To all my friends watching tennis in the States – do you share my intense, undying hatred of Fox Sports Network?
Here’s the story: I was looking forward to watching the Nadal vs. Nalbandian match all day yesterday, and I naively assumed it would be part of FSN’s nightly Indian Wells broadcast. The anticipation grew as I twiddled my thumbs through Azarenka vs. Safina – cheering for Victoria to put Dinara out of her misery so the main event could begin. Yes, finally! The spectacle ended and the ladies trudged off the court. I got up to grab a snack (it was going to be a late night, after all) and hurried back into the living room for what was surely going to be one of the week’s most exciting and hard-fought – hockey documentaries???!!! (Insert record scratching sound effect here.)
I’ve been restraining myself from bitching and moaning about FSN this week, knowing that doing so would only drive me crazy. But bumping Rafael Nadal for dramatized hockey is a crime against humanity! At my wit’s end, I feverishly typed this haughty complaint email to the network:
I’m very disappointed that FSN network did not broadcast last night’s Rafael Nadal vs. David Nalbandian tennis match at the BNP Paribas Open tournament at Indian Wells. Instead of showing the number one tennis player in the world play one of the week’s most anticipated matches, you showed a hockey documentary. What a joke. Tennis fans are an enthusiastic and loyal bunch, and Nadal inspires legions of die-hard fans beyond the typical boundaries of our sport. Your network missed out on a huge opportunity by not including this match in your broadcast schedule. I don’t know the ins and outs of running a television sports network, but I do know that both ESPN and Tennis Channel are much better than FSN when it comes to tennis broadcasts. Your network’s reputation in the tennis world was already in the dumps after last year’s gaffes – now it’s sunk to landfill levels. Please let me know why you did not show this match.
I do feel a little better after clicking “send”, even though I realize that I’ll be lucky if some unpaid intern skims my message before sending me a form letter repsonse about “scheduling obligation” and “contractual agreements.” But sometimes you just have to speak up, even if no one’s listening.
If you feel like venting, too, click here for the FSN feedback form and let that intern have it!
Tags: FSN, Indian Wells, Nadal, Nalbandian, tennis
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There are not enough words to properly express the suckitude of FSN. We don’t even always get the boring matches they show live in our region – we get tape delay. Sadly, they have the rights to Miami as well.
ARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! I am still fuming, especially since I’m now reading reports on how great Rafa vs. David was.
FSN has these tiny broadcast windows and they show people whatever is going on in that 3 hour period – even if Rafa and Roger were playing, they’d show Camille Pin vs. Mara Santangelo if that was the match that fit their broadcast window.
BLAHHHHHH!
And the tape delays are especially obnoxious, when they aren’t even showing the best matches.
What a terrible coverage – and to think IW is actually in the country.
We recorded it to watch tonight. It figures they would drop the most exciting match of the night. If they don’t want to go the trouble of showing tennis, then let some other network pick it up that does!
Totally agree. I thought last year was really bad but to bump live tv with Nadal/Nanby is wrong on so many levels.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….
I agree. I was pissed they didn’t show John Isner vs Marat Safin. And you would think since it was Safin’s “last” year on tour they would be nice and show him. Its bad enough they put Gulbis on non tv courts then when some decent matches are on tv courts I would love to see THEY DON’T SHOW THEM! I am mad at tennis channel too. I wish they would show MORE tennis that is currently going on.
I so agree I was so upset yesterday night especially after they said they would broadcast it. Thank god I was able to watch a stream of it online last night. I took your advice & sent FSN an email & I did let them have it!
I can’t get FSN on my cable service, so I wasn’t disappointed. But I would like to see this tournament and other ATP tournaments on the big screen instead of on my tiny computer screen. So, here’s my 2 cents: don’t complain to FSN. Complain to whomever sells the broadcast rights (ATP Tour? Indian Wells Tournament?) and urge them to sell to a network that will actually provide good coverage. TV coverage of tennis should not only be about whoever pays the most (Fox is rich), but also about providing quality coverage and growing the sport. Send a copy of your email/letter to FSN. They’ll get the message.
ok peeps…i found the emails to people who you can complain to @ Indian wells..
http://www.bnpparibasopen.org/4/media/contact/default.asp
below there is a link “To send comments about the BNP Paribas Open website, please click here”
so please send your correspondence to:
dee2@iwtg.net, pmacpherson@atptennis.com, akim@atptennis.com
Thanks for the email link. I sent a complaining email….like you I know it won’t do any good but I feel a helluva lot better getting that off my chest!
FSN catharsis! It’s a small comfort. . .
FSN is the most worthless sports channel ever. Today’s line-up included Federer/Murray, Nadal/Roddick and the women’s final with Ivanovic. Do you know which match was aired in North Carolina?…….not one. complete block out. I didn’t even get the allotted two meager hours. WTF!!! Indian Wells is next onmy scathing e-mail list.
Oh, Atiras, I feel your pain! All ready for a Saturday of tennis and you end p disappointed.
The women’s final will be shown today (on Sunday before the men’s final). So maybe you’ll still catch it, at least.
I give up trying to guess what the heck FSN is planning. I hate that the ATP sells out it’s tournaments like this.