Just Checking In
Miss me? Doubt it.
The last two weeks have been a marathon. A slog in deep mud.
The undertaking was the Florida High School Athletic Association's football Finals, eight high school championship games in the span of 8 days. This year, for the first time, Sun Sports and FSN Florida televised all eight games live. That doesn't change the level of preparation necessary to get them on the air -- it simply raises the bar in terms of anxiety and worry. It also wore us out.
After burying myself in prep work for those eight games over the last two weeks, plus writing two one-hour bowl preview shows for UF and FSU, plus scripting a one-hour episode of "Tailgate Overtime" for Monday night, I went on camera tonight and promptly pulled a brain fart -- I went on the air and twice mentioned that UCF is playing in the Liberty Bowl in Birmingham. The Liberty Bowl, as several UCF fans pointed out, is in Memphis.
Yeah, I'm pretty tired.
Let me get through the tapings of those two bowl preview shows and I'll attempt to regroup. With a map.
posted by Whit Watson at 9:58 PM
2 Critiques:
First, why does FSN preview the UF and FSU bowls and not the other Florida bowls? Secondly, I didn't hear USF's bowl previewed on "Tailgate Overtime." Did I miss it?
12/21/2007 1:48 PM
Thanks for the posts.
FSN doesn't preview the UF and FSU bowls -- Sun Sports does. Sun Sports does so because the network has contractual agreements with those schools to air football games on replay (Breakfast With The Gators and Prime Time Noles), as well as other basketball, baseball, and Olympic sports. The network currently does not have a similar contract with USF. Our bowl previews are part of our wide-ranging broadcast agreements with UF and FSU. Hopefully, someday, South Florida will demonstrate the same level of interest and commitment towards Sun Sports that UF and FSU pledge each year via a signed broadcast agreement. Considering their rapid and recent rise to success in football, that would seem to me to be a welcome addition to our lineup, but I don't make those deals.
We did cover USF all season long, and in fact, we were pretty much the only regional sports network to give the Bulls any attention at all prior to their rise to national prominence. Hopefully, you had a chance to catch all of the "Tailgate Overtime" and "College Kickoff" shows that have aired over the last five years in which we sang the praises of Matt Grothe, Mike Ford, the salty defense, and Jim Leavitt. We've been ahead of the national curve on USF for many years now. If we didn't give this year's bowl appearance enough attention on the one "TGOT" show you're referring to, that's clearly an oversight on the part of our producers, and I'll make sure they know about it.
Now go kick some Oregon arse.
Whit
12/21/2007 11:32 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home