Pre-Game Shows...Why?

With the explosion of cable networks and the proliferation of sporting events that are broadcast, it seems that there are endless pre-event shows with a plethora of talking head, ex-athletes at every turn. Usually there is a group of at least three or four of the ex-participants along with a professional talking head. They all talk and talk and talk about the upcoming game or race or match. There is an endless review of all the previous events of the year, sometimes going all the way back to last year. Video clips are played over and over and then the talking heads have to make their predictions.

The show then turns to the talking heads that will call the event. They, too, are ex-participants with a professional talking head to keep them in line and try to make some sense of what the jocks are talking about. Before the event begins these new talking heads must take time to rehash what the previous experts down on the field or back in the studio have been talking about for the last hour or two. Sometimes we must go from the studio, to the field, to the booth before the event begins. The same video clips are played and these heads also have to make their predictions.

"Back in the day" there were usually two talking heads, commonly ex-stars of the particular sport, that called the event. Sometimes it was a retired star and a play-by-play professional. The event came on the air, the two talking heads set the stage in five or ten minutes and the event began. Usually these ex-athletes were well known stars. They contributed much to the event and provided a little entertainment along the way.

When Monday Night Football began, it came on at 9:00 p.m. There was a short pregame with the guys in the booth. How-wahd Co-sell would rant for a few minutes, then pass the mike on the Dandy Don Meridith and Frank Gifford. Then the game would begin. Now there is a 45 minute talk from the guys in the studio before the game begins. In some instances, especially automobile races the pre-race crap goes on for hours.

The recent World Series had three or four guys down at field level in addition to the booth. The guys on the field talked the game to death, then turned it over to the heads in the booth. College Football does the same for the big games. At half time the talking heads down at field level or in the studio rehash the first half over and over, then turn it back to the booth for a second re-hash. Will this ever end? Is it necessary?

Does anyone pay attention or are they like me? I find out when the actual event begins, then I turn to it. I could care less what the talking heads think. In reality they do not know any more about what will happen than I do. I do not remember or care about their predictions. I am not interested in the arguments and shouting from the talking heads. All I care about is the event itself.

The same is true in politics. The talking heads come on the air to tell us what the president is going to say. We watch and listen to the address. Sometimes, during the speech, there is a little line at the bottom of the screen that tells us what he just said. When the speech is over, the heads come back on to tell us what he said. I do not have to have someone tell me what was said. I have ears and I have a brain. I can make up my own mind about what the speech meant to me.

There is, obviously, too much time to fill in today's cable world. What would all of these talking heads be doing, if they did not come on the air and sit behind a desk and analyze? I suppose they would have to get a real job somewhere. The political pundits would not have an audience to force their opinions upon, and the jocks would either be sitting at home wasting their millions or digging ditches because they had already spent them. What a wonderful world it would be!