The SNY/WPIX graphics bar

[milladrive]

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind the graphics bar during Mets games on SNY and PIX. Perhaps someone can explain it.

First, and most ostentatiously, I'm bewildered by having home plate as one of the bases included in the graphics. ...as if someone will be standing on home plate awaiting another batter to score them from home. Really, is anyone waiting on home plate to score on another batter's performance? Having four bases sticks out like a sore thumb, since home plate juts down below the bar.

But then, to put salt on the thoughtlessness, the team logos on the left are cropped within the their respective boxes. I don't get it.

I suggest eliminating home plate from the graphics, thus enabling the three bases to fit nicely within the bar. And, as any computer programmer knows, it takes a mere tweak to allow the team logos to be separated from their restrictive boxes and allowed to be shown in full outside the boxes. And, hah, lo'n'behold, without cropping the logos, they'd still not interfere with the dimensions of the bar itself.

Anyone from SNY/PIX reading this? I first noticed it last season, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you'd tweak it by this season. Hasn't happened. Yet. What say you put your designers back to work for 45 seconds to fix these two on-my-nerves eyesores?

[AJbaseball00024]

I personally would love to see them show the pitch count, alot like YES and NESN.

[m8644]

it's funny, I remember growing up and the score was never on the screen.....so when you turned on the game already playing...you had no idea what the score was until either Kiner/McCarver said it or the inning was over haha.

I think they starting doing it right around 1997 maybe?? 98? something like that.

[EasilyFound]

Is this on the level? A thread complaining about the graphics bar?

[Gary Dunaier]

I don't like the use of the team logos to indicate the teams in the "Fox Box" (it was Fox who pioneered the on-screen score graphics). Straight text is fine.

I liked it when SNY's "Fox Box" was a "homer" by showing the Mets as METS instead of NY or NYM.

[Let's Go Mets!]

For me, less is more. I still miss the good old days when the major networks displayed graphics only when necessary during a game. Sure wish it were like that now.

I also miss Cossell, Garagiola, Kubek, Drysdale, et. al.

[milladrive]

I personally would love to see them show the pitch count, alot like YES and NESN.

Not being a big fan of pitch counts, I can't say I'm in favor of this idea.

Is this on the level? A thread complaining about the graphics bar?

As on the level as the sea. Hey, I offered some constructive solutions. And it's been perplexin' me for a year and a half. I'd be more surprised it took me this long to post about it.

[Let's Go Mets!]

Hey, I offered some constructive solutions. And it's been perplexin' me for a year and a half. I'd be more surprised it took me this long to post about it.

When I saw your post, I immediately thought it was an interesting topic.

The entire, extra long, graphics bar running on the top of the screen, cutting off heads, pitches, etc. always bothered me. It's good to see that the Yankees "compacted" it this year.

[milladrive]

When I saw your post, I immediately thought it was an interesting topic.

The entire, extra long, graphics bar running on the top of the screen, cutting off heads, pitches, etc. always bothered me. It's good to see that the Yankees "compacted" it this year.

Thank you, LGM!.

And I agree about the Yanks graphics. Even if I'm not a fan of the pitch-count stat, I think they did a decent job at, as you say, compacting it this season. As AJ alluded, other networks -- even the national networks -- have made it less intrusive than in previous seasons.

Personally, I'm okay with the Mets graphics, per se. It's just that I don't get why they'd include home plate, yet crop the logos of the teams. It's just odd is all, especially since it's such an easy tweak.

[Gary Dunaier]

Why home plate? Probably for the aesthetics.

My frustration with the "Fox Box" is the constant toggling between ball-strike count and pitch speed. Ball-strike count is important and should be on screen constantly. Pitch speed is not as important, at least not to me.

I agree that the "Fox Box" should be restricted to one corner of the screen, not spread across the top.

[milladrive]

Why home plate? Probably for the aesthetics.

Well, I find it aesthetically displeasing, especially since it extends below the bar.

My frustration with the "Fox Box" is the constant toggling between ball-strike count and pitch speed. Ball-strike count is important and should be on screen constantly. Pitch speed is not as important, at least not to me.

This I wholeheartedly agree with. I see the pitch speed, then it can be nearly two seconds before the ball-strike count returns. This too makes one wonder why they've decided to use the same space for both, what with all that extra space home plate takes up. heh

[Let's Go Mets!]

I agree that the "Fox Box" should be restricted to one corner of the screen, not spread across the top.

The "Fox Box" ("Less is More") is my current preference. I was sorry when Fox dropped it and switched to the annoying long graphics bar.

As I said, it's good to see the Yanks--and hopefully others--drop it.

Also, if the long bar must be used, my opinion is the bottom of the screen would be a better choice.

[NJMetfan4life]

Some programmer probably figured that the fancier it is, the more he get paid.

[Paulypal]

How much crap do we really need on the screen...really? If your watching the game did you forget the score....did you forget the inning? Do you really need to know that someone has 36 pitches thrown in the 3rd inning. I hate the pitch count on YES. Although on YES you have the pitch count and Bullwinkle Kaye telling you every 30 seconds anyway. What a moron. The only thing that has any value is the count on the batter. If you watch the game...really watch it - its interesting the way pitchers pitch to batters based upon the count. So that can be somewhere.

As far as the rest of the info maybe they can put it up in between batters and in between innings.

[Let's Go Mets!]

As far as the rest of the info maybe they can put it up in between batters and in between innings.

I agree. I recently watched the 1986 World Series DVD set and it was a pleasure to view without the constant overload of graphics obliterating the screen.

[NJMetfan4life]

The only things that they need are: Score, Inning, Count/Outs (alternating), and runners on.

[Aviator_Frank]

I'd like to know when Fox et al with off-center graphic boxes will move them to the edges of the HDTV widescreen. I know they have to keep graphics inside the 4:3 projection box for folks watching on SD TVs but that would make for less screen clutter in itself.

My favorite scorebox was the original YES blue diamond on the upper left. Compact and neat.

You want an example of annoying graphics - remember when ESPN first took over MNF and had that obnoxious blob with expanding arms showing down and yards to go smack in the lower center of the picture - it practically was on the line of scrimmage. Unless your TV set was overscanning by 10% the scorebox was 1/4 way up the screen.

[milladrive]

This topic still chaps my lips.

I'll never understand why the graphics bar on SNY/PIX telecasts not only includes the meaningless home plate, but also crops the team logos within frames. The latter is more disturbing to me than the former, but both get my goat.

[metfan13]

I like watching the game. I'd prefer they have nothing on the screen starting when the pitcher sets.

[milladrive]

I like watching the game. I'd prefer they have nothing on the screen starting when the pitcher sets.

I know. I kinda miss those days, too. But what is is, and I'd sure like to see them get it right while we're still alive. heh.

[milladrive]

Nearly two years ago, I began this thread to call attention to the awkward design of the Mets' on-screen graphics. As we head into the third season since beginning the thread, it seems they still don't get it.

The team logos are still unnecessarily cropped within frames, while the home plate graphic remains, sticking out below the frame like a sore thumb. A sore thumb that I think should be amputated, for there's no need at all for a home plate graphic. I mean, there are three bases on which a runner may stand waiting to advance. No one stands on home plate waiting for the batter to advance to the next base. As such, the home plate graphic is never lit up, rendering it completely useless.

Please note: I'm not bumping this thread for further discussion of how we miss the old minimal-graphic days. Graphics bars are here to stay. And I apologize for bringing up this point at least once a year. Call it a character flaw. It merely irks me season after season there have been no changes to the ridiculously incongruous graphics during Met game telecasts on SNY or WPIX.

[Aviator_Frank]

ITA. And what really galls me is how these scorestrips double as advertising flash animations.
NBCSports Network (nee OLN, then Versus) animates their scoreboard every so often promoting upcoming shoes, etc. They all do it. On power plays in hockey the scoreboard doubles in size as we're informed that Baierl automotive is sponsoring the latest power play. Then they'll splash animated promos of previews along the bottom, right where the puck is.

I loved it when the only thing they would show was an inlay of the stadium's scoreboard clock or something in the lower right corner.

Anyone here old enough to remember at the end of every half inning they would show the stadium's scoreboard instead of a generic graphics panel (with ads of course)?
Channel 9 WOR in NY did that in the 70's and you got a feel for each stadium's scoreboard. And hey - they used to air the national anthems too.

*sigh*

[nycthebest14345]

I don't know why the logos are cropped but I think to make it look cool. I don't mind it. I know NBC, CBS and ABC does it. FOX used to do it.

Am i the only one that liked the "Stadic noise" followed by "sound effects of number?" that would happen if there was a home run on FOX? I used to love that.

[Blue387]

Craig Robinson, an English baseball fan and graphic artist, has an infographic on scorebugs.

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflo...scorebugs.html

[milladrive]

Craig Robinson, an English baseball fan and graphic artist, has an infographic on scorebugs.

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflo...scorebugs.html

Thanks for that link, Blue. It appears that this is primarily an SNY design (Mets & Phillies). Most others have no home plate, which looks great, or a minor pixelation for home. If I were to be given the choice of doing away with the logos in order to do away with the home plate, I'd opt for it in a hot New York minute, especially if they insist on leaving the logos cropped.

What I find most difficult to believe is that no one of authority has taken aside the SNY design team and told them to change the configuration. Certainly, I can't be the only one who finds this trivial issue worthy of calls, letters, emails, blogs, etc. Until it's changed, my pet peeve of cropped logos and a huge home plate will remain. After all, at this point, it's merely one more dissatisfaction I have with Sterling Equities, Inc.