Things College Softball Announcers Can Quit Saying 2022 Edition

[CoachJD]

I do want to say for any gripes I think overall the coverage is fantastic and I'm thankful for such experienced commentators. I think Beth mowins and Holly Rowe are the best in the business and I appreciate amanda, Michele, cat, etc giving back to the sport and bringing good energy to the broadcasts. Have to be thankful for what we have going here.

I think Mowins and Rowe are fine. It's really Michele Smith who is the absolute dirt worst and always has been.

The problem is that we might have some actual quality commentators who can really add something, but someone like Smith is just locked into that position forever. She's the Joe Morgan of softball. Morgan was one of the best players of all time, but he probably said a dozen objectively terrible, wrong things every time he did a Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. There was an entire website made because of how bad he was. Smith is at that level.

 

[CoachJD]

My gripe is pitches being miscalled based on locations...high screws are rises, outside drops are curves, change ups are "movement pitches.". Sometime I feel like they get them wrong more than right.

Not being able to identify a change-up really ought to be something you get fired for at this level. It's literally the only pitch that is going to be 10ish mph slower than everything else.

 

[warbird]

I really found myself liking ESPN's #2 team of Kevin Brown and Amanda Scarborough better than the "A" team.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I was flipping between a Yankee game and the WCWS over the weekend, and the difference was astounding. Kay was the play-by-play guy, and Paul O'Neill was the color analyst. They would let the game breathe, unlike the yapping birds on ESPN. For some reason, they all feel the need to talk all the time. I guess it's true what they say about women. ?

Seriously, they could all learn from the way Vin Scully called games. It's not about the announcer. It's about the game.

 

[CoachCeetar]

This is my first year paying any attention, and while I haven't watched a ton but I've found the broadcasts to be relatively pleasant viewing overall. And I think sports broadcasting, in general, could use a massive modernization and overall in how they present a game to fans. ESPN is usually a pretty bad one too.

I really found myself liking ESPN's #2 team of Kevin Brown and Amanda Scarborough better than the "A" team.

Although the 'B" teams are almost always better. I suspect because they've given even a modicum of thought as to what they want to broadcast, rather than just who they want to broadcast it. I don't actually know what I was watching, was the #2 team at a specific regional?

 

[warbird]

This is my first year paying any attention, and while I haven't watched a ton but I've found the broadcasts to be relatively pleasant viewing overall. And I think sports broadcasting, in general, could use a massive modernization and overall in how they present a game to fans. ESPN is usually a pretty bad one too.



Although the 'B" teams are almost always better. I suspect because they've given even a modicum of thought as to what they want to broadcast, rather than just who they want to broadcast it. I don't actually know what I was watching, was the #2 team at a specific regional?

They were given the Texas side of the WCWS bracket. Mowins and Company followed the OU side.

 

[Sonerai]

I like Beth Mowins a lot. She is the John Facenda of softball.

 

[Tazman]

I really found myself liking ESPN's #2 team of Kevin Brown and Amanda Scarborough better than the "A Team".

The two of them together are pretty great.

 

[Cannonball]

How is every pitch a curve? On several occasions last night, the talking heads said that the ball curved. On one drop ball were the spin was clear on the replay from behind the plate, (12-6 spin) the talking head said that the drop ball was curving. Clearly, it was not on the video. Then, on a riseball up and out, the pitch missed the zone because it was a curve. The behind-the-plate replay showed the spin and clearly it was not.

I left out the dreaded, "backdoor curve." It seems that this pitch is a favorite of the talking heads.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Beth Mowins just said OU plays with grace. Brito walks and proceeds to slam her bat on the ground.

Yeah, very graceful...