Feel bad for Lynchburg area fans

[1MoreHokie]

because the coverage you get from WSET is wretched. Watched that whole show and they said maybe 10 words about 4A football. No clips from Amherst/Dominion game (mentioned it for 2 seconds in the post-show), 3rd quarter clips from Salem game (game was beyond over in the 3rd Q), barely anything on Byrd. Then they go on to talk about next week's matchups and don't even mention Byrd/Salem at all.

Unfortunately, Roanoke is no better as WDBJ's FFE gets worse by the year. I wish someone would just give Robert Anderson a show and let him talk about the games because it would be infinitely more informative than what WSET or WDJB is doing.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

because the coverage you get from WSET is wretched. Watched that whole show and they said maybe 10 words about 4A football. No clips from Amherst/Dominion game (mentioned it for 2 seconds in the post-show), 3rd quarter clips from Salem game (game was beyond over in the 3rd Q), barely anything on Byrd. Then they go on to talk about next week's matchups and don't even mention Byrd/Salem at all.

Unfortunately, Roanoke is no better as WDBJ's FFE gets worse by the year. I wish someone would just give Robert Anderson a show and let him talk about the games because it would be infinitely more informative than what WSET or WDJB is doing.

I can remember back when the great late Roy Stanley and Mike Stevens ran FFE in the early to mid 2000s. I would literally boo hoo and cry if I couldn't watch it at 11:35 on Friday nights. They'd literally go quarter by quarter showing highlights. Roanoke, NRV, Martinsville area, Danville, Lynchburg, Bedford, Amherst, Bath/Covington...They covered it all. They'd have highlights of 15+ games some nights. If a local team played in NOVA or out of the viewing area, they'd still have highlights of it. If the game was won on the last play, you saw that last play. Now they'll show maybe 4 plays from a game that had a final score of 42-41 in quadruple overtime. It's sad that high school coverage has come to what it has come to.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

because the coverage you get from WSET is wretched. Watched that whole show and they said maybe 10 words about 4A football. No clips from Amherst/Dominion game (mentioned it for 2 seconds in the post-show), 3rd quarter clips from Salem game (game was beyond over in the 3rd Q), barely anything on Byrd. Then they go on to talk about next week's matchups and don't even mention Byrd/Salem at all.

Unfortunately, Roanoke is no better as WDBJ's FFE gets worse by the year. I wish someone would just give Robert Anderson a show and let him talk about the games because it would be infinitely more informative than what WSET or WDJB is doing.

I watched FFE in its entirety for the first time in probably five years last night. It is bad. For example, I think they mentioned three times about teams in 3A and below playing in the "regional finals" next week. Uh, no. That would be the regional semis; the lower three classifications don't even have regional finals. Aren't they paid to know this stuff?

Several years ago, Robert Anderson and Aaron McFarling had a weekly high school sports podcast on Roanoke.com. I didn't care for McFarling, but Robert was good (if a bit dry). It only lasted one year, IIRC, if that. Something similar to that would be nice.

 

[1MoreHokie]

I can remember back when the great late Roy Stanley and Mike Stevens ran FFE in the early to mid 2000s. I would literally boo hoo and cry if I couldn't watch it at 11:35 on Friday nights. They'd literally go quarter by quarter showing highlights. If the game was won on the last play, you saw that last play. Now they'll show maybe 4 plays from a game that had a final score of 42-41 quadruple overtime game. It's sad that high school coverage has come to what it has come to.

FFE has tanked, I haven't watched a full show of that in a couple years. Even Wells on the radio is awful, you can't get the guy to spout an opinion he just sounds off a couple coaching sound bytes (__ is a tough team __ is a good player) and on to the next game. Usually enjoy at least the post-show on WSET because their stat guy forces some good opinionated talk but they did a 20 minute show and said absolutely nothing about Salem, absolutely nothing about Byrd, absolutely nothing about next week's matchup and a quick "the Lancers' season comes to an end" line about Amherst. It's not like 3A had close games either, they were all blowouts.

My dad tells me the FOX affiliate has a good show but I've yet to catch it.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

WSLS is probably what you're talking about. It is the best out of WDBJ7 and WSET. WSLS has been on the come up for a long time. I don't live in the area any more but when I'm home I tune into WSLS especially for anything high school sports related. WDBJ7 does good for actual news and Tech sports and WSET is good for me because they tend to cover the Danville area news better than WDBJ7. High school sports in our area just isn't covered the way that it should.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

WSLS is the NBC affiliate. Their high school football show, for me anyway, is absolutely unwatchable. I tried it once, as an alternative to FFE. The main guy struck me as an uninformed goofball. Now, that was two or three years ago; maybe he and it have improved somewhat. But it's not on Fox (WXFR?).

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

WSLS is the NBC affiliate. Their high school football show, for me anyway, is absolutely unwatchable. I tried it once, as an alternative to FFE. The main guy struck me as an uninformed goofball. Now, that was two or three years ago; maybe he and it have improved somewhat. But it's not on Fox (WXFR?).

Gotcha! I was speaking on how they at least went quarter by quarter and showed a variety of games. I used to watch it because it came on around 11:10. I stopped watching FFE in fall 2011 (my senior year of HS) because it got so bad. I usually watched the North Carolina news as they take their high school sports very seriously.

 

[1MoreHokie]

I'm pretty sure it's WFXR my dad had mentioned, I'll have to ask next time we talk. I've never been able to get into WSLS either.

edit: yea, I'm pretty sure it's WFXR. Just checked the highlights, very Sportscenter-esque feel to it, guy actually has some energy behind his lines.

http://www.virginiafirst.com/sports

 

[newleather]

I'm pretty sure it's WFXR my dad had mentioned, I'll have to ask next time we talk. I've never been able to get into WSLS either.

edit: yea, I'm pretty sure it's WFXR. Just checked the highlights, very Sportscenter-esque feel to it, guy actually has some energy behind his lines.

http://www.virginiafirst.com/sports

The highlight/video quality is really good. The anchor is really really bad. Multiple times last night he had the mascots/schools mixed up
At least with WSET I can listen to Dennis get the teams right. David Wells is not very good. Travis Wells is much like David...just bad Apicello (NBC) is beyond terrible so it makes this Jermaine (FOX) guy look much better
It's like picking the least moldy piece of bread They are all bad, just find one that's not as bad as the others

 

[wikki]

because the coverage you get from WSET is wretched. Watched that whole show and they said maybe 10 words about 4A football. No clips from Amherst/Dominion game (mentioned it for 2 seconds in the post-show), 3rd quarter clips from Salem game (game was beyond over in the 3rd Q), barely anything on Byrd. Then they go on to talk about next week's matchups and don't even mention Byrd/Salem at all.

Unfortunately, Roanoke is no better as WDBJ's FFE gets worse by the year. I wish someone would just give Robert Anderson a show and let him talk about the games because it would be infinitely more informative than what WSET or WDJB is doing.

I agree I hate the coverage on our area teams

 

[Center5717]

Wset football Friday is the worst of all the Friday shows.

 

[AMHERST #1]

Yea Amherst is Lynchburg redheaded step child. when it comes to sports in news an paper. Granted there coverage for other area not the greatest.
But yea FEE is no where good as it use to be i can't watch it anymore i just get my info from this site. fox 21/27 does have a show on friday night but I've not took time to watch it.

 

[wikki]

Yea Amherst is Lynchburg redheaded step child. when it comes to sports in news an paper. Granted there coverage for other area not the greatest.
But yea FEE is no where good as it use to be i can't watch it anymore i just get my info from this site. fox 21/27 does have a show on friday night but I've not took time to watch it.

They didn't even select Page as a candidate of the year. Selected two from SR, crazy. They do not cover Amherst well but you better believe it that they stand at the concessions at the BB game for free food

 

[THEANTIDEVILZ]

because the coverage you get from WSET is wretched. Watched that whole show and they said maybe 10 words about 4A football. No clips from Amherst/Dominion game (mentioned it for 2 seconds in the post-show), 3rd quarter clips from Salem game (game was beyond over in the 3rd Q), barely anything on Byrd. Then they go on to talk about next week's matchups and don't even mention Byrd/Salem at all.

Unfortunately, Roanoke is no better as WDBJ's FFE gets worse by the year. I wish someone would just give Robert Anderson a show and let him talk about the games because it would be infinitely more informative than what WSET or WDJB is doing.

How is FFE getting worse? I don't have that impression at all.

 

[obguthr]

How is FFE getting worse? I don't have that impression at all.

I no longer live in the viewing area but follow FFE on Twitter. WDBJ has always been the best in the state for covering local high school football. I'd find it very disappointing if their coverage has fallen off that badly. Hampton Roads media can't even put together a decent scoreboard that works on their web pages. I mean it takes hours of research sometimes just to find out a score of what should be a major game down there.

 

[1MoreHokie]

How is FFE getting worse? I don't have that impression at all.

Expanded coverage with same effort, gives you a bunch of games with 2 clips that barely tell you anything about the game. They're trying to cover a stupid number of games and the coverage is worse for it. Game clips picked completely at random, very likely by people who don't understand the sport and know about momentum shifting plays. Salem game last night, for example, ended on a clip of a regular 15 yard run. Nothing happened on that play besides those 15 yards, why show it? They were obviously around for bigger plays, why not show the 2 play 55 yard drive with 16 seconds left at the half?

They're trying to do too much. It's obvious what area they cover and they're trying to do even more and it's just, who cares? Give better coverage to your area teams. In the playoffs it's even more noticeable how far they've dropped because there's not even a lot of games and it's still poorly covered and written.

 

[1MoreHokie]

I no longer live in the viewing area but follow FFE on Twitter. WDBJ has always been the best in the state for covering local high school football. I'd find it very disappointing if their coverage has fallen off that badly. Hampton Roads media can't even put together a decent scoreboard that works on their web pages. I mean it takes hours of research sometimes just to find out a score of what should be a major game down there.

I'm thoroughly blown away by how bad HR media covers football, I thought with all the talented teams and the nationally ranked programs year-to-year it would have great coverage. Like looking at WAVY last year or even the year before that for the Salem/LT games and they couldn't be more emotionless both about a local area team winning state and a great game decided in OT, they reported on it like it was just another game. Honestly, NOVA is better than either area by a country mile. The Wincester Star did an article on the Salem/Millbrook game that was earnestly done and better than pretty much any game preview I've seen in some time. They discussed the absence of Ramsey, they previewed the type of O and D Salem ran, they talked with Millbrook's HC about the type of program Salem has, about how this was the best season in Millbrook history, about Millbrook's star players, etc.; it was a very well done article. I've read other things in years past when Salem played John Champe and Woodgrove that were good as well. The media cares more in NOVA, the talent's in HR, and the fan support is in SWVA and you just can't get it all to line up and it leaves everyone wanting in some way or another.

To your point yes, sadly WDBJ has tanked since Travis Stephens left. My parents were diehard FFE fans and they basically only check out the 20 seconds of Salem highlights these days.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Expanded coverage with same effort, gives you a bunch of games with 2 clips that barely tell you anything about the game. They're trying to cover a stupid number of games and the coverage is worse for it. Game clips picked completely at random, very likely by people who don't understand the sport and know about momentum shifting plays. Salem game last night, for example, ended on a clip of a regular 15 yard run. Nothing happened on that play besides those 15 yards, why show it? They were obviously around for bigger plays, why not show the 2 play 55 yard drive with 16 seconds left at the half?

They're trying to do too much. It's obvious what area they cover and they're trying to do even more and it's just, who cares? Give better coverage to your area teams. In the playoffs it's even more noticeable how far they've dropped because there's not even a lot of games and it's still poorly covered and written.

As I said, last night was the first time I'd watched a full show in probably five years. I'd agree with all that, plus add that I think the FFE on-air people just don't have nearly as great a grasp of the subject matter as supposed "experts" should have. Again, strictly my two cents. It stays on the air, so it must be working for someone. Perhaps because the competition is so abysmal?

PS - one other detail: I love rock 'n' roll, but the music they're now playing behind the highlights is pointless and irritating.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

I talked with a TV station Reporter back when Gretna was "good". We talked about the lack of coverage some teams get. He told me "they have to spread the love around their viewing area."