Here is my latest rant. What's with all the interviews before and after a sports event? Those that ex ball players and athletes of that game conduct with their on court or on field brethren.
I was watching the US Open last night and here is an ex US tennis star (a woman) that comes out in those little tunnels that the players step out of on to the field - and accosts the 21st seed (because he is America's last hope to make something happen in men's tennis - at least in the grand slams) and slams him with a volley of questions.
The fact that he is about to play a Quarterfinal with one of the best known tennis athletes in the world not withstanding she asks him 5 stupid questions (in my humble opinion) that span the gamut of how did you play in the last match and how did you pull that off to what is your strategy to defeat the Spaniard on court now (who seems unstoppable any time you see him on court).
I mean first off - the guy is carrying like 100 lbs of stuff with him and clearly is scared - I think any serious player worth his salt would be; coming out to face the #3 seed. Even the #1 seed would be scared. Roddick was 21 for this slam.
Now to pounce on him and asks these questions about how exactly he plans to dispatch the world number 2 - I am not even sure that qualifies for an answer.
Then he rants off equally lame answers to the weird questions - about how he played superior tennis in his prior match - of course otherwise you would not be in this tunnel now would you lad? And the obvious chest pumping exercise on how he will stay on top of the opponent to ensure victory.
I think this episode underscores the whole insanity that is sports interviews and sports commentary for that matter. I mean when you have HD video signal being broadcast to the viewers from all different angles (better than you can get at the stadium itself - and by the way the lucky bastards at the stadium are spared the inane commentary from ex ball players and get to watch just the match) - now even in 3D I was informed - why the heck do you need to hear McEnroe say that our last man standing for the US 'needs to step up his game and get on the board'.
I mean what the heck does that comment mean? Is he mumbling to himself - then he better go on mute since that comment to me makes no sense what so ever. It is borderline similar to Kramer saying 'it feels like a sauna in here' when sitting in a sauna.
No shit Sherlock! Wonder if they interviewed Gladiators in ancient Roman times as they walked out to wipe someone out from the face of the earth about what was going on in their heads or if they even had a head (I mean the intellectual part - clearly the head came off at the end of the tournament) and if they did what strategy were they thinking off to ensure victory and another chance to sleep it off.
Used to be we listened to radio commentary of the cricket matches back in India when that was the ipad of the day. Here in the absence of influence and big bucks visiting a live event was next to impossible and so most citizenry interested in the sport would tune in to the local AM station and revel in the glory of cricket. That made sense.
Now with the advent of all the techno funk why the heck are these broadcasters paying to have some retired coots come on air and yaak their heads off? You cannot even mute the damn thing since you will miss hearing the ball being smacked around by these fine athletes.
Lets not even get into the affairgate situations that other sports seem to generate (thankfully tennis has been spared much embarrasment on that front I must admit).
Any rate you get the idea ... media is going from bad to worse and pretty soon I am going to have to start tuning out the audio and just imagine the smack of that felt on the gut of that racket as it flies off at 200 miles an hour.
I mean if you have to comment do not be like George Castanza trying it out as a profession - be a Richie Benaud to be interesting.
That guy (an Australian cricketer) was sheer music to the ear with his commentary on the Australian Nine sports network. He brought in the elements to the listener (even on TV) where we could not see certain things going on and explained it to provide the panorama of his viewing box. One comment I remember vaguely had to do with Pigeons shitting on the Stumps - somehow the camera had missed it and he pointed it out. Fun stuff!
I was watching the US Open last night and here is an ex US tennis star (a woman) that comes out in those little tunnels that the players step out of on to the field - and accosts the 21st seed (because he is America's last hope to make something happen in men's tennis - at least in the grand slams) and slams him with a volley of questions.
The fact that he is about to play a Quarterfinal with one of the best known tennis athletes in the world not withstanding she asks him 5 stupid questions (in my humble opinion) that span the gamut of how did you play in the last match and how did you pull that off to what is your strategy to defeat the Spaniard on court now (who seems unstoppable any time you see him on court).
I mean first off - the guy is carrying like 100 lbs of stuff with him and clearly is scared - I think any serious player worth his salt would be; coming out to face the #3 seed. Even the #1 seed would be scared. Roddick was 21 for this slam.
Now to pounce on him and asks these questions about how exactly he plans to dispatch the world number 2 - I am not even sure that qualifies for an answer.
Then he rants off equally lame answers to the weird questions - about how he played superior tennis in his prior match - of course otherwise you would not be in this tunnel now would you lad? And the obvious chest pumping exercise on how he will stay on top of the opponent to ensure victory.
I think this episode underscores the whole insanity that is sports interviews and sports commentary for that matter. I mean when you have HD video signal being broadcast to the viewers from all different angles (better than you can get at the stadium itself - and by the way the lucky bastards at the stadium are spared the inane commentary from ex ball players and get to watch just the match) - now even in 3D I was informed - why the heck do you need to hear McEnroe say that our last man standing for the US 'needs to step up his game and get on the board'.
I mean what the heck does that comment mean? Is he mumbling to himself - then he better go on mute since that comment to me makes no sense what so ever. It is borderline similar to Kramer saying 'it feels like a sauna in here' when sitting in a sauna.
No shit Sherlock! Wonder if they interviewed Gladiators in ancient Roman times as they walked out to wipe someone out from the face of the earth about what was going on in their heads or if they even had a head (I mean the intellectual part - clearly the head came off at the end of the tournament) and if they did what strategy were they thinking off to ensure victory and another chance to sleep it off.
Used to be we listened to radio commentary of the cricket matches back in India when that was the ipad of the day. Here in the absence of influence and big bucks visiting a live event was next to impossible and so most citizenry interested in the sport would tune in to the local AM station and revel in the glory of cricket. That made sense.
Now with the advent of all the techno funk why the heck are these broadcasters paying to have some retired coots come on air and yaak their heads off? You cannot even mute the damn thing since you will miss hearing the ball being smacked around by these fine athletes.
Lets not even get into the affairgate situations that other sports seem to generate (thankfully tennis has been spared much embarrasment on that front I must admit).
Any rate you get the idea ... media is going from bad to worse and pretty soon I am going to have to start tuning out the audio and just imagine the smack of that felt on the gut of that racket as it flies off at 200 miles an hour.
I mean if you have to comment do not be like George Castanza trying it out as a profession - be a Richie Benaud to be interesting.
That guy (an Australian cricketer) was sheer music to the ear with his commentary on the Australian Nine sports network. He brought in the elements to the listener (even on TV) where we could not see certain things going on and explained it to provide the panorama of his viewing box. One comment I remember vaguely had to do with Pigeons shitting on the Stumps - somehow the camera had missed it and he pointed it out. Fun stuff!
Yes, definitely irritating. And you'd think former players would know what not to do!
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