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April 25, 2024 8:20 pm  #1


Rain Delay & Delay & Delay & Delay And...

There seems to be a lot more sports stuff on the board than usual on Thursday and here's another one. What was going on with that marathon Blue Jays broadcast? There were deluges and monsoons in Kansas City and the Jays-Royals afternoon game was delayed - and delayed and delayed - for more than 3 1/2 hours before they mercifully called it, with field conditions at Kauffman Stadium at one point being called "a lake."

I understand the reluctance of owners to call the game (which the Jays lost 2-1, after it was finally stopped in the 5th.) My question is about how long the radio coverage has to stay on during that inevitable down time. I tuned in to the Fan 590 for an update around 3 PM, and the crew was vamping to fill time. On and on it went, and instead of resuming "normal" programming, the station did what has to be the longest rain delay show in team history. 

I checked back in around 4:30 - still waiting, still filling air time. Then just before 6. Still talking about the rain. By the time they called the game near 7 PM, those poor fill-ins had been on the air seemingly non-stop for almost four hours. (They did give Blair and Barker a rest for a while, but they were back for Jays Talk, which went on until 8 PM.)

I know things can change fast, but shouldn't they have gone back to regular programming at some point when it reached almost 4 hours, with a promise to return with updates? What else is there to say in all that time?

I have to give the guys credit. I didn't hear it all, obviously, but they somehow got through it. 

There's no "mercy" rule in baseball, but shouldn't there be one for the crew calling and commenting on the game? Four hours of babbling fill-in while waiting for the rain to stop seems like an eternity and there had to be a better way.

Or at least, a batter way.

 

April 26, 2024 6:51 am  #2


Re: Rain Delay & Delay & Delay & Delay And...

On the television broadcast, it is almost always possible to switch to another game during a rain delay. Yesterday afternoon there were eight from which to choose.

 

April 26, 2024 11:57 am  #3


Re: Rain Delay & Delay & Delay & Delay And...

Games should be called after 60 or 90 minutes of continuous rain.

They play too many games in a season anyway, losing a few to weather doesn't bother me much.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (April 26, 2024 12:03 pm)