bbo commentary
I’ve watched a lot of vugraph on BridgeBase during this tournament. The WBF and BBO staff have done a remarkable job of broadcasting the matches live on the internet and I’ve been especially lucky that many of our matches have been deemed interesting or exciting enough to merit online attention.
Much of the expert commentary is done by folks sitting at home (in Chicago, Minneapolis, London, Copenhagen, etc), often in the middle of the night (for them), watching the matches online. It’s a tough job, I suppose, sitting at home in the middle of the night analyzing the bidding and play in an event thousands of miles away. Once in a while even the experts get things wrong, a fact that I understand and even appreciate.
Here’s what gets me going: in the long pauses between bids or plays, every so often the conversations between and among commentators turn inappropriate. For example, maybe you heard that there was a little bit of drama in the USA1 vs. China Venice Cup match, when one of the US ladies arrived 16 minutes late. At one point, while commenting on another match entirely, two of the expert analysts started making inappropriate remarks about the situation — speculating about what calibre of girlfriend would be required for one to show up late for a match.
George and I, who were watching the match together, were offended. I sent a private message to the more offensive of the two, “Please stop.” The response? “Mind your own business!”
Excuse me?
So George piped up, asking the guy to apologize and maintain decorum in the vugraph theater. He refused, saying “You don’t intimidate me, I only take orders from Fred Gitelman.”
Disappointing. I’ve since heard of other situations, where well-known players or analysts made other off-color remarks and were gagged because of it. I wasn’t looking for anybody to be gagged, or reprimanded, or anything else. Just wanted the conversation to turn back to bridge, which it ultimately did. I found a way to ignore the chat from the analyst who reacted so poorly, so all’s well that ends well. But still.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
kudos to those who stay up in the middle of the night to watch the boards. i have tried unsuccessfully every night.
i’m not sorry that i missed the ugliness. i guess that is an unfortunate side effect of fame. but really, why can’t we all just be grown ups?
October 11th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Funny, not the sort of thing I thought would bother you. I remember you and George participating in the not-so-Newlyweds game in Dallas (Mike Passell was the MC, if memory serves.) That was similarly racy, no? Of course, we all draw lines differently and I wasn’t there to see what was actually said.
Bridge Base ain’t perfect, but it comes awfully close, imo. I’d fire off an email to Fred or to abuse@bridgebase.com if I really felt strongly about it.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:36 am
Of course, if you really want something to tick you off, read this http://www.bridgeblogging.com/raylee/2007/10/pay-for-play.html
October 12th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I think you can shut the chat off if you
don’t want to hear it. In the Trials some
of the commentators were carrying on
about how slow the players were. I
reminded him that they weren’s there to
entertain us, but to get it right. I
think it’s like “talking heads” on TV,
if you create a little controversy maybe
you can keep your job.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:07 am
That’s ridiculous!I mean I get angry when shmos at home commentates on you know rodwells bad bid(without constructivly saying why it’s bad) and when they gossip and just talk trash it’s just wrong. I read Ray Lees blog which is very offensive and I really want you guys to know that what you and many more are doing for bridge is very important and without you there would be no Zia’s and Meckstroths. Anyways kick ass in the last couple segments! We all love you and want you guys to win.
Jenny and Gavin
October 12th, 2007 at 10:44 am
I’m 100% with you, Red & Geo. The venue in which the talk occurs matters. Online in front of the entire bridge world is NOT the spot for gossip, innuendo and nasty comments. I don’t care for it in print in the top bridge magazines; I certainly don’t like it when thousands are kibitzing.
How sad that when you mentioned it to the offenders, their response was to berate you and continue to be rude, when instead it should have been a simple “sorry; I’ll stop.”
Anyway.
Kudos to Fred and Roland and ALL the commentators and the rest of the crew for a spectacular show. I, too, have not been able to stay up all night to watch it. Yet, when I have it’s been glorious fun.
George, of COURSE I am rooting for you guys to pull it out. But - whether you do or not, you have acquitted yourself with high honors. I’m biased because you and your teammates are dear friends of mine. Nevertheless, the most dispassionate observer would recognize that, from the team trials in NYC to the finals of Shanghai, your team has truly been the “dream team.”
Congratulations to you all. I’m incredibly proud of you - and delighted for your success.
October 12th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Whether or not you agree with Ray Lee, I think the subject he discusses is of interest.
I have no problem at all with professional pairs or teams. People should be permitted to play with whomever will agree to play with them and it is nobody’s business the arrangements.
That said, it may deemed unfortunate that many teams which win top events are not 100% the very top players. But there are good reasons for that.
This is not major league baseball where money can be made simply owning a team. If people are to devote the vast majority of their time to bridge, as the Zia’s, Meckstroths, etc do then they need to earn a living. And thus professional teams.
The professional teams do not prevent teams which do not have a pro from competing if they so desire. The pros do not have any sort of monopoly.
So where does that leave us? Probably exactly where we are but with some wishing that top teams could be even better.
And not to be forgotten is that the level of commitment and ability of the “customers” varies. They can do a lot to improve their chances which is laudable.
October 12th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
George and Stacy:
You have made it to the finals of a World Championship - few people ever get that opportunity. For that reason alone you are already winners. The title will be icing on the cake.
There are 32 boards to play and anything can happen - stay true to yourselves with an unconquearable will to win. I still believe THIS IS YOUR TIME.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Let’s face it, people are always going
to trash talk pros and clients, envy, I
suppose. Once you step into that arena
you have to expect it. Who cares? Clients have to play so many boards, so
they have every right to feel as if they
won if they do win. Gossip and sexual
innuendo is different, email BBO’s owner,
have the guy fired, as he/she should be
if what you said is what I think he
meant. I am on the senior side of senior
and played bridge many years, will say
that anger is not good emotion at or
away from table. I was surprised at the
Ray Lee article, over the top, I thot.
October 13th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I concur in the full Stacy - some of the chat that the BBO commentators utter is mindless, and not even of the needed fillers that help tie hands together to present a flow to things. I sincerely hope that not only you two remain firm, but that action is swift and immediate.
What bothers me most, is the combination of the lack of familiarity in bidding systems that the commentators deliberately and wrongly identify, and the failure to equate lines of play to realistic and applicable norms for the mortals that marvel.
Now hearing that the commentators are more concerned with self-gratification and pontification versus providing a product that is viable is disconcerting.
This, and what happened in the aftermath of the Venice Cup with the political statement that was made has soured what for me was an exciting and engaging World Championships. It diminishes many of the stories that will come out of it: the US women soundly defeating Germany, the Norway team coming out of the pack to win, the South Africans playing incredibly well, and finally, USA2 finding a way to get into the finals.
I hope that George views his triumph with a richly deserved adult beverage, and a big smile - he has nothing at all to be ashamed about or sorry for.
“keylime” on BBO
Dwayne Hoffman
Springfield, VA
October 17th, 2007 at 7:22 am
Cheers. So I am not alone. If you look on BBO forums, I mentioned something similar about commentators during the broadcast of the Governor Kepri Cup in August. (I got particularly pissed off, because the commentators were basically insulting top players from my country, one of which is currently coaching the bridge team of my alumnus.) I strongly suggest you write an email to Fred about it. And/Or make a post on the forums about it.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
A “re-do.”
When I saw the actual context, I didn’t think it was anything really wrong. Seemed like the sort of “benign” chatter and banter you see during the lulls.
Sometimes something strikes you one way when you first see/hear/read it. Then later - appears another way.
Tough to go on and on for a couple of hours ONLY talking squeezes, end plays and bidding theory!
In any case - I did think I should correct my earlier opinion.
October 21st, 2007 at 7:22 am
I guess I should have cross-posted “bbo reprise” into the comments here.
The actual conversation seemed to be drifting into inappropriate directions, and I sent a simple private message, “please stop.” The conversation wasn’t outrageous or definitely offensive, just annoying.
What seemed totally out of line, absolutely offensive and potentially damaging was the reaction of the commentator. Better to ignore me than to tell me to mind my own business. Better to ignore George than lash out with “You don’t intimidate me!” Absurd reactions. And unprofessional.