By Alan Duffy
Ray Stubbs suits up for the EPSN post-match analysis
Sports analysis in this country is rapidly catching up with its American counterparts. Statistics, graphics and animations are all the rage, and while, for the most part, they do add a new and interesting angle to post-match analysis (OPTA are particularly superb), sometimes things go a bit too far.
Take ESPN’s “augmented reality” post-match feature at the “ESPN Arena”. With a digital football pitch appearing in front of the pundits, the various experts can fiddle about with the players and make them run about. But is it really helping our understanding of the game?
Indeed, in the featured video below, Ray Stubbs, Kevin Keegan and Craig Burley awkwardly hover around the ‘ESPN Arena’ like three men standing over an open coffin at a funeral, hands clasped in front of them and nervously shuffling.
Burley must have won a pre-broadcast game of paper, rock, scissors, as he gets to press the button on the digital thingy, but it’s all a bit unnecessary.
And check out this run-through (without sound unfortunately) of the technology by Burley and Keegan before the game. In order to highlight an individual player (in this case Juan Mata), Burley flicks him off the digital pitch. Is a Subbuteo-style flick really needed?