Ducks fans don’t care for this camera angle
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The popular hockey message board lighted up minutes after the drop of the puck.
‘They’re not going to keep the whole rinkside view thing going all game, are they?’’
‘The camera angles are making the game unwatchable. What’s the deal?’’
‘I’m getting dizzy.’’
It seems the decision by Fox Sports to broadcast a number of games with 10 hand-held cameras situated just outside the glass at various points around the ice, rather than with the traditional mounted camera located above center ice, has been anything but a hit after just one telecast.
Right from the start of the Ducks’ home opener Sunday against the Phoenix Coyotes, dissatisfied viewers began to vent their feelings on message boards, some called the network to complain and a whole bunch e-mailed Adam Brady, director of publications and new media for the Ducks, who has a blog on the team’s official website:
‘Fans not in attendance last night were more frustrated by the ‘rinkside’’ view telecast on FSN Prime Ticket [Sunday] night (at least according to the e-mails that clogged my inbox) I almost think I would have seen fewer angry e-mails if FSN had pre-empted the Ducks game with an episode of ‘Gossip Girl.’’ They poured in during and after the game with calls of ‘too close to the action,’’ ‘’hard to follow’’ or even ‘’made me dizzy’’ (and those were the friendlier ones.) Please know your complaints have been heard and passed on to the appropriate people. Believe me.’’
It seems that sitting along the glass and watching a game live is one thing, trying to view it up close through a camera lens is another. It’ll be interesting to see if FSN makes any alterations for its next scheduled ‘Rinkside View’’ telecast, which just happens to be tonight (Oct. 14) between the Ducks and Kings at Staples Center. That game is scheduled to be telecast on FSN West beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Maybe they issue this warning: ‘Don’t watch if you’re prone to motion sickness.’’
-- Dan Arritt
Photo: No, this shot isn’t from FSN West’s new ‘Rinkside View’ telecast that has some hockey fans upset. Left to right: Denis Gauthier, Derek Armstrong, Kyle Calder and Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings tape a special hockey-themed version of ‘The Price Is Right’ at CBS Television Studios on Sept. 9, 2008 for airing at a later date. Credit: Michael Buckner /Getty Images