DGPT San Francisco Open

[lyleoross]

It isnt that i expect it to sound like live action, but discussing how one knew the event was going to happen and didn't want to spoil it isn't a good commentary style, imo. Again, Nate and Jerm handle this pretty well.

In general, I try and look for the more positive aspects in such things. Frankly speaking, these guys, all of them, have gotten so good at this so fast that i dont really feel i need to look for positives. Their darned good and need polish imo.

 

[Always Hyzer Lines]

As a note, Steve Dodge's commentaries are not to my liking. That said, his interview with Paul this last week was brilliant. He got a lot of interesting things out of Paul that I've never heard any pro say but that were oh wow moments. Complements!

What video is this?

 

[lyleoross]

What video is this?

He does a weekly DGPT YouTube cast. It was from the 23rd.

 

[JTacoma03]

Time for a bittersweet post - I haven't stirred the pot in awhile...

On the sweet/nostalgic side - I miss doing commentary. It's now been over a year. I don't think 2 pros together bring a wide enough perspective, and with the logistics of making it happen on quick turnarounds they don't prepare adequately IMO. I'm honestly not hating, I just don't enjoy the new style as much.

Bitter - it annoys me when pros ask for money to do commentary. They already make FAR more money than any of the media people do, plus just doing it raises their profile exponentially and sells their sig/tour discs. Some of these people are getting 5-figure royalty checks monthly, yet they feel like they need to take my job and get paid for it (on top of getting paid for doing theirs).

Yeah I know I'm being whiny, just had to get that off of my chest. It's just the combination of taking opportunities away from more qualified individuals who would really put their heart and soul into that task (not just the names you know today, but also people that would come up and prove themselves on the mic), and asking for more money to do so while treating it as a 2nd or 3rd priority. That just seems backwards to me.

 

[DiscFifty]

As a note, Steve Dodge's commentaries are not to my liking.

I still don't get his "look" and why he insists on trying to sell that as some kind of serious disc golf image. He just looks silly imop. But...I do respect what he's done and currently doing for the sport.

 

[onemilemore]

I totally agree. With the post production style that we painted ourselves in a corner with, it's very difficult to do play-by-play and color commentary. The action happens so fast and by the time you make a comment about one shot the screen is already two shots in front of you. It would require each front nine and back nine To be at least 10 to 15 additional minutes of filler to get really good in-depth commentary on the videos.

I would totally welcome this. It's been awhile since I've done commentary, but one thing I always tried to do with it is provide more context from stuff I saw on the ground that wasn't in the video. Thinking back to 2016 Worlds at Jones East: At one point Nikko was pissed and punched the ground really hard. Not in the video, and I think it would have been better to leave it in. Same with Ricky a hole or two later coming up limping after his drive (he was playing with a bum ankle that year).

I will say that Jomez has gotten better at leaving in significant context when needed, but I would definitely take a video that is 5 minutes longer to have some more post-shot context. It would make the storytelling aspect a bit richer, but you might need someone who was actually following the card instead of playing on another one to pull it off.

Talking to Cory from CCDG yesterday, the biggest impediment to improvements like this are simply time and manpower. He has ideas to splice in more interviews/real-time thoughts from the players, but they already work crazy hours. I think things will get there eventually, but we need more time.

 

[DiscFifty]

I thought Terry & Dixon did a great job on commentary. The "booth" is working great, but as soon as they left the booth they seemed more "detached" from the action. Terry's guestimations on distances were off, overall timing seemed off, gaps, etc, etc. I think someone should stay in the booth at all times and should be the main commentator and if someone leaves the booth to go out on the fairway, they do occasional updates, quick interviews, etc. But still...I thought the live commentary and the broadcasts all 3 rounds were great, job well done!

 

[onemilemore]

Time for a bittersweet post - I haven't stirred the pot in awhile...

On the sweet/nostalgic side - I miss doing commentary. It's now been over a year. I don't think 2 pros together bring a wide enough perspective, and with the logistics of making it happen on quick turnarounds they don't prepare adequately IMO. I'm honestly not hating, I just don't enjoy the new style as much.

Bitter - it annoys me when pros ask for money to do commentary. They already make FAR more money than any of the media people do, plus just doing it raises their profile exponentially and sells their sig/tour discs. Some of these people are getting 5-figure royalty checks monthly, yet they feel like they need to take my job and get paid for it (on top of getting paid for doing theirs).

Yeah I know I'm being whiny, just had to get that off of my chest. It's just the combination of taking opportunities away from more qualified individuals who would really put their heart and soul into that task (not just the names you know today, but also people that would come up and prove themselves on the mic), and asking for more money to do so while treating it as a 2nd or 3rd priority. That just seems backwards to me.

I don't see it as the players taking opportunities from others. It seems to me to be more of a demand issue. Fans EAT IT UP. There are virtual Reddit shrines to some comment Nate or Jerm make every week, so it makes sense for Jomez to bring them back.

I agree that the prep work isn't always there, but they have gotten better. Nate will often read post-round articles to get more information before the videos, and Jerm relies on a lot of the UDisc stats. I agree with you that one non-player and one current is ideal, but, financial ramifications aside, they are improving. The one thing I think they lack that someone like you brings to the table is that knack for setting the scene and bringing a little more gravitas to an important round.

 

[DiscFifty]

Bitter - it annoys me when pros ask for money to do commentary. They already make FAR more money than any of the media people do.....yet they feel like they need to take my job and get paid for it (on top of getting paid for doing theirs).

If you honestly feel that way, you should prove yourself more and do commentary on lesser known events and prove to the disc golf world you are the one to hire as a pro commentator. I personally thought you were going to become the "Jim Nantz" of the disc golf world, but something seems to have derailed that train.

Ian & Cory: With Ian handling camera duties and Cory on commentary, that's a team with some great possibilities. Cory is very good at commentating.

Nate & Jerm: I tend to fast forward over their commentary to be honest. I could be wrong, but Jerm just has that "why am I not on the lead card all the time!?" vibe when he does commentary. Nate is great..but I just want to see him playing rather than talking, his game is so good to watch.

Overall I still think Terry "The Disc Golf Guy" Miller has the right mix of a good speaking voice, limits the "bromance", and typically sticks to the action on hand. Still waiting for Terry & Jamie to showcase what a true pro disc golf commentary team could be.

 

[DiscJunkie]

Time for a bittersweet post - I haven't stirred the pot in awhile...

On the sweet/nostalgic side - I miss doing commentary. It's now been over a year. I don't think 2 pros together bring a wide enough perspective, and with the logistics of making it happen on quick turnarounds they don't prepare adequately IMO. I'm honestly not hating, I just don't enjoy the new style as much.

Bitter - it annoys me when pros ask for money to do commentary. They already make FAR more money than any of the media people do, plus just doing it raises their profile exponentially and sells their sig/tour discs. Some of these people are getting 5-figure royalty checks monthly, yet they feel like they need to take my job and get paid for it (on top of getting paid for doing theirs).

Yeah I know I'm being whiny, just had to get that off of my chest. It's just the combination of taking opportunities away from more qualified individuals who would really put their heart and soul into that task (not just the names you know today, but also people that would come up and prove themselves on the mic), and asking for more money to do so while treating it as a 2nd or 3rd priority. That just seems backwards to me.

Not sure about my take on all the above, but I do appreciate a little insight into your world and a peek into the behind-the-scenes considerations.

I do agree that your commentaries have a better production feel, but the players bring a more laid-back vibe to it. No doubt some of the player commentators are not good at all, and even the good ones are not good sometimes.
The Nate/Jerm show this week is the first one that's had me laughing out loud.
Bottom line: good, bad or indifferent, we don't care.
Entertain us and we'll tune in.

 

[ross]

What an incredible weekend of golf. The team that ran the tourney went above and beyond in putting on an incredible show for players and spectators alike. Great views and incredibly hard but fair challenges on the course. I'd be surprised if this tourney didn't become a top fixture on the tour for many years to come.
It was 21 years ago that we first proposed a disc golf course for this park -- it's really extraordinary to see how quickly it's come together in the last year and a half.

 

[Alobar]

I thought Terry & Dixon did a great job on commentary. The "booth" is working great, but as soon as they left the booth they seemed more "detached" from the action. Terry's guestimations on distances were off, overall timing seemed off, gaps, etc, etc. I think someone should stay in the booth at all times and should be the main commentator and if someone leaves the booth to go out on the fairway, they do occasional updates, quick interviews, etc. But still...I thought the live commentary and the broadcasts all 3 rounds were great, job well done!

This goes to show how wildly different all of our tastes are, as I couldn't disagree more.

I thought Terry and Dixon were terrible in the booth, and the echo in their commentary made them seem well detached from the action - they were only seeing what we were seeing, and added next to nothing.

I though the camera work was terrible. Bleached out wide shots where you could barely see the players, and a whole lot of camera wobble while walking to position.

I am not sold on Dixon in front of the camera. Don't really enjoy anything he does, from the pre-game, to commentary, to the attempt at humor with Wysocki more or less telling us to ignore foot faults.

 

[JTacoma03]

I don't see it as the players taking opportunities from others. It seems to me to be more of a demand issue. Fans EAT IT UP. There are virtual Reddit shrines to some comment Nate or Jerm make every week, so it makes sense for Jomez to bring them back.

I think your fandom is showing a bit here, because first you have to recognize that Ian is the king of /r/discgolf. Jerm and Nate are jesters in his court, and I'm the dude hauling the cart outside yelling "Bring out yer dead!".

If you honestly feel that way, you should prove yourself more and do commentary on lesser known events and prove to the disc golf world you are the one to hire as a pro commentator. I personally thought you were going to become the "Jim Nantz" of the disc golf world, but something seems to have derailed that train.

Not trying to sound like a dick here, but I helped build the biggest disc golf media outlet in the sport (won't be #1 for much longer - all due props to Jomez for their grind and dedication). I personally feel like I've provided proof as far as what I can bring to the table while at the same time knowing that I can always get better, and I'm always down to collaborate with people.

There's lots of behind-the-scenes stuff that has happened that's not really worth going into, but I do miss it, I am admittedly a little jealous (I'm only human...), but I want to emphasize as well that I'm not hating on people trying to grind and make their way in the world. I just feel like the spirit of inclusivity (bringing pros into the booth to share a perspective) has been taken over and replaced with a notion that pros can do a better job, and I just don't agree with that. I also recognize that I had a hand in all of this, because I wanted pros on the mic with me...though I wanted a stable host and a rotating carousel of analysts, because I know what that spotlight can do for them.

If I'm Jim Nantz (and thank you, by the way) - I want to meet the Mike Tirico, the Terry Gannon, etc. and I just don't see the window right now in the current configuration for those people to come up. I truly believe that the GOAT disc golf commentator has not been discovered yet. I just want that person to be able to have a chance, because our productions are going to grow to be unbelievably good once that discovery takes place.

Not sure about my take on all the above, but I do appreciate a little insight into your world and a peek into the behind-the-scenes considerations.

I do agree that your commentaries have a better production feel, but the players bring a more laid-back vibe to it. No doubt some of the player commentators are not good at all, and even the good ones are not good sometimes.
The Nate/Jerm show this week is the first one that's had me laughing out loud.
Bottom line: good, bad or indifferent, we don't care.
Entertain us and we'll tune in.

I'm all about more options on the table. If I was directing content for Jomez I'd rebrand BigSexy as a video-based podcast, and give Jerm and Nate some input into what the video actually looks like so it matches their conversation flow better, and put together a more broadcast-style play by play team for the 24-hour edits.

If Nate and Jerm could, for example, rewind a shot and dissect it, then skip a boring hole, then pause to make fun of one of their buddies outfits, etc...then the jokes would land harder and the analysis would come off more as more profound. Hell, you could do this as a livestream (kinda like DGPT did with FPO this weekend) - go live on the channel and give them the controls to pause/rewind/ff the video cut they're watching. It might take a few episodes for them to get smooth on the controls, but I think it would really highlight what they do well and effectively mask what they don't do so well.

I do enjoy the laid back vibe, I just don't think it fits with the direction that they're pushing technically - but again that's just one guy's opinion on the internet...and you know the ol' saying about opinions

 

[frasnow]

Personally I like the state of disc golf coverage. I like how well most of the media teams are trying to collaborate and put out as much coverage as possible.

This quote from the 2016 USDGC sums up the issue when certain individuals want to assert too much control over coverage:

Side note: I loved Paige Pierce standing up to these guys and putting out coverage of the closing ceremony. Way to go Paige!

 

[JTacoma03]

Personally I like the state of disc golf coverage. I like how well most of the media teams are trying to collaborate and put out as much coverage as possible.

This quote from the 2016 USDGC sums up the issue when certain individuals want to assert too much control over coverage:

The amount of effort you put into spreading misinformation involving me is amusing. I'm impressed that you continue to hold a grudge because we didn't agree on something 4 years ago, but isn't your energy better spent doing something productive?

 

[DiscFifty]

This goes to show how wildly different all of our tastes are, as I couldn't disagree more.

I thought Terry and Dixon were terrible in the booth, and the echo in their commentary made them seem well detached from the action - they were only seeing what we were seeing, and added next to nothing.

I though the camera work was terrible. Bleached out wide shots where you could barely see the players, and a whole lot of camera wobble while walking to position.

I am not sold on Dixon in front of the camera. Don't really enjoy anything he does, from the pre-game, to commentary, to the attempt at humor with Wysocki more or less telling us to ignore foot faults.

I didn't hear any audio echo at all in the 3 live streams. Granted...I tend to watch them "an hour or so into it" so I can fast forward during the slow parts, by the time the last few holes are on I'm 100% live all the way through it. I do agree the camera was a bit off from time to time. Aren't commentators supposed to be commenting on what we the viewers are seeing? What else are they supposed to be commenting on? I don't get "made them seem well detached from the action - they were only seeing what we were seeing, and added next to nothing". I do think they are close to the ultimate live format, 2 booth commentators and 1 field reporter walking the fairways.

 

[onemilemore]

I didn't hear any audio echo at all in the 3 live streams. Granted...I tend to watch them "an hour or so into it" so I can fast forward during the slow parts, by the time the last few holes are on I'm 100% live all the way through it. I do agree the camera was a bit off from time to time. Aren't commentators supposed to be commenting on what we the viewers are seeing? What else are they supposed to be commenting on? I don't get "made them seem well detached from the action - they were only seeing what we were seeing, and added next to nothing". I do think they are close to the ultimate live format, 2 booth commentators and 1 field reporter walking the fairways.

We came close to making the sideline reporter thing happen at GBO, but there were technical concerns the crew had. I think it would add a lot to the broadcast, especially at the events when women's coverage isn't spliced in.

 

[frasnow]

The amount of effort you put into spreading misinformation involving me is amusing. I'm impressed that you continue to hold a grudge because we didn't agree on something 4 years ago, but isn't your energy better spent doing something productive?

There you go, ad hominem again. Now you say I have a grudge instead of countering my point. Please correct my understanding of what happened at USDGC 2016. Let's get to the facts, because Paige sounded upset with you during her live stream. I was trying to point out that maybe if you were more of a team player, others would want to hire you. Sorry you are struggling to get work. I have no complaints about the quality of SpinTV.

Some free advice, probably best not to complain about your compensation on social media.

 

[lenfantsuave]

I was only able to tune in to the live coverage for a couple holes the last round. The only thing that really bugged me was the screen within the screen feature. Never mind that I can't watch both cameras at one time. The resolution isn't high enough to make it worth it. I can't pick out the disc in that small segment.

The cut to the B cam was also pretty slow. Like, the player would throw and the A cam would stay on them for a good 2-3 seconds so that we missed most of the flight of ge disc.

 

[brutalbrutus]

Jerm needs to stop trying so damn hard to come up with that perfect one liner in every vid. The thing that makes for good funny commentary(which is obviously what these guys are going for), is letting things flow. You cant force comedy...