puband09
Masters Student
Posts: 782
Reg: 12-19-09
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10-01-13 01:02 AM - Post#153485
No one here is surprised to see Jon Solomon taking a leave of absence from his site? I hope it's not a bad omen for the program!
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Albert08
Masters Student
Posts: 572
Reg: 08-21-10
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Re: PBN
10-01-13 11:23 AM - Post#153497
In response to puband09
I admit I was surprised. In particular, the comment about the work being "less and less fun" over the past two seasons. Which correlates exactly with the onset of the MH regime. So maybe there's a connection.
For those of us who have had access to the subscription content, it will be harder to get the kind of coverage Jon provided so well. We will have to find other sources.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: PBN
10-01-13 12:15 PM - Post#153501
In response to Albert08
I haven't talked to Jon about this, but as someone who has tried to write regularly on league-related topics, I'm in awe of anyone who could do it for 15 years. There are enjoyable parts about following the league closely (watching tons of games, running analytical models, interacting with fellow fans) that still take up tons of time before even searching through google alerts for news you missed and putting finger to keyboard to generate original written content.
Jon, Jake and Andy were mythological characters when I entered the league's journalistic circle in 2002, and I have a ton of respect for what they've all accomplished and what they've done for this league. But I'm not surprised that it would stop being fun at some point. I am surprised that it remained fun as long as it did.
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Tiger69
Postdoc
Posts: 2814
Reg: 11-23-04
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Re: PBN
10-01-13 11:41 PM - Post#153537
In response to Albert08
It took me by surprise, too. But, given the time Jon must have devoted to PBN for, what I have to assume, was very little in total subscription revenue (he would have made a lot more if he had run a Penn site), and the recent addition to his family, it seems understandable that he might have to rearrange his time priorities. But, he gave us Tiger fans a steady diet of accurate and up-to-date information about our favorite team, and for that we are very grateful and we shall miss him. I can only wish him the best.
Jon is at the top of the class of fan/reporters.
Edited by Tiger69 on 10-01-13 11:43 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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umbrellaman
Masters Student
Posts: 476
Reg: 11-21-04
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10-02-13 05:57 PM - Post#153542
In response to Tiger69
I told Jon he deserved a "Mariano Rivera"-like farewell tour because he did this incredible job for so long and he really demonstrated over and over what a classy individual he was. He appreciated the thought, but said he did not want to be presented with a commemorative laptop made of hardwood in Hanover.
My sense is that times change, people change, priorities change. I was surprised that he didn't miss a beat when his child was born, but I have learned myself that the early years are actually easier. I don't think that's the only reason, but it's enough of one.
As it is, all the league games will be streamed on the internet now. So, one door closes and another opens.
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puband09
Masters Student
Posts: 782
Reg: 12-19-09
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10-03-13 01:00 AM - Post#153546
In response to umbrellaman
Well put. I may just subscribe to the web streams this season now.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4911
Reg: 02-04-06
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10-03-13 07:10 PM - Post#153575
In response to puband09
I'll miss Jon's work and presence. He is a class act and did a remarkable job with PBN.
Maybe there was some behind-the-scenes issue with MH, but he was actually a more open interviewee than the very guarded SJ. So I'm more inclined to speculate that the cumulative grind and new horizon's in Jon's life precipitated his decision.
What is the deal with the web streams--should I expect reasonable quality at a decent price? Or are we talking about a fixed low-angle camera set at one end of the court broadcast in low fidelity?
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Jeff2sf
Postdoc
Posts: 4466
Reg: 11-22-04
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PBN
10-03-13 10:08 PM - Post#153593
In response to SRP
I'm curious why you guys keep talking about webstreams in relation to Solomon. Was he shooting the games on his iphone and simulcasting? What does one have to do with the other?
Is it simply you had a few bucks earmarked to spend on solomon that you can now spend on watching your team's games?
Edited by Jeff2sf on 10-03-13 10:11 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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puband09
Masters Student
Posts: 782
Reg: 12-19-09
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Re: PBN
10-04-13 05:09 PM - Post#153638
In response to Jeff2sf
Let me preface this statement by acknowledging that I am completely oversimplifying Jon's work and contributions for the sake of answering Jeff2sf's question.
In many ways, subscribing to PBN provided readers with coverage that proxied for actually going to every game and watching the team live. Active predominantly in an era where Ivy basketball wasn't nationally televised or streamed, PBN provided subscribers with photographs and detailed game descriptions that created the illusion of having been there. Now that PBN is inactive, I think a lot of people will use the live streams to fill that void.
That said, PBN also offered a lot that live streams can't (analysis, interviews, etc.), and frankly, the type of person who would pay to watch Ivy basketball online would probably have been statistically more likely to subscribe to PBN as well, so I'm kind of drawing a false equivalence here.
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umbrellaman
Masters Student
Posts: 476
Reg: 11-21-04
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10-04-13 05:16 PM - Post#153639
In response to Jeff2sf
Jeff,
One major part of Jon's site were the game recaps, which were done with an amazing level of detail. These were really useful if you missed the game or only heard it on radio. Another feature was the post-game press conference audio - no guarantees that will be picked up by the webcast, but that is a possibility. The recaps go back to when pbn was a mere email list - and games were not streamed live over the internet.
Obviously, there is more to it now - the recruiting news, the weekly coaches interview, etc. Only the Ivy League games will be streamed. But being able to see all 16 Ivy games mitigates the loss a little bit, and perhaps these games are just the beginning of getting more Ivy basketball content.
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Jeff2sf
Postdoc
Posts: 4466
Reg: 11-22-04
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10-04-13 07:43 PM - Post#153647
In response to umbrellaman
you guys have not had a stream until this year unless you paid for the opposing team's stream? GTFO
Is your athletic department aware it's 2013?
The internet's on computers now.
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Jeff2sf
Postdoc
Posts: 4466
Reg: 11-22-04
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10-04-13 07:43 PM - Post#153648
In response to Jeff2sf
ps - thanks for the explanation with respect to the rich, detailed recaps.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4911
Reg: 02-04-06
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10-04-13 08:27 PM - Post#153650
In response to Jeff2sf
Jeff: Those recaps were almost possession by possession, but with narrative threads and lots of little observations of bench reactions, etc., combined with overviews and themes. Then there were the stats and advanced stats for each game. It was pretty impressive stuff that I've never seen anywhere else. Next best thing to being there.
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Tiger69
Postdoc
Posts: 2814
Reg: 11-23-04
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10-05-13 11:10 AM - Post#153657
In response to Jeff2sf
Hi Jeff,
I think that it is time now for you to run along and annoy your fellow Quakers fans.
Ciao.
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Jeff2sf
Postdoc
Posts: 4466
Reg: 11-22-04
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10-05-13 04:22 PM - Post#153662
In response to Tiger69
oh please, what was so antagonizing? me criticizing your school for not having webstreams? you should be criticizing them yourselves.
i even said thank you for the explanation.
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umbrellaman
Masters Student
Posts: 476
Reg: 11-21-04
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10-05-13 04:59 PM - Post#153663
In response to Jeff2sf
Jeff,
Princeton has streamed the home games for a few years. The point of the webstreams is not just the 8 additional road games, but the hope that the "Ivy League Digital Netwotk" will ultimately provide a lot of useful content for all of us.
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puband09
Masters Student
Posts: 782
Reg: 12-19-09
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10-05-13 07:10 PM - Post#153665
In response to umbrellaman
The video quality was also really bad. Hopefully better with pooled efforts.
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Albert08
Masters Student
Posts: 572
Reg: 08-21-10
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10-06-13 10:17 AM - Post#153680
In response to puband09
Don't count on it, PU Band. The Ivy Digital Network simply streams the streams of the respective home teams, so there will be a wide spectrum of quality. The Penn Sports Network is really good, with HD quality picture, replays, different camera angles, and professional announcers (homers, for sure), while good old GoPrincetonTigers TV is as bad as ever. Take a look at a stream of the National Champion Field Hockey team - it is absolutely horrendous and unwatchable, worse than last year. So I don't expect the basketball stream to be any better than in past years, which featured a single camera and poor quality video.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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10-06-13 12:32 PM - Post#153681
In response to Albert08
It has to be. Men's hoops has mandated standards for all participating teams. I believe those include three cameras, graphics and other standards of production.
Schools are allowed to do what they want outside of football, basketball and hockey.
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Albert08
Masters Student
Posts: 572
Reg: 08-21-10
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10-06-13 03:14 PM - Post#153686
In response to mrjames
That's good to know. Are those mandated standards published somewhere? If so, where?
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