04/19/24
December 01, 2006
NHL 1st! TSN to Broadcast Rinkside Sabres vs Rangers......: If you have the Canadian sports channel TSN, tune in tonight to watch the first NHL hockey game broadcast with the commentators at rink side. The game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers is believed to be the first NHL hockey game that will be broadcast like this. For those fans who have had the good fortune to watch a hockey game close to the ice, it is a vastly different game, primarily due to the speed. The announcers will work between the benches at center ice. It will be interesting to see how this experiment works out. Should be a fantastic contest between 2 of the Top Teams in the East........
posted by skydivedad to hockey at 09:33 AM - 31 comments
I'm all in favor of innovative strategies in sports broadcasting. I'll definitely try to catch this tonight. Frankly, I've been disappointed, especially with Canadian broadcasters, that there haven't been more progressive efforts made.
posted by Spitztengle at 10:39 AM on December 01, 2006
It'll be neat to hear players and coaches in the background of the commentators' mikes though. That could be dangerous. Hockey players and coaches don't exactly have the cleanest mouths in sports. I've seen plenty of replays where they show the bench when a goal is scored. You don't have to be an avid lip reader to tell that the coach just dropped the F-bomb.
posted by MrFrisby at 10:42 AM on December 01, 2006
I'm a lip speed reader. I know I'm being a wet blanket, but I totally fail to see how this will improve coverage in any way. It seems to me if they're going to experiment, they should be doing it with unique positions of the cameras and ambient sound mics, not with the commentators. It seems to me that what those guys will lose will far outweight what insight may be gained. I can understand their enthusiasm, though. Their seats just got a lot cooler from a fan perspective.
posted by BullpenPro at 10:59 AM on December 01, 2006
I'd like to see how it works. It could suck, it could be dangerous, it could rock. TSN is a lot less afraid of the occasional bit of salty language than, say, Fox Sports would be, but if they try this for a few games without incident, they might give it a shot here in the states too. My only complaint is that even with the CenterIce package, since the Rangers are playing, I'll be getting the MSG feed instead of the TSN feed. I'd like to see how this goes instead of just reading reactions.
posted by chicobangs at 11:02 AM on December 01, 2006
It seems to me if they're going to experiment, they should be doing it with unique positions of the cameras and ambient sound mics, not with the commentators. I saw that one of the broadcasters has experimented with cameras attached to rails on the top of the glass. I have to admit it was pretty cool to see the player skate into the attacking zone and the camera keep pace with him.
posted by grum@work at 11:18 AM on December 01, 2006
It's a different game down low, and, while it's exciting, it's also incredibly hard to see jersey numbers in a crowd or where the puck is during a scrum. Great for Fan, bad for Broadcaster. The microphones that they use for play-by-play are so directional that they won't pick up much at all from the benches. Think NBA, they're on the floor and you don't hear much on the broadcast mics. You hear players on the ambient mics but not the play-by-play microphones.
posted by SummersEve at 11:25 AM on December 01, 2006
My only complaint is that even with the CenterIce package, since the Rangers are playing, I'll be getting the MSG feed instead of the TSN feed. Maybe in a couple of days the TSN feed will be on google.
posted by MrFrisby at 11:29 AM on December 01, 2006
I saw that one of the broadcasters has experimented with cameras attached to rails on the top of the glass. grum, the Edmonton-Montreal Heritage Classic game a couple of years ago had that kind of a rail camera. It was without question the best angle I've ever watched televised hockey from. You lose some of the play, but not much more than you lose with the standard angle, and you get such a better idea of the speed. It was fantastic. I could only find one semi-lousy video of the footage, and it doesn't have any of the end-to-end movement that that camera angle is best for (it's the "old NHL", after all), but the blue-line turnover at 00:40 is a pretty good demonstration of that angle.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:30 AM on December 01, 2006
VS (OLN) used a rail cam for the Dallas/Colorado game on Nov. 20th. The google video
posted by MrFrisby at 11:51 AM on December 01, 2006
The Railcam game on Versus totally rocked and I hope they add it to more games. I have Centre Ice and will probably get the MSG Feed instead for tonight's Historic Broadcast so I'm expecting some critical reviews from you guys. I salute the TSN Producers for the pushing of the Sports Broadcast Envelope. Maybe the Campfire will be back up and I can get some game-time commmentary from some of you.
posted by skydivedad at 12:12 PM on December 01, 2006
I just checked my CentreIce, and I will be getting the TSN feed, so I don't see any reason why you shouldn't, sdd. I think it's good for them to try new things, even if it is a glow puck. Yeah, we hated it, but at least they tried.
posted by MrFrisby at 12:23 PM on December 01, 2006
I absolutely hated the Vs. railcam. It was kind of cool in some situations, but overall it couldn't keep up with the pace of the game and when they would switch to the traditional view I lost context of the action for a few moments. Also, when the railcam was in the traditional view's shot, it looked like a player was lying down on the ice. No sir, didn't like it one bit. As for this TSN concept, meh. As long as they don't have the main cameras down at ice level, they can put the announcers wherever they want.
posted by NoMich at 12:26 PM on December 01, 2006
The old high-up angles of my childhood are fine, but I did find myself growing to like the over-the-net offensive zone cam in the last couple of years. The worst thing that'll happen is it'll suck, and they won't do it again. I, for one, welcome my experimental camera angular overlords.
posted by chicobangs at 12:48 PM on December 01, 2006
Looking at that Google video, yeah, I think the Vs. railcam is too close to the ice. I'd like to see a railcam about 15-20 feet back from the ice and maybe 10 feet above the glass: one that could still move with the play, but that was wide enough of an angle to use it full-time. Of course, this would obliterate a few rows of platinum seating, so it's never going to happen.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 01:02 PM on December 01, 2006
Radio-Canada (the French language CBC) was in the middle of a strike from its technicians during the playoffs a couple of years ago. They aired the games without any commentary, just ambient sound. It was the best hockey experience I've ever had on TV.
posted by qbert72 at 01:11 PM on December 01, 2006
Great News......... The campfire is back-up and online. (Thanks DrJE) Hope to see you guys there tonight and we can hash over how this broadcast is going.
posted by skydivedad at 01:17 PM on December 01, 2006
They aired the games without any commentary, just ambient sound. It was the best hockey experience I've ever had on TV. I wish some networks would start doing that for all sports. Ambient mic's, maybe plug into the PA system. Now that refs wear mic's you can get all the info you need. Hockey moves a little faster and on a smaller TV it can be tough to tell who's who, especially if you're unfamiliar with a team, so play-by-play helps... But intelligent commentary during football broadcasts is rare.
posted by SummersEve at 01:53 PM on December 01, 2006
I'll check it out. If only for the constant stream of commentating about how much bigger Jagr is up close. What do you think Pierre? "Well, uh, he's a monster?" Other than that - what's the big deal? Ambient swearing? "Hey Hanrahan! Suzanne sucks pussy! I know! I know!"
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:59 PM on December 01, 2006
You can't earn ad revenue on what you don't constantly plug. Being at ice level should provide more insight to in-game tactics and highlight more inter-bench drama. I like it when Healy does his thing from the photographer bunker, so both being down there might be even better.
posted by garfield at 02:01 PM on December 01, 2006
They aired the games without any commentary, just ambient sound. It was the best hockey experience I've ever had on TV. Seconded, but I enjoyed it as much for the sheer strangeness of it. If I remember, they didn't have very good crowd mics (or those guys were on strike too), so all you could hear were the blades and sticks. As much as anything, the enjoyment stemmed from watching the French-language channel and understanding everything they said. It was like I had gained a free cable station. Then we moved 40 miles east in New Hampshire and got the Spanish channel instead.
posted by yerfatma at 02:18 PM on December 01, 2006
Is there any other way to watch this game in the US outside of Center Ice? I have VS and the internets. Yahoo? Google? Comcast? I assume if I lived on the East Coast this would be easier, but I don't.
posted by diastematic at 02:28 PM on December 01, 2006
psst....TVU player
posted by garfield at 02:31 PM on December 01, 2006
Yep, TVU. It's sketchy, but it works. There are generally three NHL channels available.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 03:43 PM on December 01, 2006
Damn sam, hell's bells, judas priest and mariah carey -- I'm on a Mac. No such luck. Thanks anyway. PSST -- how was the game coverage?
posted by diastematic at 10:07 PM on December 01, 2006
And the verdict is...?
posted by NoMich at 08:49 AM on December 02, 2006
I watched the first period. It was okay. There was nothing really all that different about it. Maybe a little bit too much non-play-related colour commentary than usual, especially during the play (i.e. talking about someone's draft position when he's circling the net, about to set up a scoring chance).
posted by DrJohnEvans at 01:08 PM on December 02, 2006
Oh, they were so proud of themselves. For the life of me, I couldn't really see the big deal. I think this all starts being good the first time one of them takes a puck off the melon. At least that seems to be the only potential difference to the viewer. "And Hecht goes back to clear the puck out of the zon- OOOOOHHH!!! OH GOD!! MY EYE!! MY FUCKING EYE!!!"
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:56 PM on December 02, 2006
HA! OK, I stand corrected. Weedy's scenario has converted me.
posted by NoMich at 05:36 PM on December 02, 2006
Stupid Centre Ice gave me the MSG Feed but we could see the TSN Guys between the bench's everytime they pulled the camera back for the full ice shot. Apparently from DrJE's description it wasn't "all that" anyway. Funny watching the Wings broadcast tonight they're planning on Ken Danielson between the bench's for Tuesday's Broadcast with Mickey Redman giving the color from upstairs. Redman was teasing Daniels about wearing a helmet saying he played all so many years without one. Daniels assured Mick he wasn't going to wear one or get hit with a puck. Good Luck with that!
posted by skydivedad at 10:30 PM on December 02, 2006
Weedy: 1. Nice with the Hanrahan quote. 2. I hope Monster McGuire takes the first hit.
posted by fabulon7 at 08:00 AM on December 04, 2006
Interesting. I'm going to have to watch, just to see how this works. I'm so used to having the same visual angle as at least one of the commentators—I wonder how much they'll miss that I'll pick up, as opposed to the usual vice versa. I can't see this sticking, really, but props to TSN for not being afraid to experiment. It'll be neat to hear players and coaches in the background of the commentators' mikes though.