Longhorn Network thoughts

[CascadeClone]

I have Dish, so get the LHN. DVR'd the game and watched it sunday. Have to say, I was impressed with LHN game coverage.

Had a lot of camera angles and isolation cameras they appeared to have. It was like a video game with the isolation. And they even showed ISU players on the isolations sometimes.

The announcers weren't amazing, but they were okay, and they were quite complimentary of ISU. They knew the ISU player names and backstories. They had clearly done their research. Not homers at all. The PxP guy even got shouty when ISU scored. It was like both schools paid for the coverage and they were being positive to both sides. Did not expect that.

They also covered a lot of the halftime stuff, which I thought was cool. Much rather see the band than the talking heads. Made it feel more like you were at the game.

About the only thing they didn't have a handle on was they were late getting back to the play frequently. So they would cut back from a replay just as the ball was snapped, or sometimes just after. That might have been the ISU pace of play throwing them off maybe.

So we gripe a lot about LHN screwing stuff up with the conference, but at least I thought they covered the game well.

 

[GTO]

I think they were okay. Except for the time they said that Swoopes was making "decisive decisions". I thought that was funny as hell.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Much better than I expected. You could still tell they were getting paid by Texas, but much more fair and complimentary of Iowa State than I expected them to be. Better than anything on the Big Ten Network.

 

[CysRage]

I thought the Cyclones.tv coverage was great once they worked out the technical difficulties. They used the LHN feed so you basically got an ESPN quality production with the Cyclones.tv name on it and ISU announcers. I know everyone hated it because of the technical difficulties but I wouldn't mind it again as long as they don't have technical issues and it helps ISU in some way.

 

[Me State]

The game was well done and it's cool that they show the pregame stuff too. They had a guy fly around with a jet pack!!

Seeing the same commercials every commercial break was annoying.

The Texas volleyball team is pretty hot. I understand why they play their commercial all the time.

 

[temperflare]

With espn in their hip pocket for programming, the LHN was better than expected.

Still, I'd like to see if fold in favor of a bigxii network with fox sports in the mix. I've come to really dislike ESPN's injection of "wag the dog" politics and blatant bias into their sports programming.

 

[ruxCYtable]

With espn in their hip pocket for programming, the LHN was better than expected.

Still, I'd like to see if fold in favor of a bigxii network with fox sports in the mix. I've come to really dislike ESPN's injection of "wag the dog" politics and blatant bias into their sports programming.

This. ESPN runs the Longhorn Network so it's really not that amazing if you think about it. Just like another ESPN game under another name.

 

[2020cy]

The HD was nice, otherwise got old pretty fast.

 

[SerenityNow]

Camera work was excellent; announcers not so much. Was very pleased to have Brent and Sage in the 2nd half.

 

[iowa_wildcat]

I watched the entire game on Longhorn and was just happy to be able to see the game. For you guys, it had to be like me sitting in the Jack watching KSU-ISU and listening to John Walters' call of the game. While John is a good guy and excellent announcer, there is never a doubt about ISU being his team.

 

[boone7247]

Considering it was the LHN network, I was never overly annoyed with how Texas everything was. I watched through my dad's log in for Dish using Watch ESPN, the HD quality was excellent using my iPad and Apple TV.

I do wonder what kind of an advantage LHN will be for UT long term, as two of their half time talking heads were Ricky Williams and Vince Young. Now obviously there really aren't that many jobs they could give out on that network.

Also they should shoot more than one volleyball commercial.

 

[surly]

They play Longhorn commercials a lot because they're not selling commercial time, and ESPN is taking it in the shorts. The presentation quality has always been pretty good. Unfortunately, our cable doesn't carry it in HD. My hope has always been that the LHN gets turned into the Big12Network at some point in time.

 

[HFCS]

I will say with some exceptions like my friend I went with, that the Longhorn fans at the Texas bar I went to in Chicago are basically carbon copies of Nebraska fans.

When their gigantic QB went on a huge run, at the end of the run I say "wow that guy is a beast". Girl sitting next to me gets in my face and says "Who's a beast? I'd say it's our QB who is the beast not your player!"...I'm like uh...yeah that's what I was saying. When the ISU game watch fell through and about 15 other ISU fans showed up several were griping that we couldn't just "pay 50 bucks to watch the game somewhere else". Just a whooooooole lot of Nebraska-ish behavior I haven't had to deal with since the few years I lived there.

Someone sits down at the empty bar stool next to me and the guy next to him literally told him the seat was only open if he was a Texas fan. We're all obsessed or it wouldn't be called Cyclone Fanatic, but like the Fuskers these people were on a different and unhealthy level.

 

[The_Architect]

The game was well done and it's cool that they show the pregame stuff too. They had a guy fly around with a jet pack!!

In person, that was undeniably the loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. Picture about 10 F-16 Jets hovering right above your head (if they could do that) and them never leaving while hitting their afterburners with full thrust. That almost compares to how loud that jetpack was in the stadium. Unbelievable.

 

[KnappShack]

I'm certainly going to try and catch a Texas Volleyball game.

That's how you grow a brand

 

[Clonefan94]

I thought it was pretty good. Not surprising considering it's ESPN running it. The most impressive thing to me, were the announcers. They really seemed to know their stuff, even on ISU and weren't nearly as lop sided as I thought they would be. Hell, I'd take that over some of the guys we've had on Fox in the past.

 

[GTO]

I did feel that with their budget they could get a wider variety of music. It seems like they had some contractual agreement to play "Turn Down for What" at every possible break.

 

[AustinCy]

About the only thing they didn't have a handle on was they were late getting back to the play frequently. So they would cut back from a replay just as the ball was snapped, or sometimes just after.

Must have been the same guy running their 134-ft-wide Godzillatron. That guy has to get fired as I'm sure there were plenty of annoyed UT fans like us sitting low and opposite the field of play, too. No exaggeration that just about every start of the clock there would be the various "Make Noise" clips that wouldn't end until sometimes a few secs AFTER THE SNAP.

My hope has always been that the LHN gets turned into the Big12Network at some point in time.

The day you see a Big XII Network is the day Texas (and likely Oklahoma behind them) will be gone to the PAC-12, the conference dissolves, ISU and Kansas are the last ones standing when the music stops. The unfortunate reality is we need the Texas schools for the TV revenue and LHN is a sad but necessary evil. I just don't get why ISU has been the one to accept this optional LHN game *twice* now and not KU or some other low-budget sucker.

I will say with some exceptions like my friend I went with, that the Longhorn fans at the Texas bar I went to in Chicago are basically carbon copies of Nebraska fans.

You're lucky not to be surrounded by literally MILLIONS of them here in Central Texas wearing their burnt orange nearly EVERY DAY to work, to school, to weddings, etc - and they all seem to behave like that ;-)

Altho on that note I will admit this was the best UT crowds walking out of DKR after the narrow loss. I have ALWAYS had a few a$$hat Horns fans chide me unprovoked. Not a peep Sat. night. Yes, they are a bit ashamed by their trademark arrogance to not simply blow out that 12 pt spread - and you could definitely hear some puckering anuses during 4Q - but I think Rhoads and especially Mangino earned a healthy amount of respect for just good offensive play all around.

 

[The_Architect]

Must have been the same guy running their 134-ft-wide Godzillatron. That guy has to get fired as I'm sure there were plenty of annoyed UT fans like us sitting low and opposite the field of play, too. No exaggeration that just about every start of the clock there would be the various "Make Noise" clips that wouldn't end until sometimes a few secs AFTER THE SNAP.




The day you see a Big XII Network is the day Texas (and likely Oklahoma behind them) will be gone to the PAC-12, the conference dissolves, ISU and Kansas are the last ones standing when the music stops. The unfortunate reality is we need the Texas schools for the TV revenue and LHN is a sad but necessary evil. I just don't get why ISU has been the one to accept this optional LHN game *twice* now and not KU or some other low-budget sucker.




You're lucky not to be surrounded by literally MILLIONS of them here in Central Texas wearing their burnt orange nearly EVERY DAY to work, to school, to weddings, etc - and they all seem to behave like that ;-)

Altho on that note I will admit this was the best UT crowds walking out of DKR after the narrow loss. I have ALWAYS had a few a$$hole Horns fans chide me unprovoked. Not a peep this time. Yes, they are a bit ashamed by their trademark arrogance to not simply blow out that spread, but I think Rhoads and especially Mangino earned a healthy amount of respect for just good offensive play all around.

Everyone was as nice as could be to us too. No jerks which was refreshing it seemed that most were just relieved they actually won. I will have to say it was so refreshing to see them totally on edge for most of the game.

 

[madguy30]

The only thing good about a whole week in between college football Saturdays is that I don't have to listen to the unnecessary theatrics of commentators from Fox, Fox1, B1G, and now the LHN.