During an Alabama-Arkansas game this Saturday, ESPN removed some camera operators from their positions in Razorback Stadium because of a bad weather. As a result, only wide-angle view was broadcasted, which made the players look like ants. And expectedly, the Internet had no mercy when it comes to cheeky tweets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrinr-r2EL8
You’re used to seeing a more zoomed in view of the players and action in the field. When a network broadcasts a game, there are a few manned cameras around the field and several unmanned cameras elsewhere in the stadium. However, during the Alabama-Arkansas game, there was a danger of a lightning strike, so the manned cameras were removed for the sake of the crew’s safety. As a result, the viewers only saw the action in the field as if they were observing a formicary, and some pretty hilarious comments emerged.
https://twitter.com/marctorrence/status/1048605410058489856
Keri Potts of ESPN explained why this happened: a lightning was detected near the stadium. A general ESPN’s practice is to have their camera crew take a safe shelter when a lightning strike is detected within 8 miles of any event. “Once 30 minutes [have] passed without a lightning strike within 8 miles, they may return to their positions, Potts writes.
Okay, I had a chuckle at some of these comments, but there was definitely a good reason for removing the camera operators from the field. I know you might have had to use binoculars to watch the game at home, but safety should always come first, and this was a responsible thing to do. [via SB Nation]
