Delaying the game for television ads is wrong
Roar Pro
By Michael C, 20 Aug 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- AFL, Collingwood Magpies, Richmond Tigers
On the weekend, Collingwood faced up to Richmond at the MCG. The Tigers started brightly, but were quickly put in their place. Come the second quarter, a goal was scored by Collingwood. The broadcasters – as they do – went straight to an ad break.
However, an ‘off the ball’ incident saw a free-kick awarded to Collingwood.
Alas, the umpire held the ball for about 30 seconds as he awaited the light to stop flashing. Normally, there’s no more than a couple of seconds taken up during this post goal procedure.
Not this day.
And, with the Tigers having plenty of time to push back and tempers already on edge, it’s no surprise that not long after, a melee broke out.
Perhaps the AFL should have taken responsibility and fined itself. Surely the broadcasters can wear that once in a blue moon this sort of free-kick can be awarded and they might miss some action.
The game should not be held up for 20-30 seconds waiting for an ad to run on some live feed somewhere.
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tifosi said | August 20th 2009 @ 5:43am | Report comment
Unfortunately, those tv ads are what pay the bills. Like you mentioned its pretty rare that it occurs so i guess broadcasters are just used to going to ads straight away. Maybe from now on they might wake up.
Rugby and league suffer the same fate as well, many times after an ad break you see the game has already
restarted.
But it could be worse, ask any american about the coverage of the NFL and you will likely get an earful about how many ads they show. I believe they even have timeouts so they can show ads.
bruski said | August 20th 2009 @ 6:28am | Report comment
It was worse for the Titans V Bunnies match last Friday night. The Titans playing away from home so our mates at 9 decided to make it the 2nd game to be televised.
So we watch the first game which is 80 minutes long but it is drawn out to 130 minutes for ads. Fair enough. The Titans game then starts..
During the first half of this 2nd game there were a lot, and I mean a lot of TMO decisions which we were forced to sit through, after the decision was made which took up to 5 minutes at times we then went to a bank of 12-16 ad’s. Fast forward to the start of the 2nd half and the time approaching 11 o’clock and I had had enough. Not because I was sick of watching so many ad’s but because I could not keep my eyes open.
So, you have to wonder why our mates at 9 insist on wanting 2 games on Friday night if they play both of them at the same time, IE 7:30 instead of alternating them as they do on other occasions.
With the game of Rugby League having trouble getting eyes to watch it you would think that one its most loyal markets which happens to be South East Queensland would have the option of watching their team live when playing away from home at a reasonable time.
It may pay the bills tifosi but it sure as hell does not make much sense to televise games no-one is going to watch, particularly when the Friday night games are meant to be the pick of the games that week!
Bruski.
AndyRoo said | August 20th 2009 @ 9:15am | Report comment
In regards to the titans, they would normally be the 7:30 game as it’s pretty rare for another QLD team to be playing on the same night.
This week I would prefer to be watching the Eels vs Tigers being billed as one of the games of the season but instead it will be Broncos vs Dragons.
I don’t fully understand what the article is talking about in regards to the red light. Does that mean the game actually gets held up as there is a red light at the ground where the TV company has the ability to stop the game?
So they can’t play when the TV company is showing an advertisement?
That seems very odd, are there any other sports that do this. I know league and Football don’t have such a mechanism, it’s up to the TV company to work around the game.
Michael C said | August 20th 2009 @ 9:53am | Report comment
There’s a flashing light in the stadium (just a little one) that the umpires will keep an eye on and not restart after a goal until it’s finished flashing – - – it’s an agreed perhaps 20 or 30 second slot – - and given that that’s normally about right for the time consumed after a goal is scored before the restart can happen – - then that’s okay. The clock is stopped for the game anyway – - so, it’s not lost time from the match action perspective.
MyGeneration said | August 20th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
As stated above, the NFL has TV timouts and, I believe, the NBA and NHL as well. It seems to be mainly an American thing, not surprisingly.
Pippinu said | August 20th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
AndyRoo
for a while the AFL, FTAs and umps have followed a protocol whereby whenever a goal is scored, the station runs an ad while the boundary umps are gathering and returning the ball to the centre, the umps will hold off balling it up until they get the signal (a light up on the scoreboard I believe) to say that we’re back live.
As MC says, normally 20 to 30 seconds and it’s something we’re accustomed to.
And as Tifosi says, this is what pays the bills. With 20 to 30 goals per game, spread over two and a half hours, the AFL offer FTAs plenty of value and that drives up the value of the TV rights – it’s something that many non-AFL people appear to forget whenever this debate comes up.
In this instance, a free kick was awarded immediately after the goal, in place of a ball up, but the ump was still forced to hold up play for the signal – not great, but it’s a rare circumstance I would have thought.
My Gen
this is a bit different to a time out in the sense that the it’s a natural gap in the game, i.e. under normal circumstances it takes the boundary ump 20 to 30 seconds to gather and return the ball, and spectators are generally still excitedly talking about the goal just scored or whatever, until the umps restarts the game with a bounce.
Most fans prefer the uninterrupted coverage on Pay TV, unsurprisingly, but we’re all now quite accustomed to FTA’s filling that natural gap with an ad or two.
Very, very occasionally, you get a game where no goal has been scored in 15 to 20 minutes (rare, but it can happen), and in absolute desperation the station just cuts coverage to go to an ad (because it would have sold ad time, and it has to squeeze it in one way or the other).
Michael C said | August 20th 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
A clear reason broadcasters love Docklands stadium – - with a roof you don’t get any of those old mud heap games with 3 goals each.
I look at Rnd 17 1984,Date: Sat 28-Jul-1984
Carlton 2.3 4.6 6.7 7.10 52 Venue: Princes Park
Melbourne 0.3 0.3 3.6 3.8 26 10 goals total
Collingwood 1.2 3.8 3.14 6.19 55 Venue: Victoria Park
Geelong 1.3 2.3 4.3 4.5 29 10 goals total
Footscray 0.3 0.7 0.8 3.14 32 Venue: Western Oval
Essendon 0.6 0.7 3.9 4.10 34 7 goals total
Fitzroy 4.5 4.6 8.8 11.11 77 Venue: Junction Oval
Hawthorn 4.1 5.5 6.7 10.7 67
St Kilda 2.6 3.7 5.8 5.12 42 Venue: Waverley Park
North Melbourne 1.3 5.7 5.10 5.14 44 10 goals total
Richmond 2.6 5.12 9.15 12.19 91 Venue: M.C.G.
Sydney 1.4 3.6 3.8 3.10 28
4 of 6 games with 10 goals or less – - the broadcasters wouldn’t have been falling over themselves if this was still liable to happen,
but, now, with stuff all cricket pitches, with wonderfully drained and maintained ovals, and with no reserves chopping up the ground first, and Docklands with a roof etc etc,
the goals generally come freely enough, regularly enough – to satisfy the value requirements for advertisers for FTA broadcasting.
Did all this happen by accident??
Pippinu said | August 20th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
I think gradually people started putting 2 and 2 together and came to a logical conclusion (with prompting from the Americans I might add).
But I recall the mud heaps of the 70s, and I doubt someone would have been standing on the outer at the time, in the wind and rain, tinny in hand thinking: If we could build a ground with a roof over it – someone will pay us a billion bucks to show the game on TV.
AndyRoo said | August 20th 2009 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Ok that is the funniest thing I have read for quite a while.
Seems strange that the now number 1 football code in Australia was run by someone standing in the outer with a tinny…but it worked!
BigAl said | August 20th 2009 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
When the Saints had their home ground at Moorabbin, it was pretty well known that they would take every oportunity to . . . ‘intensively irrigate’ the ground – thus turning the centre into a quagmire!
. . . it better suited their style of play – and game plan.
Pippinu said | August 20th 2009 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
I should add that when we use the term “game plan” in relation to the Saints of the 80s, we are using it very, very loosely!!
BigAl said | August 20th 2009 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
Of course ! – they never had one.
Pippinu said | August 20th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
I remember that game against Essendon (7 goals for the entire game), from memory, Essendon scored the winning goal very late in the game.
There must have been a similar weekend in 1991 when Carlton only scored one goal, and that was late in time on in the last quarter from the boundary!!!
Michael C said | August 20th 2009 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
that round, the Saturday wasn’t too bad, but, Carlton and the Doggies played on the Sunday – the only other game on was at the SCG, a 44 goal shoot out with the Bears getting up.
The Doggies 8.9.57 def Carl 1.10.16.
Fitzroy had the bye.
The Western Oval must’ve got chopped up, because the following week you had a 35 all draw, Dogs 4.11 vs Swans 5.5.
In 1989, rnd 11 was quite wet, W.Carey made his debut for North vs Fitzroy, we held them to 1.8.14, vs 6.13.49.
3 games in Melb on the Saturday:Date: Sat 10-Jun-1989
Richmond 0.4 1.7 5.11 5.15 45 2:10 PM Att:7,966 Venue: M.C.G.
Brisbane Bears 3.2 3.4 3.7 3.8 26
Fitzroy 0.4 0.4 1.6 1.8 14 Att:7,817 Venue: Princes Park
North Melbourne 0.6 1.10 4.12 6.13 49
Footscray 3.1 7.4 8.4 9.8 62 Att:17,060 Venue: Waverley Park
St Kilda 1.4 2.7 6.10 7.12 54
You quickly see that the crap weather has always scared people away!!
Note – that weekend, there was a game at Subiaco Coll 116 def WCE 81.
2 weeks later :
this classic at Windy Hill
Essendon 2.2 3.2 3.7 3.10 28 Date: Sat 24-Jun-1989 2:10 PM Att:13,429 Venue: Windy Hill
Footscray 1.2 2.2 2.2 3.5 23
Pippinu said | August 21st 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
I remember that Swans draw at the Western Oval – yeh – it was bitter – cold, wet, windy – and a game to match!!
We were leading comfortably all day, and then the Swans scored two goals in two minutes during the last quarter (the only goals of the last quarter), and all of a sudden we’re behind – I couldn’t believe it!!
Late in time on, looking like we’re going to go down, and no one had scored anything for yonks, Super Macpherson grabbed the ball from a boundary throw in and went the torp – miraculously it skidded through for a point, and we got the draw.
albatross said | August 21st 2009 @ 10:46am | Report comment
>>spectators are generally still excitedly talking about the goal just scored or whatever
It’s mostly “whatever” in my experience ie. screaming abuse at one player or umpire or another.
Pippinu said | August 21st 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
what’s wrong with that??!!
would you rather some tea and scones??
albatross said | August 21st 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Nothing at all. It was just you suggested that some sort of civilized social intercourse was conducted on such occasions,
Pippinu said | August 21st 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
did I suggest civilised social intercourse?
albatross said | August 25th 2009 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
Well yes…
spectators are generally still excitedly talking about the goal just scored or whatever
Michael C said | August 21st 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
or, looking at the scoreboard big screen for a replay…..NOT of the shot on goal, but the beaut mark or the controversial umpiring decision….and when given ONLY the shot on goal – just being generally abusive!!
(oh, and filling in the goal kickers column in the footy record)
cosmos forever said | August 20th 2009 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
Begs the question – why do the umps run so furiously fast (and do their hilarious little jumps in the square) to get back to the middle. Just walk boys – you’ve got 30 seconds!
Pippinu said | August 21st 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Cosmos
it’s one of those quirky sorts of things that can be asked of all games.
Why do linesmen still use those hilariously quaint little flags??
How come in aussie rules we can make 200 interchanges during a game, but in soccer, a player can stand on the side line for 5 minutes waiting to come on – and there has to be this big song and dance about making a straight swap (and there are only 22 players on the field!!)
How come a ref is allowed to blow the whistle for full time as the ball is crossing the line for a goal??
So many questions, so few answers…
davelee said | August 24th 2009 @ 5:27pm | Report comment
what can u do?