Sports
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Caption Watch
From the did-they-do-that-on-purpose department.
This is the current photo and caption on Sportsline right now:
Giggity.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
MyESPN Hits Beta
MyESPN is here. I think it’ll get a lot of talk because it’s ESPN, it’s customizable and it’s RSS-friendly, but I’ve yet to find another reason why anyone will mention it.
Put simply: it’s a customizable portal, similar (very similar) to My Yahoo!. Outside of a few ESPN-friendly only options, there’s not much more to it (yet?).
I was clued into MyESPN via Reemer, who was expecting something more:
They’ve made some curious decisions, for example, not displaying links to outside sites (they’re one click away). Intentionally making the product less useful is an interesting strategy.
Reemer points to FatMixx, who worked on the project. If you’re as impressed as Reemer is, FatMixx says don’t be quiet:
Based on early feedback, people are happy but a lot of folks have suggestions. Leave feedback. I guarantee that the team is paying attention. Your feedback will shape what we do next and how we make this product even better.
Some thoughts so far:
* During setup I was asked to put in a zipcode to find teams close to me. I don’t think it said “or city”. If so, disregard this: due to the internet, sports tv packages and fantasy leagues many are now fans of teams in cities they’ve never been to. Chances are, they won’t know the zipcode, don’t make them look it up. Yes, I know you can add/edit later, but initial setup should be as easy as possible.
* The scoreboard isn’t sortable. It should be. Leagues and teams in whatever order I want and maybe even a “hide when no games are played” option. Things are collapsable, but having them disappear completely is even better.
* Some sort of feed search would probably be helpful to many.
* Adding a feed is quick and easy, the way it should be.
* An autoplay on/off option on the video module! Thank you to whoever implemented that.
* Having the television module probably seemed like a great idea to promote whatever’s on ESPN, but having one channel at a time in a module is basically useless. This need to be asked when making a “My” page: if this wasn’t automatically on the page already, would anyone add it themselves?
* I don’t use ESPN for any of my fantasy leagues. I’m sure this module is useful for some and just wanted to point that out.
* The team modules are nice, but relatively basic. Links to ESPN pages like schedule and rosters along with the next game listed, news on ESPN (which primarily is ticker stuff you see on other portals) and local links, which could wind up being the bread and butter of this module, but I’m not sure how ESPN will feel about having the one of the better features simply be a collection of external links.
* You can add more customizable pages, which does push it outside of the “just a landing page” type of portal, but it’s not a feature I played around with (because honestly, I’m not looking for a multi-page portal).
So would I use it? Well, I’m not in the market for any portal right now, so no, but if I was, I couldn’t see any feature that would make me switch from a portal like My Yahoo! or even Excite (still the best tv listings) to ESPN. I can add all my RSS feeds to anything now (Y!, Google, AOL, etc…) and the original content doesn’t seem all that original outside of the videos, which are available elsewhere. I’m not sure how much else is going to be added between beta and “true” launch, but without any other big features, it’s just like any other portal with an ESPN Video module.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Love Those Blackout Rules
Blackout rules, those rules which don’t allow you to watch away broadcasts of your favorite team’s games or view them online have once again proved how useful they are for some NY Time Warner customers.
Time Warner Cable in Manhattan doesn’t have a set station for Yankees broadcasts. They have a couple of specials channels, and whenever there’s a game in HD, the channel changes from “Off Air” to the game. They generally include the pre-game and then a 7.5 hour block for the game afterwards. I’ve seen some people who are able to watch this specials channel all the time (it’s always YES), but I’m not one of them.
The Yankees and Red Sox are playing a double header today. The first game, 1pm start, was broadcast on Fox. For some reason the HD Specials channel had the game scheduled on the guide, but if you went to it, you saw nothing but a gray screen. So, even though it doesn’t look like Fox actually broadcasts the game in 720p like they do for their primetime shows, it’s still nice to watch it widescreen and I do.
Fast forward to 8pm. The second game is about to start and it’s not scheduled on the HD Specials channel - but the channel is still active from the first game, scheduled to go off at 830pm. A few seconds after my cable box blinked 830 the broadcasts freezes and the screen goes gray. I call TW and explain the situation to the person on the other end. They might have understood the situation in full at first, but after I’m put on hold and told others are calling in I know they do now. Doesn’t help any, it’s 1h20m later and the channel’s still not accessible (chances are someone just scheduled the wrong game for the specials channel).
Here’s where the blackout rules come into play: INHD has the game on. If that channel weren’t also gray right now, I’d be able to watch it, even if it’s just a simulcast of NESN HD, but MLB won’t let that happen.
I’m not completely in the dark. I do have the standard broadcast of the game, but the HD setup wasn’t free. This game is on three channels, and the two I want to watch aren’t available, one due to my cable company’s mess up, the other due to MLB “protecting” the local broadcaster (the same reason why I can’t watch the game online).
Monday, July 03, 2006
ESPNsoccernet Can’t Remember Me
I’m not sure what’s going on, but when I visit ESPNsoccernet (which isn’t often, maybe monthly, but probably at least weekly during the World Cup) I almost always have to select my region. It’s highly irritating and it’s time I choose another soccer website.
I know I’m not the only one that hates this screen:
I don’t regularly delete my cookies, so I know I’m not wiping out anything they’re setting. Choosing my locale once in a blue moon is acceptable. Anything more than that is just irritating.
So, I present some alternatives:
BBC
Fox Sports - They show some international newspaper covers daily, a fun and interesting feature
Sportsline
FIFA
Sportinglife
Yahoo - Labeled the World Cup’s “official” site
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Sling Your Baseball
I’m not sure when these ads were made, but I just saw a 300x250 flash ad for the SlingBox - it has someone driving and holding up a phone watching a baseball game. The text is “Now there’s something more dangerous than simply talking on your phone while driving.” (I caught it on Gizmodo’s Rover TV post)
There’s a skyscraper ad that also has a baseball picture on a laptop which reads “watch your home tv on your laptop”.
Both ads, along with an additional cube, point to Sling Media.
I wonder when these were made due to a little feud between Sling and MLB and if Sling planned on going after the baseball/sports fan market a while back, or if there’s an additional little dig in there.
Sports fans have to be big potential “slingers”, especially with some of the asinine blackout rules that are in place.
I also wonder if we’ll see basketball and hockey themed ads in the fall (NFL games are pretty accessible, although the college market could be in play).
I don’t have a SlingBox, but if I did, I’d be sure to check out the mobile player. I am curious how the quality is (and I do realize it will depend on multiple network conditions), it’s a product many have been waiting a while for. You’ll notice the screenshot on the mobile player page is of a soccer game.
I guess if Sling Media stops by here, I should remind them I have a massive hockey audience they might be interested in.
Update Jun 25: Sports Law points us to a Sports Business Journal article (subscription needed) which says MLB plans on seeking licensing fees from Sling, but Sling says they haven’t heard anything yet.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
MLB: Only Watch on Our Terms
Major League Baseball takes swing at Sling Media
Sling enables TV viewers to access their set-top or TiVo boxes from anywhere in the world via any device that connects to the Web. MLB says that’s fine, but if viewers want to watch on multiple devices, they have to pay multiple times.
MLB Advanced Media is taking issue with people paying to watch games on cable, and then watching them outside their homes.
I’m sure no one is shocked. After all, I never heard from MLB.tv after multiple complaints, have you?
It is unbelievable how anti-consumer and completely control-hungry this division of MLB seems to be. Forget about building and sustaining fanbases, it’s about getting money as quickly and frequently as possible. “Long-term” must be a theory they don’t want to test.
I am an MLB.tv subscriber, I don’t own a SlingBox. I think MLB.tv is a decent product. Quality still has a little way to go and their new MLB.tv Mosaic is truly a great step in the very cool direction (definitely still classifies as beta though). This is what’s frustrating. MLB is giving fans what they want, but with way too many strings attached.
Thanks to both Reemer and paidcontent.org for the heads-up.
Friday, May 19, 2006
It Can’t Be That Bad
ESPN’s “Pod Center”
Currently listed as today’s top cast:
PTI: May 18, 2006
Description:
Washington Post columnists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon face off on the day’s hot topics.
Nice, except for the fact that neither of them are on the show if you listen to it.
I know PTI is a big draw for ESPN and Kornheiser and Wilbon’s personalities (and the way they work off each other) are one of the biggest reasons for the show’s success. But if they’re not on the show, say so - all the other current listings have actual descriptions. You know at least one or two topics that are discussed. ESPN’s a pretty dynamic site, I’m sure they can get a real description in there - or are they worried people might not download it as much with substitute hosts?
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Sportsline Offers Fantasy Player Updates by RSS
I must have missed an announcement, or maybe there wasn’t any, but anyone using Sportsline for fantasy baseball can now get their player updates via RSS.
I was getting mine by email, but found it a bit rough to keep up with or pay attention to. Subscribing to a feed is much nicer than email updates for me as I can let them sit there a bit without cluttering my inbox.
I found it by seeing the little RSS icon appear in Firefox while browsing in my fantasy leagues’ websites. I was wondering if they offered the standard Sportsline feeds, or if it was something more. Turns out it was a little of both.
If you’re wondering what your feed for player updates is, the url would look something like this:
LEAGUEABBREVIATION.baseball.sportsline.com/xml/rss/updates/TEAMID
You can find your team id by mousing over your team name on the “Teams & Owners” page and seeing what that last number is.
Update before I even hit submit on this post: I went to my hockey league, and of course the feed is active for that too. Simply replace the word “baseball” with “hockey” in the url above and that’s it. Have an update for my football pool as well, but I’m not sure what I’d get out of that since I don’t actually pick players - it’s a big feed, perhaps it’s just a lot of them. Goes back to mid-March.
Tech • Sports • Baseball • 1 Comment • Permalink
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Non-Existant MLB.tv Support
Shortly after I signed up for MLB.tv I realized I wanted the All Access package. I tried calling that day, but the offices were closed.
So on Monday I tried calling again and received a busy signal over and over again. I filled out the contact form on MLB.com. I hope it went through, but after I hit send the page just sorta refreshed. No confirmation message.
On Tuesday I received an email (two actually) with the subject “Information regarding your MLB Subscription”. It was a bulk email and had this lovely paragraph inside it:
RENEWALS: For your convenience, your 2007 MLB.TV subscription will automatically renew, without interruption, before the start of each subsequent MLB season at the rate then in effect unless you cancel your subscription by sending an email requesting cancellation to customerservice@... or by calling Customer Service at (866) 800-1275 before the first game of the applicable MLB regular season (subscriptions cannot be canceled, refunded, or credited (in part or in whole) after the season starts).
Great to know that the day after the season started.
I tried calling the number again. More busy signals until, finally, I get through! Awesome! Now I can change my subscription (hopefully). I figure at worst they will cancel my subscription and I just sign up all over for All Access. I’ll even do it reverse order if necessary. All I have to do is talk to somebody now. I’m on hold 10 minutes, then 20. 20 minutes turns into an hour. Then another hour goes by. Good thing I can work during this, huh? A third hour goes by and I barely notice the fourth. Five and a half hours go by and it’s time for me to leave the office. I hang up and go home. I’m not staying late to remain on hold.
I am absolutely shocked that I was on hold for five and a half hours. What sort of customer service allows this to happen? Where was the option to leave a message? Why wasn’t I ever given any sort of time estimate? What I heard was a random mix of music interrupted by this message every so often:
All agents are still assisting other customers. Please remain on the line and the next available representative will be with you shortly.
“Shortly” apparently equals more than five and a half hours according to MLB.com.
MLB Advanced Media is listed as being on 9th Avenue. I could have walked over there and settled this in a fraction of the time, but I’m assuming they don’t take walk-ins. Perhaps I could call up from my cell phone and put it on speaker and just sit in the office so they find out how their customers feel.
There are others going through something similar, so I know I’m not alone. Major League Baseball isn’t a BBB member, but there is a page on the BBB website for them if you’re interested.
As I wasn’t sure my first email, sent through the website, was actually delievered, I sent another using good ole fashioned “normal” email. I didn’t use the address above, as this was also in the bulk email I received from them:
Thank you for your order. If you have any questions about your order or about the MLB.TV subscription service, please contact the MLB.com Customer Service Team at Customerservice2@...
I used the “2” address as that segment was about support while the first seemed to be for cancellations. I’m sure they’re receiving many because they porn-website-scam-like automatically renew it every year. No option for you.
I’ve received no response yet. No auto-responder even. I’m extremely bitter. Obviously, I’m not in the mood to give my money to MLB right now, but the original reason I wanted this was to enjoy the product and I’d still like to do so… at least for now.
Tech • Sports • Baseball • 4 Comments • Permalink
Saturday, April 01, 2006
MLB.TV Leaves Me Confused
Baseball’s a great game to focus on, or simply leave on in the background. Some like to work to music, as do I, but I like to have a game on in the background as well (when I can).
So I purchased a season pass from MLB.TV. My first complaint - right off the bat - the only subscriptions I could find, a monthly ($14.95) or season-long ($79.95) pass, are both automatic renewal subscriptions. They’re good about making it clear, but it’d be a hell of a lot nicer if that was an option.
So I start clicking around and test out a few streams. They look pretty nice. It looks like they’re using Windows Media version 9 and have a good 350k/sec feed (after initially buffering, I haven’t had it stutter again). I can use it in FireFox, which is nice too. CNN tells me I don’t have Windows Media 9, glad to see that’s not on my end. Hopefully the picture quality will continue once the season starts. I’m sure there’s less traffic on these preseason games. There’s a simple linescore next to the video. MLB.com has some nice gamecasts (they call it MLB Gameday, like the video game), why not have a miniversion of that next to the video, so I can easily go through stats from that game? I realize there could be some syncing issues, but if the data is available let’s get some in there, I don’t want to have to open yet another window (that might have to go over the video).
I decided to test out a radio feed and I see that’s a completely separate package. Another $14.95 for the season of radio. I thought perhaps they’d throw that into season TV passes, and if not, maybe there’d be a combo package option, even if it’s just a few bucks off.
Some might wonder why I’d want radio feeds since I already get the TV feed. The answer is just one of connection strength. If my connection goes to crap the radio stream has a much better chance of coming in clearly. I’m assuming it’s much less k/sec, if someone out there can let me know, that’d be great.
What they do have is a package called All Access. You get both TV and radio plus condensed games and searchable video. MLB.com advertises it as “The Best of Both Worlds”. The price is $99.95 - both worlds plus $5. I didn’t find this package until after my purchase, and I would have gotten it, because despite the fact that it’s not the best deal, I’m still after all access, I’m still after convenience. I’ll call support and see if they’re good about switching my plan. My recommendation is to list this on the page you land on after clicking the link titled “subscribe to live TV” on MLB.com’s home page. I’d think their most complete package would be listed everywhere.
Something else I’m completely confused about: local blackouts. What’s the point? Any feed I watched, I still saw commericals - is this really to protect local cable company (or sattelite company) subscriptions? Do they think they’re going to lose customers because I’m buying the MLB.TV package instead of basic cable (plus the sports network, if necessary)? What’s really ridiculous is there’s no override. You could purchase the highest possible cable package plus MLB Extra Innings (out of area games on TV) and it wouldn’t make a difference.
I still feel like they’re pushing this as some form of TV-alternative instead of something that could complement it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s just looking for a way to grab a game on the go or watch an at-bat when the TV is already being used. The Extra Innings package is currently $159 for the season. Why not have some real All-Access package, even if it’s just tacking on current online prices, where I could get MLB Extra Innings and the internet features and then give me access to local games online? Then they know no one’s “losing” my money and I’m finally getting closer to real all access.
MLB is coming out with mobile features soon. I’m curious as to how that will be priced and if it’ll be packaged with anything else.