I want to know why they can't get the satellite feed right. 15th minute, we missed the US corner. When they got it back, there was spanish audio (Copa Libretadores?)
Interesting . . . It's being carried on HDNet, too. I don't have HD, though. Anybody know who's calling the game for them?
I don't know if it's that Max gets so amped up or that he's not used to calling a game in a stadium, but they quite clearly blew a few things. On the plus side, they knew the Mexican players pretty well and were quick to identify what they brought to the game. The production folks had a better second half, but you couldn't call this game smooth. I give them a C-minus, but maybe that's because I'm just giddy over the win.
I spent a while switching between the two. The FSW broadcast had the crowd mixed far too low with too many horns. The Telemundo broadcast had much more energetic crowd noise, and they had managed to cut out the horn noise a great deal. Here's a question: since those damn horns drone at one general wave-length, can the audio people just drop that band way down on the EQ to reduce that sound? Or did the Telemundo people just choose to put some microphones near the more vocal parts of the crowd?
I think FSW piggybacked Telemundo's feed, and drowned out their announcers as best they could. Sort of like they do to Toby Charles on the Bundesliga telecasts. Except someone, somewhere was way off the mark. Constant microphone moves and dead air. Led me to believe Max and Chris were actually there. BTW, Chris Sullivan had some good insight into the game! He brought an interesting angle to the match regarding the Mexican players. A refreshing change, even though he was raw. I think he does some SJ broadcasts, too? Thx, Jay!
Just saw the highlights of the match on Sky Sports News (surprised and very pleased they showed them!). They included a few of the chances, then the goal. You could hear Max SCREAMING in the background during the highlights, since they got the feed from FSW. At one point during the clips, one of the SSN hosts even said something to the effect of "commentators are certainly enjoying it". A dig at Max from abroad - hilarious. Then they turned up the sound on the goal to let viewers hear Max's call (read: incoherent screaming). Then they cut back to the desk and one of the hosts said rhetorically, "they beat them in the World Cup as well, didn't they?" Funny stuff.
I'm not sure I would trust the FSW guys to mix the audio on my car stereo. Unsure about the game mix, though. I didn't watch the Telemundo feed, so I can't compare them.
My only complaint with the broadcast was the director out in the truck. He spent too much time switching between cameras and, unfortunately, at some of the worst times. Had that one corner been a goal they would have had almost no highlights of it as they used the camera on the person taking the corner instead. They also went to replays even when the U.S. had regained possession deep in the Mexican end which could have cost Fox if another goal had been scored. I don't remember their MLS coverage being quite this out of sync. Maybe they had a non-soccer rookie directing the match. Oh well....
I don't think FSW had control over the direction. They seemed to be getting a feed from somewhere else. Chris Sullivan said once "if we see it here" kinda implying he didn't know if a replay was coming or not. Thx, Jay!
Big discussion on FSW announcing crew going on here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108886&page=1&pp=15 I already said my piece over there and won't bore you to repeat it!
It was nice to have a change from the ESPN crew's Arsene Wenger-like missing of any US fouls and reluctance to say that the other country was playing well. I guess I missed the instances that geordienation mentioned on the other thread about talking about "we". But Max still bugs the crap out of me.