Should Sky Sports be reported under the Trade Description Act?
They promote the televised Super League matches as ‘live’, but with ‘Unsteady Eddie’ and ‘That Boy Slim’ constantly referring back to the videotape, the viewer is repeatedly watching the replay of the club manager/coach shaking his head from a previous play or Sky’s very own ‘Two of a Kind’ constantly trying to prove there first thought?? was correct, all this whilst 1 to 2 tackles go by in the match and continuity lost.
Someone should explain to the ‘Odd Couple’ the viewer does not have the advantage of being able to watch the live game and refer to the replay monitor in unison, the viewer is very much at the behest of the broadcaster, but are paying premium package prices to watch logos covering a 1/3 of the screen or the ‘Gruesome Twosome’ ensuring the continuity of the broadcast matches their commentary, i.e. stilted and befuddled.
If the RFL and SKY genuinely want to promote the sport to a new audience that have never been to the live game or understand the game and its rules, they are unlikely ever to communicate the intensity, athleticism, skills and shear entertainment of what is ‘THE’ greatest game/sport with the constant interruption of the replays whilst the game is in motion.
Surely half and full time could be used to illustrate Daniel Andersons latest purchase from Specsavers, indisputably better than having to listen to the ‘Painful Pair’ and their attempts to say something interesting or indeed relevant during the break and are more often than not saved by Phil Clarke and the guest summariser who seem not only to understand the sport but the reason why they are there.
Regrettably Boots’n’All is no better, unless Tony Rae or similar participate. Magazine style programmes are supposed to be slick, informative and professionally presented, Boots’n’All is none of the above, which seems quite ridiculous given they have the previous weekends games to build the programme around, adding archive footage, news and updates with numerous past and present players to give an insight into the game, plus Sky’s state-of-the-art technology at their disposal.
I know M.S. was highly successful as a player & does much to promote RL in many other ways off screen, but please, let us watch the two halves live and without the constant replays which often mean we need a replay of what we missed whilst watching the replay, I think I’ll stop there I’m beginning to use Eddiespeak.
PS: couldn’t the two replay junkies ‘Thatman and Dobbin’ purchase Sky+ like the rest of us, thus allowing them to reprise as often as they please whilst the rest of us watch the live match uninterrupted. |
