Bow Ties & Bachelorettes: The NESN Game Broadcast Thread

[mabrowndog]

I'm pretty sure NESN has sunk to an all-time low tonight. Considering this is the same network that brought us dozens of games with Jack Welch as a studio analyst over the years, there wasn't much clearance under that bar to begin with.
 
We've grown accustomed to these shenanigans in the late innings of games, earlier if it's a blowout. But it wasn't even 8 pm before tonight's b-s started. The camera remained focused on Gary Striewski for most of the bottom of the 3rd, and for a good chunk of the top of the 4th. He even had to handle the break-for-commercial.
 
I don't give a shit if it's Bow Tie Night at Fenway, or how many YouTube vids Gary had to watch before learning how to tie his. I care even less about the soon-to-be bride who met her beau at Fenway on 9/21/2006, was proposed to there on 9/21/2013, and will be married there on 9/21/2014. And the Wally Wave hasn't even made its appearance yet.
 
I don't care if this team sucks. I want to watch baseball, and this "appeal to the lowest common denominator of viewers" shit is pissing me off like never before.
 
 

 

[Darnell's Son]

Sounds like someone is mad the Wally Wave comes so late in the game.

 

[mabrowndog]

Sounds like someone is mad the Wally Wave comes so late in the game.

 
Actually, I'm pissed that I can't find a 12" extended disco remix of the horrendous song they play.

 

[Darnell's Son]

 

[MuzzyField]

I'd like the incompetent excuses for professional sports producers at NESN to write the check and purchase the capability to keep the score bug up for everything but replays. You know, like the rest of the sports production world.  I'm blaming equipment shortcomings and the use of the pitch zone full-time, because if someone at NESN thinks "hiding" the score for most of the game is improving the production quality and viewer enjoyment my head will explode.
 
Also, the pink hats (casual fans) you appear to be trying to attract with all of the non-game BS previously listed have checked out due to the team's suckage.  So, don't be afraid to focus more on the baseball and less on the bullshit.
 
Thanks!

 

[Darnell's Son]

The fact that they don't keep the score up drives me nuts. They used to keep it up almost 100% of the time didn't they?

 

[pedro1918]

The fact that they don't keep the score up drives me nuts. They used to keep it up almost 100% of the time didn't they?

 
Thirded.

 

[glennhoffmania]

Is there another network that has as many in-booth visits and stupid features during the course of the game?  I still have nightmares about Lenny Clarke.

 

[derekson]

Is there another network that has as many in-booth visits and stupid features during the course of the game?  I still have nightmares about Lenny Clarke.

 
No other team's broadcasts have even 30% as many booth guests as the Red Sox broadcasts do.
 
No other team's announcers start talking about the hotel or last night's dinner or whatever dumb shit otherwise comes up on the Remsillo show. They actually cover a baseball game. This is indisputable fact if you actually watch other teams' coverage of games via MLB.tv or Extra Innings.

 

[Jnai]

I'm pretty sure NESN has sunk to an all-time low tonight. Considering this is the same network that brought us dozens of games with Jack Welch as a studio analyst over the years, there wasn't much clearance under that bar to begin with.
 
We've grown accustomed to these shenanigans in the late innings of games, earlier if it's a blowout. But it wasn't even 8 pm before tonight's b-s started. The camera remained focused on Gary Striewski for most of the bottom of the 3rd, and for a good chunk of the top of the 4th. He even had to handle the break-for-commercial.
 
I don't give a shit if it's Bow Tie Night at Fenway, or how many YouTube vids Gary had to watch before learning how to tie his. I care even less about the soon-to-be bride who met her beau at Fenway on 9/21/2006, was proposed to there on 9/21/2013, and will be married there on 9/21/2014. And the Wally Wave hasn't even made its appearance yet.
 
I don't care if this team sucks. I want to watch baseball, and this "appeal to the lowest common denominator of viewers" shit is pissing me off like never before.
 
 

 
Here's the thing though. NESN could have a box in the bottom right corner of the screen showing a loop of scenes from your grandparents' hidden sex tape, and you'd still grit through it and watch baseball. I know you understand this, but their core demographic is not really you.
 
This is a bit like the blue hockey puck trail that was introduced by the NHL. There's some fake story about how people didn't like it so they got rid of it. Actually, people generally loved it - except for hardcore hockey fans or people who grew up watching the game -  they hated it. But the network (I believe it was Fox) didn't care, because those people were going to watch anyway.  The blue hockey puck went away because broadcast deals changed almost immediately after they perfected the technology.

 

[InsideTheParker]

 
Here's the thing though. NESN could have a box in the bottom right corner of the screen showing a loop of scenes from your grandparents' hidden sex tape, and you'd still grit through it and watch baseball. I know you understand this, but their core demographic is not really you.
 
This is a bit like the blue hockey puck trail that was introduced by the NHL. There's some fake story about how people didn't like it so they got rid of it. Actually, people generally loved it - except for hardcore hockey fans or people who grew up watching the game -  they hated it. But the network (I believe it was Fox) didn't care, because those people were going to watch anyway.  The blue hockey puck went away because broadcast deals changed almost immediately after they perfected the technology.

Yeah, I know the idea that they don't care about us because we would watch anyway, but why is NESN the only network that is like this? I watch lots of other games, and they actually talk about the game and have interesting information about the other teams. On the other hand, Remsillo routinely mispronounce the names of Red Sox players and coaches and find it highly amusing to pretend to try to pronounce the names of the opponents. They make a virtue of their ineptitude. Someone at NESN has made a decision to broadcast to Homer Simpson and the guys at Moe's. The other networks seem to be broadcasting to Cheers or to actual human beings. With their interminable interviews with Verlander and Scooter and Harold Reynolds, only Fox comes close to the horribleness that is NESN now. 

 

[Granite Sox]

This is all the stuff that Commissioner Werner is urging the game to adopt to appeal to younger generations. We're stuck with him, but thank The Lord that MLB is not.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

How else will you entertain the 10 year olds watching at 10:30 pm and it's the bottom of the 7th?

 

[glennhoffmania]

If they just cut out the extracurricular bullshit they'd be fine.  Jerry is hardly the best color guy out there and Don is far from a perfect PBP guy, but they'd be fine if NESN got rid of the nonstop booth visits, the promotions, the polls, the pointless "sideline" reports and the off topic nonsense.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

If they just cut out the extracurricular bullshit they'd be fine.  Jerry is hardly the best color guy out there and Don is far from a perfect PBP guy, but they'd be fine if NESN got rid of the nonstop booth visits, the promotions, the polls, the pointless "sideline" reports and the off topic nonsense.

 
I agree with this. I was mostly pro-Remsillo until this year, but the broadcast has bottomed out incredibly. Way more set pieces, cuts to the booth, planned innings where they just know they're going to ignore the game for all three outs. Brutal. 
 
And I think Gary is the best sideline person they've ever had. 
 
They just refuse to talk about what's happening in the game until it actually happens. They won't discuss the importance of the moment, what the Sox need to do right here, what the strategy might be. They just let the game happen and then tell me what I just saw, often not even immediately, usually waiting until the production on the replays is all set up and Jerry has been given the instructions on what to say in his ear. 
 
It's gotten to the point where there is zero added value from the commentary. 
 
Make it stop. It's horrible. 

 

[mauidano]

Losing leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  You have less tolerance and patient for anything else Sox related.  When the team sucks, so does everything else.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

I don't necessarily disagree with that, but NESN is clearly making a decision that the team, because it isn't winning, should be less featured in the broadcast. That doubles down on the impatience. The team is telling you that the team isn't worth watching, and, by extension, you're an idiot to actually care what's happening on the field. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

Yeah I think NESN is a much bigger problem than Don and Jerry.  They aren't scheduling the booth visits, coming up with poll questions, and all the other non-baseball crap.  They have their warts but the broadcast format is what's ruining everything.

 

[grimshaw]

On the other hand, the Remy outrage is nearly non-existent now because they have turned him into the grumpy but harmless old man.
Remy probably owes Don as much as he owns Sean.

 

[JimBoSox9]

Most of the extra garbage is garbage, but Gary's "I'm looking for a bachelorette party" was the best timing at the dish anyone on the team has shown in a month.

 

[richgedman'sghost]

I agree with most of the criticism of the NESN telecasts. NESN management probably thinks that since the season has gone to the dogs, they need to do even more schtick and comedy than usual. As a result, we have to put up with the forced yucks and stupid poll questions. One small plus in NESN's favor that I have not seen mentioned is the fact that the PitchFX box is kept on the screen for every pitch. Most of the other baseball telecasts that I have watched only show PitchFX on close pitches or not at all. Is there any reason for this? I think PitchFX is very useful and am puzzled why its not used more.
I happen to like Don as an announcer probably more than most on here. With Jerry's various illness and absences, he has had to adjust to a variety of color analysts and styles.  With Jerry, Orsillio is under orders from NESN management  to focus on the familar and to bring the yucks. On national playoff telecasts away from Jerry's silliness, is when Don really shines. He brings out the best of any analyst  he is paired with. Don has a very straightfoward style and knows the right questions to ask. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

I haven't noticed that the stupid booth visits and sideline reports have increased as the season has gone to shit.  There were plenty of them last year too.  It seems that at least once per game we have to spend an inning listening to Don and Jerry interview someone or listen to him/her tell their story and I feel like this has been going on for years.

 

[richgedman'sghost]

I haven't noticed that the stupid booth visits and sideline reports have increased as the season has gone to shit.  There were plenty of them last year too.  It seems that at least once per game we have to spend an inning listening to Don and Jerry interview someone or listen to him/her tell their story and I feel like this has been going on for years.

Do you or maybe Chad have any reason why other telecasts don't use the PitchFX box? Is it just exclusively a "NESN" thing?

 

[MuzzyField]

I agree with most of the criticism of the NESN telecasts. NESN management probably thinks that since the season has gone to the dogs, they need to do even more schtick and comedy than usual. As a result, we have to put up with the forced yucks and stupid poll questions. One small plus in NESN's favor that I have not seen mentioned is the fact that the PitchFX box is kept on the screen for every pitch. Most of the other baseball telecasts that I have watched only show PitchFX on close pitches or not at all. Is there any reason for this? I think PitchFX is very useful and am puzzled why its not used more.
I happen to like Don as an announcer probably more than most on here. With Jerry's various illness and absences, he has had to adjust to a variety of color analysts and styles.  With Jerry, Orsillio is under orders from NESN management  to focus on the familar and to bring the yucks. On national playoff telecasts away from Jerry's silliness, is when Don really shines. He brings out the best of any analyst  he is paired with. Don has a very straightfoward style and knows the right questions to ask. 

It's sponsored... so it's generating cash and is likely the reason the score is only shown on the same center field shot.  It sucks!

 

[mabrowndog]

The game's barely underway, and they've already put up the fan poll: "What's your favorite song with the word Saturday in the title?"
 
I mean... Holy. Fucking. Shit.
 
Then they spent 10 minutes having Don & Jerry talk about how they don't know any of the four songs (Jerry knew one of them, and frankly I'm astounded that both these guys don't recognize all of them) while the producers played brief snippets of them in the background. Meanwhile the poll graphic -- complete with live updating color bars showing vote totals in REAL TIME!!1!1!1!!! (because SOCIAL MEDIA AWESOMENESS) -- was superimposed on the screen. At lower right. You know... where the Amica PitchZone graphic usually resides?
 
And this is all going on WHILE THE RED SOX ARE BATTING.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a sunk to a new abyss.

 

[LogansDad]

Yeah, I won't be watching any of this series because NESN is totally unwatchable and the Rays announcers will likely be talking about how much of a god David Price still is and how Papi is a dick for watching a home run and then being pissed about getting hit in retaliation something like 8 months later.  The good news is, there's a lot of other games around the league that matter this weekend.

 

[nattysez]

WTF?
 
 

Yesterday’s NESN broadcast of the Red Sox-Twins game featured a mid-game interlude of the announcers discussing their memories of the dear, departed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It also featured video of the Metrodome being imploded—something that never happened.
The video NESN aired is of the implosion of Seattle’s Kingdome in 2000. Stranger still, the video was digitally edited to add a roof and other elements of the building that did not exist when the Kingdome was blown up:
 

 

[cwright]

Tonight's "keeping us at the park" in the third inning was hyped for about half an hour as a way to see all the action from one's easy chair, and consisted of two small boxes on the side of the screen showing guys mostly standing around and occasionally throwing a ball while warming up defensively.  Don't worry, folks.  The commercial was still there, taking up most of the screen.
 
That was one of the dumber ideas I've seen on NESN, and that's saying something.

 

[the1andonly3003]

Tonight's "keeping us at the park" in the third inning was hyped for about half an hour as a way to see all the action from one's easy chair, and consisted of two small boxes on the side of the screen showing guys mostly standing around and occasionally throwing a ball while warming up defensively.  Don't worry, folks.  The commercial was still there, taking up most of the screen.
 
That was one of the dumber ideas I've seen on NESN, and that's saying something.

i've seen them do it a few times this season...i thought Don and Jerry deadpanning that it was like being at the part was funny...or maybe its a statement that it has become too expensive for most families to go to the park to catch a game

 

[TOleary25]

Tonight's "keeping us at the park" in the third inning was hyped for about half an hour as a way to see all the action from one's easy chair, and consisted of two small boxes on the side of the screen showing guys mostly standing around and occasionally throwing a ball while warming up defensively.  Don't worry, folks.  The commercial was still there, taking up most of the screen.
 
That was one of the dumber ideas I've seen on NESN, and that's saying something.

I agree the promoting of it is way over the top for what it is and don and jerry are essentially mocking it at this point. However, I don't see how it's a dumb idea on nesn's part. They aren't the first sports broadcast to try it as nascar does it quite often. Although in that case the race is ongoing so there's still action (if you can call it that).

If those two small boxes on the side keep even just a few people from changing the channel nesn's done their job and that's all they really care about. As a viewer, I don't see anything to complain about since the alternative is full screen commercials. Might as well see players warming up instead of that everything is awesome spot.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

I love the idea. I'd much rather watch those scenes, or look at the box score as they did in a later inning, then be forced to watch the commercial. I mean, what's the harm? And I think they could develop the idea to include better snippets of life at the park.

 

[joyofsox]

That was one of the dumber ideas I've seen on NESN, and that's saying something.

 
Wait until you see the follow-up to the Wally Wave!

 

[shawnrbu]

To steer this away from a "Dump on NESN" thread, I am really enjoying Remy this season, particularly since he returned last week from illness.  I think we have gotten the best Remy in years over these past two weeks.  He sounds more engaged and is expressing more of a critical eye, both towards the Sox and the opposition (See his comments on Rusney chasing the first pitch on Sunday when Mookie was trying to steal 2nd with 2 outs in an inning and Remy dumped all over Adam Rosales for his lame effort on Swihart's 2 run single last night).  I also found Remy's "I am always wrong on these replay reviews.  If I say he is safe, he will be called out on replay" following Mookie's triple last night pretty funny. 

 

[Van Everyman]

Completely agree – for all of Remy's tendencies to be surly or goofy, he has been really insightful of late.

To return to dumping on NESN for a moment, I caught NESN Live tonight and saw two young-ish women doing some weird Dating Game-style skit with whiteboards and asking which things they liked better, Kris Bryant's 475' HR or a pitcher's first home run – to which one of them said, "You always remember your first time."

 

[Corsi]

Not NESN, but...
 

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Right after Jewish Night where you got a free yamica? Busy times in the dentists office.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Paging Dr Longborg...

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Take away this lurker's access
 

Paging Dr Longborg...

 

[The Talented Allen Ripley]

Maybe he was riffing on the misspelling of yarmulke.

 

[baruch20]

The Buchholz Buckle.
Now you too can tease admirers with the "P-word" only to wilt under the pressure to perform.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I guess this one's riffing on the other mispeling, too

 

[smokin joe wood]

It's interesting to read this thread because I think most people in the business would say NESN does some of the best broadcasts in MLB. Some of the Root Sports (Pirates/Rockies/etc...) stuff has passed them in terms of technology and integrating more advanced stats and ways to watch the game. Overall though, the NESN productions (not marketing ploys) are really solid. The 'Keeping you at the park' thing seems like a really good idea to me, anything to make you think for a split second before you leave the room/change the channel for a break is doing right by your sponsors. 

 

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

I'm not a fan or Remy by any means.  But he's been true "analyst" the past few days, no?  Breaking down steals, swings, and pitches....WTF got into this guy?  It's like he actually care about his job. 

 

[richgedman'sghost]

I'm not a fan or Remy by any means.  But he's been true "analyst" the past few days, no?  Breaking down steals, swings, and pitches....WTF got into this guy?  It's like he actually care about his job. 

I posted the same comments in yesterday's gamethread but I guess it got overlooked. Ever since he came back from his "illness", Remy has been a changed man. In the past two weeks, I can count about 5 instances where Jerry has first guessed or provided unique insights. One instance from Friday's game was when with Holt at first base, Remy showed how Holt was "peeking" in an attempt to catch the A's signs before stealing 2nd. Overall, I think that the NESN production has improved this year.  There is less silliness in the booth between Don and Jerry and better use of the "sideline" reporter. Instead of forcing a  taped feature on ballpark food,  the reporter has mostly been deemphized. On the recent road trip, I counted only one or two throwdowns per game  to Guerin Austin who was serving as the sideline reporter. However, I do find that there is more trust between Don, Jerry and Gary Strewski  when he is the sideline reporter.
 I am also encouraged by the announcement of a limited role by Alex Spier on the telecast. Alex is one of the more well informed and better baseball writers in the game today. Any Spier is better than no Spier. Overall, I'd give the telecasts a B+ on the year. Even Steve Lyons was acceptable during Remy's absence. I'm sure all the Remy Haters and NESN haters will disagree with my opinion but oh well.

 

[Over Guapo Grande]

I posted the same comments in yesterday's gamethread but I guess it got overlooked. Ever since he came back from his "illness", Remy has been a changed man. In the past two weeks, I can count about 5 instances where Jerry has first guessed or provided unique insights. One instance from Friday's game was when with Holt at first base, Remy showed how Holt was "peeking" in an attempt to catch the A's signs before stealing 2nd. Overall, I think that the NESN production has improved this year.  There is less silliness in the booth between Don and Jerry and better use of the "sideline" reporter. Instead of forcing a  taped feature on ballpark food,  the reporter has mostly been deemphized. On the recent road trip, I counted only one or two throwdowns per game  to Guerin Austin who was serving as the sideline reporter. However, I do find that there is more trust between Don, Jerry and Gary Strewski  when he is the sideline reporter.
 I am also encouraged by the announcement of a limited role by Alex Spier on the telecast. Alex is one of the more well informed and better baseball writers in the game today. Any Spier is better than no Spier. Overall, I'd give the telecasts a B+ on the year. Even Steve Lyons was acceptable during Remy's absence. I'm sure all the Remy Haters and NESN haters will disagree with my opinion but oh well.

Just curious as to why you internet airquoted illness, as if it wasn't something real? 

 

[InsideTheParker]

I posted the same comments in yesterday's gamethread but I guess it got overlooked. ....... I'm sure all the Remy Haters and NESN haters will disagree with my opinion but oh well.

Maybe you overlooked a lot in the game-threads also? Many of us, including me (biggest Remsillo hater of them all) have repeatedly said how delighted we've been with them, particularly Remy, lately. I even guessed that he's been receiving some excellent therapy. He made some remark about learning how to enjoy things, something like that, that sounded like a quote from a therapist. He's also given up smoking, which is enormously positive and life-affirming, if he can keep it up.

 

[richgedman'sghost]

Maybe you overlooked a lot in the game-threads also? Many of us, including me (biggest Remsillo hater of them all) have repeatedly said how delighted we've been with them, particularly Remy, lately. I even guessedMark  that he's been receiving some excellent therapy. He made some remark about learning how to enjoy things, something like that, that sounded like a quote from a therapist. He's also given up smoking, which is enormously positive and life-affirming, if he can keep it up.

If Mark Brown is around, I'd be curious as to his thoughts since he started this thread last summer. I'm sorry for putting the word illness in quotes. I should not have done that. Mea culpa but I do think that Remy gets a lot of criticism around here (rightly so), and in the interest of fairness I think he should be praised when he does well.

 

[MuzzyField]

I am enjoying the rebirth of Remy. He may be the only part of the broadcast worth watching if this team keeps up its current play all summer.
My criticism of NESN continues to be production quality. Outdated graphics package, score bug only during pitches, slow reaction by TD during game action (pickoff attempts are the best example), not having replays available from the 'best' angles enough plays to notice.
NESN is in the bottom half at best and can't hold a candle to the two NY teams production efforts. There is no reason for this to be acceptable.
Also, the pre and post game shows are must-miss television... Except for Eck.