FF television shows: Which suck & why

[msaint]

OK, so we all agree (I'm guessing) that most FF shows aren't that good/helpful to anyone but owners who have both Peyton and Daunte and can't decide who to start each week. And there have been posts saying that shows like the "Ultimate Fantasy Football Show," while occasionally entertaining, is also a little too "newbie-centric," with all the "experts" going out on limbs and predicting 100 yds and 2 TDs for T.O. every week. AND, they're taped on Wed/Thurs and replayed Sunday morning, when things could have drastically changed.

 

So, what would your ideal FF show be? For me, it would be something LIVE on Sunday morning/early afternoon (11am-1pm competing with ESPN Countdown, and the network pre-game shows) that focuses ENTIRELY on accurate, up-to-the-minute predictions and information/discussions of major FF issues of the week, with call-ins and emails from viewers, as opposed to providing the occasional update from Mort at his computer or scroll at the bottom. Bottom line, a live (key word) show that helps owners of ALL "skill levels" with those tough lineup decisions....but is also entertaining as hell, funny (unlike, say, that painful Mayne Event, which burns valuable time that could be used for FF info), and fun to watch, with great in-studio guests/hosts.

 

So, if there were a show like that, would it be something that you'd watch over Berman, Mort, Howie, Boomer, et al? I only ask because I'm curious....yeah, that's it, only curiosity....not like I'm going out to pitch a show like that tomorrow or anything....nope, not me......

Edited January 6, 2005 by msaint

[tbimm]

One quick thought. Any show like this that was going to be successful would have to somehow include a few of the reporters from other shows who have gained the trust in the lockerrooms around the NFL . Mort and Clayton are 2 that come to mind. Some solid info live on sunday with the Fantasy game in mind would be awesome!

[skylive5]

Too much time wasted on almost all football shows with b-s'ing, it's all about ME, etc. Except for Mort there isn't any reason to watch any of them.

 

I want:

 

A show that is 99% info.

A show that let's you know who is in and who is out NLT to 9:45.

A show that tells you about the 3rd-8th round people you drafted.

A show that does NOT focus on the clear choices like you mentioned.

A show that is one hour long with 10 mins of updates/and projections at the start, 10 mins of IDP, 10 minutes of info on best player matchups, 10 mins of sleepers/WW pickups, and 10 minutes of start/bench to finish off. That leaves 10 mins for commercials.

 

I could see the Huddle Fantasy Football Weekend Preview featuring:

DMD - updates/projections

WW - start/bench

DMD/WW - player matchups

yomamma - sleepers/WW

and an IDP person.

 

No doubt in my military mind that a show featuring the above people would be to the point, worthwhile, and without all the it's about ME crap.

[AIO]

John Hansen and Adam Caplan are on Sirus every Friday night from 8-11 pm est, replay at 9-12 Saturday night. Doing injury/nfl updates Saturday mornings at 10:15 am est and after the games on Sunday night at 9:35 pm est.

 

A few others too here and there. Lots of good NFL and fantasy talk on the radio waves these days.

[msaint]

John Hansen and Adam Caplan are on Sirus every Friday night from 8-11 pm est, replay at 9-12 Saturday night. Doing injury/nfl updates Saturday mornings at 10:15 am est and after the games on Sunday night at 9:35 pm est.

 

A few others too here and there. Lots of good NFL and fantasy talk on the radio waves these days.

 

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Thank you, Lt. Col. Skylive

 

Radio shows aplenty, yes, no doubt...but TV? Networks are droopping the ball, IMO.

[Favreforlife]

Too much time wasted on almost all football shows with b-s'ing, it's all about ME, etc. Except for Mort there isn't any reason to watch any of them.

 

I want:

 

A show that is 99% info.

A show that let's you know who is in and who is out NLT to 9:45.

A show that tells you about the 3rd-8th round people you drafted.

A show that does NOT focus on the clear choices like you mentioned.

A show that is one hour long with 10 mins of updates/and projections at the start, 10 mins of IDP, 10 minutes of info on best player matchups, 10 mins of sleepers/WW pickups, and 10 minutes of start/bench to finish off. That leaves 10 mins for commercials.

 

I could see the Huddle Fantasy Football Weekend Preview featuring:

DMD - updates/projections

WW - start/bench

DMD/WW - player matchups

yomamma - sleepers/WW

and an IDP person. 

 

No doubt in my military mind that a show featuring the above people would be to the point, worthwhile, and without all the it's about ME crap.

 

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[pork chop express]

I think it is a great idea, but I also think it is a little overkill. FF is all about research and getting that piece of wosdom that the others in your league do not have and getting it first. After spending a minimum of two hours a day on the web devoted to FF, a show on Sunday would be a little much. I would watch it, but I would already have the info. I guess I am not sold on it. I like it, but am unsure of how much I would actually watch.

[rajncajn]

Too much time wasted on almost all football shows with b-s'ing, it's all about ME, etc. Except for Mort there isn't any reason to watch any of them.

 

I want:

 

A show that is 99% info.

A show that let's you know who is in and who is out NLT to 9:45.

A show that tells you about the 3rd-8th round people you drafted.

A show that does NOT focus on the clear choices like you mentioned.

A show that is one hour long with 10 mins of updates/and projections at the start, 10 mins of IDP, 10 minutes of info on best player matchups, 10 mins of sleepers/WW pickups, and 10 minutes of start/bench to finish off. That leaves 10 mins for commercials.

 

I could see the Huddle Fantasy Football Weekend Preview featuring:

DMD - updates/projections

WW - start/bench

DMD/WW - player matchups

yomamma - sleepers/WW

and an IDP person. 

 

No doubt in my military mind that a show featuring the above people would be to the point, worthwhile, and without all the it's about ME crap.

 

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This is it in a nutshell. A Huddle powered FF show would be awesome & the influx of business to the Huddle would send DMD/WW's profit margin thru the roof.

 

I'm sick of seeing the FF battles between reporters where they each pick 3 or 4 players who are going to "go off". A monkey could do that. I want to see the type of breakdown DMD & WW put into their weekly features. I want to see a trashcan report of sorts. I want to see a rumors segment where they discuss actual rumors that aren't backed up by facts. I want them to have Q & A segment where they answer MEANINGFUL message board questions I want to see a ticker showing injury status of ALL possible offensive & defensive players (not just the stars) and I want my IDP.

[Fatman]

I think it is a great idea, but I also think it is a little overkill. FF is all about research and getting that piece of wosdom that the others in your league do not have and getting it first. After spending a minimum of two hours a day on the web devoted to FF, a show on Sunday would be a little much. I would watch it, but I would already have the info. I guess I am not sold on it. I like it, but am unsure of how much I would actually watch.

 

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Agreed. I think it would be more of a confirmation of what we already know during the week. The injury updates would be helpful, but I can't imagine many Huddlers tuning in for anything they didn't already know.

 

The more I think about it, I could care less if there was a FF TV show. I have access to all of the info that I need during the week via the web, and I like watching Sunday countdown for the "real" NFL info. I'd probably choose to watch Countdown even if there was a quality FF show competing with it (assuming ESPN fires Michael "THE U!!!" Irvin).

Edited January 6, 2005 by Fatman

[J.D.Morrison]

This is it in a nutshell. A Huddle powered FF show would be awesome & the influx of business to the Huddle would send DMD/WW's profit margin thru the roof.

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I concur......DMD - let me know when you are about to go public so I can get in on some stock !!! How about allocating stock based on member # ??? Rewards long-timers.....

[Yukon Cornelius]

ive never watched one that was anygood or had a clue...

 

" start T.O. if you have him"

 

or " L.T. is a good play this week"

 

there are people here that know way more than all those smucks on T.V.....

[J.D.Morrison]

ive never watched one that was anygood or had a clue...

 

" start T.O. if you have him"

 

or " L.T. is a good play this week"

 

there are people here that know way more than all those smucks on T.V.....

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CBS Sportsline news brings it to whole other level !!! Marshall Faulk is listed as Questionable and will share carries with S. Jackson......"Marshall Faulk is a must start against the Pittsburgh steelers this week"

 

whatever.....it's an insult to the intelligence of sportsfans...

[skylive5]

ive never watched one that was anygood or had a clue...

 

" start T.O. if you have him"

 

or " L.T. is a good play this week"

 

there are people here that know way more than all those smucks on T.V.....

644512[/snapback]

 

And THAT is why The Huddle should have it's own Sunday morning FF show. They aren't going to tell us the obvious. They already did that with the projections and start/bench articles. Deeper insight into other players and player matchups is what I'm talkin' about.

 

I wouldn't expect breaking news type of stuff just minutes before the games, but in each segment they say things like: "You already know the obvious choices for this game, however, so 'n so, the backup to the backup RB, has been blah blah... so you need to take a look at this and keep it in mind." "There was an unexpected shake up in the TE ranks yesterday afternoon for .... and ....... " Etc.

 

They would tell you about the non-studs that are the people that get you over the top each week.

 

Most shows on now, when they take a break from all their jokes and crap, really never say anything about anyone but the obvious. And we miss things here too. Though I must admit, not much.

[J.D.Morrison]

And THAT is why The Huddle should have it's own Sunday morning FF show. They aren't going to tell us the obvious. They already did that with the projections and start/bench articles. Deeper insight into other players and player matchups is what I'm talkin' about.

 

I wouldn't expect breaking news type of stuff just minutes before the games, but in each segment they say things like: "You already know the obvious choices for this game, however, so 'n so, the backup to the backup RB, has been blah blah... so you need to take a look at this and keep it in mind." "There was an unexpected shake up in the TE ranks yesterday afternoon for .... and ....... " Etc.

 

They would tell you about the non-studs that are the people that get you over the top each week.

 

Most shows on now, when they take a break from all their jokes and crap, really never say anything about anyone but the obvious. And we miss things here too. Though I must admit, not much.

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I think first and foremost a show, similar to NFL Playbook or NFL matchup, that delves into the matchups, player and team with a fantasy focus on it would be the most desired if you ask me......

 

I find that I only look for that information the most other than injuries, depth chart moves, etc..

[ABearWithFurniture]

I think the commentators should be regular folk (like us) who play FF, sorta in the style of the Man Show. It's painfully obvious that Patrick, Warren, and the rest of the crew are pretty new to the whole FF realm...I'd be more inclined to listen/take advice from someone who has been playing awhile and knows the intricacies of drafting/trading/FA acquisitions, etc...then listening to someone like Warren Moon who drafted Farve in the first round...

[godtomsatan]

And THAT is why The Huddle should have it's own Sunday morning FF show. They aren't going to tell us the obvious. They already did that with the projections and start/bench articles. Deeper insight into other players and player matchups is what I'm talkin' about.

 

If they've done the projections and start/bench articles, why get up and watch a TV show? At some point, fantasy analysis becomes extremely moot as far as the actual game on the field is concerned.

[DMD]

Having done radio shows over the years and obviously watching the TV shows, I can tell you the problem that you see stems from these two reasons:

 

1. Any mass media always addresses the lowest common denominators. There is a huge array of FF'ers in terms of savvy and knowledge. It is a problem that we grapple with even on the site since there is a huge faction of people that are very casual players and they actually want to learn that they need to draft Shaun Alexander in the first round and start him this week. By the same token, there are fantasy players that really want little more than some perspective on a super deep free agent that would never be touched in most leagues.

 

2. Time is always a big issue. We can make web pages as long as we want. That was an issue when we wrote the book for page length and word count. When our writers do a piece for the The Huddle, the length requirement I always give is that is should "be long enough to get the job done - whatever that is". On air time you have to speak in shorter sentences and less complete thoughts. It really is different and I am much better on the radio now than I was because I have to use a different mindset when I am on. It's all about being shorter and more concise and tending more towards the general than the involved specifics

[ABearWithFurniture]

On air time you have to speak in shorter sentences and less complete thoughts.

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Well, that certainly explains a lot about the selection of Patrick, Warren, Andrew and the rest of the crew on the Ultimate Fantasy Show...

[Skrappy1]

For me, it would be something LIVE on Sunday morning/early afternoon

644189[/snapback]

 

 

 

I think that would be one of the necessary and critical components...that is timliness. Besides any other weaknesses that they have, shows like the one on Fox Sports are taped in advance and thus are always behind the curve as far as updates and information. If a show was to truly work, it would have to be either live or maybe taped and aired on a Sunday morning.

[The Misfit]

Yep, it's all about the medium. And almost infinite permutations. And that's why a website is ideal for fantasy football, but it mostly sucks on TV and radio.

 

The question is never, "Should I start Moss this week?" Whenever someone asks a question like that here, some vet will remind them that it depends on the permutations: who else you got, how many WRs do you start, what's your scoring system, etc. TV and radio can't really deal with that well. Radio is a little better, because they can take questions from callers that deal with a few things that may be generalized ("Yes, I'd start Moss over TO this week, and here's why ..."). But a call-in show, or a bunch of talking heads giving their opinions or projections, generally makes for bad TV, especially as HDTV matures. It's a visual medium.

 

I think what someone said earlier about NFL Matchup is onto the best way to translate that through TV. Go through each game, focusing only on the matchups of key fantasy positions. Show clips from either past performances against the same defense or recent games. And make sure you get all the updates of players who are inactive at noon, if you broadcast at that time.

 

But even with that, people will have to sit through a bunch of crap that doesn't interest them just to get to the players they are interested in. It'd be like having to read every thread in this forum just to find the info you want, instead of picking the threads that are relevant or interesting to you. And, as DMD said, the dumbing down of info for a general audience (and to meet time constraints) would also water down the product. So you could still end up with a show that has too much info for the casual fan, and too little info for hard-core fantasy players.

[J.D.Morrison]

Having done radio shows over the years and obviously watching the TV shows, I can tell you the problem that you see stems from these two reasons:

 

1. Any mass media always addresses the lowest common denominators. There is a huge array of FF'ers in terms of savvy and knowledge. It is a problem that we grapple with even on the site since there is a huge faction of people that are very casual players and they actually want to learn that they need to draft Shaun Alexander in the first round and start him this week. By the same token, there are fantasy players that really want little more than some perspective on a super deep free agent that would never be touched in most leagues.

 

2. Time is always a big issue. We can make web pages as long as we want. That was an issue when we wrote the book for page length and word count. When our writers do a piece for the The Huddle, the length requirement I always give is that is should "be long enough to get the job done - whatever that is". On air time you have to speak in shorter sentences and less complete thoughts. It really is different and I am much better on the radio now than I was because I have to use a different mindset when I am on. It's all about being shorter and more concise and tending more towards the general than the involved specifics

 

644637[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Good points. Never thought of the second one....

 

I think the show idea is similar to reading a FF mag on the crapper.....you look at with entertainment in mind with the hope that maybe you will learn something...until you realize it's time to get up.

[Furd]

Well, you would need a photogenic, glib, astute FF expert as host to inform the professionals, educate the newbies and enthrall the ladies.

 

 

[Wolv]

Too much time wasted on almost all football shows with b-s'ing, it's all about ME, etc. Except for Mort there isn't any reason to watch any of them.

 

I want:

 

A show that is 99% info.

A show that let's you know who is in and who is out NLT to 9:45.

A show that tells you about the 3rd-8th round people you drafted.

A show that does NOT focus on the clear choices like you mentioned.

A show that is one hour long with 10 mins of updates/and projections at the start, 10 mins of IDP, 10 minutes of info on best player matchups, 10 mins of sleepers/WW pickups, and 10 minutes of start/bench to finish off. That leaves 10 mins for commercials.

 

I could see the Huddle Fantasy Football Weekend Preview featuring:

DMD - updates/projections

WW - start/bench

DMD/WW - player matchups

yomamma - sleepers/WW

and an IDP person. 

 

No doubt in my military mind that a show featuring the above people would be to the point, worthwhile, and without all the it's about ME crap.

 

644214[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Roger that.

 

A show like you speak of would be invaluable.

[Wolverines Fan]

Well, that certainly explains a lot about the selection of Patrick, Warren, Andrew and the rest of the crew on the Ultimate Fantasy Show...

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One time I watched it because there was nothing else on. At the end of the show each week, the hosts each pick one player (an "ultimate stud") and each host accumulates fantasy points based on that player's performance. Erik Kramer picked Steve McNair for his player one week...and McNair did not even play!! Some expert!!

[Fatman]

 

One time I watched it because there was nothing else on.  At the end of the show each week, the hosts each pick one player (an "ultimate stud") and each host accumulates fantasy points based on that player's performance.  Erik Kramer picked Steve McNair for his player one week...and McNair did not even play!! Some expert!! 

645201[/snapback]

 

Yeah, that was one week I listened to Erik, and he screwed me right in my ass!

 

DAM N YOU, ERIK KRAMER, DAM N YOU AND YOUR ULTIMATE FANTASY FOOTBALL SHOW!