- Joined
- Feb 15, 2017
- Messages
- 662
- Reaction Score
- 4,277
March 21 (Connie DisUPI) -- In a truly disconcerting display of sports synergy gone wrong, an ABC studio discussion of women’s college basketball suffered repeated interruption by Saturday’s first-round NCAA tournament action pitting the Connecticut Huskies against the Mercer Bears. Commentators Stephanie White and Pam Ward were the unfortunate victims of an obvious snafu at a corporate level. For nearly 90 minutes, the two struggled to keep the matter on point as their insights clashed with an erroneous live-feed of a game being played in Storrs, Connecticut.
Matters did not have an auspicious beginning. White and Ward exchanged opening salvos on injuries and their significance to basketball competitiveness. In contrast, audiences were shown UConn’s tenacious defense leading to a shot-clock violation on Mercer’s second possession. This seemed to momentarily unnerve White and Ward as the two abandoned their discussion, and instead spent the next five minutes actually commenting on Mercer’s scrappy defense and UConn’s back court pressure. To their credit, the two got matters back on track, returning the conversation to basketball injuries. UConn substituted in Big East defensive player of the year Nika Muhl. However, the White-Ward team remained on point as they discussed the effects of COVID and Azzi Fudd’s early season foot injury. Even the subsequent substitutions of the Huskies’ Evina Westbrook and Caroline Ducharme could not unnerve the ABC duo. They remained focused laser-like on the importance of pre-game preparation and finding the right pieces to building a competitive basketball team.
Unfortunately, from this point on not even the most experienced journalist could remain immune from the constant distractions wrought by ABC’s technical breakdown. White’s discussion of Westbrook’s transfer from Tennessee to Connecticut was momentarily sidetracked when Dorka Juhasz’s crisp footwork drew an offensive foul on Mercer guard Endia Banks. Ward, in contrast, remained resolute. Ducharme’s sneaky steal, drive and underhanded lay-up may have impressed fans at the game. But it was no match for Ward’s pointed analysis of Mercer’s program-building over previous seasons. Unfortunately, another Ducharme steal and score, followed by a Christyn Williams steal and layup on an inbounds pass, precipitated further trouble. White and Ward fought to maintain focus as ABC apparently could not figure out how to cut the live-feed. At one point, Ward actually discussed UConn’s teamwork, pausing to note yet another offensive foul induced by the Huskies’ suffocating defense.
Alas, the technical breakdown could not be endured. Mid-way through the 90-minute special, the White-Ward conversation reached a complete standstill. Puzzled audiences were met by two minutes and fifteen seconds of total silence coupled with end-to-end third quarter action. From this point on, the live-feed increasingly undermined all efforts at a productive conversation. A Paige Buecker’s steal-and-score, a Ducharme 3-pointer from the corner, and a Ducharme-to-Williams fastbreak ruined a bracing account of Mercer guard Erin Houpt (including whether this “true freshman” really is 5’6”). In fairness to ABC, a subsequent shot to the mouth of Nika Muhl did suggest a connection: Houpt and Muhl are both guards; each are under 6’; and both possess a one-syllable last name.
In the end, Ward’s talent in salvaging a potential disaster cannot be overstated. As the matter approached closure, she nimbly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory—querying whether UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards’ purple and gold braids just might be an hommage to the Minnesota Vikings. And yet, perhaps the live-feed did not pose as much a threat to conceptual continuity as might have appeared. After all, Mercer did not score a point during the third quarter. So how much of a distraction could the game have been? In this sense, ABC technicians may not bear full responsibility for this confusing hybrid of arm-chair reflection and real-time tournament competition. In any case, we can be reasonably confident the good people at ABC will work out the bugs in the near future. A prime-time April 3 “Up-Close and Personal” 90-minute special on UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is rumored to be in the works.
Matters did not have an auspicious beginning. White and Ward exchanged opening salvos on injuries and their significance to basketball competitiveness. In contrast, audiences were shown UConn’s tenacious defense leading to a shot-clock violation on Mercer’s second possession. This seemed to momentarily unnerve White and Ward as the two abandoned their discussion, and instead spent the next five minutes actually commenting on Mercer’s scrappy defense and UConn’s back court pressure. To their credit, the two got matters back on track, returning the conversation to basketball injuries. UConn substituted in Big East defensive player of the year Nika Muhl. However, the White-Ward team remained on point as they discussed the effects of COVID and Azzi Fudd’s early season foot injury. Even the subsequent substitutions of the Huskies’ Evina Westbrook and Caroline Ducharme could not unnerve the ABC duo. They remained focused laser-like on the importance of pre-game preparation and finding the right pieces to building a competitive basketball team.
Unfortunately, from this point on not even the most experienced journalist could remain immune from the constant distractions wrought by ABC’s technical breakdown. White’s discussion of Westbrook’s transfer from Tennessee to Connecticut was momentarily sidetracked when Dorka Juhasz’s crisp footwork drew an offensive foul on Mercer guard Endia Banks. Ward, in contrast, remained resolute. Ducharme’s sneaky steal, drive and underhanded lay-up may have impressed fans at the game. But it was no match for Ward’s pointed analysis of Mercer’s program-building over previous seasons. Unfortunately, another Ducharme steal and score, followed by a Christyn Williams steal and layup on an inbounds pass, precipitated further trouble. White and Ward fought to maintain focus as ABC apparently could not figure out how to cut the live-feed. At one point, Ward actually discussed UConn’s teamwork, pausing to note yet another offensive foul induced by the Huskies’ suffocating defense.
Alas, the technical breakdown could not be endured. Mid-way through the 90-minute special, the White-Ward conversation reached a complete standstill. Puzzled audiences were met by two minutes and fifteen seconds of total silence coupled with end-to-end third quarter action. From this point on, the live-feed increasingly undermined all efforts at a productive conversation. A Paige Buecker’s steal-and-score, a Ducharme 3-pointer from the corner, and a Ducharme-to-Williams fastbreak ruined a bracing account of Mercer guard Erin Houpt (including whether this “true freshman” really is 5’6”). In fairness to ABC, a subsequent shot to the mouth of Nika Muhl did suggest a connection: Houpt and Muhl are both guards; each are under 6’; and both possess a one-syllable last name.
In the end, Ward’s talent in salvaging a potential disaster cannot be overstated. As the matter approached closure, she nimbly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory—querying whether UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards’ purple and gold braids just might be an hommage to the Minnesota Vikings. And yet, perhaps the live-feed did not pose as much a threat to conceptual continuity as might have appeared. After all, Mercer did not score a point during the third quarter. So how much of a distraction could the game have been? In this sense, ABC technicians may not bear full responsibility for this confusing hybrid of arm-chair reflection and real-time tournament competition. In any case, we can be reasonably confident the good people at ABC will work out the bugs in the near future. A prime-time April 3 “Up-Close and Personal” 90-minute special on UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is rumored to be in the works.
