Triple Crown back to NBC/Versus
by Matt Gardner on Feb 22, 2011 10:08 AM EST
in General Horse Racing
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PrintAll three Triple Crown races will return to NBC beginning in 2011, along with pre-race coverage on NBC's sister channel, Versus. The past few years, the Belmont Stakes has been on the ABC/ESPN family of networks.
BloodHorse.com has an article outlining the new deal (Link). A piece at CNBC also discusses the details (Link).
While ESPN is certainly the most well-known name in sports TV, it's pretty clear that the network isn't going to devote a ton of resources to the Triple Crown and/or horse racing. Pre-race/undercard coverage has been severely cut over the last few years, and where at one time the network televised the Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan day cards, today it doesn't even broadcast from the tracks on the day before the main events.
While it remains to be seen what kind of coverage the new NBC/Versus deals provides to racing fans, the mere fact that the deal includes pre and post-race coverage, along with the Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan, is a step in the right direction. Additionally, Versus doesn't have a ton of huge events to compete with racing for time. Obviously, the network centers its current coverage around the NHL, but the schedule is not nearly as crowded as ESPN's. And more racing on TV can't be a bad thing, if done right.
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I guess that means
more camera time for Turfway’s own Mike Battaglia. It’s always funny to see him on TV. I had a friend about 5 years ago who was the teletimer and did the photo finishes at Turfway so I would go hang out in his office and there was a betting machine right outside the door. with around 7 or 8 minutes left to post Battaglia would come over and make his bets. I always wanted to watch what he picked, but never felt it to be too polite. I’m sure he wasn’t picking many losers like me though.
He also made a cameo in Secretariat. He was the moderator at the press conference, I believe before the Belmont , in the movie.
Battaglia's cool...
he and Neumeier make a good pair on NBC.
I’ll miss Randy Moss from ESPN; he does a good job. As does Jerry Bailey.
I like the fact NBC is planning 25 hours of coverage for the three events. And hopefully this means an end to missing the Woodford Turf right before the Derby.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 22, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions
But I Will Not Miss Joe Tessetore...
…of late, that guy has been my own, personal Voice of Failure.
Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.
Agreed on that...
I preferred Chris Fowler when they had him track side.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 23, 2011 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
Mike Battaglia
Dont know him personally… but hes near the worst race annoucer in the history of racing.
On the outside Horse A, from the inside Horse B. From the outside Horse C in the middee Horse D and from the inside Horse E and on the outside Horse F
The guys gotta learn there are other words than “inside” “outside” and “middle”
He sucks.
He's not my favorite race caller...
as an analyst, I think he’s fine. Although I don’t really pay attention to too many of the announcers…other than John G. Dooley….I could listen to him read the traffic report.
I’d probably take Battaglia over some of the announcers that yell into the microphone; I always know when Tampa has a race going off because the walls in my house start to shake.
Speaking of announcers, what ever happened to Tony Calo that used to be at Bay Meadows and sometimes Turf Paradise? The start of the race always sounded like he was clearing his throat…“And there they go!”
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 22, 2011 9:17 PM EST up reply actions
I definitely don't think he's the best
caller out there, but like Matt I think there are worse. I like that he is doesn’t try to draw attention on himself by having quirky ways of calling or yelling. I hate when announcers in any sport try to make what’s going on about them. Gus Johnson drives me crazy for that reason. At any rate, I agree with what you are saying. I mostly think it’s cool to see someone I’ve met in movies and on TV lol.
I've Got To Agree With The Duck...
…that Battaglia is a terrible race caller, but I have made plenty of dough during Keeneland meets by dutching his top three selections. And I met him a couple of times at Keeneland and he seemed very nice.
As far as callers go, I think Trevor Denman is consistently the best. In their heydays, Dave Johnson and Tom Durkin were awesome, but then that was the 90’s!
Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.
by JP Fanshawe on Feb 23, 2011 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
And I Think Tony Calo
is the man at Finger Lakes, now. I could be wrong,
Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.
by JP Fanshawe on Feb 23, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
Finger Lakes...
that would probably explain why I haven’t heard him in a while. I could never decide whether I loved or hated Calo’s calls. At a minimum, you knew exactly what track was running when you heard his voice.
I like Denman – he has a good, consistent cadence; Durkin is class and very professional; and Dave Johnson is the voice that hooked me on racing forever, notably his wonderful call of the 1989 Preakness between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.
I think the caller at Keeneland, Kurt Becker, is pretty good. A very understated and low-key announcer, but he really fits at Keeneland where racing seems to be transported to a different time.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 23, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
You did call it...
Should have taken odds on it.
I think it’s a good change – let’s see what someone else can do with racing.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 23, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
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