Thanks for the article. I have been bitching about it for the longest. What pisses me off is,when a player takes a shot at the goal the cameraman should follow the player who took the shot as he runs back to his side of pitch, but not the ESPN cameraman he focuses on the keeper instead where the camera should stay on the shooter as he runs back.
Again, I think timing is everything. I can't count the times I've yelled at the TV because I'm missing action over some close-up shot that lingers much too long. On the other hand, close ups help new or casual fans identify with the players and i think that adds some value. Much like the in-game commercials they need to be used thoughtfully and for limited duration.
Troubling that after 10 years,tech people still think they're covering gridiron or baseball with their endless pauses. As an aside,basketball coverage has the same problem.