Versus Broadcasting

[btweinberg 3]

I just wanted to give a shout out to Versus. I thought the wings avalanche game was very well done. The commentators did a great job of giving credit to the Olympians who were on the ice that night. Next to FSN, Versus is my favorite network to watch hockey on, and is SOOOOO much better than NBC Hockey.

I only wish Versus was a major tv channel so more people could be exposed to hockey...

[Guest mindfly]

That versus guy is also a pioneer with the new words.. "MASTODONTIC GLOVE GRAB"

Edited March 2, 2010 by mindfly

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

i can't stand versus or their commentators

[btweinberg 3]

i can't stand versus or their commentators

why? just curious...

[Guest Lidstromboli]

versus >>>>>>>>>>>>>> nbc

[edicius 3,269]

Ah yes, Versus...the same network that repeatedly showed commercials during the playoffs that made it look as though the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins won the Cup.

That said, they were better than usual last night, particularly Bill Patrick and crew between periods.

[jollymania 162]

Benanati's voice is terrible, elliot is average at best, the only good ones are when they get the stars announcers

[Vladifan 680]

I was just grateful I could get a stream of the game. I have nothing against their announcers and I thought Mac did a helluva nice job. He added some warmth and character to the guys behind the desk.

However. Versus is owned by Comcast, who also bought NBC. Don't know how the FCC/FTC/Whoever let that happen because it will be just a matter of time before Comcast goes to all cable/satellite companies and demands exorbitant fees just to carry NBC, let alone Versus (which as most of you know, has already happened with Directv). Some of you may not like NBC for sports, but that's not the point here. Right now, Comcast is being allowed to screw over American viewers and it's just going to get worse. NOT a good thing.

[topshelf14 1]

Alot of people hate Versus, but I personally really like the coverage and don't mind the announcers too much either. That guy said the word, "Dangleicious" last night and I cracked a smile. NBC is awful.

[Guest scottj]

dangleicious was sweet

[Rick Zombos Ghost 82]

yes their call of the phantom goalie interference was great "seems like a good call!"

[Pucks 66]

versus >>>>>>>>>>>>>> nbc

This^ by a landslide. The NBC girls just over-analyse everything to the point I have to mute the broadcast. Way too much and far too much Man gushing.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Pucks

[VM1138 1,921]

This^ by a landslide. The NBC girls just over-analyse everything to the point I have to mute the broadcast. Way too much and far too much Man gushing.

I agree. It seems the script for any NBC game is talking about how fantastic a certain player is (usually Crosby) and giving completely excessive complements to a player who doesn't deserve them. Throw in the backstory of every single player on the ice and discussions about helmets, stanchions, etc and you have an NBC broadcast.

VS did a good job, other than the one guy screaming at us whenever he talked.

[dobbles 252]

ti hijack this thread a little bit, does anyone have updated news on the versus-directv fight? i was more than happy to go without versus in exchange for the free CI they gave me, but as the playoffs get closer, it is a bit more scarey. anyone know if they have made any progress towards a deal? or if directv is handing out more freebies since they still haven't settled?

[uk_redwing 495]

Versus has Dmac.

/debate

[Guest Shoreline]

why? just curious...

They have the NFL syndrome in a game that isn't as full of as many pauses, which bleeds onto broadcasts. As in, they yap too much about nonsensical crap while the puck is in play, then turn around and yell SCORE! as if the game that's going down below just interrupted their blathering. It's the same thing with Versus and NBC, since they use just about all of the same play by play announcers and color commentaries.

[Swayze 81]

The versus guys kept saying Joe Sakic was the avs coach....like 5 times before they finally said Sacco.

Their + is they have McCarty, and are less biased.

[Jedi 1,865]

I think Darren McCarty has done a great job on the hockey central panel. He seems more and more comfortable with it these past few games, and doesn't seem like he's trying to overdo it. I hope VS. decides to keep him around.

Their play-by-play and color commentators (other than Olczyk and Pierre McToolGuire) are usually pretty good, and don't seem to be either overly annoying or overly biased.

That said, the number 1 thing that drives me nuts about VS. is "penalty coming up, we'll bring you the details after this commercial break". I absolutely cannot stand when they do that, and it seems to happen no matter who the commentator crew is. It's so rare they show a replay of a penalty, and more often than not you're clueless about who's going to the box until they come back from the break and show either the player-in-the-box camera, or you see which side the faceoff is in...

Oh, and the random times where the puck goes one way and the camera goes another...

[CenterIce 83]

I was just grateful I could get a stream of the game. I have nothing against their announcers and I thought Mac did a helluva nice job. He added some warmth and character to the guys behind the desk.

However. Versus is owned by Comcast, who also bought NBC. Don't know how the FCC/FTC/Whoever let that happen because it will be just a matter of time before Comcast goes to all cable/satellite companies and demands exorbitant fees just to carry NBC, let alone Versus (which as most of you know, has already happened with Directv). Some of you may not like NBC for sports, but that's not the point here. Right now, Comcast is being allowed to screw over American viewers and it's just going to get worse. NOT a good thing.

As of now, the deal has yet to go through. Also, NBC is currently a broadcast channel not a cable channel. Only the cable channels are negotiated through contracts. I believe, by law, broadcast channels are required to be available. That could change, if they switch NBC to cable, but there are already some NBC cable networks, so I don't see that happening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Must-carry#United_States

Edited March 3, 2010 by CenterIce

[Vladifan 680]

As of now, the deal has yet to go through. Also, NBC is currently a broadcast channel not a cable channel. Only the cable channels are negotiated through contracts. I believe, by law, broadcast channels are required to be available. That could change, if they switch NBC to cable, but there are already some NBC cable networks, so I don't see that happening.

Thanks for the corrections. Although I understand that NBC is a network/broadcast channel, I did not know that they are required to be available. Makes sense, though. What a (governmental) concept!

[Theophany 110]

That said, the number 1 thing that drives me nuts about VS. is "penalty coming up, we'll bring you the details after this commercial break". I absolutely cannot stand when they do that, and it seems to happen no matter who the commentator crew is. It's so rare they show a replay of a penalty, and more often than not you're clueless about who's going to the box until they come back from the break and show either the player-in-the-box camera, or you see which side the faceoff is in...

Oh, and the random times where the puck goes one way and the camera goes another...

FSD does this stuff too, it's not just VS. Though NBC has more problems with the second than both FSD and VS.

[cjm502 165]

Mac automatically makes versus 100x better than NBC.

[StormJH1 231]

They have the NFL syndrome in a game that isn't as full of as many pauses, which bleeds onto broadcasts. As in, they yap too much about nonsensical crap while the puck is in play, then turn around and yell SCORE! as if the game that's going down below just interrupted their blathering. It's the same thing with Versus and NBC, since they use just about all of the same play by play announcers and color commentaries.

This. I'm pretty sure Doc Emrick does both Versus and NBC, but he is the KING of this. I would take Dave Strader (or even Gary Thorne) over Emrick in heartbeat.

I don't think anything could contribute to the idea that your sport is full of random occurances more than an announcer who doesn't seem to have any clue when a goal is scored. One of these days, I'm waiting for Emrick to just keeping going on with one of his rants and never even acknowledge the goal happening at all, even as goal horns are going off in the background and players are celebrating. It's gonna happen.

[Jedi 1,865]

This. I'm pretty sure Doc Emrick does both Versus and NBC, but he is the KING of this. I would take Dave Strader (or even Gary Thorne) over Emrick in heartbeat.

Easily. I was pleased as punch that Strader did the play by play for the Winter Classic last year, when Doc Emerick had laryngitis.

And I actually really liked Thorne and Clement during the days of ESPN/ABC. Maybe it was just the fact that most of the memorable Wings goals were all called by Thorne (Yzerman's 2OT goal, McCarty's game 4 Cup winner, Roy's Statue of Liberty, etc), but I would have to put them in my list of favorites to call a game.