If there’s one thing I’m sure many of us agree with is that tsn’s football production for the CFL is extremely subpar, especially when you compare it to the NFL.
When you have color commentators who talk too much and don’t know when to shut up and poorly timed commercials and fans often wondering what’s going on and then of course the play-by-play guy doesn’t inform you. The poor direction of how the cameras should be running how they often are in the wrong spot, Have poor vision of play.
Earlier today I was trying to come up with some possible ideas and suggestions to vastly improve the TSN football presentation and make things better.
I’ll break it down into different sections, play-by-play, halftime, camera and special effects production and non -game day suggestions.
- Play-By-Play
Replace much of the on camera and vocal teams that do play-by-play. Start doing the play-by-play and color commenting, Much like how the NFL does it. Eliminate a lot of the nonsensical talk, especially from one Glen Suitor who goes on and on about things instead of focusing on the game. We need the play-by-play person to present a more confident game because right now there’s too much guessing and a lot of situations where they often say “I’m not sure” or “it could be a first down”
Need it to be where they say and it’s a touchdown and they’ve gained a first down. They get 10 yd and a first down. What a great catch etc etc.
We need more direct and assertive play-by-play than what we are getting now.
- Half-time
They need more people on the half time presentation table. Often there’s three people and then the host. What is needed is to have five people of various background. Couple players who have recently retired a couple coaches and perhaps an official or a more seasoned veteran. And they’ve got to have a good enthusiastic approach but very thoughtful and they must always get along but not be afraid to say the tough things.
They also need to have like what the NFL currently has, where there’s a giant TV in the background, a artificial turf carpet with numbers and then have a couple players who understand the game really well. Can go through and do little walk-throughs of what’s happening and then analyze certain plays that were big or important during the half. They could literally act it out, the NFL does this all the time.
And they got to get rid of this stupid skit they always do or they they all yell out something fire!!
It really needs to be more professional and more direct. It’s got to be educational for the fans but also well thought out.
- Camera/media
They need better camera angles. They need to have much better special effects and in-game presentations. There needs to be a better sense of where to put the camera on. Who and the right distance away? They need to do less focusing on the bench and more focusing on the field of play, need to simplify but also it needs to look very appealing and professional.
- Non game-day ideas
The CFL needs to have a weekly 1-hour show, Perhaps every Wednesday at around 7:00 local time where cfl experts discuss the week that was and then discuss the week ahead. Talk about players and the teams. They could also have players on as special guests so they could interview them, They could have a coach come on and be interviewed or they could have a retired referee that could come on and explain rules and situations and calls so that the fans would have a better understanding of how things work from the referee’s perspective.
Why they have never done this in the past I have no idea??
Cfl to be honest, needs to reach out to the NFL and get some real good help when it comes to the on-field presentation, The production for the football games and just improve the whole TSN CFL Show so that people will actually take it more seriously.
There are a lot of former players and former coaches out there who could be very good play-by-play or color commentators. Their expertise and their demeanor could be great for the TV show and the verbal requirements that a play-by-play guy needs.