London 2012: Live! Or not.

Last night, 17-year-old American Missy Franklin was getting set to compete for the Gold in the 100m backstroke. NBC had just done a fantastic feature about Franklin's life at school and at home, and she was really being set up to be one of the faces of these Olympic Games. It was around 9:00 PM ET.

Too bad the race had already happened hours before. 

And too bad that NBC aired a promo for "Gold medalist Missy Franklin" two minutes before she actually won the race. 

Whoops. 

But NBC isn't the only one playing spoiler. Yesterday, I was foolish enough to glance at a television screen showing SportsCenter. The ESPN Bottomline made sure that I knew how men's gymnastics would play out later that night. The US finished 5th. But not on television. That didn't happen until much later.

And therein lies the problem. Due to the time difference, all of the events in London are taking place from about eight in the morning to about seven at night. NBC could show all of these events live, but they have instead decided to forego showing the biggest events (swimming, gymnastics, etc) live in favor of pushing them to primetime. Thus, the only live events you may see on TV are volleyball, judo, handball, and various other peripheral events. 

NBC is allowing people to view a free online stream of the events as they take place. I tried that for the men's gymnastics last night. After about twenty seconds of one athlete's floor routine, I was treated to buffering, freezing, and eventually a blank screen. Apparently I'm not the only one who is having a problem. 

The decision to save events for primetime obviously makes sense from a ratings standpoint. Millions will tune in to watch the women's team compete for the team gymnastics title tonight. The same will tune in to see if Michael Phelps can become the most decorated Olympian of all time. Unfortunately, we live in a world of Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and live feeds and blogs and ESPN and radios and televisions. 

WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY. 

We have technology that can tell us who is doing what at any given second. It's not even advanced. It's literally one person at the Olympics tweeting who won gold, getting retweeted a hundred thousand times, and just like that, the results are in. Now multiply that one person by dozens of reporters and a bevy of other spectators, and even the athletes themselves. There is no possible way to avoid finding out the results unless you turn off the internet, TV, radio, and your phone. Even then, you still might be subject to a spoiler on the very network who has it in its best interest NOT to spoil the race. 

I've already begun to take the precautions that I just mentioned. My TweetDeck has been turned off. Facebook is being checked sparingly. I want to see who wins the women's team competition tonight, and I want to see it with at least a little cloud of doubt hanging over the result. 

So yeah - big deal. Kid has to go a few days without his Facebook and his twitter. Tough life. 

But we shouldn't have to. Evidenced by their rebranding of Versus to become NBC Sports Network last January, NBC is trying to become a major player in sports. They have hockey. They have Sunday Night Football. And they have the Olympics. Sadly, they're dropping the ball big time on that last one. 

A sports network should dedicate itself to showing events live whenever possible. There is no difference between showing gymnastics live in the morning (and then replaying it at night) and not showing gymnastics live in the morning and tape delaying it until primetime. 

No matter what, the results are out there for all to see. At least give us the chance to see them while they happen.

And I'm not talking about a feed. 

Sherman's Road to the Regional: Part 2

This is part two of a three-part series following one of the lead broadcasters for Cornell Big Red baseball. Make sure to read Part 1 HERE. 

“And it’s a beautiful day for baseball here at Boshamer Stadium at UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina, at least for the time being…” were the words that got the show started in perfect fashion. Alex introduced the audience to the Cornell At Bat broadcast with the warning that inclement weather may be in our future. Nevertheless, it was finally time for baseball, and we could not have been any more excited. After our pregame show that consisted of a 15 minutes summary of the most important observations that we had to offer to the audience, UNC took the field. Left handed UNC starter Hobbs Johnson dealt a first pitch ball to Cornell second baseman Brenton Peters, and we were off and running. Well, at least in the broadcast booth.

After a seemingly harmless 1-0 deficit through 3 1/2 innings (that could have been worse if our shortstop Marshall Yanzick didn’t make an incredible diving catch in shallow left field to save multiple runs), the wheels started to come off. Cornell starting pitcher Rick Marks got into trouble by surrendering 4 consecutive hits and ultimately allowed four runs in the 4th inning to fall behind 5-0.

We as broadcasters have to try to remain relatively impartial, but at that point we were optimistically searching for a game plan that would help our Big Red overcome a five-run deficit against one of the best teams in the country. That’s where senior centerfielder and team leader Brian Billigen came to the rescue.

After the Big Red ran themselves out of the inning by recording the final out on a play at home plate to end the 5th, Marshall Yanzick led off the 6th inning with an infield single, and Billigen stepped up to the plate 0-2 on the day with two strikeouts. “

Now would be a great time for his first hit,” are the words that Billigen apparently needed to hear from the Cornell broadcast booth. Knowing that he’d get a good pitch in a 2-0 count, he drilled a fastball deep to right center field that cleared the wall for a two-run homer, cutting the deficit to three, and sending Cornell back to the clubhouse with positive thoughts, as the inevitable rain delay commenced right after the home run. But this delay could not have come at a better time; not only had we just homered to get right back into the game, but it gave Alex and I a chance to talk to Rich Booth.

Rich was extremely influential in giving the baseball team and our broadcast team the opportunity to travel to North Carolina in the first place, and we were happy to have the time to thank him and have the pleasure of discussing some Big Red baseball with him. It really hit home with me when Rich talked about how important this baseball team was for the alumni and the entire Cornell community, and we certainly realized how much of an honor it was to play just a small role in their incredible and historic season. But in order for their season to continue, the Big Red had to return from the rain delay as hot as they were going into it.

As the 6th inning continued, it looked like that was what was going to happen, as the Big Red loaded the bases and tacked on another run. But what seemed to be the trend for Cornell throughout the regional games is that they couldn’t quite break the game open and run away with it. They miss an opportunity with the bases loaded, allowed two more runs in the bottom of the 6th to fall behind 7-3, added a run in the 8th to make it a 7-4 game, and brought the tying run up to the plate several times in the ninth against one of the best closers in the nation, Michael Morin. It was hard not to feel the intensity that this game had created, even in our broadcast booth in the second deck. We were certainly confident in our chances to tie the ballgame and keep the game alive.

Unfortunately, it did not work in our favor. But after falling to UNC in a tight 7-4 ballgame, we felt confident going into Saturday against East Carolina. In the few games that Alex and I witnessed from the booth during the 2012 season, this team’s will to win and propensity to come through in the clutch was quite evident. The fight that the Big Red put up in this game against the Tar Heels and the clutch performances they had against both Princeton late in the season and against Dartmouth in the Ivy League Championship Series gave us hope that Saturday’s game would not be our last.

Check out Part 3 coming soon! 

Gimenez's Road to the Regional: Part 1

Jesse Sherman

This is Part one of a three-part series following one of the lead broadcasters for Cornell Big Red baseball.

Having the opportunity to call Cornell Baseball games this past year was truly a dream come true for me.  I got the idea when I visited Cornell for Cornell Days and had no idea just how far the experience would take me, especially not in my first year of putting things together.  To be honest, I had done my homework. I knew Cornell’s baseball team had struggled the last few years, and was the worst team in the Ivy League in 2011.  Because of that, I assumed I’d be broadcasting for the worst team in the Ivy League in 2012, but they surprised the hell out of me, and gave me a gift that not many aspiring broadcasters are able to attain in their first year on the job.  That gift, was a trip to an NCAA Regional.

When Chris Cruz blasted his record breaking 12^thhomerun of the season in the bottom of the 11^th inning of game 3 to win the Ivy League Championship Series, I knew that no matter what, I had to follow the Big Red to their second NCAA Regional in over a hundred years of existence as a program.  History was being made and I knew I wanted to be a part of it and most importantly, I wanted the team to get the coverage they had fought for all year long and deserved so much.  After a month of planning and coordinating, I was getting off the plane at Ithaca/Tompkins airport, back in Ithaca just a week after returning home from the spring semester. 

It was Monday May 28 at 11:45 which meant that ESPN’s College Baseball Regional Selection show was going to start in fifteen minutes.  I had taken a risk flying to Ithaca before we had been placed in a regional.  There was a chance that the Big Red would be traveling to the University of Miami, which is just 15 minutes away from my home, but I had been offered a chance to travel with the team, and I didn’t want to pass it up, even if it meant getting on a plane and flying right back to where I came from.  So as you can imagine, I was pretty anxious to find out where we were headed.  I got a cab to pick up my car at the RPCC parking lot, looked down at my watch and saw that it was already past noon.  I was set to meet the team at Buffalo Wild Wings for the selection show so I jumped in my car and hauled down Buffalo St. Fortunately, I made it before the big announcement.  I remember walking into the restaurant and seeing the whole team huddled in a private room anxiously watching the TV screens and realizing just how amazing this experience must be for all of them.  I took my place next to Brandon Thomas, a friend and our contact in Athletic Communications, and pitching coach, Scott Marsh, to watch the show. 

It was hilarious to watch as each host school popped up on the screen and immediately you could tell whether or not the players wanted to make the trip to that location.  When a Florida or California school went off the board without the Big Red getting their number called, there was a groan of frustration, and when Little Rock, Arkansas went off the board, there was cheering.  We had been sitting there for quite awhile and we all had our predictions.  I thought we were going to Houston and coach Scott Marsh had called UNC Chapel Hill from the beginning. All of a sudden UNC came up on the screen and very quickly it was announced that the Big Red were making the trip to Chapel Hill.  The player’s were happy with this selection, and not at all intimidated at the prospects of having to face the sixth ranked team in the country. I had played baseball myself in Miami, considered playing in college at the D3 level, and knew many players who had either been drafted or gone on to play college baseball.  Of all my teammates, in fact, of all the players who had come through my middle/high school during my seven years there, I was the first to make it to an NCAA Regional, and if it was humanly possible, I felt just as excited as the guys in uniform. 

The next few days were a whirlwind of excitement.  Tuesday was media day which brought many local media groups to Hoy Field to interview the Big Red players.  Naturally, as a member of the media, I was in attendance and got to hear what guys like Rick Marks and Kellen Urbon were saying about the upcoming regional. The consensus among the team was that after playing again each other for over a month, they were ready to face an actual opponent, even if that meant going head-to-head with the Tar Heels.  I was overwhelmed by the sense of confidence the team had and that confidence would remain throughout the next few days.  They may not have convinced the rest of the country, but they had me convinced that they could beat anyone. 

The next day I got to travel on my first privately chartered team jet, which is just as cool as it sounds.  We were flying on a 737 with a full crew and only about a third of the plane filled.  It was one of the most relaxed flight I’ve ever been on. I spread myself out and started putting together my notes for the upcoming games.  Before we took off, Brian Billigen, the senior leader on the team played the role of stewardess, walking up and down the aisle handing out pretzels.  It was a hilarious sight, the Big Red Center Fielder and eventual Arizona Diamondback signee handing out pretzels to his coaches, teammates, and a random freshman broadcaster.   When we arrived at the hotel, I met up with my color guy Jesse Sherman, and the intense preparation began.

For two days, Jesse and I looked through every piece of information we could get our hands on.  I looked through all of my files on the team, wrote notes on each player based on interviews I had listened to, crunched numbers, looked at splits, and everything in between.  I wanted to know the UNC Tar Heels better than anyone else so I even called a few contacts who had seen Tar Heel players in the Cape Cod summer league to get more perspective.   Between Jesse, Brandon, and I, we had talked about every possible scenario that could occur and were trying to play head coach and figure out how the pitchers would be used.  I think I had closer Kellen Urbon starting a game in four different scenarios, which goes to show you how crazy we got with our analysis of the team. The preparation was grueling. It felt like a week had gone by and it had only been a day and a half, but when you're waiting for the biggest game of your life in the booth, time seems to slow down.

It was incredibly special to stay with the team in the team hotel, you get to have certain priceless interactions with players in the elevator or riding to the stadium on the team bus that allows you an entrance into their minds and thought process.  That coupled with all of our preparation, left me armed with much to talk about on the air the next day.

Check out Part 2 next week! 

Sherman's Road to the Regional: Part 1

Jesse Sherman

This is Part one of a three-part series following one of the lead broadcasters for Cornell Big Red baseball.

Hopping aboard my 12:55 PM flight from New York JFK en route to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, I had no idea what to expect. During the Spring semester, I had the pleasure of broadcasting a few home games for the Cornell Big Red baseball team on our home turf at Hoy Filed. I even got to be in the press box when right fielder Chris Cruz launched a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to clinch the Ivy League Championship Series for the Red, sending us to the NCAA regionals. But I felt like I was entering a new world while walking onto that flight.

Just a few days prior, I was sitting at home on Long Island, New York watching the selection show that revealed that the Cornell Big Red, making its first NCAA appearance since 1977, would be traveling to the Chapel Hill regional to face off against the nation’s sixth ranked team, the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At that moment, it hit me: not only was our baseball team about to have the opportunity of a lifetime to showcase their skills at a world-class facility in North Carolina, but so did the Cornell At Bat broadcast team that I was so lucky to be a member of. The plans were finalized, and upon arriving at the hotel in Raleigh North Carolina, the awe factor had to be set aside and it was time to get down to business.


Having two days to prepare for the Big Red’s showdown with the Tar Heels, my colleague Alex Gimenez and I poured over an immense amount of statistics, interviews, and matchup previews that required hours of focus to comprehend and consolidate into an understandable story for the broadcast. Despite the amount of time it may take to review all of the materials available to us, it is necessary to know as much information about the teams and players as possible because that is the only way to deliver an effective and interesting broadcast for our listeners. Perhaps what helped us most, however, was the hour and a half batting and fielding practice that the Big Red took at North Carolina’s Boshamer Stadium just one day before the big game.

After traveling on the bus with the team and watching them interact in the hotel and on the field, it was quite clear that this team epitomized a ball club with top-notch camaraderie. There was no fear in the eyes of anyone on this team, which, despite having to face one of the country’s top teams, had tied a school record with 31 wins and was confident about its chances in the regional.

The first minute of batting practice consisted of the wide-eyed Cornell team and staff admiring the impressive facilities of Boshamer Stadium, but from there it was business as usual. Batting practice and fielding practice commenced and it was clear that the team knew that they belonged here, as player after player launched balls into the gaps and into the trees that sat beyond the outfield walls of the beautiful ballpark.

Meanwhile, I, along with the rest of the Cornell athletic staff, was taken on a tour of the stadium that got us accustomed to our surroundings for the weekend. The tour included a visit the UNC baseball Hall of Fame, a stroll through the clubhouses, batting cages, weight rooms, and, most importantly for our purposes, a view from the press-box and radio booths that we would have access to throughout the weekend.

Batting practice ended and we knew that the next time we would return to the stadium would be the next day just hours before it was time for the players to take the field and for us to broadcast live from the NCAA regional. In the mean time, we went back to the hotel to finish up our preparation and to get ready for a team dinner that was only fitting for this Cornell team. Everyone with the team for the weekend, including players, parents, coaches, staff, and alumni, gathered and enjoyed a huge Italian family-style dinner, which I found to be appropriate style for this group of people that embraced each other as family. We were in it together, and the team knew that they would not be in the position they were in without all of the people around them picking each other up along the way.

The Friday afternoon game was drawing near, and after what felt like the longest two days of waiting for game time, the scheduled start time (to the delight of most everyone) was moved to earlier in the afternoon because of expected rain storms later in the day. Taking a seat behind the microphone in the booth that gave us a bird’s eye view of the game right behind home plate in the second deck, an adrenaline rush kicked in for the Cornell At Bat broadcast team.

Friday June 1st, 2012, 2:45 PM: it was time to go on-air.

Check out Part 2 of this adventure next week!