When will ESPN cover Disc Golf?

[ALPO]

If only we could have it all. Disc Golf easily accessible on TV (like ESPN or streaming on ESPN3) and not have it alter the popularity of the sport.

It's like we want it to get more exposure yet stay "exclusive." Not really possible, but here's the thing, and its been touched on already, it is growing very, very fast...with or without exposure from national media.

 

[bholy08]

I live in a fantasy world where I watch golf coverage on tv and see them throwing discs rather than hitting golf balls like they actually are doing. Still trying to corectly corellate putting distances but other than that its not too much of a stretch

 

[remember2morrow]

I think if one of the big sports equipment companies (Nike, Adidas, etc) ever figure out they can make money off of it, we will see the sport explode. I'm not really a fan of the idea, but it would be nice to see the pro-level guys make enough money to eat.

 

[RustyStrings615]

Golf really isn't fun to watch unless you play and know what goes into the shots...same with Disc Golf. Once Golf became popular as a recreational sport..then people started to watch. I think as Disc Golf continues to explode...more people will be interested.

I agree, I get annoyed with my favorite courses being overcrowded sometimes....but, hopefully that will just mean more courses will be put in to accommodate the public demand.

On some levels...I love that it is a "fringe" sport. But, ultimately I want to see it reach the mainstream and get the respect it deserves.

 

[ALPO]

I live in a fantasy world where I watch golf coverage on tv and see them throwing discs rather than hitting golf balls like they actually are doing. Still trying to corectly corellate putting distances but other than that its not too much of a stretch

I think I do too, because I am loving golf lately. watched the last three weekends

 

[bradharris]

Golf really isn't fun to watch unless you play and know what goes into the shots...same with Disc Golf.

I disagree. I've never played a day of golf in my life but I do really enjoy watching it on TV. The TV coverage has been able to capture the essence of competition that makes it compelling to watch, even without knowing the very basics of how to hit a golf ball.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Putting is compelling in ball golf. Not so much in DG except long pressure putts. Driving is more interesting in DG than BG but tougher to cover and track, especially in the woods.

 

[zj1002]

Putting is compelling in ball golf. Not so much in DG except long pressure putts. Driving is more interesting in DG than BG but tougher to cover and track, especially in the woods.

agreed. most of the putting especially for the elite players becomes very routine. If you watched dgplanet for the Memorial you didn't see a lot of guys on the top card having to go for a lot of "death" putts. For the most part the really good players are only attempting a few 40-50ft putts in a round. They are good enough to put the disc within their comfort zones for putting. I find a course like the Memorial very boring to watch on TV, where a place like Vibram or USDGC is much more entertaining. I imagine Memorial is impressive in person, but with such an open course there isn't a whole lot of creative shots happening that make for good TV.

 

[Lewis]

The question reminds me of a Brad Paisley song.

"When a freight train jumps off a track
And rolls down my road
And its summer time in Texas
And they're playing in the snow
When politicians everywhere stop telling lies
And only state the facts
Right then, [ESPN will show disc golf.]
...
When Donald Trump takes a part time job parking cars
When Clint Eastwood does ballet in a big pink leotard
And a donkey wins the Derby as he takes his victory lap
Right then, [ESPN will show disc golf.]
...
The day that old morning sun rises in the west
And they pass a law in L.A. banning artificial breasts
When cars can run on water, gasoline and oil ain't worth jack
Right then, [ESPN will show disc golf.]"

 

[rocktownedisc]

^^^ this
i know what they were doing i know i will never be able to do but it seemed so open and almost boring compared to the tight courses and shots i have to throw...

 

[bholy08]

I disagree. I've never played a day of golf in my life but I do really enjoy watching it on TV. The TV coverage has been able to capture the essence of competition that makes it compelling to watch, even without knowing the very basics of how to hit a golf ball.

Same here but only since I have been playing disc golf. Before then I thought that it was incredibly boring, but now I understand better the mental challenge that golf presents.

 

[mjoyce]

Forget DG i just want to be able to watch more than one or two hockey games a week

^This

 

[Lewis]

Sports are definitely more interesting when you're familiar with them, but especially when you have played them. My appreciation of basketball grew immensely after playing (bench warming) on a high school team that had a really good coach. Conversely, although I am aware that hockey is a great spectator sport, I never watch it on TV, and have never actually been to a game. I figure this is because I've never played hockey and don't understand the rules. With American football, I grew up watching it, still love watching it, and played it in middle school, but I have a feeling there's a lot happening on the field that I don't notice.

 

[DiscOh]

They have spelling bees and diving competitions. I'm shocked as much as the next person.

I do think it will be sooner than later.

 

[jkdisc]

i really dont expect to see it anytime soon except maybe in a segment

 

[bradharris]

Sports are definitely more interesting when you're familiar with them, but especially when you have played them. My appreciation of basketball grew immensely after playing (bench warming) on a high school team that had a really good coach. Conversely, although I am aware that hockey is a great spectator sport, I never watch it on TV, and have never actually been to a game. I figure this is because I've never played hockey and don't understand the rules. With American football, I grew up watching it, still love watching it, and played it in middle school, but I have a feeling there's a lot happening on the field that I don't notice.

That inner understanding is where having good commentators is important. Having someone that knows the ins and outs of what's going on on the field (or in this case, the course) and can communicate it well is incredibly valuable. This opens the sport up more to the layperson who might otherwise be uninterested.

Quick tangent: check out Greg Kirwan's book called Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How To Watch Football by Knowing Where To Look. It'll really open your eyes to everything happening on the football field. It's amazing how much happens in a game that 99% of people never pick up on.

 

[hokey1]

2 cameras per hole for the back 9 = 18 camera persons.

1 - 3 overhead cams on scaffolding = 1 - 3 people.

At least 2 booth announcers and 2 greenside reporters.= 4 People

At least 6 people running audio just on the course. = 6 people

2 replay people, 1 graphic person, 1 Tech Director 1 Director. = 4 people

that is over 30 people needed to cover the sport on TV like ball golf.

This does not include cable runners, gophers, or another 10 people that are behind the scenes. So 40 people from espn needed to cover this sport. A sport that is played outside which carries major weather risks like wind or rain.
It would probably take at least one full day to assemble everything.

Compare this to an NBA game

I use to run cameras for our local NBA team back in the late 80's

4 Camera People/2 cable pullers/2 announcers/TD/Director/Graphics/Replay/

15 people to put on an NBA broadcast. Indoors with a 4 hour setup including dinner. (This number may be slightly higher now with 2 sideline reporters on every game plus a Satellite truck with 2 operators)
That is why we are a long long way away from our sport from getting serious coverage.

Some one will say can't they just cover the final group? No they can't because if the winner was to win from a group or two or three or four back and no coverage of that person would make us and ESPN a joke.

We could just have final 9 of only the men's leader group and that would eliminate maybe 9 cameras and maybe get it down to around 30 people. Maybe.

To make this work ESPN would need a serious commitment from sponsors and the PDGA. We would have to have PGA style Galleries. Just having 1000 people walking the course watching the players would look small and give the impression that we have no fans(and make sponsors run for the hills). The PDGA would have to Guarantee a MINIMUM of upwards to 8000 people watching in the gallery.

And ratings still would stink...look at the Planet disc golf coverage. Very good announcers(Great job Dave Greenwell if we ever get on tv you have to be the Analyst) Solid camera work and out of the billions of people on the planet with Internet Access I don't think we even hit 2k Simultaneous views. That is a number that will stop an advertiser.

It may happen some day. But we will be long gone or playing in the legends division when it happens.

 

[scarpfish]

2 cameras per hole for the back 9 = 18 camera persons.

1 - 3 overhead cams on scaffolding = 1 - 3 people.

At least 2 booth announcers and 2 greenside reporters.= 4 People

At least 6 people running audio just on the course. = 6 people

2 replay people, 1 graphic person, 1 Tech Director 1 Director. = 4 people

that is over 30 people needed to cover the sport on TV like ball golf.

This does not include cable runners, gophers, or another 10 people that are behind the scenes. So 40 people from espn needed to cover this sport. A sport that is played outside which carries major weather risks like wind or rain.
It would probably take at least one full day to assemble everything.

And you also have to remember that in disc golf, all of that is going to have to be in a more compact area, which is perhaps going to interfere with play.

 

[BionicRib]

Im thinking when the pdga membership count goes over 100,000. Which judging by the growth over the last 5 years. I would expect that number to be hit by 2016. There is a lot of math behind that so please don't expect me to explain it.

 

[Jukeshoe]

2 cameras per hole for the back 9 = 18 camera persons.

1 - 3 overhead cams on scaffolding = 1 - 3 people.

At least 2 booth announcers and 2 greenside reporters.= 4 People

At least 6 people running audio just on the course. = 6 people

2 replay people, 1 graphic person, 1 Tech Director 1 Director. = 4 people

that is over 30 people needed to cover the sport on TV like ball golf.

This does not include cable runners, gophers, or another 10 people that are behind the scenes. So 40 people from espn needed to cover this sport. A sport that is played outside which carries major weather risks like wind or rain.
It would probably take at least one full day to assemble everything.

Compare this to an NBA game

I use to run cameras for our local NBA team back in the late 80's

4 Camera People/2 cable pullers/2 announcers/TD/Director/Graphics/Replay/

15 people to put on an NBA broadcast. Indoors with a 4 hour setup including dinner. (This number may be slightly higher now with 2 sideline reporters on every game plus a Satellite truck with 2 operators)
That is why we are a long long way away from our sport from getting serious coverage.

Some one will say can't they just cover the final group? No they can't because if the winner was to win from a group or two or three or four back and no coverage of that person would make us and ESPN a joke.

We could just have final 9 of only the men's leader group and that would eliminate maybe 9 cameras and maybe get it down to around 30 people. Maybe.

To make this work ESPN would need a serious commitment from sponsors and the PDGA. We would have to have PGA style Galleries. Just having 1000 people walking the course watching the players would look small and give the impression that we have no fans(and make sponsors run for the hills). The PDGA would have to Guarantee a MINIMUM of upwards to 8000 people watching in the gallery.

And ratings still would stink...look at the Planet disc golf coverage. Very good announcers(Great job Dave Greenwell if we ever get on tv you have to be the Analyst) Solid camera work and out of the billions of people on the planet with Internet Access I don't think we even hit 2k Simultaneous views. That is a number that will stop an advertiser.

It may happen some day. But we will be long gone or playing in the legends division when it happens.

I nominate this for post of the year.

Very informative, very clear.

Thanks for laying that out for us and putting some things into perspective. :clap: :thmbup: