Question for communications folks -

[Cusefan95]

After any game like the UK-Wisconsin game last night, the broadcast ALWAYS seems to have a shot of a little kid that was rooting for the team that got upset crying. What's the deal with that? It doesn't provide any context, you could always just show shocked UK fans...it's like the decision makers want to feed into the worst, cruelest tendencies of human nature.

 

[Jake]

They argument is that the producer wants to show the emotion/ real life reactions of fans when their team losses.

It's BS and gratuitous IMHO. That can be done a lot of other ways than showing an 8 tear old bawling his eyes out.

I had no problem with the nova flute player or the uk guy by himself in the stands after the game.

But the in game cutaway of the little kid is BS and bad producing IMO. They need to stop doing this. They're kids!

 

[rrlbees]

They argument is that the producer wants to show the emotion/ real life reactions of fans when their team losses. It's BS and gratuitous IMHO. That can be done a lot of other ways than showing an 8 tear old bawling his eyes out. I had no problem with the nova flute player or the uk guy by himself in the stands after the game. But the in game cutaway of the little kid is BS and bad producing IMO. They need to stop doing this. They're kids!

I'm just glad they didn't show me when Smarts shot went in.

 

[HoustonCuse]

I'm just glad they didn't show me when Smarts shot went in.

As long as there was no live mic in front of you to capture the "... that n..."

 

[Brian Orange]

The director takes the shot because it's the best "video" or shot out there that conveys the situation. A kid crying really cuts to the core. I've never known a director to ask his camera people to specifically seek out showing a kid cry, but if it's there, they'll take the shot.

 

[Nicknack]

I get what you're saying but the reality is that 30 minutes later the kid is poking his little sister while eating some cotton candy. While a loss like that will stick with a grown man for years, a kid forgets about it quickly... they just get caught up in the moment.

 

[Jeremy L.]

As somebody that has worked with people at ESPN during basketball games, camera operators are told to pick out shots. One will have happy Duke fans and another will find sad Wisconsin fans. It's all about story telling. ESPN kept going back to the college kid crying in the stands because they were so close and obviously fell short. It just shows the emotion of what teams can bring to fans. I also disagree with them doing it, but Producers will take it if it adds to the story. Look at the Villanova girl crying. They went to her. We'll always remember that girl in the band who cried during the Nova game.

 

[Cheriehoop]

As somebody that has worked with people at ESPN during basketball games, camera operators are told to pick out shots. One will have happy Duke fans and another will find sad Wisconsin fans. It's all about story telling. ESPN kept going back to the college kid crying in the stands because they were so close and obviously fell short. It just shows the emotion of what teams can bring to fans. I also disagree with them doing it, but Producers will take it if it adds to the story. Look at the Villanova girl crying. They went to her. We'll always remember that girl in the band who cried during the Nova game.

To me it's really the old World Wide Sports formula of "The joy of winning and agony of defeat" shots. It used to focus on shots of the competitors themselves. It's changed over time to the coaches, then the parents, their girlfriends, coaches' wives, then the fans, now it's kids including coaches kids.

 

[capeorange]

I'm just glad they didn't show me when Smarts shot went in.

The FCC would have fined them if anyone could read my lips and they showed me after that shot went in.

 

[Millhouse]

They argument is that the producer wants to show the emotion/ real life reactions of fans when their team losses.

It's BS and gratuitous IMHO. That can be done a lot of other ways than showing an 8 tear old bawling his eyes out.

I had no problem with the nova flute player or the uk guy by himself in the stands after the game.

But the in game cutaway of the little kid is BS and bad producing IMO. They need to stop doing this. They're kids!

that and the cheerleader upskirts would get them arrested anywhere else

 

[MSOrange]

As somebody that has worked with people at ESPN during basketball games, camera operators are told to pick out shots. One will have happy Duke fans and another will find sad Wisconsin fans. It's all about story telling. ESPN kept going back to the college kid crying in the stands because they were so close and obviously fell short. It just shows the emotion of what teams can bring to fans. I also disagree with them doing it, but Producers will take it if it adds to the story. Look at the Villanova girl crying. They went to her. We'll always remember that girl in the band who cried during the Nova game.

Next time you work with them, ask how much of the action they plan to continue missing in basketball games showing stupid crowd reaction shots?

 

[Jeremy L.]

Next time you work with them, ask how much of the action they plan to continue missing in basketball games showing stupid crowd reaction shots?

Trust me, I know this is an issue. This past Sunday I was watching Bulls vs. Cavs, and they were showing a replay of the sequence before Kyrie Irving hit his half court shot to beat the shot clock. All they could show of it was replays. It was pretty embarrassing if you ask me. Producers and Directors need to be on top of stuff like that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Did you not get the memo? Exploiting children in the name of entertainment is the balls.

 

[Lawrinson14]

Did you not get the memo? Exploiting children in the name of entertainment is the balls.

Cartman, is that you? Cause I totally read that in the Cartman voice.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Cartman, is that you? Cause I totally read that in the Cartman voice.

I can see, er, hear that.

 

[CorduroyG]

I'm just glad they didn't show me when Smarts shot went in.

sorry but they did

 

[DoctorBombay]

To me it's really the old World Wide Sports formula of " The THRILL of VICTORY and the AGONY of DEFEAT". FiFy It used to focus on shots of the competitors themselves. It's changed over time to the coaches, then the parents, their girlfriends, coaches' wives, then the fans, now it's kids including coaches kids.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Next time you work with them, ask how much of the action they plan to continue missing in basketball games showing stupid crowd reaction shots?

Amen.
And crews now seeks these shots almost without thinking.
Directors constantly miss action to show things fans almost never want to see: other fans.

Last night just as K and Bo Ryan met the director cut away to show two Duke players embracing on the floor.
Horrible!
I want to see the coaches meet...or the two centers meet...not something I can see later.

.

 

[Dave85]

After any game like the UK-Wisconsin game last night, the broadcast ALWAYS seems to have a shot of a little kid that was rooting for the team that got upset crying. What's the deal with that? It doesn't provide any context, you could always just show shocked UK fans...it's like the decision makers want to feed into the worst, cruelest tendencies of human nature.

Try not to focus on the "cruelest tendencies of human nature." During every moment of our lives there is equal evidence for the ungodly as there is for the divine.

 

[Cusefan95]

I get what you're saying but the reality is that 30 minutes later the kid is poking his little sister while eating some cotton candy. While a loss like that will stick with a grown man for years, a kid forgets about it quickly... they just get caught up in the moment.

As a kid I was a huge 76ers fan. I was ten years old when the 1982 NBA Finals were played, and my parents let me take a nap so I could watch game 6, which is when the Lakers won the championship. I was convinced that was "our year", and I cried myself to sleep. I still remember that over thirty years later.

I think I was disappointed for about twenty seconds when Syracuse lost to Michigan in the Final Four. (Honestly I had to think about it briefly when typing this to remember who Syracuse lost to).

It's possible that you're correct and in general kids are effected when their team losses less than adults - but it doesn't at all match my life experience. Age and experience have significantly reduced the significance of sports outcomes to me, but when the Sixers lost in '82 it was like the end of the world to me. My distaste for the gratuitous shot of kids crying is based on my own experience.

 

[Dave85]

As a kid I was a huge 76ers fan. I was ten years old when the 1982 NBA Finals were played, and my parents let me take a nap so I could watch game 6, which is when the Lakers won the championship. I was convinced that was "our year", and I cried myself to sleep. I still remember that over thirty years later.

I think I was disappointed for about twenty seconds when Syracuse lost to Michigan in the Final Four. (Honestly I had to think about it briefly when typing this to remember who Syracuse lost to).

It's possible that you're correct and in general kids are effected when their team losses less than adults - but it doesn't at all match my life experience. Age and experience have significantly reduced the significance of sports outcomes to me, but when the Sixers lost in '82 it was like the end of the world to me. My distaste for the gratuitous shot of kids crying is based on my own experience.

We would not be watching the game if it did not affect us one way or the other.