Criticisms of Fox Sports Ohio Broadcasts

[jhc2010]

Fox Sports Ohio's broadcasts of Reds baseball lack the quality that most MLB broadcasts have. After watching games by broadcast crews from all over the league on MLB Network, the Reds broadcasts are just about the worst.

Thom Brennaman has been cut off going into commercial at least three times tonight. How does that happen?

They rarely show the FoxTrax on close pitches. Most clubs show a replay with the PitchTrax rather than a player getting the dirt out of his shoe between pitches.

And they rarely, if ever, show a close-up of fans in the ballpark. Watching Cubs games, they show close-ups of fans at least twice every inning.

Do you think the Reds broadcasts are lacking quality?

[reds44]

The Cubs camera man is always a pervert.

I am not kidding.

[Yachtzee]

The Cubs camera man is always a pervert.

I am not kidding.

It's been that way at least since Harry Caray's days. I can remember the WGN superstation days when Harry wouldn't miss making a comment about attractive young ladies in the stands.

[WrongVerb]

It's been that way at least since Harry Caray's days. I can remember the WGN superstation days when Harry wouldn't miss making a comment about attractive young ladies in the stands.

In the stands? Hell, remember that woman that tried to pitch as a professional? She was in the minors? I still remember Caray saying something to the effect of "who cares whether she can pitch? What does she look like?"

[dougdirt]

I could go without hearing Thom ever again. Brantley isn't my favorite. The rest of the guys that do TV are fine by me.

[smixsell]

I could go without hearing Thom ever again. Brantley isn't my favorite. The rest of the guys that do TV are fine by me.

I almost always listen to the other team's broadcast. That's how much a can't stand Thom and Chis. "Dumb and dumberer" IMO.

[BurgervilleBuck]

I almost always listen to the other team's broadcast. That's how much a can't stand Thom and Chis. "Dumb and dumberer" IMO.

Woah... woah... Thom I'll grant you but Welsh?

[Superdude]

Don't really care about foxtrax or close-ups. The new ticker (I think it's new?) is bugging me to no end though. Am I the only one that hates watching this flickering bar of text for three hours a night?

[11larkin11]

Don't really care about foxtrax or close-ups. The new ticker (I think it's new?) is bugging me to no end though. Am I the only one that hates watching this flickering bar of text for three hours a night?

Absolutely love this. Outside of the pitch count, this is my favorite thing FSO has done. It's nice to follow other MLB games while watching the Reds, as well as any other sports going on at the moment.

[TeamBoone]

Absolutely love this. Outside of the pitch count, this is my favorite thing FSO has done. It's nice to follow other MLB games while watching the Reds, as well as any other sports going on at the moment.

I like the ticker... I just wish it was NOT constant!

[AtomicDumpling]

I like the ticker... I just wish it was NOT constant!

The ticker would be fine if it was only baseball news. Couldn't care less about football, hockey or soccer while I am watching the Reds.

[MikeThierry]

Though I think Thom Brennaman is rather insufferable, I would gladly take him over the abortion of a broadcast team the Cardinals have. Al Hrabosky is a disgrace to modern television and McLaughlin is as milk toast as it gets. It's no wonder why Fangraphs rated them near the bottom in their recent TV broadcasting rankings. It pretty much says it all right here:

29. St. Louis Cardinals
Broadcasters: Dan McLaughlin, Al Hrabosky, and Rick Horton
Ratings (Charisma/Analysis/Overall): 2.4, 2.1, 2.3

Three Reader Comments
• “I shouldn’t feel like sleeping when my favorite team is on TV.”
• “Whenever possible, I try to play some sort of alternate broadcast while the regular TV broadcast is on mute.”
• “Al Hrabosky… is the reason I am an alcoholic.”

Notes
It appears, from the reader comments, that Dan McLaughlin is a passable play-by-play man for most FanGraphs readers, but that Hrabosky and Horton are difficult to enjoy.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/broad...ings-tv-30-21/

[MikeThierry]

The ticker would be fine if it was only baseball news. Couldn't care less about football, hockey or soccer while I am watching the Reds.

Being the hockey nut that I am, I like that tickers cover other sports when watching a sporting event. Now that it's playoff time, I want to know what teams are in and what teams are out without switching the channel.

[Redsfaithful]

Absolutely love this. Outside of the pitch count, this is my favorite thing FSO has done. It's nice to follow other MLB games while watching the Reds, as well as any other sports going on at the moment.

Scores are great, I could do without reading 300 times in a game that Rolando McClain was arrested.

[WVPacman]

Oh great another lets bash the Brennaman's thread.. Im really starting to realize that some of you on here has NEVER and will never appreciate what the Brennaman's expecially Marty and what he means to the Cincinnati reds.

Whether you like it or want to admit it Marty is and will always be THE BEST Reds announcer to ever do the reds and that's a fact.I love the fact that the Brennaman's tell it like it is and don't sugarcoat nothing rather than always say great things about a player when he is stinking up the joint.

If you don't like Marty then you don't like the reds.