It’s another one of those self-sustaining TV mysteries. Why, every year, does NBC ensure that the very best its Kentucky Derby coverage can be is only half-decent and unacceptably incomplete? It can’t be for a sensible reason; might it be for spite?
A recurring theme throughout Saturday’s telecast was this: With 20 horses going on a sloppy track, the odds had radically shifted and likely would keep moving.
NBC’s on-camera personnel were lined up to deliver this message to an audience in large part comprised of folks who had, or soon would, have a wager on the race. At least twice the point was made that the previous longest-odds favorite in Derby history, 6-1, could be (and was) surpassed.
Yet NBC took this big, evolving story and repeatedly ignored it. For the next 90-plus minutes, instead of leaving the odds up along the top or bottom of the screen, NBC posted them once in a while, occasionally, now and then, seldom.
But NBC annually does this to Derby viewers and to itself. Imagine if the folks who run CNBC decided to keep the screen free of the latest stock market prices?
So, once again, when we need no graphics, the screen is loaded with them; when we need ’em, there’s nothing there.
Too bad. Otherwise, Saturday, NBC had some very good stuff. A feature on the 25 regular Joes (and at least one Josephine) who shared the $10,000 purchase of Noble’s Promise was particularly good.
At the piece’s end, NBC analyst and ex-jockey Gary Stevens provided some neat gift wrap, reminding us that working stiffs don’t own NFL or MLB teams, but they can own a horse in the Kentucky Derby.
“It’s like having a car in the Indianapolis 500,” he said, “only this one eats hay.”
It would have been nice — and made only complete sense — if we knew what the odds were on Noble’s Promise before, during and after that feature, especially on a 20-horse Derby day, a day when the weather significantly altered the odds.
*
A cross-promo too far: On Friday’s “Today” show, NBC, naturally, made room to sell its next day telecast of the Kentucky Derby. From Churchill Downs, Al Roker, who obviously didn’t belong on a horse, sat atop one while NBC Sports’ reporter/outrider Donna Brothers, also on horseback, came aside.
When Roker’s mount began to back up, Roker had zero clue or control. His horse backed beneath Brothers’, spooking it and throwing Brothers to the track. Smiling and apparently unhurt, Brothers, a trooper, quickly re-mounted. But what if Roker’s horse also had become agitated?
*
How many tens of thousands, yesterday, were conditioned to not watch golf — and miss not-yet 21 Rory McIlroy win by shooting an insane 10-under 62 (and CBS’s terrific coverage of it) — because Tiger Woods missed the cut?
*
Never, Never Land: The Montreal Canadiens, yesterday on NBC, opened their second round of the playoffs with more U.S. players (four) than French-Canadians (three).
*
Yesterday on YES, over tape of Robinson Cano briefly posing after a shot that bounced against the wall, Al Leiter explained that Cano at first “thought” he’d hit a home run. Well that does explain it. But we thought Cano had kicked that nasty habit.
*
White Sox-Yankees, Saturday, top of the second, A.J. Pierzynski hits a tough-chance grounder toward Cano. John Sterling takes it from there: “The throw to first. . . . In time! . . . and he’s safe.”
*
Golf Channel/CBS, Friday, did well to follow David Duval, 10 years ago ranked No. 1, sinking a 3-footer to avoid, ugh, five-putting.
*
Showtime’s Friday boxing card was analyst, host and tough son-of-a-gun Nick Charles’ last for a while; he’s renewing chemotherapy. Dudes, he’s one tough dude.
*
Those Callaway/Phil Mickelson golf tip inserts, as seen Friday during Golf Channel’s PGA coverage, continue to attract, hold. Mickelson’s crisp, firmly stated and concise instructions are easily remembered and applied, plus he’s a kick.
*
That word, again. SportsCenter’s Stan Verrett, Saturday, seemed to think that the key to the Lakers success is whether they play with “a swagger.”
*
Les Dennis, admired and adored producer/writer for NBC News and then NBC Sports, died, Friday. Dennis, 78, began in TV in 1966 at Ch. 4 in 1966, had been a New York newspaperman and taught high school English.
TV folks goin’ by the script
We long ago arrived at the point where interesting and/or significant happenstances — neat stuff — are lost to the indiscriminant appearances of pre-produced matter, blueprinting that should have been marked “Maybe.”
In other words, although the games aren’t scripted, many TV folks are too inflexible or too preoccupied with non-game matter to deviate from their script.
For example: With one out in the bottom of the first on Friday, White Sox up, 3-2, Robinson Cano was the runner on first, Alex Rodriguez was on third when Nick Swisher hit a hard bouncer to first baseman Paul Konerko. Konerko stepped on first — removing the force — then threw to second where Alexei Ramirez tagged out Cano to complete the double play and end the inning.
Ahh, but at that point there was much to consider. With the force play eliminated, Rodriguez would’ve/could’ve/should’ve scored had he touched the plate before Cano was tagged. Was Rodriguez aware of that? Did he bust it on contact?
Was Cano, as Florida reader Ken Siegel asks, even aware that the force at first might inspire him to get into a rundown that would allow Rodriguez to tie the game before the double play was completed?
Next, mix in Mickey Mantle’s famous dive back to first in Game 7 of the 1960 Yankees-Pirates World Series and YES had some fascinating stuff on the simmer, no?
YES went to inning-over commercials, but surely the matter would be addressed by Michael Kay and Al Leiter — likely attached to a video show and tell — in the top of the second.
Nope. The second inning began with the on-camera focus on roving reporter Kim Jones, who provided lengthy testimony to what we already knew — Cano is off to a really, really good start.
The neat stuff particulars that ended the first, if they had been noticed, were never even mentioned.