CFL to air without announcers?

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm not sure how many people here will get to see this tomorrow (Saturday) but I thought it was interesting.

Basically, the CBC locked out their union employees in a dispute over the use of part-time workers. They've been out all week, no immediate end in sight.

http://www.publicairwaves.ca/index.php?page=1136

Meanwhile, CBC has a CFL game to air this weekend, one way or another.
The network says they'll show the game with basically ambient sound only, just what the crowd & field mics pick up. But earlier in the week, the league was saying they didn't want that & was trying to work out some alternative (including the possibility of using U.S. based announcers working from a TV monitor).

However it turns out, it seemed interesting enough to at least throw in a short post about.

[Lathum]

hmm, I wonder if they would be able to pipe in the radio broadcast?

[Maple Leafs]

Didn't one of the US networks try this with the NFL years and years ago?

Wasn't well received, if I remember right.

[aran]

I wish that they'd air some games without announcers... It'd be enjoyable. Just give us the little stat pop-ups and perhaps interview footage more often.

I'd much rather listen to ambience than Maas, who announces some Giants games.

[Daimyo]

I wouldn't mind if the NFL did away with announcers... most of them take away from the table much more than they bring to it.

[gstelmack]

I don't mind announcers talking about the on-field action (as long as they are actually WATCHING the game, John Madden). It's all the fluff bits they like to do INSTEAD of showing the action. I think it was Dr. Z on CNN that commented on the Monday night game, where they kept showing Suzy Kolber interviews instead of game action. That drives me nuts.

[pennywisesb]

I wouldn't mind if the NFL did away with announcers... most of them take away from the table much more than they bring to it.

ie. the Monday night football crew for ESPN. Joe Theisman is like football's version of Bill Walton. I can't stand that guy.

[SelzShoes]

Didn't one of the US networks try this with the NFL years and years ago?

Wasn't well received, if I remember right.
NBC did it in 1983 for a regional game. The purpose was to test sound equipment for the LA Olympics, so in that respect it was a success. I think people would be more willing to go for it nowadays, given the (percieved)general suckyness of announcers. Just talk about the game!

[Pumpy Tudors]

Which Canadian network shows "SportsCentre"? That's the feed that I can pick up here in the Pittsburgh area, and I also got to see it in New Orleans. That's TSN, right? I would really like to see this experiment, since I watch CFL games whenever I can, but if it's only CBC, I suppose I'll still hear announcers.

[rexallllsc]

Somewhat related, a cool thing they do on the CBC sometimes (or that I saw once) was for a hockey game, the teams came out, were doing their pre-game skate (1:30-2 minutes long), and then they anthems.

No talking the whole time.

Very cool.

[Klinglerware]

I think they do this in Japan, sort of--I've seen telecasts of Japanese baseball games where they show the game on the field without any announcing, but they do a recap of the previous inning's highlights during breaks in the action...

[Cringer]

They need to just put mics and cameras up where the Ottawa chicks are flashing people (http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2005/08/21/1181719-sun.html) , and we are all good. No play by play guy really needed for that.

Wacky Canadian football league, they're so silly.

[Fonzie]

One good play-by-play guy. That's all you need.

[FrogMan]

I wanted to comment on that game as I stumbled upon it while channel surfing Saturday night. Was kind of weird, no talking and a very loud crowd noise, but they had everything else, I mean replays and stats on screen. I watched maybe 5 minutes of it as I had no interest in any of the teams, but I found it kind of interesting.

FM

[Draft Dodger]

NBC did it in 1983 for a regional game. The purpose was to test sound equipment for the LA Olympics, so in that respect it was a success. I think people would be more willing to go for it nowadays, given the (percieved)general suckyness of announcers. Just talk about the game!

never heard of this one.
the game I think ML was referring to was a nation-wide NBC broadcast in 1980 of the Jets/Dolphins. I remember watching it, and I think very fondly of it everytime I hear Phil Simms or Joe Theisman talk.

[Cydney]

I tried watching it, and I have to say that it just doesn't work. Maybe it's because I don't have to put up with shitty announcers, I'm really supportive of the guys on CBC, but I couldn't really follow the action. You would think that it would be just like watching the game live, but it's not, if only because you're still restricted to the view of the camera.

[Karim]

I gave it about 5 minutes as well. It just didn't work for me.

[aran]

"Renegades president Cuddles " that sounds just a tad bit funny/weird/awesome.

I can just picture that white teddy bear with an ammo belt and a tommy gun herding refugees onto a boat, leaving the US as the "renegade president"...

[Draft Dodger]

I gave it about 5 minutes as well. It just didn't work for me.

yeah, that whole 3 down thing is just bizarre.
wait, you mean the no announcer thing? nevermind.

[SFL Cat]

Ottawa chicks are flashing people (http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2005/08/21/1181719-sun.html)

px pls, thx