I've now had the chance to see two of the ESPN-created tournaments that they were hoping would extend the viewership brought on board by their World Series of Poker coverage.
The first involved dominos. ESPN Deportes has apparently been showing tournaments for a while, and someone in Bristol thought it was time to see if the practice would work for non-Hispanic viewers. It didn't, which isn't surprising given that the game isn't exactly a mainstay of Anglo households. There was also little time to show each player's rack and discuss strategy, which would be really helpful. About the only thing of interest was the possibility of violence between teammates when one blew a play.
Not that anyone came to blows, but they were rare shows of emotion.
Then there's the World Series of Dart, whose artifice is underscored by the lack of competition between the pros who've come over from Britain and the amateur Americans. Not that some of the Yanks aren't good, but when there's an obvious talent gap it makes for less than stellar TV. Heck, even the color guy and the on-site announcer were Brits. Still, it's a little more accessible than dominos, given that most people have, at some time in their lives, played darts.
Sadly, my favorite ESPN-created event, the Great Outdoor Games, is on hiatus for 2006. The network is giving it the once-over and plans to re-launch in 2007 with dazzling new events and such. By which I assume they mean sucking the life out of it.
And while I'm on the subject of ESPN's programming genius, word came today that Harold Reynolds got the hook from the network, and thus leaves Karl Ravech as the last sane man on Baseball Tonight. No word on why he got the gate, but if Michael Irvin could keep his job after his troubles, what did Reynolds have to do to lose his?
Update: according to the folks at Deadspin, the unofficial reason for HR's canning was sexual harrassment. Which isn't cool. But if you can get caught with blow, plea out, and still keep your job, you'd think the bar would be set much, much higher for getting fired.
2 comments:
That really sucks about the Great Outdoor Games, unless you are afraid of lumber sports (for anyone who doesn't get the reference -- http://sportsnight.tktv.net/Episodes2/summaries/1.html, which, oddly enough, also mentions a Chinese swimmer names Cho Chang -- no word on whether she actually has a Scottish accent though.)
I greatly enjoy the Games, because really, where else can you see a guy who was on the Real World Boston compete/commentate on log rolling? Plus there are doggies!
I hope the World Series of Dominos was played on rickety card tables. Preferably in a parking lot.
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