Trevor Denman - Gio Ponti

jballscalls · #1 03-10-2009, 11:21 AM

One thing you have to remember about calling photos is placement of the announcers booth. I know in my 3 years at river, i probably called photo without calling a winner or atleast saying who i thought got it maybe 3 times ever. Cause my booth was right on the wire.

At Portland, i'm atleast 50 to 60 feet up the stretch from the wire. I've heard Tampa is damn near 100 feet up from the wire and at keeneland, Kurt Becker is halfway between the two finishes.

That being said, i thought watching the race Gio Ponti got it but was surprised to hear Trevor call it that close, and after watching the first replay i thought Gio Ponti might not have got it LOL Kudos to a legend!

the_fat_man · #2 03-10-2009, 11:30 AM

Gee isn't he impressive. So he gets lucky and we need to kiss his ass.

How about all the times where he takes STABS at the pace and ****s up? A fairly common occurrence for him.

You know, when he sees a bunch of horses contesting and ASSUMES that the pace is fast, and then looks like an idiot when the split is posted. Of when he assumes the pace is picking up when horses start accelerating; etc.

The day can't come quick enough when ALL tracks will have TRAKUS (or something similar) and we can mute out all the NOISE (of the race caller). Which is exactly what I do at DMR: MUTE THE DOOFUS.

Travis Stone · #3 03-10-2009, 11:34 AM

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

SCUDSBROTHER · #4 03-10-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

It would be o.k. for you to go out on the limb calling T' breds (so what if Dave Johnson makes a lil blunder before he calls it a career.)

CSC · #5 03-10-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

Jballscalls, Travis

That's fair, it depends on the vantage point where you are calling from and I can understand that. I just don't remembering a high profile racecaller calling a horse in as close a finish as in this Kilroy and being so sure of themselves. This wasn't a 10K claimer on a lazy Thurs afternoon, it's certainly not the norm.

ateamstupid · #6 03-10-2009, 11:59 AM

Big deal. The guy has a good eye for photos. Last time I checked, we have replays, so it doesn't really matter. It doesn't cancel out all of his other annoying traits.

SCUDSBROTHER · #7 03-10-2009, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Big deal. The guy has a good eye for photos. Last time I checked, we have replays, so it doesn't really matter. It doesn't cancel out all of his other annoying traits.

I told you that using this is like saying "I'm Joey the O.C.D. guy."

ateamstupid · #8 03-10-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

I told you that using this is like saying "I'm Joey the O.C.D. guy."

I don't understand this. He's annoying. He's not enraging, he's annoying. Why can't I say this again?

the_fat_man · #9 03-10-2009, 12:15 PM

Yeah

At one time, a very distant time, I thought this board was more for BETTORS than casual 'fans'. As a better I want MORE PRECISE DATA, which includes video. PERIOD!! **** all the superfluous ****. The race caller has no role in this. I don't need 50%, 75%, or whatever, accuracy. I NEED 100% ACCURACY!! So give me TRAKUS and mute the monkey (to balance out the cost).

Now, I find it IRONIC that in an age of TECHNOLOGICAL EXPLOSION, where MORE is the norm, that SA, (one of Denman's employers) is NOT SHOWING FULL HEADON REPLAYS. And they haven't for a while. (Of course, they even further truncate these replays in the case of spills -- wouldn't want to be politically INcorrect now, would we?) They must figure we're all FANS and are SO IMPRESSED by their monkey getting a photo correct that we could care less about the more precise aspects of the game.

This is yet another example of why the ****in game is lagging WAY BEHIND THE TIMES.

MaTH716 · #10 03-10-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Big deal. The guy has a good eye for photos. Last time I checked, we have replays, so it doesn't really matter. It doesn't cancel out all of his other annoying traits.

Eyes for horse shooting up the rail > good eyes for photo's

SundayStar · #11 03-10-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Big deal. The guy has a good eye for photos. Last time I checked, we have replays, so it doesn't really matter. It doesn't cancel out all of his other annoying traits.

amen. who cares? even if he calls it wrong, does it make any difference at all? i never understood the tv announcers who are "afraid" to call it. it's like they're worried they might make someone tear up their ticket.

Left Bank · #12 03-10-2009, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

If you want to see/hear an announcer make good calls on the wire,tune in to Ed Burgart at Los Alamitos.He is almost better than shuttercam.

Travis Stone · #13 03-10-2009, 02:24 PM

I've made my fair share of "on the limb" photo calls... last year's Super Derby Prelude was one I sweated-out for a good two minutes before they posted the winner. I've also bailed on a few, but oh well.

Calling photos is not a macho thing with announcers by any stretch. Not once I have I received, made or heard of a call saying, "Holy ****, did you see that photo I just called?"

I think calling the photo is over-rated from the little to the big races. It's what goes on between the start and the finish which sets-up the photo that, in my opinion, is more important from the announcers perspective. If the listener has no idea who is in the photo, than what good is the photo to begin with? That sort of mentality...

Travis Stone · #14 03-10-2009, 02:37 PM

Let's see if this works, but I just took this photo from the booth here at LAD. Notice the massive pool sizes as wagering just opened for our fifth race.

My booth is another 10-15 feet before where those green bushes start inside the rail, so it really makes the outside horse look like he's farther ahead of the inside horse everytime. I think in today's fourth race I was a bit off with this... the outside horse looked like he was home first, but in reality, the inside horse held on.

dagolfer33 · #15 03-10-2009, 03:02 PM

Travis, seeing your photo of LA Downs fine dirt/turf courses reminded me of a curiousity you may or may not know the answer to. Will EVDs turf course, which has been under construction for years, be operational for this upcoming season?

Scurlogue Champ · #16 03-11-2009, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Left Bank

If you want to see/hear an announcer make good calls on the wire,tune in to Ed Burgart at Los Alamitos.He is almost better than shuttercam.

While you are tuning in to Los Al, watch the Australians in between. Those guys could call our races with one eye open and a hooker on each leg.

ArlJim78 · #17 03-10-2009, 03:30 PM

i didn't notice that Trevor called the photo, but its not something I care about really, the announcers opinion of the photo.

I'll take any of the announcers on this board before TD anyday. John Imbriale is a god compared to him. I don't get all the fawning over him. The amount of inaccuracies that he comes up with is staggering.

Travis Stone · #18 03-10-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

Rocking Rocky Dash overcame some traffic trouble to win today at 12-1!!

herkhorse · #19 03-10-2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

I'm 40 feet before the wire or so, often a tough angle, but you get used to it. I never go out on a limb though and say whether or not it was Jess Toast to Cash, AKG Longsideshot, Dashing Bye In First or Rocking Rocky Dash during the Q's.

calling a Q race can't be easy, no matter what the names are

CSC · #20 03-10-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Gee isn't he impressive. So he gets lucky and we need to kiss his ass.

How about all the times where he takes STABS at the pace and ****s up? A fairly common occurrence for him.

You know, when he sees a bunch of horses contesting and ASSUMES that the pace is fast, and then looks like an idiot when the split is posted. Of when he assumes the pace is picking up when horses start accelerating; etc.

The day can't come quick enough when ALL tracks will have TRAKUS (or something similar) and we can mute out all the NOISE (of the race caller). Which is exactly what I do at DMR: MUTE THE DOOFUS.

Contrarian of the board?..Obcourse lets just continue with the status quo have no one ever go out on the limb and call head, neck finishes as photo finishes.