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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Posted: 07/25/20 11:36 am ::: 2020 Season Thoughts/Impressions |
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Just wanted to make a thread in case anyone wanted to share their thoughts and feelings about this wonky season, no matter how general or specific. Topics could include the players, coaches, teams, broadcasts/broadcasters, the set-up, the wubble, social justice, the looks, etc.
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 07/27/20 7:39 pm ::: |
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Shouldn't be a rookie wall this year - they didn't have the last 6 weeks of NCAA and then had another 2 month+ of no basketball. Of course, the schedule has a lot of games in a short period, but no travel, so that's a plus too.
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PickledGinger
Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Posts: 1375
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Posted: 07/27/20 8:15 pm ::: |
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Bench depth has never been more important, and because of that a lot of players are going to get minutes they probably wouldn’t during a normal season. Johnson and Williams coming back for Atlanta will be huge for them. They looked very good yesterday but there’s no way they can maintain that pace with a 6-player rotation.
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PickledGinger
Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Posts: 1375
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Posted: 07/28/20 7:09 pm ::: |
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It seems like the commentators, as though there aren’t really home and away games, are being more impartial in their play calling and analysis...like they don’t feel like they have to pander to the local audience. It’s refreshing.
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014 Posts: 3518
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Posted: 07/29/20 10:55 am ::: |
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From a sample size of exactly two games, I thought things look pretty ragged, from the play to the announcers, and the empty "arena" isn't a good look either. It seems like a much higher percentage of games are getting major network exposure, due likely to the dearth of new programming, but I'm afraid more exposure of this sort is not going to draw in any potential new fans.
The WNBA needs to look critically at what their audiences are seeing and cough up some money for decent announcers, who can intelligently discuss how well the rookies are doing, for example, instead of not even knowing the players' names. Make the product look or at least sound better while people are actually having the chance to watch it, instead of blowing this opportunity.
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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Posted: 07/29/20 11:36 am ::: |
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I actually thought the games over the weekend were played pretty well despite the lopsided scores. Last night's games looked pretty bad at time - esp. the Mystics/Sun game though I watched that one closer than the others.
We always complain about the announcers and it bothersome when they couldn't identify who fouled, scored, etc. However, it is a tough situation so maybe that will improve as they get used to the new players and new looks. The ESPN crew really needs to keep in mind that there are probably some new fans watching so they should concentrate on the usual play calling and analysis as opposed to some of the side subjects. As for the empty arena - we are the United States of Virus Failure so that's the end result.
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Posted: 07/29/20 2:01 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
I actually thought the games over the weekend were played pretty well despite the lopsided scores. Last night's games looked pretty bad at time - esp. the Mystics/Sun game though I watched that one closer than the others.
We always complain about the announcers and it bothersome when they couldn't identify who fouled, scored, etc. However, it is a tough situation so maybe that will improve as they get used to the new players and new looks. The ESPN crew really needs to keep in mind that there are probably some new fans watching so they should concentrate on the usual play calling and analysis as opposed to some of the side subjects. As for the empty arena - we are the United States of Virus Failure so that's the end result. |
I agree with all of this. The games imo look at least like the average product. If anything, because the offenses and defenses for both teams in a given game are still works in progress, the good & bad cancel each other out, so it all kind of works itself out. I think we saw some high-level basketball at least in the first weekend of games, too. As for the broadcasters, I don’t expect a whole lot of improvement for the national ones, but as long as they all can largely avoid technical difficulties, I can live with it (I can watch the games on mute if I really have to ).
What does sort of bother me is that due to a higher percentage of games being on national tv, you can’t watch a whole lot of games live on the League Pass. If I were more strapped for cash while already subscribing to it, I wouldn’t be much of a happy camper right now. I guess its main selling point has to be the ability to watch all these archived games - the main selling point shouldn’t really be watching live games imo.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11193
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Posted: 07/29/20 2:34 pm ::: |
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FrozenLVFan wrote: |
From a sample size of exactly two games, I thought things look pretty ragged, from the play to the announcers, and the empty "arena" isn't a good look either. It seems like a much higher percentage of games are getting major network exposure, due likely to the dearth of new programming, but I'm afraid more exposure of this sort is not going to draw in any potential new fans.
The WNBA needs to look critically at what their audiences are seeing and cough up some money for decent announcers, who can intelligently discuss how well the rookies are doing, for example, instead of not even knowing the players' names. Make the product look or at least sound better while people are actually having the chance to watch it, instead of blowing this opportunity. |
I think one of the big issues with the announcers is that they are used to working live -- and it's completely different to sit on press row and call a game than it is to do it on TV. It's so much easier, for example, to identify players when you're there in person than watching on a screen.
My guess is the announcers will get better as they adjust to working in a completely unfamiliar way, but another thing they're going to have to overcome is the lack of immersion in the game when broadcasting remotely. When you're there, especially at floor level, the game involves you completely -- you hear the coaches, the refs, the players, the fans yelling behind you. When you're in your home office, it's not close to the same.
I'm hoping the announcers figure things out as we go along, but it's not going to be easy. We're used to watching games on TV, or from halfway up the stands -- they're not.
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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titanpa1998
Joined: 25 Mar 2020 Posts: 48
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Posted: 07/29/20 3:21 pm ::: |
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The male announcer in doing the Minnesota game as well as the Connecticut game last night was awful. Truly awful. He would get names wrong so often it was embarrassing. The WNBA definitely needs announcers that compliment their product.
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 12579 Location: Dallas , Texas
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Posted: 07/29/20 3:38 pm ::: |
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titanpa1998 wrote: |
The male announcer in doing the Minnesota game as well as the Connecticut game last night was awful. Truly awful. He would get names wrong so often it was embarrassing. The WNBA definitely needs announcers that compliment their product. |
Yeah sadly enough i think thats the local announcer for the Dallas Wings smh he's pretty up there in age . He's never been a great one with names .
_________________ 3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol
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titanpa1998
Joined: 25 Mar 2020 Posts: 48
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Posted: 07/29/20 3:57 pm ::: |
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WNBA 09 wrote: |
titanpa1998 wrote: |
The male announcer in doing the Minnesota game as well as the Connecticut game last night was awful. Truly awful. He would get names wrong so often it was embarrassing. The WNBA definitely needs announcers that compliment their product. |
Yeah sadly enough i think thats the local announcer for the Dallas Wings smh he's pretty up there in age . He's never been a great one with names . |
I thought his voice sounded familiar. He kept calling Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike 'Nneka Ogunbowale' last year. I am assuming he'll be on the call again tonight for the Dallas game.
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StevenHW
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 10983 Location: Sacramento, California
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markinct
Joined: 22 May 2011 Posts: 671 Location: Daytona Beach Florida
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Posted: 07/29/20 5:21 pm ::: Chicago Sky |
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As I was watching the Chicago/LA game, Leah Secondo ( I think that's who was calling the game, sounded like her anyway) said that Chicago was donating a lot of money to various charity. I don't recall all of the details but $10/point, some amount for a win...stuff like that but it led me to think..... The league is playing entirely in one site, no fans so there fore no money coming in and the players, coaches announcers, press people, camera operators and ref's need to be paid... so where will this money come from? Owner pockets? Sponsors? I'm not sure how feasible that could be considering there is no real means of income.
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titanpa1998
Joined: 25 Mar 2020 Posts: 48
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Randy
Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 10911
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67058 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 07/31/20 3:02 pm ::: |
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There has been a lot of bad defense so far, probably due to the lack of prep time.
_________________ I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Posted: 07/31/20 3:06 pm ::: |
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Randy wrote: |
Stormeo wrote: |
Something I've noticed at this season's beginning is imo the lack of particularly bad officiating. Last season the refs were allowing play to be too physical and not calling fouls enough - something players griped with enough to cause the refs to sort of change back to a more normal standard towards the end of the season, iirc. It seems as though that standard has carried over into this season, which is good - I personally haven't seen a whole lot of griping over the officiating as of yet, which is a good sign. All this weird season needs is another bad dynamic to it to deal with. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it! |
I wonder how much of that is the lack of a crowd, and the fact that the "home town announcers" are now trying to call the games for fans of both teams. I suspect the fans/announcers tend to focus on officians more when their team is not playing well. And some (Dick Fain I'm looking at you, among others) are just impossible homers and complain about nearly every call. If the game is moving along you don't have long to dwell on the call. Also, w/o fans present the players maybe a little less caught up in the excitement and spend less time complaining. (Though some certainly do.) |
This is all just my observation, but to me, the officials do seem to be 'passing the eye test'. Obviously it'll never be perfect and they'll get some calls wrong, but I'm not seeing a pattern of bad/inconsistent reffing, the kind that we saw last season. Without fans though, I must say I do hear players complaining about the calls that they tend to complain about more clearly.
Lmao I just realized I haven't heard Fain's voice really in quite a while (he also has a local radio show here and talks about the football team a lot). God bless him; you can never say he isn't passionate.
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Shades
Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 63875
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Posted: 07/31/20 4:05 pm ::: |
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Stormeo wrote: |
This is all just my observation, but to me, the officials do seem to be 'passing the eye test'. Obviously it'll never be perfect and they'll get some calls wrong, but I'm not seeing a pattern of bad/inconsistent reffing, the kind that we saw last season. |
You must not have observed the Sky vs Lynx game.
_________________ Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned
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ChasingRatDogmaSalade
Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 590 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: 07/31/20 4:45 pm ::: |
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pilight wrote: |
There has been a lot of bad defense so far, probably due to the lack of prep time. |
One player's defense is another player's social distancing.
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 16379 Location: Chicago
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Stormeo
Joined: 14 Jul 2019 Posts: 4701
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Stormeo
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22476 Location: NJ
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Posted: 08/06/20 5:24 pm ::: |
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I think the poor defense is a result of a lack of a training camp & preseason. There's very little down time with the condensed schedule. One thing I'm suprised at is, outside of New York & Connecticut, the teams are very close. That's a good thing. There's very little division between the teams this season, and even a 3-game losing streak can really hurt a team. I don't think there's any clear cut favorite to win it all this season.
_________________ LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!
Twitter: @TBRBWAY
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