Curious handling of a Dick Button error

[Roma]

Another thread's discussion about the ability to instantly recognize jumps and other moves reminded me of this strange thing that happened a few years back. Irina was skating and had planned two 3-3's. She turned the first into a 3-2, and there was little commentary. When she turned the second into a 3-2, Peggy erroneously called it a 3-3, and Dick contradicted her. A few weeks later, ESPN replayed the competition, and included in the commentary was Dick erroneously identifying the first combo as a 3-3!! Evidently, ABC (who showed it on tape delay) left Peggy's error in, but edited out an identical error by Dick! ESPN left the commentary as is. Very interesting...

[ceceB]

So that's why it takes ABC AGES to air their coverage! ;) That's hilarious though.

[climbsk8]

I'm an adult skater AND I work in television...and I can tell you why this happened.

Either the squeaky wheel gets the grease, or one of the commentators was too busy to sit in an audio booth and correct their mistake after the fact.

To be honest, I'm more concerned with the sheer number of mistakes that Dick Button makes during his commentary. I wish he would just do color commentary and leave the play-by-play to people who are still sharp enough to tell which is which.

[candace]

ABC has people sit in the stands and write down the jumps and spins of everyones program so that they know what they are doing. What I don't understand if he has things written down for him how can he get the jumps wrong. They need to fix all the mistake's he makes or have someone else commentate. I don't like watching skating when he is commentateing it makes me mad when he doesn't know the jumps.

[Roma]

Candace, Dick actually called the jump the way it was planned - as a 3/3. He didn't pick up that she changed it to a 3/2. The thing that was so interesting to me was that ABC deleted his error from the original broadcast, but left Peggy's error of about 30 seconds later in the broadcast. The audience would have never even been aware of his error had ESPN not run it a few weeks later with Dick's error in there. Hmmm, if you're going to leave Peggy's mistakes in there, then you should leave Dick's errors there too.

[candace]

Roma, I feel the same way. If they leave Peggy's in why don't they leave Dick's in too. Maybe in Dick's contract it said that all mistakes must be fix. Who know's why they don't fix them both.

[ceceB]

I doubt Peggy's error was left in there knowingly. I'm sure ABC tries to make them seem credible. ;) It probably just went unnoticed.

[slimpme]

Originally posted by climbsk8
I'm an adult skater AND I work in television...and I can tell you why this happened.

Either the squeaky wheel gets the grease, or one of the commentators was too busy to sit in an audio booth and correct their mistake after the fact.

To be honest, I'm more concerned with the sheer number of mistakes that Dick Button makes during his commentary. I wish he would just do color commentary and leave the play-by-play to people who are still sharp enough to tell which is which.

Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! On another thread I commented that it appeared to me that some of Dick and Peggy's remarks had been added to the broadcast after the fact -- seems clear now that it has been. Just one more reason to hate taped broadcast of figure skating competitions.

[mousey]

anyone noticed how much dick gushes over sasha cohen??

[miranda]

Well it's about time Dick gushed over someone besides MK. We suffered years of him droning on and on about Kwan.

[ceceB]

I can handle the gushing, it's the bashing of everyone else that urks me. I mean, criticism is fine, but he gets downright nasty with some skaters *cough Sokolova cough*.

[danibellerika]

Dick still gushes over MK but I guess he doesn't find her as "delicious" as sasha *shivers*. But yeah he is harsh *cough*cough*Plush*cough*cough*