Dumb and Dumnber

[lsilvest]

I don't know who's worse, ESPN or D* (OK, ESPN is hard to beat for irritation and incompetence). D* always blames the provider for blackouts, but their arguments don't always wash.

ESPN always ties up 3 games in the 3:30ET slot and has one regional game (and their sense of regions is more than questionable) on ABC and one on either ESPN or ESPN2. The third is not available in one's particular "region". Yesterday, for my region (I'm in Colorado), they had 3 possibilities: Nebraska-Northwester, Texas Tech-TCU, and South Fla-Louisville. The ESPN map showed that the Nebraska-Northwestern game would be on ABC and the TTech-TCU game on ESPN2 HD & SD (I mention that because sometines they only have SD available) for my region. ESPN is irritating to begin with in their schedules because they never list their scheduled games until at least Thursday. This week, the 3:30ET games were only showing as TBA in the D* guide and even in the local guides for ABC, and this was on Saturday when the games were starting.

Anyway, I scheduled the TTech-TCU game for recording at 3:30ET on ESP2. When I started to watch the game later in the afternoon, after 22 minutes into the game there was a message that the recording was stopped due to a blackout! Absolutely no reason for a blackout, and why the hell did it even start and run for 22 minutes before that was announced?

I don't buy excuses from D* on this one even though it was obvious ESPN had screwed everything up initially. Just really tired of these "glitches" from D* for which they never have a valid excuse and it can't always be the provider's fault. I only have this service for sports and specifically college football to begin with. Really pissed at missing what turned out to be a very entertaining game and just had to vent.

 

[Mr Tony]

The early game ran long...ran until about 2:45 Central Time

The whole thing yesterday was screwed up. Here in Minneapolis we had Nebraska/Northwestern on ABC. ESPN2 guide showed that game on there too (so it would be blacked out) yet showed TT/TCU on there (guide was wrong) and in the clear
210-1 (or whatever the alternate channel was) said TT/TCU and that was blacked out too

looking at the maps something goes hosed up

so somehow the games got flipped on Directv

 

[Jimbo]

I think it was last week, but the Michigan game was on ESPN, ESPN2 AND the LOCAL ABC, all at the same time while other games should have been shown.

Not sure HOW that could happen, fortunately none of the games we ones I wanted to see.

 

[lsilvest]

A lot of this happens because ESPN has too much control and jacks the games and times around. I think most of yesterday's delays in scheduling actually started with CBS having three SEC games tied up for their once-a-year option to take whatever SEC game they want for the 3:30ET CBS SEC game of the week. So ESPN had to wait until CBS decided and had to move LSU-TA&M and Bama-Tenn to times other than the 3:30ET time slot. When's the last time you saw a major game (especially SEC) scheduled for the early time slots (12:00ET)?

While I'm venting, anyone else fed up with all the garbage on the screen on ESPN channels. First it was the bottom scroll crap, then the "coming up" side banner, now another side banner with scores. They might as well put the games in a little window up in the corner so the can fill the rest of the screen with their garbage. Sure glad there have been a lot of good games on Fox and FX this year so I can avoid ESPN.

 

[Mr Tony]

When's the last time you saw a major game (especially SEC) scheduled for the early time slots (12:00ET)?

LSU/TA&M was on at noon.....damn thing ran until almost 4:00 so it cut into the Nationwide race that started at 3:30 Eastern

While I'm venting, anyone else fed up with all the garbage on the screen on ESPN channels. First it was the bottom scroll crap, then the "coming up" side banner, now another side banner with scores. They might as well put the games in a little window up in the corner so the can fill the rest of the screen with their garbage. Sure glad there have been a lot of good games on Fox and FX this year so I can avoid ESPN.

agreed

 

[Jimbo]

While I'm venting, anyone else fed up with all the garbage on the screen on ESPN channels. First it was the bottom scroll crap, then the "coming up" side banner, now another side banner with scores. They might as well put the games in a little window up in the corner so the can fill the rest of the screen with their garbage. Sure glad there have been a lot of good games on Fox and FX this year so I can avoid ESPN.

Yes, I've been fed up with this crap for years, but if MY game is on espn, I have to use espn to watch it, don't watch espn to much anymore when my shows/games aren't on.

 

[Mo Fly]

While I'm venting, anyone else fed up with all the garbage on the screen on ESPN channels. First it was the bottom scroll crap, then the "coming up" side banner, now another side banner with scores. They might as well put the games in a little window up in the corner so the can fill the rest of the screen with their garbage. Sure glad there have been a lot of good games on Fox and FX this year so I can avoid ESPN.

yes, it's crap. but they think it's clever

they really need to take a look at their scheduling. games are getting longer and longer (thank you instant replay garbage). the last two texas a&m games have been 4 1/2 and 4 hours long! and neither one of those went into overtime.

 

[Mr Tony]

they really need to take a look at their scheduling. games are getting longer and longer (thank you instant replay garbage). the last two texas a&m games have been 4 1/2 and 4 hours long! and neither one of those went into overtime.

seems like any SEC game likes to run damn near 4 hours

 

[lsilvest]

seems like any SEC game likes to run damn near 4 hours

I've noticed that, too, which seems kind of funny since the Pac-12 and Big 12 throw so much you'd think they would be more noticeably longer. Although it could be that in neither conference does the ball hit the ground that much. All of the networks other than ESPN schedule for 3 1/2 hours for the most part. I've noticed that they are all starting to stagger their starting times instead of the 12:00, 3:30, 7:00 times that had been traditional and still are on ESPN.

 

[Jimbo]

I think the length of the games is more due to Commercials than Replay.