I know this is a small gripe but what annoys you the most when watching a ball game?

Question

2 things annoy me. One(Fox is especially guilty of this) When they feel the need to tell us 100 times that a celebrity is at the game as if I'm supposed to care. Second when the announcer has to always say the first pitch is sponsored by Sprint or this homerum was sponsored by Toyota this caught stealing moment is sponsored by DHL & so on.

Answer 1

Live at the game:
- nearby doofi who don't know (or care) when to shut up or at least quiet down. (These people are not always drunk but there is a high correlation.) (Exception: crying babies don't bother me, but if you're not a parent, and it wasn't so long ago that I wasn't, you probably don't understand and resent the wailing. Crying kids is another matter.)
- people who are up and down constantly (particularly in my row). If you have a medical condition, fine, but these people who are in and out to get more beer, wander about, visit friends, damn, why cannot ballparks have a special section for these folks? Take out the seats and make it a mosh pit.
- people on their cells ALL THE TIME. Have the conversation you need to have, sure -- but if you're on the phone for more than one inning, you don't really want to be at the game, so just leave. (This more perplexes me than annoys. Seriously, why are these people here?)

On teevee:
- pretty much everything about Fox's productions. Idiot announcers, damned laser-blast sound effects; coming back from (obnoxious) ads only to miss the first pitch; EXTREME CLOSEUPS (worst of all -- Torre; if for no other reason, I'm glad the Yanks are out just not to see that craggy snoot and inanimate glower for the next two weeks) so we can count nose hairs; crappy shot selection; promotional mentions of various D-list "celebritites" in the crowd (invariably starring in a new Fox show this fall, which will likely be cancelled by December); the same ads over and over (were I in charge of selling time, it'd be a requirement that every campaign have at least four different punchlines or endings per base commercial, just to keep them slightly more interesting). And every net overuses on-screen graphics these days -- that "look how far the runner's lead is" on TBS is awful -- but, give kids a new box of crayons, and they're bound to use them in ways unexpected.

Answer 2

I don't know if this happens often in other markets, but once in a while at Phillies games they will bring in some person who has recently written a book about someone who has had something to do with the team in the past. It always leads to an inning if not more of useless banter and trivia we could do without. One time this season there was a writer who had spent years researching some player turned coach or something who wasn't particularly famous (I don't even remember who it was) and he kept going off on tangents and anecdotes. Even Harry Kalas was visibly showing how annoyed and bored he was with this guy. Bringing in former players or family of current players, I can understand that. They usually still discuss the game at hand. But this other stuff, unnecessary.

Agreed on the corporate sponsorship of every replay and statistic, too. As if the commercials aren't enough.

More than anything though I would say specifically I really, truly hate the Chevy commercials with the John Mellancamp rip-off of "This Land Is Our Land".

"Thiiiis is ouuur country" - give me a break. What a bunch of hokey bull.

Answer 3

While the previous answerers all have made good points (particularly about the celebrities in the crowd) I think the overall way that they show a game has gotten terrible. baseball on TV now looks to me like it's a video game, what with all the strange camera angles, "K-zone" that silly green and red thing TBS was using to show how far a runner was off first (like I can't see the difference between a half-step lead and a 3 step lead without them measuring it for me) and the constant use of sound effects (whooshing sounds when the score pops up, etc.) That and I think that they give us too many useless statistics, such as "A-Rod is batting .297 with runners in scoring position with less then 2 outs vs. left handed pitchers whose last names start with C during Tuesday day games in cities in the Central time zone."

Answer 4

I agree about all the in-game voice over ads. This is brought to you by that. That is brought to you by this. It's too much. All the banners that run across the screen and ads behind the plate are distracting too. And most announcers nowadays are very plain and dull. They don't say a whole lot aside from what's obvious. Where have the Vin Scully's gone? You know, the guys that actually like to talk about baseball.

Answer 5

When the announcers display blatant homerism toward the big market East Coast teams. It was unreal how biased against the obvious success of the Rockies those guys were. Literally rooting for the Phillies to "get something going". Disgraceful display of supposedly unbiased broadcasting. Hopefully they can get over themselves long enough to make the NLCS fun for everybody who loves baseball, and not just Diamondbacks and Rockies fans.

Answer 6

How about the over used cliches. During the Phillies/Rockies playoff game, the Phillies were down by about 4 runs and the announcer said "If the Phillies are going to get back in this game, their going to need to get some runners on base". No kidding!

Answer 7

Everyone has made good points. What bugs me about the local coverage of my Angels games are the statistics that Hud and Phys contiunously spit out, sorry but what the players did in the past games in scoring position doesn't mean theyre going to do it this ab.

National coverage spends too much time talking about and showing other games and sports. I want to see the THIS game.

ESPN or what ever network shows us too much of Joe Morgan and Jon Miller in the booth, I can't stand those idiots, I want to watch the game not THEM.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Answer 8

How about the unusual terms being used lately by TBS. They seem to feel the need to throw in corny catch phrases to describe something that is happening in the game. Example: Rivera threw an inside cutter to a lefty and the announcer called it a "jam sandwich". Pretty lame if you ask me.

Answer 9

Yes. specially when there is a fast ball and thats sponsored, a home run that is sponsored, a bullpen call is also sponsored, etc, specially on 880 radio Yankee game.

Answer 10

i do no longer comprehend if this occurs oftentimes in diverse markets, yet as quickly as later on at Phillies video games they're going to herald some guy or woman who has at recent written a e book approximately somebody who has had some element to do with the group contained interior the previous. it consistently leads to an inning if no greater desirable of ineffective banter and minutiae shall we do without. One time this season there grew to become right right into a author who had spent years interpreting some participant grew to alter into coach or some element who wasn't extremely popular (i do no longer even remember who it replace into) and he stored going off on tangents and anecdotes. Even Harry Kalas replace into visibly showing how annoyed and bored he replace into with this guy. Bringing in former game enthusiasts or family individuals of recent game enthusiasts, i'll comprehend that. they oftentimes although communicate the interest obtainable. yet this diverse stuff, pointless. Agreed on the corporate sponsorship of each and every and each replay and statistic, too. as though the categorized classified ads are no longer sufficient. greater helpful than some element nonetheless i might prefer to declare particularly i extremely, particularly hate the Chevy categorized classified ads with the lavatory Mellancamp rip-off of "This Land Is Our Land". "Thiiiis is ouuur u . s . a ." - furnish me a injury. What a bunch of hokey bull.