Leave it to Fox Sports to screw up what should be the easiest shot in baseball: The ceremonial first pitch. But that’s just what the bozos did at tonight’s All-Star Game in St. Louis, when we saw President Obama, clad in a Chicago White Sox jacket, throw the first pitch.
Except, we never saw the whole pitch, just Obama’s windup and delivery. We never saw who caught it (Albert Pujols was IDed about two minutes later) and we never saw it actually go over the plate. A graduate student director could have gotten that shot (hint: use the camera behind home plate, or a camera behind Obama). And there was no replay as they went into commercial. So we have no idea whether Obama did a good job or would make the blooper reel.
Just checked Deadspin’s live blog and loved this: “WHAT KIND OF CAMERA ANGLE WAS THAT ON THE FIRST PITCH, YOU DUMB [F***S]?!” And I had to read a blog on the New York Post to find out what happened:
He threw lefty and didn’t have much heat on the looping toss, but Albert Pujols stepped up and made the catch before the ball hit the dirt and President Obama gave a fist pump. He gave it his best shot.
This is not some evidence of a vast Fox right wing conspiracy, just the network’s usual incompetence when it comes to televising sports.
I do not have a HD set. Did those of you with HD see the whole pitch? If so, it still shows incompetence since most people still don’t have HD.
Update: Found this on YouTube (not sure how long it will stay up) and you see a bit more on a wide screen, but still a lame effort by Fox:
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:15 PM
LOL…I guess even watching the all star game is not without politics involved. When I saw it, I just figured that the deal had been made that they wouldn’t show the pitch unless it was perfect – at least as good as Bush’s world series first pitch. Since it wasn’t as good, it wasn’t shown.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:20 PM
I meant nothing political since it is Fox Sports not Fox News.
But how do you NOT show the whole pitch? That’s just directorial incompetence.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Fox does do deals like that. If it was in the dirt there would be nothing BUT replays.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Since he grew up in Indonesia he never played baseball, as a result he throws like a girl. That is why it wasn’t shown because they don’t want to embarrass him and all the girly-men who voted for him.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:25 PM
doesn’t***
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:28 PM
FOX is not good at covering live sporting events. Never have been, never will. Really glad to see someone call them out on this. I was watching and was like WTF was that camera angle? Just terrible thanks for posting.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Fox sports.., Fox news…, they’re both awful.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Thanks I was wondering what happened with the first pitch. Is anyone else having problems getting the picture in the full screen. Mine is zoomed in and I can’t see the score box in the left hand corner or the stats on the bottom. Called the cable company and they told me fox was working on it. WTF fox, ESPN or TBS would have done a much better job.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:34 PM
I didn’t read into it that you did – you even mentioned that it wasn’t the “vast….”
I meant me taking it as such.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:36 PM
I believe the Obama camp didn’t want it shown. You could tell by the wind up that Obama delivery could only be rivaled by Lavar’s limp wristed throwing style (Revenge of the Nerds). They don’t want him to look weak so they make it look like a camera goof.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:44 PM
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Oh,puuullllleze!!! they didn’t dare show a wide shot…that was not incompetence that was called CYA!!!!If he’s not happy ,maybe he’ll take over MLB!!!! Stupid they ain’t!!! And OBummer does throw like a girl..a girl…not a girl athlete..two different things.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:25 PM
This wasn’t incompetence OR a screwup by Fox – they were just doing what they were told to do.
And you get 3 guesses as to where they got their direction, and the first 2 guesses don’t count.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:29 PM
“Fox isn’t good at covering sporting events.”
Gee, I don’t know… I’m watching the game right now and there are plenty of camera angles, including one from centerfield.
But the only one that was provided for Obummer’s first limp-wristed throw was via a hand-held cam so we could look up his nostrils.
Oh- by the way – St. Louis hero Albert Pujols caught it – in front of home plate – - but of course, this wasn’t about him, was it? We didn’t even get to see WHO caught the ball, because as with every Obummer, it’s all about ‘The Won’.
What a phony.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:48 PM
I’d rather be watching McCain, a true American hero – since that’s what tonight is supposed to be all about – throw out the first pitch. I won’t let ‘Bama microchip me!
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:56 PM
LOL McCain is already in bed.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 10:07 PM
His pitch reminded me of his economic policy, lame and lousy. Why do you ruin a perfect night, America’s pastime, by having Obama on in an attempt to show him as the “guy next door”.
I had to turn the channel…
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 10:10 PM
Great. Now all the right-wing nutbags ooze their way out of the sludge to spew their filth.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 10:21 PM
The reason they didn’t show it live is so that if it was a horrible pitch, it would not be seen at all. Once they saw it was okay, they showed the replay.
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Some people are so dumb. Lots of Presidents have thrown out the 1st pitch at an MLB game. He’s a basketball player and has a love for sports, but who really cares if the 1st pitch is good, bad, or ugly? Remember the Mariah Carey pitch?
on Jul 14th, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Here in Canada we got the perfect centerfield camera shot on Rogers Sportsnet who showed the international feed instead of Fox’s.
Now of course some right wing wingnut is going to come up with some bizarre conspiracy theory as to why Obama allowed the world to see his pitch clearly – but not Americans on Fox. lol
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
Who Cares about obamas pitch. Watch the game for (the game).Fory crying out loud, it was a man pitching a ball. whats the big deal.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Wow.What a bunch of haters.All you right wing idiots are obviously still upset that McCains old ass got smoked in the election.Just be happy we have a president who can throw out the first pitch. I dont think McCain could throw the ball 2feet.So stop with the cheap shots.So what Obama throws funny.He is a basketball player,and probably never played baseball.Stop being mad that the old geezer is not in office you crybabies.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 12:19 AM
Pat you beat me to the punch! I was gonna say that it looked great here in Canada – but yes, we got the International Feed which turned out to be awesome in the long run.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 12:31 AM
The idea that there was a conspiracy between Fox and the administration is bizarre. As if the entire national sporting press and tens of thousands of fans wielding cellphone cameras would not have caught an Obama blooper.
Fox does a crappy job of covering sports, focusing on giant robots on NFL games, swoosh sounds, lame wives in the stands shots etc. at the expense of solid technical coverage of the game. Missing the first pitch was typical incompetence, not a conspiracy.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 2:23 AM
I thought the gay rights movement already proved that ignorance is privilege.
A conspiracy is afoot!!!
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 2:25 AM
The headline should be: “Wearing mom-jeans, Obama throws like my mom.”
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 3:00 AM
The camera angle was probably arranged beforehand. No one wanted to see a two bouncer immediately after the awesome All Star video that preceded the pitch. Obama wasn’t very confident about his baseball abilities so he didn’t want to take the risk and repeat that 30 he bowled. Honestly, I would have preferred to see Stan Musial throw that pitch out. Obama thinks that this country country belongs to him, but baseball (especially in St. Louis) belongs to Stan the Man. 88 year old Stan may not have done a better job, but he would have the balls to let his fan base watch his pitch to Pujols.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 6:35 AM
You watched the All Star Game?
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 7:09 AM
Bush throws a perfect pitch at Yankee Stadium after 9/11 and his apporoval rating soars….man people in this country are as retarted as he is.
And people really believe that Obama forced FOX to NOT show it? Bet they all think Palin is qualified to be President. As was pointed out there were over 50,000 fans plus God knows how many media members all with cell phones and video cameras. And Sportscenter had the shot.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 7:14 AM
The booing said it all
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 8:18 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIsb4ZqVnaw
This should end the conspiracy…FOX just screwed up…cameras were there…just didn’t cut to it…
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Wow, lots of wingnuts on this blog.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 2:01 PM
yeah wtf was with those jeans? can’t diesel or lucky brand hook a prez up?
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Obama’s handlers MADE Fox use the grassy knoll camera angle.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Well, am a SOuth SIder and MAJOR SOX NUT… so I was excited to see him in his Sox jacket, and I told my partner right after that throw how they f’ed up! Glad I was not the only one
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Jim… If FOX is so incompetent covering sports, then why has EVERY Network televising sports today copied their production and marketing techniques??? After all, doesn’t everyone use a “FOX Box” to show the score during telecasts??? They pushed the envelope and forced others to follow their lead. Don’t confuse FOX Sports and the FOX Television Network with the FOX News Channel.
FOX has changed the face of televised sports and most would say for the better.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Not for the better as far as I’m concerned.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Who cares?
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 9:46 PM
I have to agree with those jeans the president had on. Come on brotha…Rock and Republic, 7 for All Mankind, True Religion, Diesel…somethin hotter than what looked like Lee jeans.
on Jul 15th, 2009 at 10:16 PM
What’s up with the grumpy look on the face of Musial’s car driver?
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Obama’s a decent athlete. I don’t know why he couldn’t get the pitch to the plate. I was a little surprised. But yeah, the coverage of the pitch was bizarre and doctored. Bush bounced one to home once. Can’t they just stop playing the masses for chumps for just one night?
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 11:05 AM
I just realized ol’ Barak is my age, 47. I as well as most of my peers still wear the same jeans we wore in college, Levis 501′s or 505′s. Men become a creature of habit. Besides, he’s straight, married, a dad and (young) middle aged so technically he doesn’t need to make an effort anymore. The dude does look good in his slim cut suits.
He should try some slim fit Wranglers
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 11:41 AM
OK, I just saw the “Mom Jeans” clip on CNN and yes the jeans were bad. Very bad look for our president on National TV. Doesnt his wife help him out? The dudes tall and lankey w/o a butt so casual wear would always look less than best for him.
Funny, the “celebrity fashion consultant” geeknoid on the CNN clip had on tight pleated khakies so he has little room to criticize Barak.
I have yet to see the pitch. Barak is a decent athelete and plays basket ball so he should have done fine.
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I live in Costa Rica and we had ESPN Latin America showing the all-star game as well as Fox Sports Latin America. ESPN did a good job. For some reason they had the right angle. Pujols actually squatted infront of home plate to recieve the pitch.
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Folks, lets take politics out of it. No matter what angle you get…it was a BAD pitch, but of course…the “Obama man” is no pitcher…and proving not to be a good leader either. Politics back in…Obama, nor McCain were good choices…Palin either. My vote would have gone to Colin Powell “The General”. Maybe next time!
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 4:03 PM
In this video, you get two angles of the pitch: At 0:45 is he wide-angle shot you have above; at 0:54, is a view from behind Obama. You can see that BO throws a big eephus pitch and Pujols jumps forward to catch it before it hits the dirt in front of the plate.
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5572949
on Jul 16th, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Fox made Obama look good- they didn’t want to embarrass him over something that really didn’t matter.
Later, up in the announcer’s booth, Obama said he warmed up with Puljos in the bullpen. Puljos must have known that Obama throws like a girl because he set up on top of home plate. Even then he had to step forward with his left foot and reach out in front of him to keep the ball from plunking into the dirt.
Obama also bowls like a weenie- he scored a 37.
As for his much vaunted golfing skills… Well you can watch him online warming up before his Hawaii outing. He’s awful. Doesn’t rotate on his backswing and his left side flies open. I’d be willing to bet a huge lump of cash he couldn’t break 125 on his best day.
on Jul 20th, 2009 at 2:57 PM
The limp wristed B. Hussein Obama (D-Kenya) throws like girl.