McFarland, who lost his job on “Monday Night Football” after two seasons. He should be called Bounce Back, though, because he’ll be on ESPN’s college football coverage this season, be in the studio for “Monday Night Countdown” and contribute to NFL draft coverage and shows such as “Get Up” and “SportsCenter” on ESPN. He’s a smart, talented guy who was put in a bad spot on “MNF,” or encouraged to be a character and debate on air, which did not work. He should thrive in his new roles.
• ESPN Radio’s adjusted weekday lineup represents a significant shift from what the network previously provided. Radio thrives on familiarity, so shaking up the morning drive show could be a problem. Also, the network shortened the popular “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” by a third, and the return of Mike Greenberg (to a midday slot) has provided a show that’s not nearly as strong as his previous incarnation with the network. Hopefully, things will get better with time. Right now, it’s a hard listen in general and while Le Batard and Co. might not be my favorites they’re the best thing in the lineup. Less of them is not wise.
• Longtime Pitt and Steelers play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove has been suspended from broadcasting the first two games of the college football and NFL seasons. He was charged with a DUI in June and would’ve served the Steelers suspension during the preseason, had there been a preseason. He’ll miss the Steelers season opener on the road against the Giants (Sept. 14) and the home opener against the Broncos (Sept. 20). He’ll miss only one game in person, though. The NFL’s approach for radio broadcasts this season will allow home and national radio crews on site. Visiting team crews will be broadcasting remotely.
• Leagues that have conducted their business by keeping competitors sequestered in “a bubble,” notably the NBA, NHL and WNBA, have done better with coronavirus-related testing results, thereby preventing interruptions to their already abbreviated seasons. It’ll be interesting to see how the NFL — which kicks off Thursday (Texans at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. / NBC) — performs without its players and teams similarly sequestered.
• The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club plans to host a freestyle event Sept. 19 with 15 or more matches that will be streamed online by Rofkin. Competitors will include several former Penn State All-Americans and champions, among them Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Zain Retherford and Vincenzo Joseph.
• YouTube TV became a better value this week when it added NFL Network to its lineup. The streaming service provides a good option for those who want to cut cable and save money because it offers local network affiliates, BTN and a good mix of channels. It does not offer Pittsburgh-based regional sports if you’re a fan of the Penguins and Pirates, though.
• Analyst Tony Dungy will replace Doug Flutie in that role on NBC’s broadcasts of Notre Dame football this season.