Post-Game Grumblings

[Centerfield]

I missed most of last night's game. When I tuned in late to try to catch the highlights, I saw SNY's post-game coverage (or maybe it was post-post-game) which included the split-screen, format where sportswriters argue, shout and try to talk over one another. I'm not a fan of this format in general, but I have particular issues with SNY's version.

1. When ESPN does this, oftentimes they will have reknown sportswriters from different cities chime in with their different perspectives. If you catch one of these shows, you can find out what the beat reporter for a particular team has to say, or what a famous guy like Tracy Ringolsby might think. SNY uses Jonas Schwartz and Mark Mela-something. Who are these fucking guys? Why would I care what they think? Are they beat reporters? Do they have any credentials? Aren't they just two guys who work for SNY?

2. And since they work for SNY, why do we need a split screen? Can't we put them in one room? Why separate them in different parts of the studio? Are they so important that they can't leave their desk?

[metirish]

Marc "Moose" Malusis is a twat , he used to and still does I think work on M&MD show , SNY is full of WFan people these days and they are all annoying, Chris Carlin, Adam Schien and Malusis especially so.

[soupcan]

Adam Schein is another one with really fabulous hair.

[metirish]

Here's a nugget to chew on soupcan.....nice hair and an annoying voice....

[Guest AG/DC]

You know, Peter Gammons isn't the most incisive or accurate of reporters. But there's a reason he's beloved, and I think it's in part because he likes the game and he's joyful and restrained in reporting on it, having stood out in a sea of dueling hairstyles snorting with contempt.

[Frayed Knot]

]Who are these fucking guys? Why would I care what they think? Are they beat reporters? Do they have any credentials? Aren't they just two guys who work for SNY?

SNY recently launched two new shows to go along with the existing 'Daily News Live' to cover its late-afternoon/early evening slots which is manned by those on their own staff plus whoever's on the fringes of WFAN. What I suspect you're seeing (I rarely watch the post-game stuff) is the result of SNY trying to cross-promote these new shows by using clips from them to expound on points that come up in the post-game.

Basically, the success of ESPN's 'Pardon the Interuption' has spawned oodles of imitators and, unfortunately, the whole 'two guys yelling at each other' format is annoying unless is comes with the unforced chemistry and humor of Kornheiser and Wilbon.
You can just tell that in most of these other cases the opposing viewpoints are scripted simply to create an argument, a format which doesn't work unless it's real (like in PTI) or if it's satire and accompanied by intros like 'Jane you ignorant slut!'

[Guest AG/DC]

Tony Kornheiser is a jackass, and any annoyance that makes his show look good is hard to fathom.

[Centerfield]

I've never seen PTI, but my friend who watches it tells me that it's really good. He says if I saw an episode, I'd see why so many shows would try to rip it off. But, he says if I ever saw an episode with guest hosts, I'd see why it can never be duplicated.

[Frayed Knot]

Well no one says you need to like Kornheiser.
But the larger point is that there's a spate of new shows copying the 'PTI' format but at least 'PTI' grew out of the genuine chemistry that already existed between TK and his Wash Post collegue Michael Wilbon as opposed to some manufactured 'two guys screaming' gimmick. So not only are these new imitators treading on old ground but they wouldn't be as good even if they were fresh.