Fonda
TFF member
Talking absolute football...
Posts: 384 
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Post by Fonda on Mar 9, 2009 20:52:57 GMT
Any other cricket fans present? Any that have enjoyed the current Test series in the Caribbean?? Because i think this might just have been THE worst series of cricket i've ever witnessed (apart from the ones over here, that get rained off obviously). The ridiculously flat pitches, allied to the frankly farcical referral system have made a mockery of it. What is the point in preparing pitches so flat it's impossible to take wickets? How do you expect to get a result? As for the referrals, the players have made a joke of it by requesting decisions when obviously out, and the third umpire(s) have got decisions blatantly wrong (and presumably that wasn't in the plan?) I thought the reason for it's introduction is to ensure more correct decisions? Well, it's not provided any improvement for me. And one of the criticisms of Test cricket is how slow it is - well these referrals don't help in that respect either. If 'Hawkeye' is a scientific tool (as suggested by Sky's insistence on using it at every opportuinty, why can't the third umpire use it? Either it's accurate or it's not. If it is, let them use it. If it isn't, why do Sky rely on it? An experiment that's badly failed for me, and i hope it's kicked into touch before the Ashes in the summer. Now we get to play them at home - with the weather forcing another set of draws probably.
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Post by capitalgull on Mar 9, 2009 21:58:25 GMT
Without again wishing to sound like I am jumping to my employer's defence, the coverage you must be watching Shane is not being provided by Sky. The coverage is always provided by the host broadcaster, in this case West Indies TV. Sky has yet to be the host broadcaster for a series involving referral technology.
If you were watching any of the South Africa v Australia 2nd Test, the technology they are using is different and more useful (ie: Hotspot for edges).
And yes, the series has been one of the worst I have ever seen. I feel sorry for those (one forum member included in Rigsby Stepho) who have spent thousands of pounds to go and watch it!!
And now I wait for the emergency plumber to arrive AAAARGH!
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Post by aussie on Mar 9, 2009 22:47:47 GMT
Of coarse the Australian coverage is far superior, when it comes to cricket, Australia always make sure the best coverage is avaliable because it is so massively followed at home and is worth alot of money and pride. Once upon a time England had extremely good coverage because the Beeb was involved, oh how thats crumbled, Formula One was really good on the Beeb. They used to do the big sports a really good turn, they would make sure their cameras were there or make sure what they got fed to them was top grade. Not even gunna remark on ITV digital, sky are tight fisted one handed self lovers and sell out to the most profitable option, then try to prosecute pubs for buying legitamate European subscriptions for showing the games that sky sold in the first place, they want their money twice who the hell do they think they are the bloody government or something? If we are in the E.U. then why can people trade fairly on that platform. I totally disagree with the licence fee and believe the revenue for the Beeb should be drawn from commercial advertising as there are so many tele channels now with adds on, thats how the A.B.C was and still is funded when we rejected the T.V licence and that was with just four other commercial channels. Maybe if people didn`t have to shell out for the licence fee Sky would get more subscibers and therefore more money, they could then provide better coverage of national sports for the people that fill their pockets.
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Dave
TFF member
Posts: 13,081
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Post by Dave on Mar 9, 2009 22:50:21 GMT
See what happens when you use naughty words aussie  I do love the filter at times. |
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Post by aussie on Mar 9, 2009 22:53:39 GMT
One handed self lovers, glad im not printing this as one handed self lovers is shorter and less wastefull ink wise!  |
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Post by aussie on Mar 9, 2009 22:54:22 GMT
Doh!!!
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Post by capitalgull on Mar 9, 2009 23:39:35 GMT
For a start Aussie, please note I said that the coverage of the South Africa v Australia series was superior, but it is from South African TV at the moment so maybe you should have read my original post before launching into your own self love of ABC. Channel Nine is far superior anyway, apart from that self-loving prick Mark Nicholas...but then again he got found out and let go by both Sky and Five before landing in convict-shire.
And if you seriously think anything you have written about Sky is true, maybe I'll pass your oh-so-kind message on to my bosses there and see what they think the public at large thinks about them.
And, yes, I agree with you about the F1 coverage - it was much better when it was on the Beeb and hopefully will be much better this season now it is back there. But having that hopeless oaf who presented some of the Olympics coverage last summer fronting it makes me wonder whether AGAIN they are being cheapskates.
As for calling Sky tight-fisted, don't make me laugh pal. The rest of the terrestrial broadcasters have contributed to their own downfall when it comes to covering sports because THEY are not willing to stump up the money the coverage deserves. They had to beg the Government to get any rights back to some of the national games, and now Setanta are on the case as well, don't expect to see any more sport on the 'regular' channels than you already do - in fact expect it to get a lot, lot worse.
At least Sky try to offer diversity, and if you don't like them, then I suggest (if you do subscribe) that you stop filling their pockets with your own hard-earned. Easy as that!
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Post by aussie on Mar 10, 2009 8:29:49 GMT
I know the coverage is from South Arselica pal, we make sure the coverage is up to our level or we send our own gear and crew, unlike Sky, by the way crawl back out of Ruperts arse mate its dark in there and smells! The Nine network do a fantastic job but you do have a point about Mark Nicholas. I know its true that Sky try to prosecute people for showing, what would in a fair world, be totally legal sports purchased from with in the E.U.(common market). If Sky want to keep their programms from being shown in the U.K. by people then they shouldn`t sell the footage to people who can legally sell it on, with in the laws of the European Union it is fair trade, but in the U.K. money makes laws and this country is corrupt in that respect. We diss-owned Rupert Murdock years ago, he is no longer classified as an Aussie, more like a tyrant! By the way do you work in marketing because I think you would do well there, you totally believe in your employers and the product ,this goes along way in business. I have been talking to alot of people recently about Sky and most of them want to get rid of sky for one reason or another, the biggest problem according to them is the Sky+ boxes are falling over for fun and the HD boxes are just aweful, every HD box I`ve installed for Sky( which is over 50) has had to be sent back because they are all faulty. Please show your employers this as I think they need to know the feeling out in the real world and also so they can do something about it before they lose many more customers! I am not having ago at Sky, just being honest, I`d have a go at Murdock though. Also did you know that Amstrad is Dutch for faulty!
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Fonda
TFF member
Talking absolute football...
Posts: 384
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Post by Fonda on Mar 10, 2009 9:11:03 GMT
For a start Aussie, please note I said that the coverage of the South Africa v Australia series was superior, but it is from South African TV at the moment so maybe you should have read my original post before launching into your own self love of ABC. Channel Nine is far superior anyway, apart from that self-loving prick Mark Nicholas...but then again he got found out and let go by both Sky and Five before landing in convict-shire. And if you seriously think anything you have written about Sky is true, maybe I'll pass your oh-so-kind message on to my bosses there and see what they think the public at large thinks about them. And, yes, I agree with you about the F1 coverage - it was much better when it was on the Beeb and hopefully will be much better this season now it is back there. But having that hopeless oaf who presented some of the Olympics coverage last summer fronting it makes me wonder whether AGAIN they are being cheapskates.As for calling Sky tight-fisted, don't make me laugh pal. The rest of the terrestrial broadcasters have contributed to their own downfall when it comes to covering sports because THEY are not willing to stump up the money the coverage deserves. They had to beg the Government to get any rights back to some of the national games, and now Setanta are on the case as well, don't expect to see any more sport on the 'regular' channels than you already do - in fact expect it to get a lot, lot worse. At least Sky try to offer diversity, and if you don't like them, then I suggest (if you do subscribe) that you stop filling their pockets with your own hard-earned. Easy as that! I wasn't laying any blame at Sky Andy. I assumed it was a rule that Hawkeye couldn't be used foir referrals. I didn't mean to insinuate Sky were culpable. The referral system has added nothing for me. And even if it was used properly, i wouldn't be a fan. As for the two points i've highlighted, i'm quite surprised to read that. I always thought Mark Nicholas was a reasonable presenter? Are you referring to his on or off camera persona...? And i thought the tall bloke that presented the Olympics was pretty good too. Considering i didn't know then (and still don't) who he is. |
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Post by capitalgull on Mar 10, 2009 9:36:39 GMT
I know Sky is not to everyone's taste, but if people want to watch live sport there is no other option. Setanta is merely a channel provider and will never be able to compete in terms of actually providing a complete service. Sky pays me a good wage for a good job (and no, it's not in marketing  ) and I am entitled to defend them if I so desire. As it happens, I think 'we' provide a fantastic variety of sports, and having seen some of the coverage produced as part of my job, for someone who doesn't know to claim Sky don't send their own crews to games is just plain wrong! And yes, if you read the 'media media' it's a widely known problem about the Sky HD boxes, and one that I believe was in the papers last week, that 10,000 boxes are being replaced free of charge because of a fault at Pace. And no, I don't like a lot of what Murdoch has done in the past - I'd liken him to a more successful Kerry Packer...although PLEASE don't tell anyone I just said that LOL. As for Mark Nicholas, Shane, he is a slimy arris-hole of the highest order. Talking of people being up other's arse's, maybe he would like to extract his from Ricky Ponting's, Brett Lee's, Shane Warne's, or whoever else might be the man of the moment in Australian cricket. While he's there he might just want to take Australian citizenship! |
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Post by capitalgull on Mar 10, 2009 9:45:42 GMT
Jake Humphrey is the guy who will be fronting the F1 coverage, and he was fine as a special correspondent/roving reporter, but when they had him in the studio, I personally thought he looked lost, and was particuarly star-struck at times.
It will be tough for him with regards to the F1, given the quality of people who have presented in the past, and I just hope he knows his stuff because the sports media bloggers/writers will rip him to shreds if he doesn't. And I speak from experience here, having tasted it on the first day of my Sky job some 10 years back....and it's a lot worse now!
NOW GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINTS......the final day of the Windies test could actually get very interesting if England play it right. But if the opposition just goes into Tavare mode, blocking everything out, then I am afraid it's going to go down in the books as a 1-0 West Indies series victory and England coming home empty handed when they have only really been outplayed with the bat on two days or the whole tour.
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Dave
TFF member
Posts: 13,081
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Post by Dave on Mar 10, 2009 16:30:48 GMT
aussie you seem to have got a bit hot under the collar I feel, while you may feel very strongly about Sky and what they do or don't do, I'm sure you earn your living realigning sky dishes, so I would have thought that sky must in some way contribute to your living.
I'm not going to get into a sky debate and as I know nothing about cricket, or even like the game, I can't give any views to Fonda's post. I did hear on the news that one England player has been fined 25% of the money he would get for playing in it, for appealing too much, not what is that all about ;D
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Post by aussie on Mar 10, 2009 19:48:46 GMT
It ain`t Sky that pays me its the residents of the involved properties, I only get called to the high or dangerous jobs cause the Sky boys are only allowed to go so high up ladders. I do specialist hights and industrial jobs!
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Post by stewart on Mar 10, 2009 22:33:50 GMT
It made me laugh to see the West Indian players celebrating after winning a series by virtue of one innings in which the England batting fell apart through recklessness.
After Jamaica, the pitches were obviously prepared to favour huge innings by the batsmen so that drawn matches were the only possible outcome.
Moreover, the home players did themselves no favours by adopting negative tactics, maintaining slow over rates and generally wasting time whenever they could. Their approach in the final three Test Matches has made a mockery of the concept of winning a series.
Having said that, Andrew Strauss' captaincy throughout the series has hardly been dynamic or capable of making the decisions which would give his bowlers a chance to win matches.
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Dave
TFF member
Posts: 13,081
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Post by Dave on Mar 10, 2009 22:42:10 GMT
It ain`t Sky that pays me its the residents of the involved properties, I only get called to the high or dangerous jobs cause the Sky boys are only allowed to go so high up ladders. I do specialist hights and industrial jobs! Rather you than me aussie, but while Sky may not pay you, by selling the service to people, it then gives you the work etc, without a dish you have nothing to realign. |
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) and I am entitled to defend them if I so desire. As it happens, I think 'we' provide a fantastic variety of sports, and having seen some of the coverage produced as part of my job, for someone who doesn't know to claim Sky don't send their own crews to games is just plain wrong!