June 11, 2004 - Taking notes for the Dodgers' post game show from the press box in Boston's Fenway Park.
First Class All The Way: Stu Nahan on the LA Dodgers team plane in May, 2004. (Photo: Mike Noto)
The public demand to see New England's bid for a perfect season was too high for DirecTV's NFL Network blimp to reach.
(Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Independent Media Center)
The continued (to date) failure of the Katie Couric experiment probably garnered the most headlines.
However, it's been LeslieAnne Wade, CBS Sports' Senior VP of Communications, who has had to publicly spin, deny and deflect a bizarre array of episodes that not only made news, but made 2007 largely a year to forget.
It was Wade who was called upon to represent CBS in aftermath of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during halftime of Super Bowl 38. Her quote, "CBS deeply regrets the incident", was included in more stories about the game than New England quarterback Tom Brady's stats.
Most recently, Wade had to come to the rescue of NFL analyst Steve Beuerlein. In the November 25 game between Cincinnati and Tennessee, Beuerlein's mic was open as the network returned from a commercial break. Beuerlein continued a conversation he was having with play by play announcer Bill Macatee, not realizing they were back on the air. "USC thugs, man", Beuerlein clearly said to Macatee in reference to Titans' RB LenDale White, a former Trojan.
Wade calmed the masses claiming Beuerlein (a Notre Dame grad) was kidding Macatee (a Southern California resident and Trojan follower), as "any friends who have those allegiances do. They kid each other about Notre Dame and USC all the time. Certainly Steve wishes it wasn't on the air and so does CBS, but that is the explanation."
Somehow it didn't get blown out of proportion like most politically incorrect comments do these days. Maybe Beuerlein owes Wade a nice lunch for her efforts.
No amount of effort on Wade's part could have lessened the severity of two other incidents involving CBS' freelancers.
The first came back in May at the Masters when a tape op had some really bad ideas.
Michael Crane, 31, decided to spend his weekend in Augusta on drugs. He hooked up with a pair of locals at a bar who knew some people. The three amigos apparently bought whatever they wanted on a layaway plan, and spent the weekend indulging.
Come Monday, the bill was due but Crane didn't have the dough.
But he did have another brilliant idea.
He entered a Wachovia Bank branch in South Augusta and handed a teller a note demanding money. She complied and he left the bank. So far so good, right?
Too bad Crane doesn't watch CSI: Miami or he would have known what was coming next.
A red dye bag hidden in the money bag exploded, covering Crane with permanent ink. If only we had some footage of it!
Although Crane drove off (in his CBS rental car, naturally) police were eventually tipped to his location by an annonymous colleag- uh, caller. Crane was arrested in his room at the Holiday Inn, where police also found clothes stained with red dye.
LeslieAnne Wade told the Augusta Chronicle, "He was hired as a freelance technician for this event."
And because nobody can ever really get fired in this business, no doubt he's been hired as a freelance technician again.
This next guy may get hired again as well. That is if he survives both his jail sentence and the beating his wife will give him when he gets out.
For the sordid details of what transpired, the folks at People You'll See In Hell posted a pretty good description back on October 5.
56-year-old Daniel Barron, a CBS sports television [sic] producer, had a problem. (EDITOR'S NOTE: BARRON WAS A TECH PRODUCER)
NFL Network had more of a challenge than they had anticipated last week in getting their production and technical crew from their Thursday game in Houston out to San Francisco for another game on Saturday.
Some crew members working those broadcasts were also scheduled to work on NBC's Sunday Night telecast from Giants Stadium in New Jersey. They had planned on taking red eye flights from SF and arriving in plenty of time for the show.
However, the fierce winter storm that had battered much of the country and was forecast to be in the NY metro area on Sunday, caused NBC to call an audible. They, uh, "strongly requested" that the crew members they share with NFL Network not go to San Francisco at all, but rather travel directly to New Jersey, ensuring their presence for NBC's show.
Following lengthy discussions between the two parties, it was determined that some of the shared crew would be allowed to honor their NFL Network commitments. However, the end result was that over half of those crew members were forced to bail on a show.
NFL Network lucked out replacing those people because CBS had a crew across the bay in Oakland, setting up for a Sunday Raiders game and were able to fill the open positions.And for those NFL Net/NBCers who actually worked in San Francisco? Naturally they all caught their scheduled flights, had no weather delays, and made it to the Meadowlands on time.
To save everyone the drama and confusion, NBC could have stepped up and been heroes. For a fraction of what they paid to digitally, uh, "enhance" Faith Hill's arms and face in the SNF show open, the Peacock Network could have chartered a plane to deliver the people they value so much.
That they chose to play bully instead speaks in volumes usually reserved for John Madden.
The camera and CCU are connected by a 10 meter cable. Period. So, unless you're shooting something inside the truck, a video engineer can't control it alone. A frame shaker will help out, but access to the CCU is still essential for creating optimum results.
Like many POV's, interchangable lenses are used rather than a single zoom. Obviously that can pose some problems when the look you want is somewhere between the available sizes (15 mm, 4 mm and 2.4 mm). Having something like an 8 mm lens would be a nice option to have.
The HD-RH1 also has an appetite for light and it eats a lot of it. In most applications, this shouldn't be a problem, but it is helpful to know that the camera requires a stop or two more than most HD cameras.
Regardless, the pros far outweigh the cons, making the Iconix HD-RH1 a terrific addition to almost any sports production.
Stricken with a sore throat and hoarse voice, Bryant Gumbel will miss NFL Network's broadcast of Thursday's Denver - Houston game.
Two cabled HH cams, a Steadicam and the cart were all tangled up on the near sideline at FedEx Field during a Redskins - Bears game.
NFL Network's pregame set was buried under the white stuff and required a shovel to clear the roof.
The weather didn't factor in to a transmission check earlier in the day that didn't go exactly as planned. Schedules posted in the compound yesterday were revised today. Unfortunately as new schedules were posted, some of the old one weren't removed.
Among the differences in the schedule were the meal breaks. Originally slated for 1:00, lunch was adjusted to 4:00 PM when call time was moved back from 10:30 AM to noon.
Transmission was rescheduled for 1:00 PM, so naturally all crew members who read the incorrect schedule were gone as transmission check was set to begin.
Everything was taken care of eventually, although the pregame folks didn't appreciate their rehearsals being interrupted. All NFL Net transmissions from FedEx Field routs through the pregame truck, which ironically is the only mobile unit parked outside.
Now That's COLD!: NFL Network camera operator Oz Coleman-from-Dallas-Texas celebrates a successful snow angel as the crew waits for the look-see with Craig Janoff.
On Saturday November 30, HDNet returned to Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Kings hockey game.
This time however, all local crew members were under the IATSE contract and received their regular hours and benefits contributions. The crewing service HDNet employs and the IA came to an understanding and all future HDNet shows in Southern California are expected to be under the IA contract.
You're welcome. Now stop emailing about her, ok?
The game just ended.
Dallas led 27 - 17 at the half, 27 - 24 after 3, and won 37 - 27. You missed a pretty good one! Fire your cable company!
Favre was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter, NFL Network mistakenly ran a commercial for last week's Falcons - Colts game and something or someone tore a huge hole in the Texas Stadium roof.
The results are in for Playboy's Sexiest Sportscaster II poll.This had to be a set up. How else can you explain it? Why cut to a shot of the mascot, who was just standing there, after nothing more than a 1st down? He had to have been cued!
And poor Billy Eisenhart. The Grand Valley center gets hurt on the play and the world laughs their asses off.
Sports TV at its finest.
Mitch Riggin welcomed by new friend, D. Baxter
Mitch Riggin, who spent the past few years directing Milwaukee Brewers games for FSN North - WI, is trading beer & brats for Cactus Cooler & Coppertone. FSN Arizona has hired the former TD to direct Arizona Diamondbacks games for the 2008 season. Riggin and his camera op wife Korina will relocate to Phoenix in December.
Sources say that there may be additional motivation for the change of scenery, besides spending winters in a climate more suited to people than penguins. Prior to his stint in Wisconsin, Riggin lived in the SF Bay Area, and has been a life-long fan of the SF Giants.
By taking the D'Backs gig, Riggin returns to the NL West, where he can see his beloved team 18 or 19 times a season rather than only 6 times. Riggin, a knowledgeable baseball man who unfortunately suffers from acute myopia regarding Barry Bonds, will no doubt spend many of his February and March days at Giants Spring Training camp in nearby Scottsdale asking, "Where's Barry?", to puzzled Giants' personnel.
Regardless of their reasons, moving from the NL Central to the NL West is an upgrade. So we'll say congratulations to the Riggins and hope they can stand the heat.
We had been trying to get a good copy of this for a week when all of a sudden, it pops up on YouTube.
Why show the aired version when someone has gone to so much trouble to make it even better?
Hats off to Mac G's World (http://macgsworld.blogspot.com/2007/11/pac-10-poon-fight.html) via the awesome Awful Announcing.
Seriously, it's so hard calling home asking the kids to find and upload something from our shows that we've TiVo'd. With these great bloggers posting so much of our goofy stuff anyway, we're stupid if we don't take advantage of their efforts capturing our, uh, oh yeah... WORK!
Awful Announcing posted these clips from Friday's game. It's not only creative, but it's a breath of mountain air from the usual ABC-ESPN-Disney synergy.
Think they would dare try this with a character from "Drawn Together"?
Cartman regularly appeared on the Staples Center video board cheering on the LA Kings and taunting their opponents.
Good stuff.
Bobble Heads courtesy of imwritingsports.com How many hours have we all waited to shoot interviews with jerks like this who's heads are too big to show up?
Another down, but unfortunately many more to go.
We're all moving west!
First LA had Lisa Guerrero on the air and she posed for Playboy.
Then they had Carolyn Hughes and she got fired for having an affair with married with kids Derek Lowe. And she should pose for Playboy.
Now they have another reporter on Playboy's Sexy Sportscaster poll.
And they didn't even count this cutie who had something other than basketball on her mind during her on-camera.
No wonder Bushner gave up the NFL to work at home.
In the 800 meter final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Kenyan runner Paul Ereng made a surprising late burst from the back of the pack to win the gold medal in a thrilling finish.
NBC's Charlie Jones mistook Ereng for his Kenyan teammate Nixon Kiprotich during the stretch and declared Kiprotich the winner.
In fact, Jones didn't correct his mistake for more than a minute after the race results were official.
He apologized and added, "We just entered the world record book of blunders", and you had to feel for the guy.
New chapters are added to that book all the time, and the latest entrant is Indianapolis Colts radio announcer Bob Lamey.
Unlike Jones' gaffe however, this one's really funny and pretty inexcusable.
Feel free to ask Bill Webb or Jerry Steinberg if they were perfectly happy with what the camera output looked like.While we're all getting set to work this weekend's slate of college and pro games, enjoy this NFL on CBS open from 1970, especially the scene set and on-camera.
Wow, just think about it. 37 years ago. A time in our history when Dick Stockton worked NFL games, helping to entertain and distract a nation stuck in a war it couldn't win and couldn't get out of.
Hey, wait a minute...
He certainly got our vote! McCarver may have gotten his nautical terms mixed up though.
You can see it now can't you?
Or can you?
A drive down the left field line scores the tying and go ahead runs late in a game one summer night. The home team manager and half his team screams in protest that the ball was foul. The 3rd base umpire looks to his colleagues for help. They huddle together and look toward the press box. The call will be decided by replay.
An MLB official views the play again. From high home there's no way to be certain precisely where the ball landed. The shot is too wide. High 1st was iso'd on the trail runner, who scored from 2nd. Low 1st scored the lead runner. Low 3rd was in the home dugout on the starting pitcher who may have just lost his chance for a win. Tight Center was on the batter all the way. Center field? Stayed with the relief pitcher as he backed up the play.
What about the visiting feed? Their high camera was on their dugout. Their tight center was on the batter too. And their low camera? Well the studio kit & 20X lens wouldn't have seen much in the outfield even if the operator had shagged. Or if he was being recorded.
Oh, the X-MO! Well there's no telling what the fuzzy image was that floated through the screen, or even if that image was shot in the same stadium.
Perhaps there would have been a conclusive replay if it was 1999, back when both teams had full shows of 5 or 6 cameras and at least 4 replay machines each. But in 2009, the risk that dual feeds fail to provide enough looks to make a correct call may be very real.
What are the chances that MLB will envision such a scenario? Not so good.
Will producers & directors have to alter their shows just to increase the odds that they have tight shots of the ball in case a controversy arises? Will reaction shots give way to golf shots?
We can see it now.
Or maybe we can't.
Photo: Richard Perry/The New York Times
