I watched the IPT inaugural match twice - it played back-to-back on FSN on my cable here in the Northeast. I have to say that some elements were good, and others less so...it was something of a missed opportunity overall.
I have a lot of thoughts, let's see if I can organize them
1. Not clear why this was some sort of sub-set of "Best Damn," and not sure why it should be at all; if it needed to be then it needed a better introduction and more involvement from the Best Damn hosts.
2. What's with Mike's entrance along with the bevy of scanty-clads? It was tacky. Yeah, I know its Vegas, but really this had all the class of ...of ....of a championship wrestling match. I'm glad Mike left the vest at home, but still needs a tailor. Loree on the other hand looked very appealing - feminine but purposeful.
3. The strategy of explaining things that are obvious to players, but not to the casual fan is a good one to get them into the game with at least a fundamental understanding. Its done all the time in World Series and Superbowls. The implementation of this strategy was not good though - out-of-context, repetitive, and not using the medium. The big three points to tell folks were: open-table-after-break, 8-ball on break wins, and its ball-in-hand on a scratch. OK, so why not do that upfront, with Kim Davenport narrating over diagrams/graphics? Then, you could get extra points by explaining the "why?" behind each rule (open-table so successful breaker is never locked, 8-ball on break is a rare success because of its position in the rack, and cue ball in kitchen - "behind the line" can reward a scratch which should never occur). Oh yeah, there is no need to put this as what the "pros play" - that's alientating to thousand of amateurs who play these rules and are your core constituency.
4. Nappy cloth is harder? 8-ball is much more difficult that 9-ball? Please. Neither is a factoid, both are opinions. Nappy is different (as grass and astro-turf are different) and can influence how the game is played. 8-ball and 9-ball are different, and the strategies are different as a result. There's no reason to alienate 9-ball fans or those who like fast cloth...
5. KT shouldn't have been in the booth. He should've been interviewed. He should've been more above the fray, more presidential, more commisioner-like. He's also not a very good announcer.
6. Three in the booth is a tough format to handle for the most seasoned pro announcers. It was way too much a challenge in this case.
7. The "sidelines" announcer was attractive and has a good voice & presence, but really do we need to hear from these celebs at all? Show them on camera as part of the glamour of the event by all means - especially if they are intensely concentrated on the match, or reactive to great or missed shots, but they would be bettter seen & not heard.
8. Biggest purse. That's great, but verbally assaulting me with in repeatedly is obnoxious as well as tacky. Show it on the set or in graphics. State it once at the intro, and maybe once more on the last shot, fine. I really got sick of hearing this over and over and over.
9. The match. Quality of play was a bit raggged. KT screaming about it made it worse. It was clear that LJJ was tight - actually best human-interest poignant moment was her saying she was tight as a drum - KT had to scream it at me three more times to completely ruin the effect unfortunately. OK so Mike blew her away...well, not all Superbowls are compelling either.
10. Male v Female theme. Tired. Old-hat. Tennis did this years ago (and with better humor) when it meant something. Unless every IPT match is going to be male-female then I think this theme is better left alone. Who cares that Mike thinks men are better? Mike thinks Mike is better (and with good reason). Loree thinks she's ready for Mike. Leave it at that.
11. Backgrounders. Geez, how about an "up'close-and-personal" type of deal on both players that really tells us something about them? What they are known for? What other top players have to say about them, their stlyes, etc.? Produciton money was spent here, but editorial content was weak.
12. Ad / Sponsorship by KTs book. Tacky in the extreme. Imagine Bud Selig selling his used cars during the World Series! If you want to be big-time, you gotta act big time.
13. The lip-synch deal? I was watching on Hi-Def, and this sometimes happens, but usually resolves itself quickly...some technical glitch here - I'm not the only one who saw this.
On the positive side, the set was OK, the production values were good, the table shots clear. I liked the slow mo replays of Loree's three attempts to get the locked ball off the rail (if there was one, I thought this was the turning point). I liked the enlargement of the ball effect. They did this bettter than typical ESPN/Mitch Laurence production. So, for my money, the technical director should get more work! 8-ball is, I think, an inspired choice of game for the mass appeal factor. Did I mention that LJJ really looked good?
I'm enjoying reading the various opinions on this, and hope to see more posts.
I think you and I share a common opinion of KT. I was ripped a new a-hole once before when I expressed my opinion of his business ethics (or lack thereof). I'm glad that I'm not alone in my opinion.
