Sunday, October 05, 2008

And With That, The TBS Nightmare Is Over for Dodger Fans

The Dodgers' win over the Cubs also brings an end to Dodger fans' suffering through the TBS television coverage. NLCS coverage, and World Series coverage, is on Fox. Sucks to be you, American League fans (who have to suffer through another round of TBS for the ALCS).

I found it odd that a network with the tagline "very funny" was showing the baseball games in the first place. It ended up becoming an appropriate motto, though, after listening to Dick Stockton reference "Hideki" Kuroda, or describe phantom check swings when bats would not leave shoulders. Tony Gwynn is always a fun listen, but I kept thinking I should be watching a basketball game when I heard Stockton's play-by-play.

But the worst part of TBS coverage, now a problem two years running, was the incessant barrage of frank tv promos. I mean, I get it. The guy does impressions. Why thrust him in front of us throughout the game, and then give him the floor for the entire seventh inning stretch?

If TBS really wanted to do it right, they should have had Frank Caliendo impersonate Dick Stockton and Tony Gwynn for the whole game. Think of the salaries saved! Think of the cross-promotional value!

Actually, come to think of it, did they ever do a camera shot of the announcing booth? Hmm...

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I really liked listening to Ron Darling and Tony Gwynn. Ron Darling because I think he's just really good and Tony because his voice is just fun to listen to. Lucky I get to hear Ron Darling a lot since my roommate is a Mets fan. Those commercials did get really annoying, especially because it was the exact same ones during the games. I am not looking forward to Buck and McCarver though.

Orel said...

I'll miss Tony Gwynn's rich basso profundo.

Note to TBS: If you're trying to sell Frank Caliendo's impressions, don't have him sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in character(s). It's difficult enough to get who he's imitating when he's talking, downright impossible when he's singing.

Kyle Baker said...

TBS: I will NEVER ever watch a single second of Frank Caliendo's show due to your merciless, ceaseless plugging of that fat oaf's show. We get it!!! He does impressions...so does my uncle at birthday parties. Does that really mean you should base a whole show around him? Pay some Madison Avenue ad firm to help you understand how a ceaseless barrage of the same ads likely works against your advertising goals.

Orel said...

Bakerkm45, is your uncle available for our next corporate function?

Baseball Cynic said...

I hated watching the games in TBS. They were not high-def. When they showed the start of the third game on TNT, it was HD. I was so hoping that they would just stay there, but they went back to the movie Titantic. And yes, the game was too.

Julie Hibbard said...

The Frank TV ads are horrid. I had to mute the TV every single time. VERY annoying is what it is for sure.
But, I have to say, even more...um...curious (?) is how many freaking VIAGRA and Cialis ads there are! It makes me wonder...are there really that many people who NEED that? No one I've ever known...
(I guess the truth is, they make me kinda envious.)

Orel said...

Julie, my cousin's friend's uncle's brother-in-law's mechanic needed some once. Or so I heard.

DanGarion said...

Wow AL fans are going to get screwed if they don't have cable one more round...

karina said...

Who is the guy who looks like an eccentric neighbor of Edward Scissorhands (if it could be a thing like that)?the one wearing pastel suits with contrasting and different busy patterns on the tie and the handkerchief?. He looks very strange, like he was an extra on Edward Scissorhands.