As I expected, I came in not feeling too intimidated about having my every word recorded for television Friday. Broderick and I have found our chemistry and it can lead to some humorous conversations. You could say we mix summary and bar talk. One of my co-workers thought I came down too harsh on one of the Como Park coaches after he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct (he was arguing a poor choice by the referee to allow a Johnson punt return for a touchdown after a penalty was called for an illegal block, something I saw on the replay). I call things as I see them, but am working on the balance between judgmental and constructive criticism. On that note, I do appreciate feedback, even if no one thinks I did anything wrong. I got used to play-by-play after a while, but always want to improve.
There were several new crew members and it showed in the production from what I saw on the monitor. The replay transitions were choppy and the camerawork wasn't on par at times. I understand SPNN is trying to spread the opportunities to people, but I feel sports crews should at least have some familiarity with the sport they're televising. That way, if they are learning a new skill, they don't have to try and remember how the game works and work the equipment at the same time. It's very difficult to pluck people at random and hope the program will turn out.
For the record, Johnson won the game 35-6. The botched call turned out not to make any difference in the game, although it's not a good sign when controversy dominates the game recap. Central lost last weekend, so Johnson looks like they will re-establish themselves as the team to beat in St. Paul, but there's still a few games to go. Johnson's running game is their strength; five backs carried the ball against Como. Their passing game needs work, they followed a 148-yard passing game the previous week with two interceptions against Como and lost the turnover battle. One-dimensional offenses are always at risk of being shut down easily, but Johnson's depth at running back is a plus.
Todd and Coley take the helm this week with the Harding-Arlington game.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Broadcast preview: Johnson vs. Como Park
Greetings everyone. There hasn't been much to blog about in the sports or broadcasting world for the last month. There was some audio problems with the NC Heat-Minnesota Stars game and at this point, I doubt I will be posting it online. Someone on my YouTube page said no one would care about audio distortion. Trust me, in television, people are much faster to point out your mistakes than your accomplishments. That's why we fall on the old cliché, "No news is good news." The last thing I want to do is broadcast a piece of junk with my name on it; people who take this seriously know doing so hampers credibility.
On the plus side, I got a new computer and upgraded to Adobe Production CS3 Premium. In short, I have the latest versions of all the software I use to create my own games. I still need to figure out how to install a plug-in or two. Also, the video encoder on Adobe Premiere Pro improved significantly. What that means for you are full-length games in high quality. No more trouble reading graphics or watching a spectacular play develop.
As you may have guessed, the title refers to tomorrow's high school football game featuring Johnson and Como Park at James Griffin Stadium on SPNN, channel 19. This will be my first football play-by-play assignment. Unfortunately, the coaches aren't too quick about posting stats on Maxpreps or any other site this year, so I can't tell you too much about the teams statistically. Como Park is hurting offensively after Greg Morse's departure (graduation). They're last in the conference for points scored and bring an 0-2 record this weekend. Johnson is 2-0 and give up the fewest points in the conference. On paper, it looks like Johnson will coast to victory, but I'll find out more when I visit with the coaches tomorrow. If any of you have dreams about a St. Paul school going to state, no existing St. Paul City Conference team has qualified since 1981 when Johnson got to state.
Broderick Bell is my partner. This is the only game where I'll be in the booth for SPNN. I'm their primary graphics designer, so I imagine it won't be long before they ask me to return to graphics. After calling basketball the last two years, I'm excited to try another sport.
On the plus side, I got a new computer and upgraded to Adobe Production CS3 Premium. In short, I have the latest versions of all the software I use to create my own games. I still need to figure out how to install a plug-in or two. Also, the video encoder on Adobe Premiere Pro improved significantly. What that means for you are full-length games in high quality. No more trouble reading graphics or watching a spectacular play develop.
As you may have guessed, the title refers to tomorrow's high school football game featuring Johnson and Como Park at James Griffin Stadium on SPNN, channel 19. This will be my first football play-by-play assignment. Unfortunately, the coaches aren't too quick about posting stats on Maxpreps or any other site this year, so I can't tell you too much about the teams statistically. Como Park is hurting offensively after Greg Morse's departure (graduation). They're last in the conference for points scored and bring an 0-2 record this weekend. Johnson is 2-0 and give up the fewest points in the conference. On paper, it looks like Johnson will coast to victory, but I'll find out more when I visit with the coaches tomorrow. If any of you have dreams about a St. Paul school going to state, no existing St. Paul City Conference team has qualified since 1981 when Johnson got to state.
Broderick Bell is my partner. This is the only game where I'll be in the booth for SPNN. I'm their primary graphics designer, so I imagine it won't be long before they ask me to return to graphics. After calling basketball the last two years, I'm excited to try another sport.