Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
MLB choke-hold on EVERYTHING that could possibly be marketed or sold or broadcast. Greed. Greed greed greed greed greed greed. With no home-team here, and an abbreviated season, I'm learning that I can live very well without attempting to find a way around the unfettered greed of MLB. I think, however, if you're willing to settle for LISTENING on the old AM radio band, lots of stations will carry the game. That's what I did, all last season. I briefly turned on the tv earlier today, hoping to find the Dodgers. But they served-up Milwaukee vs. Cubs. So, I moved on.
Good idea to revisit the radio again like the good old days. NBA is trying to savage the remaining 2020 season while playing in "bubble" in Florida. There is no fans in this empty stadium. The owners likely to loss $ but a number of players have been test positive for coronavirus. MLB and NFL are facing the same situation. Can you image the risk to be in a packed environment with screaming fans surrounding you?
It's always been (for decades, anyway) about broadcast money, less about people in seats. Even before sports cable:
In 1985, NBC got a break when Major League Baseball dictated a policy that no local game could be televised at the same time that a network "Game Of The Week" was being broadcast [so as not to have competition, even if it was with a different game]. Additionally, for the first time, NBC was able to feed the "Game Of The Week" telecasts to the two cities whose local teams participated.
The one word that's important to note when it comes to MLB's blackout policy is "regionalization." ... If you choose not to have cable in New York, the Mets and Yankees won't be available via streaming service. If you're in LA, the Dodgers and Angels won't be able to be streamed, as well.
There isn't an exact fix for this, either. MLB.tv, the league's streaming service, doesn't allow for in-market viewers to stream games.
The reasons for the blackouts is simple and twofold: the first reason is cable providers' desire for exclusive broadcasting rights in their local networks. The second, is MLB's desire to get fans into the stadium for attendance purposes.
@msf. I see some teams are offering cut outs of fans, you, me, or who ever, sitting at the game for a price ! Also some programs have added fans , via previous recorded games . Wow.....
Because the league gets far more $$ from TV rights and advertising than they do from overpriced charges for in-stadium ticket sales and concessions.
Watching some of the games on Fox broadcast yesterday, I gotta say that the CGI fake crowds look hideous; the cardboard cutouts are ... okay and kind of fun, I guess. That said I found that the fake crowd noise 'works' because your brain can always think the noise is coming from behind the camera even when it's showing empty seats behind home plate or the baseline. I was surprised how easily that felt ok to me ... and it's more like typical baseball 'background noise' for when puttering around the house.
Well, as we all need a bit of unwind time these days..............I'll provide this relative to MLB and the current games.
Although the game "style" today is mostly enjoyed by real fans, who are starved for this sport; I hope that there is not too much negative reaction, when discovered that the real players are sheltered in place somewhere. What is being viewed on tv is a mix of CGI and halograms.
Enjoy this 2:23 minute demo of where tech. will continue to have an impact.
Keep in mind that this and other similar productions are a few years old; and my being involved in tech. for many years, the available computing speeds today has increased by a multi factor of "GOBS" from just a few years ago.
"...I found that the fake crowd noise 'works' because your brain can always think the noise is coming from behind the camera even when it's showing empty seats behind home plate or the baseline. I was surprised how easily that felt ok to me ... and it's more like typical baseball 'background noise' for when puttering around the house."
...Well, not that it matters anymore, but I have found--- while still watching games on tv--- that the ones in charge of the audio portion of the transmission need to go back to school. Crowd noise has become hideously loud, as compared to the announcers' voices. I recall the old days, when crowd noise was there, and there was no secret about it. But in the last handful of years, it's taken over---hijacked--- the broadcast. The same geniuses are in charge everywhere else, too. Movie sound effects and background noise drown out the actual dialogue, or else there's a constant percussion hammering thing going on. I suppose they have to justify their "expertise" to their bosses.
The oldsters on the board might recall the recreated radio baseball games that were broadcast by an announcer, possibly reading a news ticker, who then supplied narrative and sound effects to simulate the action. I recall canned fan noise, the crack of the bat, and a seemingly excited announcer when something more than « low and away, ball 2 » took place. It was better than just studying the box score in the paper the next day.
The oldsters on the board might recall the recreated radio baseball games that were broadcast by an announcer, possibly reading a news ticker, who then supplied narrative and sound effects to simulate the action. I recall canned fan noise, the crack of the bat, and a seemingly excited announcer when something more than « low and away, ball 2 » took place. It was better than just studying the box score in the paper the next day.
......I've just been looking for the "Bull Durham" scene in which the team is on the road. Back at the empty stadium, the assistant whispered to the on-air guy. The on-air guy announced loudly, while hitting a bat with a smaller, souvenir bat: "base hit to center field." ...Can't find the clip. Google owns f*****g YouTube, and the copyright suck-holes have put themselves between me and it. ... Or else, maybe the trouble is my ad-blocker? Which I won't disable. Defeats the purpose.
Old_Skeet follows the Cardinals and Mike Schildt who my son played for years back on one of Mike's On Deck teams ... Interestingly, they were known as the On Deck Cardinals.
My son never made it to the pros ... as a pitcher ... however, he did play for a division one school and wears a conference chamionship ring. He has a conference tournament ring as well.
I enjoy baseball and miss our hometown team games. The 4th just was not the same not being able to sit at the ballpark and enjoy baseball and fireworks this summer.
I am glad there are some games now making it to TV. But, I miss being at the ballpark.
Oh well, sometimes life sucks. I guess, some baseball is better than no baseball.
I tried watching a few times last year since my team was in the playoffs. But the ad breaks were just killing the pace. The radio guys can still slip in lots of local stuff that doesn't take you out of the situation as much.
I follow the Cards because I'm from St. Louis. My mother was 6 when the Birds beat the Yankees for their first Series win.
When my father was growing up out in the wilds of New Mexico, World Series game would be recreated on something called a magneto board. People would stand around and watch as pieces were moved around the board to recreate the action.
It always sounded kind of wacky to me until I met the old gent that lived across the street from us for many years at our last place in Northern California. He had grown up in Montana, or Wyoming, and remembered the magneto board well.
"Radio is the way to go." Absolutely. Particularly in the year 2020, when DIGITAL ads are inserted on-screen EVEN BETWEEN PITCHES. Too much is too much. Next, MLB will sell space on the BASEBALLS THEMSELVES, inviting bids to have some company print their logo on them. Just in case it becomes visible at any point during the game. (Oops, I said too much, there. No doubt, somebody in the fabulous, gorgeous Marketing Dept. is already "all over" that idea.)
Not that we need to worry about it this year, but the experience in a major league stadium is to my ears and eyes a very ugly spectacle. In Detroit, between innings, deafening music is played, on the huge score board some player is being shown cavorting stupidly, and on the field there’s some contest or give away taking place. What I miss is the quiet murmur of the crowd, the time to fill out the score card, and the chance to chat with the folks next to you. Noise pollution at its worst. I also vote for traditional radio.
Not that we need to worry about it this year, but the experience in a major league stadium is to my ears and eyes a very ugly spectacle. In Detroit, between innings, deafening music is played, on the huge score board some player is being shown cavorting stupidly, and on the field there’s some contest or give away taking place. What I miss is the quiet murmur of the crowd, the time to fill out the score card, and the chance to chat with the folks next to you. Noise pollution at its worst. I also vote for traditional radio.
@BenWP You said it better and more completely. Thank you.
Comments
https://theshadowleague.com/mlb-wants-to-create-bubble-city-in-az-to-play-schedule/
Cable networks just upped the ante. https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/mlb-blackout-restrictions-explained-map-134630610.html
Stay Safe, Derf
Because the league gets far more $$ from TV rights and advertising than they do from overpriced charges for in-stadium ticket sales and concessions.
Watching some of the games on Fox broadcast yesterday, I gotta say that the CGI fake crowds look hideous; the cardboard cutouts are ... okay and kind of fun, I guess. That said I found that the fake crowd noise 'works' because your brain can always think the noise is coming from behind the camera even when it's showing empty seats behind home plate or the baseline. I was surprised how easily that felt ok to me ... and it's more like typical baseball 'background noise' for when puttering around the house.
Although the game "style" today is mostly enjoyed by real fans, who are starved for this sport; I hope that there is not too much negative reaction, when discovered that the real players are sheltered in place somewhere. What is being viewed on tv is a mix of CGI and halograms.
Enjoy this 2:23 minute demo of where tech. will continue to have an impact.
Keep in mind that this and other similar productions are a few years old; and my being involved in tech. for many years, the available computing speeds today has increased by a multi factor of "GOBS" from just a few years ago.
Take care,
Catch
...Well, not that it matters anymore, but I have found--- while still watching games on tv--- that the ones in charge of the audio portion of the transmission need to go back to school. Crowd noise has become hideously loud, as compared to the announcers' voices. I recall the old days, when crowd noise was there, and there was no secret about it. But in the last handful of years, it's taken over---hijacked--- the broadcast. The same geniuses are in charge everywhere else, too. Movie sound effects and background noise drown out the actual dialogue, or else there's a constant percussion hammering thing going on. I suppose they have to justify their "expertise" to their bosses.
Derf
My son never made it to the pros ... as a pitcher ... however, he did play for a division one school and wears a conference chamionship ring. He has a conference tournament ring as well.
I enjoy baseball and miss our hometown team games. The 4th just was not the same not being able to sit at the ballpark and enjoy baseball and fireworks this summer.
I am glad there are some games now making it to TV. But, I miss being at the ballpark.
Oh well, sometimes life sucks. I guess, some baseball is better than no baseball.
I tried watching a few times last year since my team was in the playoffs. But the ad breaks were just killing the pace. The radio guys can still slip in lots of local stuff that doesn't take you out of the situation as much.
I follow the Cards because I'm from St. Louis. My mother was 6 when the Birds beat the Yankees for their first Series win.
When my father was growing up out in the wilds of New Mexico, World Series game would be recreated on something called a magneto board. People would stand around and watch as pieces were moved around the board to recreate the action.
It always sounded kind of wacky to me until I met the old gent that lived across the street from us for many years at our last place in Northern California. He had grown up in Montana, or Wyoming, and remembered the magneto board well.