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| Rafael Nadal celebrates a hard fought point (npr.org) |
Yesterday afternoon saw modern sports' most awkwardly placed championship broadcast. Five o'clock on a Monday afternoon is not a time slot designed to draw audience numbers. It seems to be designed more for the benefit of players. Novak Djokovic and winner Rafael Nadal used that rest to save up for a powerhouse final decided in four sets in just under three hours. The broadcast was well produced with expert and intelligent commentary lead by John McEnroe. While those in attendance were a bit rowdy, McEnroe et al did not let an unfortunate distraction for the competitors become a displeasing distraction for the broadcast audience. They made the right choice, comment and move on.
The viewing event was enhanced by a weekly listening pleasure of mine, Slate's Hang Up and Listen, a sports podcast that brings the same intelligence and depth of discussion to athletics as Slate's Political Gabfest brings to politics and Slate's Culture Gabfest brings to media and pop culture.
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| Podcast Cover Art (slate.com) |
Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca are a refreshing listen as they move beyond cliche and superstition and bring rational thought at statistical analysis to sports. Their coverage of Monday afternoon's Open final is no exception. If you want sports talking points outside the world of baseball and football, the podcast prides itself at looking beyond American dominated athletics.
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