Fox Sports 2015 U.S. Open Thread (Joe Buck, Greg Norman)

[turtleback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuttsLefty

Endlessly. Half the time all I see is a screen full of brown grass being panned across by the camera. Sometimes I think the cameraman is hunting it too.

Yup.  This is infuriating.  Just happened again a few minutes ago.  Camera just pointed right at the hole and Bubbas ball was nowhere to be found.

It is even weird when they show a long putt.  It starts out with the background of the green showing little in the way of resolution or detail and then as the balls slows and the camera panning slows the resolution goes up to show more normal detail f the green surface.  We transition from green/brown smudges to the more detailed mottled look as the putt travels it course.  And I've never noticed that in any other event.  I wonder if the design of the course does not allow them to have camera positions as close as in the past and it is just too hard to focus properly from a greater distance?

Has there been any talk in the media about the poor video quality?

Where is Greg today?  I guess he drew the afternoon shift.

Steve Flesch doing a nice job holding down the fort.

I loved those slow mo shots of Rickie's driver off the deck and then Tiger's 3-wood. Why don't they do more of that?????

One of the thing I liked is that they seem to be using the shot tracer more than most events have in the past.  I remember when Fox started covering football and put the score on the screen all the time.  People hated it at first and now it is the standard for almost all sports event.  To the point that it is a little jarring watching a re-broadcast of some of the old SBs and there is no score on the screen.  So I am hopeful that Fox will end up improving golf telecasts, as they did football telecasts.  But no matter how good your plan is, execution is still key and they have failed in that department so far, IMO.

I had a feeling this was going to be bad. Little did I know. Bad camera work, bad commentary, bad graphics etc. I guess it could be worse. Fox could have inked a long term deal. Oh wait, they did! The good news is, by the time the FOX contract runs out I'll be so old I'll likely be blind and deaf.

cubdog

Yeah if there is anything less likely to be successful than trying to find your game at the US Open, it is having the maiden broadcast of a whole new team occur at a high profile major event that may be presenting unique broadcast challenges.

[jamo]

Has there been any talk in the media about the poor video quality?

My video quality has been just fine. I haven't seen any of the resolution issues you've talked about.

[Gunther]

This is the 2nd or 3rd golf event they've ever done, granted, it's a big un. They will improve. I heard a local Dallas radio interview with Joe Buck. They are very serious about getting this right. He and Norman spent hours and hours in a trailer rehearsing over the past few months. In terms of the camera stuff, that too will improve. They'll bring seasoned people in over time and they'll just learn. I watched an hour or so last night and other than the weird looking course and a freakin train going by while JDay was trying to tee off, I thought it was OK, but needed more time. I'll watch the entire weekend and will be surprised if we don't see improvement as the tournament wears on. It's all good.

[saturday]

People are being way too critical.. there's good and bad things. I don't really care about the commentators as much - it's the production of the tournament and I don't mind it. Sure, there's kinks that need to be worked out but as they cover more golf the better it will get. I've never been a fan of Fox in the last besides football but I do like their coverage so far. The wide shots are great, protracer, hole marked in a bright indicator is nice too.

[iacas]

I give it a C+ right now, maybe a B-. That's pretty good for the first real time they've done this.

I don't like losing the balls in flight or on the ground, though. That's ridiculous. And sometimes even when they followed the ball, they were zoomed in so close you weren't sure where that spot WAS on the hole.

[ChrisP]

You have to remember some of these guys they hired tried to be on other networks and couldn't. Weiskopf worked for CBS and ESPN and neither network wanted to keep him. Faxon got dumped by NBC.. Charles Davis was let go by TGC/NBC. You're not getting the best talent....I think Buck and Norman are doing okay for their first tournament. They don't have nearly the chemistry Hicks/Miller have but that's inexperience for ya.

[Mac62]

I find the video quality and the camera work deplorable.  How many times do they show the green as the ball is coming in and you have no clue where the ball is  On a couple of occasions the camera man never DID find the ball and the director switched away.  Same with drives.  I don't know if they aren't using the right filters (there seemed to be a lot of subtle glare) or having focusing problems or what.

They have also done a poor job, IMO, in explaining and framing the holes.  When guys tee off it is very difficult to see what the target or even the target line, is.  Or on an approach it is almost impossible to see where the green is, let alone the flag.  Visually this is probably the worst major in recent memory, which is a shame because the course looks pretty spectacular.

I hope they figure it out by Sunday.

I noticed that (the bolded part) also with the camera work, especially on the approach shots - spent a lot of time looking at what appeared to be an empty green, searching for a ball we were supposed to be looking at.  Sometimes when the players are putting, you can't even see where the cup is.  Also noticed a lot of cutouts in the audio feed (don't know if they were intentional "bleeps" of profanities or just hiccups in the audio).  I thought they spent way too much time cutting away to Curt Menefee and his random blathering while a golf tournament was going on in the meantime.  It was also annoying late in the day today, after Woods had already finished and missed the cut by a wide margin, that they went to Menefee for a 3- or 4-minute spotlight on him with a review of his career, etc.  Even more annoying since they completely ignored many other golfers who were contending to make the cut.  Hardly saw any of Dufner's shots, no more than one or two of Jimenez and I don't think I saw any coverage of guys like Luiten, Kisner, Na, Schwartzel, etc.  How about focusing on the tournament in progress instead of all the fluff?

I think I'll puke if I see one more pull-focus shot of the "majestic Puget Sound" or the pull-focus shot across the water from "somebody's front porch over on Fox Island".  Grossly overdone.  This isn't a National Geographic travelogue, it's a frigging golf tournament.  The production definitely isn't smooth - there were some awkward transitions, misidentification of players, showing a shot landing without the viewer (or even apparently the announcers) having the faintest idea of who just hit it, etc.

Personality-wise, Joe Buck hasn't been terrible - he's an experienced sportscaster, a golfer/golf enthusiast himself and obviously knows a thing or two about the game - but with that haircut, I can't help but giggle and think of Forrest Gump every time they show him on camera.  Greg Norman has been pretty good about avoiding the "me, me, me" stuff, and even Weiskopf hasn't been too bad.  I wouldn't compare them to experienced golf announcers like Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo and Feherty, but all in all it's not bad enough to make me want to hit the 'mute' button on the TV remote.  One trend I noticed in the commentary is that they're heavily tailoring it to non-golfing viewers - explaining basic golf terminology and rules as if the viewer has no idea what they're watching.

As far as Chambers Bay itself, I think it will be a "one and done" for Tour events.  It seems to be difficult for both camera angles and spectator access, and the course itself is kind of a circus sideshow.  Incredibly penal of even many decent shots, ill-defined greens (which are also atrociously rough) and it seems to me to be overly "tricked up" with all the weird angles and contours.  From my point of view as a golfer (albeit not a great one by any stretch), nothing about the course compels me to put it on my bucket list as one I'd like to play - it looks more like a course that would make me hate the game and want to drink heavily afterward to dull the pain and erase the memory.

[boogielicious]

This is the 2nd or 3rd golf event they've ever done, granted, it's a big un. They will improve. I heard a local Dallas radio interview with Joe Buck. They are very serious about getting this right. He and Norman spent hours and hours in a trailer rehearsing over the past few months. In terms of the camera stuff, that too will improve. They'll bring seasoned people in over time and they'll just learn.

I watched an hour or so last night and other than the weird looking course and a freakin train going by while JDay was trying to tee off, I thought it was OK, but needed more time. I'll watch the entire weekend and will be surprised if we don't see improvement as the tournament wears on. It's all good.

They need to rehearse more.  Buck just doesn't seem to fit.  Like him or not, Jim Nance knows golf and you get the impression that he plays as well.  That goes a long way to keeping the audience interested. Joe Buck is just an announcer and come off like that to me in this broadcast.

Norman can improve and he sure as hell knows the game of golf.  I would like to see his lighter side.  I know I've poked fun at his ego, but I have seen interviews with him where he can be engaging. He needs to bring that forward more.

And as I've said before, "Show us more golf!".  We don't need to see the talking heads of the announcers.  They can talk while we are seeing players hit.  The US Open should not be ruined like the Olympics has been with all the side show crap.  The golf audience wants to see players making shots.

[RandallT]

Does anyone know if there is any rhyme or reason to when they are utilizing their technology?

1. Only occasionally do I see the graphic with an arrow at the pin (on approach shots) showing the yardage. I like it, because sometimes when the camera is behind the player in the fairway, the topography doesn't allow you to know where they are aiming.

2. Shot tracer. Only certain tees? Is it too expensive to do on all tee shots?

3. Chase cam? What is the purpose of it?

Also, anyone like the Holly interviews with the flatscreen technology where she can scroll through videos with the player. It seems a goofy setup with Holly on one side of the screen, and the player holding a mic on the other side of the screen.  (Holly, of course as mentioned many times above, is looking bizarre- obviously some errant plastic surgery there).

[atb5079]

I noticed that (the bolded part) also with the camera work, especially on the approach shots - spent a lot of time looking at what appeared to be an empty green, searching for a ball we were supposed to be looking at.  Sometimes when the players are putting, you can't even see where the cup is.  Also noticed a lot of cutouts in the audio feed (don't know if they were intentional "bleeps" of profanities or just hiccups in the audio).  I thought they spent way too much time cutting away to Curt Menefee and his random blathering while a golf tournament was going on in the meantime.  It was also annoying late in the day today, after Woods had already finished and missed the cut by a wide margin, that they went to Menefee for a 3- or 4-minute spotlight on him with a review of his career, etc.  Even more annoying since they completely ignored many other golfers who were contending to make the cut.  Hardly saw any of Dufner's shots, no more than one or two of Jimenez and I don't think I saw any coverage of guys like Luiten, Kisner, Na, Schwartzel, etc.  How about focusing on the tournament in progress instead of all the fluff?

I think I'll puke if I see one more pull-focus shot of the "majestic Puget Sound" or the pull-focus shot across the water from "somebody's front porch over on Fox Island".  Grossly overdone.  This isn't a National Geographic travelogue, it's a frigging golf tournament.  The production definitely isn't smooth - there were some awkward transitions, misidentification of players, showing a shot landing without the viewer (or even apparently the announcers) having the faintest idea of who just hit it, etc.

Personality-wise, Joe Buck hasn't been terrible - he's an experienced sportscaster, a golfer/golf enthusiast himself and obviously knows a thing or two about the game - but with that haircut, I can't help but giggle and think of Forrest Gump every time they show him on camera.  Greg Norman has been pretty good about avoiding the "me, me, me" stuff, and even Weiskopf hasn't been too bad.  I wouldn't compare them to experienced golf announcers like Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo and Feherty, but all in all it's not bad enough to make me want to hit the 'mute' button on the TV remote.  One trend I noticed in the commentary is that they're heavily tailoring it to non-golfing viewers - explaining basic golf terminology and rules as if the viewer has no idea what they're watching.

As far as Chambers Bay itself, I think it will be a "one and done" for Tour events.  It seems to be difficult for both camera angles and spectator access, and the course itself is kind of a circus sideshow.  Incredibly penal of even many decent shots, ill-defined greens (which are also atrociously rough) and it seems to me to be overly "tricked up" with all the weird angles and contours.  From my point of view as a golfer (albeit not a great one by any stretch), nothing about the course compels me to put it on my bucket list as one I'd like to play - it looks more like a course that would make me hate the game and want to drink heavily afterward to dull the pain and erase the memory.

Totally with you about a bunch of things here.

-Too much Menefee

-They are really catering to the casual golf observer crowd. They seem to be really selling the PGA brand to prospective fans.

-CB should be a 1 and done. Too gimmicky.

-Featured groups should be shown more online. I want to see all players in the field within a few shots back.

[Mr. Desmond]

They need to rehearse more.  Buck just doesn't seem to fit.  Like him or not, Jim Nance knows golf and you get the impression that he plays as well.  That goes a long way to keeping the audience interested. Joe Buck is just an announcer and come off like that to me in this broadcast.

Norman can improve and he sure as hell knows the game of golf.  I would like to see his lighter side.  I know I've poked fun at his ego, but I have seen interviews with him where he can be engaging. He needs to bring that forward more.

And as I've said before, "Show us more golf!".  We don't need to see the talking heads of the announcers.  They can talk while we are seeing players hit.  The US Open should not be ruined like the Olympics has been with all the side show crap.  The golf audience wants to see players making shots.

Hi -

I find Nance too syrupy... and Buck?

He is a golf nut and player.

Heard him on theticket last week.

Agree -- more golf, better camera angles, more than the premier groups. Feel as if we are missing something. My pet peeve with every tourney is that they show too many putts. Show shots.

From Newsday:

Joe Buck is one of the most experienced, established big-event sports announcers alive. And yet at the moment he is far more experienced and established as a golfer than a golf announcer.

"I got down to a 2 [handicap] and I am listed as a 5, trending to a 27," he said Monday after a production meeting on the grounds of Chambers Bay, the Washington state course that has the golf world buzzing -- for better and worse.

STORY U.S. Open tee times and TV schedule

[ChrisP]

They need to rehearse more.  Buck just doesn't seem to fit.  Like him or not, Jim Nance knows golf and you get the impression that he plays as well.  That goes a long way to keeping the audience interested. Joe Buck is just an announcer and come off like that to me in this broadcast.

Norman can improve and he sure as hell knows the game of golf.  I would like to see his lighter side.  I know I've poked fun at his ego, but I have seen interviews with him where he can be engaging. He needs to bring that forward more.

And as I've said before, "Show us more golf!".  We don't need to see the talking heads of the announcers.  They can talk while we are seeing players hit.  The US Open should not be ruined like the Olympics has been with all the side show crap.  The golf audience wants to see players making shots.

Eh, Jim Nantz may know golf, but he bores the heck out of me. He's too cliche and monotone for me. Hicks and Tirico are the best, IMO. Buck is doing okay for his first go around. I give him the benefit of the doubt. Buck/Norman can be good with experience. They need chemistry. One of the reasons I love Tirico/Azinger and Hicks/Miller is you sense the chemistry between the two. Not getting that vibe from Buck/Norman yet. The problem is they're not going to do many other tournaments after this before Oakmont. That's why I'm not a fan of Fox getting the US Open. There's not a lot of chances to get the experience. When Oakmont starts next year, it will really only be their 4th big tournament (sorry, not counting the amateur events that really no one watches).

[mcanadiens]

I watched some of last night's coverage at my mum's place on her big, old, low-def CRT. That was a challenge.

[cubdog]

I'll give this broadcast credit for one thing. It's convinced me that I never, ever, want to play Chambers Bay. I don't know how courses like CB can survive as public facilities. Too long, too hard and too expensive. That's a recipe for failure.

cubdog

[Missouri Swede]

I watched some of last night's coverage at my mum's place on her big, old, low-def CRT. That was a challenge.

Watching a tournament with vintage equipment? How retro!

[nevets88]

I watched some of last night's coverage at my mum's place on her big, old, low-def CRT. That was a challenge.

When I watch one of these, my eyes bleed. CRT quality is terrrrrible for golf. How did we ever deal w/them pre HD? I'm starting to think HD is getting long in the tooth after having seen 4K, 5K. Even the USGA's and Fox's worst quality stream is better than a CRT.

[RandallT]

Not sure if their tracer has this issue every hole but here is DJ on 18 yesterday. Looks like it starts out as a hook then a crosswind grabs it. But it seems to guess the starting tee spot incorrectly. His tee is way too the left of where the red trace starts. So it was obviously a fade from the start. Their technology needs a bit of refining to avoid confusion on shot shape. Those few yards can make a difference.

[shootaglock]

I will keep it short and sweet. This coverage sucks and the anchor desk guys guys look like a 5 year old picked their shirts and ties.