How bad are BT and Channel 7?

[rjay 24,919]

I know these topics have been brought up before but seriously how could Brian Taylor make the call that Collingwood were hanging on by a thread half way through the last quarter when WC couldn't buy a goal.

If they were peppering the goals yeah, but they didn't look like it after the quick rally at the start of the quarter. Am I looking at it wrong? to me once Collingwood hit the front again in the last they looked in control of the game and seemed to have the answers despite all the efforts of Kerr to turn it around.

...and if they lose the ball on screen again this finals series, I mean a number of times there have been full screen shots of the so called action but the ball has moved out of the area. Talk about some umpires having no feel for the game, the producers at 7 most definitely don't have a feel for the game, they can't even track the ball.

It's bad enough that they can't find the ball but then they want to disorient us with some of the camera angles so we don't have a clue which way is up.

If we really need to see the coaches, or some action off the ball, an injured player then surely we have the technology to have some kind of cut in vision in the corner of our screen so we don't miss any of the play.

[Gorgoroth 12,949]

BT use to be a good caller, now has a massive inflated ego and believes he is the best and has become near enough un-listenable (is that even a word??? )

Throw in Richo and the biggest muppet of obvious remarks Luke I'm a loser Darcy on top of the bad camera angles = yes you are correct.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Luke Darcy drives me mad!!

That was not a goal in the first Q.

They got it right.

[Pipefitter 2,159]

BT was an amazing radio commentator. I can't believe how far he has fallen. He's woeful.

[DemonDan83 95]

Last night when Walker was going for the goal at half time, a big momentum swinging kick, they put up a shot where there was the boundary umpire and field umpire blocking the view of the kick! It was very amateurish and our game is suppose to be the professional league of Australia... It was disgraceful, I couldn't believe it!

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

This is the reality of the $1.25 bill deal. Ch7 have to cut corners to pay for it.

A sad reality of Vlad being so greedy.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,212]

Last night when Walker was going for the goal at half time, a big momentum swinging kick, they put up a shot where there was the boundary umpire and field umpire blocking the view of the kick! It was very amateurish and our game is suppose to be the professional league of Australia... It was disgraceful, I couldn't believe it!

VFL coverage is often better than the pro's. FFS it's not that hard, but just like the MFC recruiters over the past few years they have just kept trying to outsmart themselves to appear innovative. They need to KISS and just get the basics right instead of worrying about camera angles from the point of view of a goal post. Look at NFL/NBA coverage to see how it should be done (probably even EPL though I would rather stab myself in the eyes than sit through 90 minutes of a nil-all draw.)

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Luke Darcy drives me mad!!

That was not a goal in the first Q.

They got it right.

Yeah I think they did, but hey....this is a professional game, if your gonna have video based decisions then ffs get a bloody hawk eye, a la tennis type technology, that definitively can call it one way or the other or don't have it at all!!

[Supermercado 2,797]

The worst is Saturday night when they read tweets out. I'm a Twitter addict, but I don't give a rats what @slapnuts75 thinks about Jamie Elliot.

[The Big Ticket 94]

I liked Brett Kirk as a player but [censored] me, he talks some garbage at times. He always looks extremely awkward and nervous.

C7's commentary team as a whole are just embarrassing. Still like Bruce and Denn on Sundays though.

[Macca 16,965]

VFL coverage is often better than the pro's. FFS it's not that hard, but just like the MFC recruiters over the past few years they have just kept trying to outsmart themselves to appear innovative. They need to KISS and just get the basics right instead of worrying about camera angles from the point of view of a goal post. Look at NFL/NBA coverage to see how it should be done (probably even EPL though I would rather stab myself in the eyes than sit through 90 minutes of a nil-all draw.)

There used to be a facility on Foxtel where for certain games you could watch the game with a wide angle view . You could also mute the commentary and just have the crowd noise . Essentially you could configure it so you could simulate 'Being at the game' - it was great . After a time you got used to not having commentary .

I just don't get why commentators have to describe the game like it's radio . They never shut up and most of what they've got to say is puerile and unnecessary . We are miles behind the rest of the world with regards to sports broadcasting .

Who needs close ups ? It's not like we know whether a free kick is going to be paid correctly (thanks to Giesh) (he's been the Umpires Director since 1999 btw!) We don't need a play by play commentary when we're at the games (although every now and then I cop one of those 'types' that like to commentate at the games - oddballs) . The commentary should complement the telecast , not dominate it .

I've often heard Richie Benaud talk about how it's often best to let the action speak for itself . I believe he started his broadcasting career at the BBC and is a masterful commentator . Think he's going around again this summer .

Imagine Richie commentating the footy - "Good kick, that"

[Dr. Gonzo 24,212]

Exactly right Macca and that's one of my pet hates as well - I can see what's happening, I don't need Bwuce to just call players names out as they get a possession (Kreuzer, Judd to Muuurphy, handballs to Carazzo back to Judd who kicks it down to Waite etc etc). The commentators as you say should complement by explaining to me what I can't see on the screen in front of me. Don't treat your viewers like idiots and don't be scared to educate them. That's one of the reason's I didn't mind the channel 9 coverage when they had it - say what you will about Brereton and his demeanour at least he actually tried to break down the play and explain to the layman what strategies and tactics the teams were trying to implement. It's one of the reasons I also like Lloyd as a commentator.

[ucanchoose 1,816]

The Willamstown Port Melbourne game yesterday I enjoyed more than watching half a season of AFL

Good hard close battle on a nice day with got commentators. Wished it never ended

[Biffen 12,943]

Luke Darcy drives me mad!!

That was not a goal in the first Q.

They got it right.

Not an issue.

Clearly a point .

Can I pay someone to slap Darcy over his bitchy face?

He needs it.

[The heart beats true 18,123]

What needs to happen to fix this is that AFL needs to allow Foxtel to televise their own broadcast of the same game. 7 has no competition so they treat their audience like fools. Just by allowing competition they'll have to lift their game.

I also LOVE the idea of a broadcast without commentary with just crowd noise. I wish Foxtel would bring that back.

[Madness 44]

I still can't get my head around the fact it is 2012 and they don't even broadcast their footy in [censored] HD!

[jnrmac 20,060]

Luke Darcy drives me mad!!

That was not a goal in the first Q.

They got it right.

Well you certainly couldn't tell from the TV.

What is more disturbing is yet again how the AFL have stuffed up the introduction of this. Three flipping umpires were within 3m and watching closely yet the upstairs guy radios the umps after they had cleared it and signalled a goal.

Absolute disgrace and to be expected from this bunch of autocratic administrators.

[low flying Robbo 979]

What I don't get is the "superwall".... (or is that not ch7?)

Yeah that would be a great idea, IF you could make use of it!!! Not just for them to have a fancy way to change between cameras. "Now lets take a look at the superwall so you can get a teaser of something we won't let you see"

after thinking about it for a while, i'm actually starting to doubt that its actually called the superwall... is it?

[Deers 202]

I know these topics have been brought up before but seriously how could Brian Taylor make the call that Collingwood were hanging on by a thread half way through the last quarter when WC couldn't buy a goal.

That was strange. Collingwood were up by 2 goals and West Coast couldn't get it inside their forward 50. Did he mean to say West Coast?

And then, twice, he desperately pleaded, "West Coast need to find something from here", as the ball trickled OoB in Collingwood's forward pocket with 90 seconds left.

He has called for T.V. before with Fox but you couldn't tell that here. The commentary rarely matched the visuals.

[Tony Tea 2,809]

The worst is Saturday night when they read tweets out. I'm a Twitter addict, but I don't give a rats what @slapnuts75 thinks about Jamie Elliot.

I do. I also want to know @CuteKid's favourite player.

[bush demon 2,039]

i don't know why you guys get so hot under the collar, just turn down the telly and listen to the slightly out of sync ABC774. after all, you are not listening to sandy grandstanding roberts, Peter i'll tell you what you can already see landy or mike i tipped this williamson. bt is one of the few remaining eccentrics on the box so just leave him there.

[Deers 202]

What I don't get is the "superwall".... (or is that not ch7?)

Yeah that would be a great idea, IF you could make use of it!!! Not just for them to have a fancy way to change between cameras. "Now lets take a look at the superwall so you can get a teaser of something we won't let you see"

after thinking about it for a while, i'm actually starting to doubt that its actually called the superwall... is it?

They invented the Superwall for the Australian Open tennis. It was well received but it was purely a novelty thing. Now they use it for the footy, the V8s and lord knows what else.

Bring on the X Factor Superwall! Where you can see the green room, the view from underneath the judge's desk, a slow-mo replay and the host taking a dump during commercials.

[low flying Robbo 979]

They invented the Superwall for the Australian Open tennis. It was well received but it was purely a novelty thing. Now they use it for the footy, the V8s and lord knows what else.

Wasn't the whole idea of Digital TV so they could have spare channels for things like this... Surely someone can implement it. Kinda like the Fox Sports press red.

[sue 9,102]

The commentators are terrible - put them in a circle and each one is worse than the one next to him (though BT has to be centre circle).

But I can turn the sound off (or just laugh at it). But I can't do anything about the pictures.

I am sick of the close-ups as soon as a player has a mark or free. I want to see what options the player has around him, not whether he remembered to shave that morning. And the close-ups from ground level would be fine for replays, but after a while they leave you wondering which way each team is actually kicking. With such an emphasis on close-ups I sometimes wonder if the Directors are pandering to women who like to perve at men's bodies rather than people who want to understand what is happening in the actual game.

(I thought the camera angles in the matches played in WA are a lot better for a wide-angled view which doesn't reduce the players to single-pixel dots.)

[ox_5 163]

BTs new favourite saying is clearly "He says come at me".