The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-01-12
SPORTS of TIMES
Too Much
Dopey Chatter
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

We hate to knock a good thing, but honestly, you
sometimes wonder about the televlslon producers, d-
rectorS, cameramen, broadcaSters, etc. who combine
to bring sports events into millions of homes via the
big tube.
Television is a tremendous boon to the sports
loving public. Thanks to this great electronic marvel,
millions have the opportunity of watching major
sports events played sometimes thousands of miles
away.
AND GETTING RIGHT INTO OUR OWN BACK
YARD, imagine how much enjoyment Buckeye fans
would miss if Ohio State basketball games - the No.
l sports spectacuar-Weren't teleViSed.
But as fans remain glued to their Nv sets, enjoy
ing the thrills and excitement of sporting events, they
sometimes get irritated by some glazing shortcomings.
First, there's the b~Eabbcrmouth. He's the authorita-
tive sports voice who chatters away at machinegun
speed, giving details about the obvious as a game UNI
folds. Even after these many teleVisi0n years, he APP
parently hasn't been told that the folks out in tele-
vision land' can see very we'll and wish he would
clam up.
HE'S USUALLY THE SAME cABBY cUY who
thinks TV viewers are all a bunch Of dopeS. He re-
veals all kinds of earth-shaking information-or so
he thinks. He all but informs you that a touchdown
counts six points or that they don't jump center after
each goal in basketball any more, or that Roger
Maris is a pretty good home run hitter.
How many times have you uttered a protest as
an announcer gives you all sorts of details about
something while the camera is aimed at something
else, like a referee scratching his head? In one of the
bowl games last week, you learned all about an injured
player stretched out on the field while the camera was
trained on two teams standing around doing nothing
but waiting for a signal to resume play.
Many interviews are downright idlotic. Some
sportscasterS ask the dopiest and most useless
questions that persons interviewed must wonder about
the intelligence Of the man with the mike.
HALFTIME SHOWS AT FOOTBALL GAMES are
usually major productions. Thus, you wonder why they
don't have a mike placed so you can hear the music
better. OftentimeS, as you strain your ears TO hear the
music, the announcer drones away with first-half
statistics which are as exciting as last years income
tax papers.
The moment a game ends, there's usually a ire
mendouS release of excitement from the crowd but
the TV fans doesn't share in this climatic moment.
Instead, he finds himself staring at some guy shaving
his WhiskerS. When the cameras do bring him back to
the arena, the place is nearly empty.
While commercials are needed TO support the cost
of telecastlng the game, it would seem that the TV
people could wait a couple of minutes until the first
flush of excitement subsidies at the arena.
GETTING BACK TO SPoRTSCASTERS, We won
der how they can stomach some of their soapy plati-
tudes. For example, Slckum University is being
steamrollered on the gridiron, 100, by Smearum u.
The announcer points out that although it is sort of
one-sided, Sllckum fans can rest assured their team
gave II the old college try, playing a valiant, scrappy,
and yes, a good game. Actually, Slickum played a
lousy game and everybody knows it.
It's time for the TV folks to wake I'D to the fact
that they can't continue to insult the intelligence of
their viewers. All will benefit when they do.