May 16, 2008

Colossal MASN Fuck-Up

From Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun:

• MASN is calling it the "Battle of the Beltway." But you don't have to - you can just watch the unique presentation MASN is giving this weekend's Orioles- Washington Nationals series.

Combining the announcing teams for the two clubs it carries, MASN will serve up a three-man booth with alternating play-by-play men. Orioles analyst Jim Palmer and Nationals analyst Don Sutton - that's 592 major league victories between them - will comment during the whole game, while the Orioles' Gary Thorne works the first three innings and the last 2 1/2 and the Nats' Bob Carpenter calls the fourth through the top of the seventh.

Orioles sideline reporter Amber Theoharis will be joined by the Nationals' Debbi Taylor to report on their respective teams throughout the game. During the seventh-inning stretch, the two will engage in a mixed martial arts match just behind the mound. The loser has to wax the winner's car.

Yes, I made that up. I mean, you can only take unique so far.
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blahbblahlahblah Catch Amber now, because she's too good for local

So many stupid things to comment on. First of all, when you have Gary Thorne, you don't humiliate Bob Carpenter by making him step in for the middle innings. By comparison, Carpenter will feel like a AAA radio guy. Amber Theoharris is one of the best female sideline reporters AND radio hosts in the entire industry. We're months if not weeks away from ESPN bringing her in, or at least Fox or CBS for NFL games. You're really going to throw Debbi Taylor in alongside her?

Second of all, MASN already has two channels. Just give your viewers a Nats broadcast and an O's broadcast. This method just pisses everyone off. Are you really trying to shave a couple bucks for the one series that guarantees you ratings on BOTH networks?

I know the MASN situation is unique, as Angelos owns the rights to both team's broadcasts through his fleecing of Major League Baseball, but can you imagine the YES Network mixing Yankees and Mets broadcasters? There'd be anarchy.

I know the Nats are a two-bit AAA operation, but do they really have to infect the Orioles too?

5 Responses:

WFY said...

It is a typical stupid MASN decision, but I don't think an Orioles fan can really go around calling other team's two-bit AAA operations.

J-Red said...

Sorry, have you not heard "Nuts over the Nats" yet?

For all the O's disastrous personnel moves the past decade, probably the only unfair criticism is that they haven't been trying. If anything, they've been fielding HAS BEEN Major League talent, not a bunch of AAA scrubs like the Nats and Pirates.

Anonymous said...

A "two-bit AA operation"? You can kiss my ass.

J-Red said...

Sir, I called it a two-bit AAA operation.

And one of the bloggers here is a Nats fan. I'm sure he'll echo your sentiments as soon as the wife gives him a break from picking out bedskirts.

WFY said...

Nuts About the Nats - meh. It is no worse than Oriole's Magic.

The combined booth wasn't too bad. The tilted home plate camera was tough to watch though. I should have had a drink.

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