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Morgantown, WV
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Edited Date/Time
1/26/2012 2:13am
Okay, like most everyone else on this board, I was watching the races on TV on Saturday night when Erin Bates stepped into the frame as Ryan Villopoto's night was coming to a terrible climax, and she asked him a question... The guys and girls I was watching with cringed as Ryan started to answer, but then he realized his bike was started and hopped on and away he went. But that didn't stop everyone from wondering how she could stick a microphone in his face at such an unfortunate time....
Okay, as someone who was lucky enough to have that job for a little while, I can assure you that those type of "action-reporting" interviews are part of being a sideline or pit reporter. I can remember having to step in and ask folks to tell me how they were feeling at times when they really would rather not have spoken to anyone, but that's the price of being paid to perform in the public realm. I distinctly remember going to talk to David Pingree after he lost the 2000 West Region SX title to Shae Bentley.... It probably haunts me almost us much as it still haunts him.
This afternoon, I had a phone conversation with Chris Bond, who directs the shows along with Jeff Manhart, and that moment in the mechanics area came up. He said that as soon as he saw Villopoto headed for the pits, he told Erin in her headset to go get the interview. If you want to work in the TV industry hat's an assignment you don't refuse. So Erin was doing her job, and even though it was obvious by the very attentive camera shots by Mark Shoemaker (?) that the silencer was clogged with dirt, Erin does not have the luxury of a TV screen down there. And had the cameraman missed that small but vital detail, we might all still be scratching our heads over what the heck happened to RV's bike?
So well done, Erin. Moments like that are the heavy-lifting of TV reporting. I will likely get some flack here, but as a viewer at home, I wanted to know what was going on with the guy who just threw the race away. Remember, sports television was built on two pillars: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
One more question: Had the AMA official in the pits not pointed out the problem, how long might it have taken anyone else down there to notice it?
DC
MX Sports
Okay, as someone who was lucky enough to have that job for a little while, I can assure you that those type of "action-reporting" interviews are part of being a sideline or pit reporter. I can remember having to step in and ask folks to tell me how they were feeling at times when they really would rather not have spoken to anyone, but that's the price of being paid to perform in the public realm. I distinctly remember going to talk to David Pingree after he lost the 2000 West Region SX title to Shae Bentley.... It probably haunts me almost us much as it still haunts him.
This afternoon, I had a phone conversation with Chris Bond, who directs the shows along with Jeff Manhart, and that moment in the mechanics area came up. He said that as soon as he saw Villopoto headed for the pits, he told Erin in her headset to go get the interview. If you want to work in the TV industry hat's an assignment you don't refuse. So Erin was doing her job, and even though it was obvious by the very attentive camera shots by Mark Shoemaker (?) that the silencer was clogged with dirt, Erin does not have the luxury of a TV screen down there. And had the cameraman missed that small but vital detail, we might all still be scratching our heads over what the heck happened to RV's bike?
So well done, Erin. Moments like that are the heavy-lifting of TV reporting. I will likely get some flack here, but as a viewer at home, I wanted to know what was going on with the guy who just threw the race away. Remember, sports television was built on two pillars: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
One more question: Had the AMA official in the pits not pointed out the problem, how long might it have taken anyone else down there to notice it?
DC
MX Sports
Flashback to 1972: Bob Gill was to jump 75 motorcycles at Sunshine Speedway, they couldn't come up with 75 so he jumped what they had. He didn't use a landing ramp and looped out, they let us walk out on the track and inspect his bike, he had a packed pipe. Being from Alabama I've packed quite a few things in my pipe, with a get off like that the first thing I would check is to see if i had dirt in my pipe.
The Shop
There are at least a dozen great bench racing stories out of Atlanta. Let's hope we get back to the relevant ones.
I do hope that the directors will be more cautious in the future and let things play out before jumping in.
It's one thing to film the events, and they did an awesome job catching the clogged silencer, for sure, but, when Erin, or anyone else jumps in and distracts a rider who may, or may not be out of the race, it's over the line.... not saying she intentionally distracted RV as she thought he was out, but, in this case, they were wrong.
JMO
The sad part is that you actually had to explain it.
Should be obvious that she receives her orders from her boss and does what she's told.
Can't believe there are people here who actually think she heads into the lions den on her own accord.
Paul
I have no problem with Erin jumping right in the action and asking stuff, I'm sure she's being told to do so and she's trying to do her jod and listen to the boss. I get that...
My only problem is that I don't think she's very good at interviews period. It's not when, it's the what! She's not the right person for the job, doesn't sound professional and doesn't ask the right questions... A good reported will get emotions out of the person being interviewed, sound good and be very informative... I don't think she is.
I'm sure she works really hard and is the nicest person, I just don't think she's got the right skills...
Krysta Voda and Jamie Little were both really good at it and sounded so much better. I remember being very impressed the first time Voda showed up, she probably didn't know a thing about SX but you couldn't tell... Her interviews were that much better than Erin (who knows the sport very well)
Again, that's just my opinion but I think it's pretty obvious when you watch the broadcast.
The big thing that needs to change is the sponsor list speeches from the podium. C'mon, who cares really. Tell us what really happened in your race the way you will later on when you are bench racing with your buds. And don't let these guys off so easy either. How many times are we going to have to hear Dungey say he looking forward, working hard, looking at the big picture etc.. Even NASCAR has more personality than moto right now and that's crazy. Moto has far more interesting people and stories, lets hear them.
If he's not providing "advice" as to how Erin should be doing her job, he's telling the world what RC should and should not say during a SX broadcast.
Pit Row
He was still in the game is the point AND when so many others are bitchin about it, then it may be that it wasn't the right thing to do either.
Besides this instance, she can do a better overall job. Being nice and pretty and hooked up shouldn't keep her from being criticized either.
It seemed like everyone but RV's wrench knew what the problem was ... i.e. . tv commentators, AMA official ...
Not saying it was his fault as he may not have even seen the actual wreck ... but do the teams not have someone monitoring the live vid feed ( on the live shows ) or the live audio feed and be able to relay info down to the team guys on the track? I'm thinking they might have been able to save some time ... which could have translated into a few more points. And we all know what a few points can mean at the end of a long season.
As far as Erin, I like the way she is fearless and brutally frank in her questions. Makes for good TV. She may not be perfect and ready to do the Superbowl but too many of the commentators / talent dodge the tough questions.
And some of you folks here still owe her an apology.
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