Supercross Broadcast - It's gone too far

miserablebear
I am a long long time lurker and huge motocross fan. I generally despise social media so I have very few accounts and don't participate on many forums. I finally just had to register and post here today.

Why? Because I just can't take it anymore. I usually look forward to every new Supercross with such anticipation. The production has been shit for a long long time but I have survived via fast forward, ignoring the commentary, etc. They have finally reached the point where it is almost entirely unbearable.

Spare me the "just be glad you can watch it" or "you think you can do better?" comments that I see here. They are all irrelevant. The show royally sucks and there are no valid excuses, none. They are ruining Supercross for me and thousands of other fans, and it's a tragedy.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 11:55am
3/19/2021 11:55am
evansteinberg wrote:
Just watch the riders racing on the track and ignore the commentators.
This is exactly the comments I'm talking about. ALL I WANT TO DO is just watch the race, but it's almost unwatchable now. It's not just the commentating but the entire broadcast (camera work, segments, etc.). Why should we just accept that it will be a shit show? Why should we have to "ignore the commentators"? It's inexcusable.
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byke
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byke 3/19/2021 12:02pm
3/19/2021 12:02pm
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
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cartel
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cartel 3/19/2021 12:05pm
3/19/2021 12:05pm
I suppose it's all subjective, being a 40 year-old who, still, after 35ish years of paying attention to motorcycle racing, gets butterflies when the night show comes on. Heck, I still get pumped to watch practice and qualifying. But, I'm also someone who's focused on the racing itself and not looking to be overly entertained by the commentators.

So, in the name of pragmatism, what would you suggest? Better commentary? Along the lines of what, more expertise? Do you want a halftime show? Camera angles?

I think some simple grammatical coaching could come in handy for the commentators, for sure.

It's easy to complain — the hard part is making worthwhile suggestions that meet the needs of the median viewership.
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DonM
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DonM 3/19/2021 12:05pm
3/19/2021 12:05pm
evansteinberg wrote:
Just watch the riders racing on the track and ignore the commentators.
miserablebear wrote:
This is exactly the comments I'm talking about. ALL I WANT TO DO is just watch the race, but it's almost unwatchable now. It's not just...
This is exactly the comments I'm talking about. ALL I WANT TO DO is just watch the race, but it's almost unwatchable now. It's not just the commentating but the entire broadcast (camera work, segments, etc.). Why should we just accept that it will be a shit show? Why should we have to "ignore the commentators"? It's inexcusable.
So how do you suggest it gets fixed?
It’s easy to complain but without any sustainable ideas or solutions it’s just bitching...
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byke
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byke 3/19/2021 12:09pm
3/19/2021 12:09pm
Technically, bitching actually is the first step in getting something fixed. Tough to know there's a problem if everyone is too kewl to talk about it.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:09pm
3/19/2021 12:09pm
byke wrote:
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came...
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
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byke
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byke 3/19/2021 12:13pm
3/19/2021 12:13pm
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves to everyone, which makes everyone else an idiot. Someday you'll realize that you're not actually awesome and neither are most people and sometimes things aren't perfect because people aren't perfect and everyone is out just out there doing what they can with what they have.
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TooTallJason
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TooTallJason 3/19/2021 12:16pm
3/19/2021 12:16pm
byke wrote:
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came...
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
miserablebear wrote:
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a...
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
Well you sure did make a mediocre thread.
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kage173
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kage173 3/19/2021 12:18pm
3/19/2021 12:18pm
Watching supercross has never been better. I remember the days when it was pre-recorded and shown at random hours. You'd have to look up your TV guide to figure out what day and time it was showing. Now I know (other than COVID year) that it's coming on Saturday nights and every single race is live. I have an app for it so I can watch it on my tablet or on any of the TVs in my house. I can pull it up easily during the week and watch a heat race or LCQ from last week (or 3 weeks before) that was especially good or that I missed. I also only pay $50/year for the Peacock subscription. I don't have to pay $150/month for cable to have a bunch of trash I never watch.

On top of that they have way more cameras and angles than the old days. They have the super slow mo shots that slow the bike down enough in the whoops that I can see how the suspension is working. And I think it is still AMAZING that we get to watch practice. I can literally watch supercross all day Saturday. And not only that, but the practice is treated with almost as much planning and production as the actual race. Sure as hell didn't have any of that back in the 90s.

It's cool that the production team is constantly trying new things. They had the Suzuki cutouts for a while, now they have the Science of Supercross, which is great for newer viewers. They have Daniel Blair showing how challenging the track is and what make SX so damn difficult. New viewers have no idea how gnarly a rut is until little Daniel Blair walks up and pokes his stubby arm in one. And now we have the GOAT announcing. The guy called Hunter Lawrence to win out of thin air and sure as hell that's exactly what happened. RC knows his stuff and loves the sport.

Great stuff and constantly trying to get better.

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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:19pm
3/19/2021 12:19pm
evansteinberg wrote:
Just watch the riders racing on the track and ignore the commentators.
miserablebear wrote:
This is exactly the comments I'm talking about. ALL I WANT TO DO is just watch the race, but it's almost unwatchable now. It's not just...
This is exactly the comments I'm talking about. ALL I WANT TO DO is just watch the race, but it's almost unwatchable now. It's not just the commentating but the entire broadcast (camera work, segments, etc.). Why should we just accept that it will be a shit show? Why should we have to "ignore the commentators"? It's inexcusable.
DonM wrote:
So how do you suggest it gets fixed?
It’s easy to complain but without any sustainable ideas or solutions it’s just bitching...
Glad you asked, cause it's actually extremely simple. We all already know the answers.

Butledge was a horrendous step backwards, send him back to his gaming chair.
Token female (or male) sideline reporters, gone.
Nascar or any other sport reference, gone.
Show the whole race, and talk ONLY about the race, ever.
During down time, much more technical insight, team/bike information, etc. Stuff for the hardcore fan, cause that's what supports the sport. Irrelevant stories/segments about anything other than dirt bike racing, gone. And play nothing, EVER, during the race but the race.
New announcers ASAP. Ricky is just horrible.

This is just a quick easy start and, ironically, cuts costs and simplifies the show.
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Suicidal_Tendencies 3/19/2021 12:20pm
3/19/2021 12:20pm
byke wrote:
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came...
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
miserablebear wrote:
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a...
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
It can be defended because it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. But more importantly, what plausible, pragmatic solutions would you suggest, and how would you go about implementing them?
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FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 3/19/2021 12:20pm
3/19/2021 12:20pm
Another way to look at is that the show has fundamentally changed with covid constraints, and not for the better. At least at three Anaheims you got different tracks back in the old days. I'm not sure I've seen a radically varied track at any venue since SLC began late last spring. And I am sure the production budget is really stripped back for event set up and broadcast. Probably pretty severely.

I'm guessing next season is going to feel more normal circuit can return to more varied venues, and the quality of that will distract from the announcer stuff that always has existed.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:22pm
3/19/2021 12:22pm
byke wrote:
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves...
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves to everyone, which makes everyone else an idiot. Someday you'll realize that you're not actually awesome and neither are most people and sometimes things aren't perfect because people aren't perfect and everyone is out just out there doing what they can with what they have.
This is just so far gone from what is actually happening here. I have not mentioned perfection once and this has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Let me ask you directly, is the broadcast shit? Can you defend it? If so, please do.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:25pm
3/19/2021 12:25pm
byke wrote:
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came...
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
miserablebear wrote:
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a...
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
Suicidal_Tendencies wrote:
It can be defended because it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. But more importantly, what plausible, pragmatic solutions would you suggest...
It can be defended because it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. But more importantly, what plausible, pragmatic solutions would you suggest, and how would you go about implementing them?
It is that bad. How do we know? We simply compare it to the motocross or MXGP broadcasts, infinitely better. Why does Supercross have to be so much worse?
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:26pm
3/19/2021 12:26pm
byke wrote:
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came...
It's always been this way. Did you watch in the Larry Maiers and Dave Despain days? Couple of dorks, but lovable dorks, and live events came in 360p with the VHS horizontal lines included from the start. The dating rule applies here; lower your standards to raise your average. Ooh and maybe my old boss' line from when I would get too nitpicky, he'd say, "we're not making pianos here". It's still just dirt bikes.
miserablebear wrote:
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a...
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
TooTallJason wrote:
Well you sure did make a mediocre thread.
So much deflection around here.
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Buckland
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Buckland 3/19/2021 12:29pm
3/19/2021 12:29pm
byke wrote:
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves...
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves to everyone, which makes everyone else an idiot. Someday you'll realize that you're not actually awesome and neither are most people and sometimes things aren't perfect because people aren't perfect and everyone is out just out there doing what they can with what they have.
miserablebear wrote:
This is just so far gone from what is actually happening here. I have not mentioned perfection once and this has absolutely nothing to do with...
This is just so far gone from what is actually happening here. I have not mentioned perfection once and this has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Let me ask you directly, is the broadcast shit? Can you defend it? If so, please do.
If you've been lurking here for a while you should have known better than to register and start a thread expecting understanding and reason. That being said, I agree with you on all points and each method you've listed for improving the product.
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TooTallJason
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TooTallJason 3/19/2021 12:29pm
3/19/2021 12:29pm
miserablebear wrote:
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a...
Well I guess I was raised not to accept mediocrity. This sport will continue to suffer with the attitude "it's just dirt bikes". This is a professional sport, continuous improvement should always be the goal. The supercross broadcast is an embarrassment. I don't understand how anyone can defend it in anyway.
TooTallJason wrote:
Well you sure did make a mediocre thread.
miserablebear wrote:
So much deflection around here.
Says the guy that obviously has no idea what it takes to produce a live television event. The reason there's so much extra stuff that you don't like is because of the nature of supercross. There is simply more downtime in a Supercross than an MXGP or National due to the track breaking down.

But since you know so much about deflection, maybe explain why you're deflecting every time someone asks you what you suggest, because "make it a national broadcast" is as dogshit of a suggestion as you suggest the broadcasts are.

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byke
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byke 3/19/2021 12:30pm
3/19/2021 12:30pm
byke wrote:
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves...
You're displaying a super common trait right now, narcissistic delusions of grandeur, where people that think they're super awesome and then apply the thought of themselves to everyone, which makes everyone else an idiot. Someday you'll realize that you're not actually awesome and neither are most people and sometimes things aren't perfect because people aren't perfect and everyone is out just out there doing what they can with what they have.
miserablebear wrote:
This is just so far gone from what is actually happening here. I have not mentioned perfection once and this has absolutely nothing to do with...
This is just so far gone from what is actually happening here. I have not mentioned perfection once and this has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Let me ask you directly, is the broadcast shit? Can you defend it? If so, please do.
The broadcast is not shit. Of course it could be better, but it's not shit. Moto is possibly the most dynamic sport out there, this isn't four cameras covering oval racing and there isn't the viewing/money to cover it like football. Everything costs money and it must come from somewhere. Last race I was thinking, they should really get someone with a poker stick out there to pickup the tearoffs between races when they're working on the track, but think about what it takes if you want things pro, because I suspect you'd say it's $30 to get someone out there for three hours, but you wanted pro, right? So now it's another person to insure, another person to provide equipment for, another person that needs training, it's just....none of this shit is as easy as our-awesome-selves want to believe from our uninformed couch.
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brocster
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brocster 3/19/2021 12:34pm
3/19/2021 12:34pm
Not sure if its how they measure the effectiveness of the broadcast but I think watching it with no volume and no commercials and being able commentate on your own what you saw and compare it what actually happened would be a good gauge of “said” terrible broadcasting.

I am too lazy to do it nor do I care that its shit. It’s light years ahead of 1900 info moto better yet ABC’s Wild World of Sports once a year broadcast.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:35pm
3/19/2021 12:35pm
TooTallJason wrote:
Well you sure did make a mediocre thread.
miserablebear wrote:
So much deflection around here.
TooTallJason wrote:
Says the guy that obviously has no idea what it takes to produce a live television event. The reason there's so much extra stuff that you...
Says the guy that obviously has no idea what it takes to produce a live television event. The reason there's so much extra stuff that you don't like is because of the nature of supercross. There is simply more downtime in a Supercross than an MXGP or National due to the track breaking down.

But since you know so much about deflection, maybe explain why you're deflecting every time someone asks you what you suggest, because "make it a national broadcast" is as dogshit of a suggestion as you suggest the broadcasts are.

I made several suggestions. Your comments are exactly why I hate social media and probably never registered before here. I'll probably be gone soon.
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Dimblewambie
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Dimblewambie 3/19/2021 12:37pm
3/19/2021 12:37pm
Just thinking back to the days of tape delay, highlights of the heat races and LCQs, commercials mid main event only to come back after break to a key pass that happened.. yeah I’m happy with where the broadcast and coverage is at today.
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Dutch348
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Dutch348 3/19/2021 12:42pm
3/19/2021 12:42pm
It would be way better if they got rid of Ricky. He makes so many grammatical errors it’s ridiculous.
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lostboy819 3/19/2021 12:43pm
3/19/2021 12:43pm
miserablebear wrote:
I made several suggestions. Your comments are exactly why I hate social media and probably never registered before here. I'll probably be gone soon.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:43pm
3/19/2021 12:43pm
Dimblewambie wrote:
Just thinking back to the days of tape delay, highlights of the heat races and LCQs, commercials mid main event only to come back after break...
Just thinking back to the days of tape delay, highlights of the heat races and LCQs, commercials mid main event only to come back after break to a key pass that happened.. yeah I’m happy with where the broadcast and coverage is at today.
I understand, but this is also irrelevant. Your comparing the a broadcast today, with today's technology, to one of the past. You need to be comparing Supercross to other current sports broadcast, with the same technology, but produced and directed much better.
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TooTallJason
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TooTallJason 3/19/2021 12:45pm
3/19/2021 12:45pm
miserablebear wrote:
So much deflection around here.
TooTallJason wrote:
Says the guy that obviously has no idea what it takes to produce a live television event. The reason there's so much extra stuff that you...
Says the guy that obviously has no idea what it takes to produce a live television event. The reason there's so much extra stuff that you don't like is because of the nature of supercross. There is simply more downtime in a Supercross than an MXGP or National due to the track breaking down.

But since you know so much about deflection, maybe explain why you're deflecting every time someone asks you what you suggest, because "make it a national broadcast" is as dogshit of a suggestion as you suggest the broadcasts are.

miserablebear wrote:
I made several suggestions. Your comments are exactly why I hate social media and probably never registered before here. I'll probably be gone soon.
No, you didn't, you pointed out what you've identified as a problem, but no solutions to fix/replace anything, just "get rid of the things I don't like."

And got it, you don't like social media because it's not an echo chamber. Go bury your head in the sand then.
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miserablebear 3/19/2021 12:49pm
3/19/2021 12:49pm
TooTallJason wrote:
No, you didn't, you pointed out what you've identified as a problem, but no solutions to fix/replace anything, just "get rid of the things I don't...
No, you didn't, you pointed out what you've identified as a problem, but no solutions to fix/replace anything, just "get rid of the things I don't like."

And got it, you don't like social media because it's not an echo chamber. Go bury your head in the sand then.
Getting rid of things that suck is a solution, a very easy one. In fact, most of the reason the broadcast does suck is because of trying to add a bunch of fluff crap to a sport that needs, nor wants, any of it. Motocross is the most intense, grittiest sport I know. Show and talk about the damn race, that's all.
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levi_southern 3/19/2021 12:54pm
3/19/2021 12:54pm
i think ricky would be better with another former racer in the booth with him and diffey/harris. throw mc in there, kdub, chad, fro, etc & i think he would flow flawlessly. getting rid of db would be a mistake. he provides good insight during the race imo. just get the pink tux guy out.
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jorgechavez 3/19/2021 12:57pm
3/19/2021 12:57pm
I don't have much of a defense for the broadcast other than I certainly don't think it's unwatchable or really much worse than it was say ten years ago. The broadcast could definitely be improved, don't get me wrong. I've just never found myself in a situation where I no longer want to watch because of how bad it is.
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