I Want to Talk About Cubs TV Broadcasts

Back in 2019, I did a Cubs postgame show called “Outside the Ivy” with Luis Medina and Danny Rocket on NBC Sports Chicago. Immediately after our first show, Phil Rosenthal absolutely TORCHED us in The Chicago Tribune with an article titled “20 Questions After the Debut of Outside the Ivy.” Spoiler alert, the “questions” were, uh, not about when and where he could get more of us.

None of the criticism was unfair, mind you. That’s just part of the privilege of being put in front of a camera. But, I mean … I can’t say it didn’t suck to experience. We worked hard on our show and thought we did a good job. We weren’t owed a positive review, but it definitely took the wind out of our sails from the jump. We’re all still people, after all. And I wanted everyone to like us.

I bring all of this up today, because I have a few thoughts on the Chicago Cubs broadcast hosted primarily by Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Jim Deshaies, two guys I absolutely adore on a personal and professional level. I am not here to rip them โ€” or Marquee, in general โ€” for what they put together. I don’t think there’s any value in doing that.

I am here, however, to offer some constructive criticism as a Cubs fan who watches every single game and listens to every single broadcast Marquee puts together.

I understand the very fact of doing a post like this is going to come across negatively. And the timing of a post like this โ€” following an absolutely brutal two weeks of baseball, capped off with two horrible losses to the Cardinals โ€” is necessarily going to invite even more ire. But it’s a subject that has been on my mind lately, maybe just because we’re deep enough into the season to have some thoughts crystalizing.

OK. Enough throat-clearing. Here are some comments on the Chicago Cubs in-game broadcast put together by Marquee Sports Network.

Baseball Is Regional, It’s OK to Act Like It

Unlike the NFL – or even the NBA, to a lesser extent – Major League Baseball is an extremely regional sport. By that I mean the people watching a Marquee Sports Network broadcast of a Chicago Cubs game are going to be overwhelmingly Cubs fans. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for 10% more homerism in the broadcast.

Personally, I want my broadcasters to get a little mad when things go wrong. And I want them to be ecstatic when the Cubs come up in a big moment. I do not need them to be unbiased mediators of balance and cool 100% of the time. Who didn’t love hearing Len Kasper’s voice crack with excitement when he’d shout about a huge Cubs home run? I know I did.

Certainly, I understand that the pendulum can swing too far in the other direction, and I’m not looking for that!

I don’t want inauthenticity, and I REALLY don’t want Hawk Harrelson-level stuff. But I also often feel complete detachment to the broadcast when, for example, the Cubs blow a game against the Cardinals in the 9th inning after losing to the Cardinals the day before after losing in extra innings the day before that and there’s no audible disappointment or frustration in the broadcaster’s delivery or message (let alone any questioning of the decisions being made on a game-to-game basis).

Maybe I wouldn’t want to listen to Rick Sutcliffe call every single Cubs game, but I do enjoy the way he actually gets into the game when he joins the booth for those West Coast games. His exasperation is cathartic and his joy is palpable for fans that feel the same way he does in those big moments. More of that.

A Little Less Production, Please

Maybe this will confuse more than help, because the in-game stories and packages are often really interesting and well-produced in isolation. I like many of them and want them to stay.

But there’s just way too many.

I know baseball is trying to reach a broader audience, and maybe this is the only way to get non-hardcore baseball fans engaged, but I’m sorry … I’m trying to watch a baseball game. And we’re just constantly being interrupted by pre-planned anecdotes and interviews, sometimes even about players on THE OTHER TEAM.

And with the new rules, games are already shortened by ~30 minutes, so the same volume of any “non-game” feature is actually gobbling up a higher proportion of the overall broadcast.

This all goes, I suspect, to the network’s desire to deliver what they consider “national-level” broadcast quality, but it’s just not working in its current form.

Actually, Less is More

As a matter of fact, there’s just too much going on in general.

I don’t mind the rotating cast of broadcasters – everyone has a little something different to offer, and that can be fun. But when there’s three voices in the booth at the same time *PLUS* contributions from Taylor McGregor and/or Elise Menaker from the field (also great individually), it is overwhelming and distracting. Sometimes, the crowding is visual in addition to auditory.

There is definitely an argument to be made that less might just be more when it come to the Marquee broadcast.

… But More Play-by-Play

I know TV isn’t radio, so this isn’t to say Sciambi needs to call a game the same way Pat Hughes does on 670 The Score, nor should he. Television is a combined medium, and the pictures are indeed there on the screen for folks to see. But if you were to close your eyes and just listen to the Marquee broadcast, you’d often have absolutely no idea what’s going on. Basically, I think I want more play-by-play. I want to know more about what’s going on RIGHT NOW, in that very moment. Heck, I want to be able to walk into the kitchen for a second and still be tuned into the actual game.

You can still tell a story if it applies, but maybe fewer of the anecdotes that are just kind of generally about the guy at the plate or pitcher on the mound. I’m sure his path to the majors, the cleats he’s wearing, or that time he played in the WBC is fascinating. But you have an entire network and website (loaded with talented content creators) to dive deeper on that stuff for the people that want it as a complement to the TV broadcast, rather than a core element.

Oh, and you also have two brilliant baseball minds โ€” Jim Deshaies and Jon Sciambi โ€” available to analyze the game, itself. LET THEM COOK. I’d greatly prefer to hear them opine on the play/managerial decisions at hand than their favorite walk-up songs or which Marvel character each Cubs player represents (okay, that one is an exaggeration, but that’s the vibe it often gives). Sometimes โ€” not all the time, but sometimes โ€” the broadcast plays like a podcast occurring simultaneously to a Cubs game.

We Need HD Broadcasts

The Marquee Sports app does not stream in 1080p, let alone 4K like the Apple TV+ broadcast. So if you’re like me, someone who has a cable subscription, but prefers to stream the broadcast on their AppleTV using the official Marquee Sports Network app, you’re watching the game in what (I’ve confirmed to be) 720p. You know, like it’s 2008.

What’s even more frustrating is that if you are out of the market streaming the same exact Marquee broadcast through your MLB.TV subscription, you’re getting the game in full HD. Why, then, are these being broadcast in such low quality over streaming devices in 2023?*

*I’ve been informed that Marquee is, in fact, streaming in 720p and that they are aware that it is less than ideal. They are working on upgrading that streaming quality to 1080p and are optimistic about that change occurring soon.

We Need a Standalone Marquee Streaming Service

And finally, but perhaps most importantly: we need a standalone Marquee Streaming service available to the ever-increasing number of fans that want to cut ties with their cable company. Right now, there are thousands of people paying ridiculous cable bills ONLY for the ability to watch the Cubs.

That’s just not the way it should be nowadays, and it’s potentially doing long-term damage to the franchise.

I have had SO MANY people (multiple just in the last week!) tell me they have never felt more disconnected to the Cubs than they do right now, because they’re not willing to pay an extra $70-$80/month to Xfinity or RCN (or whomever) just to watch the Cubs. I understand that this is a complicated endeavor, weaving in the league and massive cable service providers contracts, that could cost the Cubs millions in short-term dollars. But the long-term impact of alienating large sections of your fanbase by not letting them watch the Cubs has to be worse.

Create a streaming product, charge a monthly subscription fee, and give people the option to watch your product the way everyone watches everything else in 2023. I know there have been a lot of public statements about this kind of product being worked on, but it is badly needed sooner rather than later.

* * *

Final Note: To be perfectly clear, these are all merely suggestions based on my personal preferences. There are a lot of different types of Cubs fans out there who may disagree with some or all of what I said above. Totally acknowledged. Furthermore, calling a Cubs game – and producing a network – is hard work with challenges most of us will never understand. I could not do what any of these very talented people do and this is not a shot at any one of them, individually. I mean that.

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Right now, all of the trade talk around the Blackhawks is focused on Ryan Donato -- and rightfully so. He's having a career year with 19 goals, has a lovely $2M cap hit in a walk year and is a great, energy, character player. Donato is the kind of guy contenders overpay for at the deadline every year. Whether the Blackhawks move him or not is going to be an...

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Chicago Blackhawks
Tab Bamford
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Feb 10, 2025
Sam Rinzel University of Minnesota

Blackhawks Prospect Sam Rinzel On Areas of Improvement, the Hobey Baker, Turning Pro, More

It's bye week(s) time for the Chicago Blackhawks, so let's catch up with some of the team's prospects. I had a chance to chat with Minnesota's Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel about how they feel their seasons are going, where they've improved, winning at the World Junior Championship and more. The guys were great to chat with. I'll have more from Moore later, but wanted to start with Rinzel. When...

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Chicago Blackhawks
Tab Bamford
โ€ข
Feb 10, 2025
Lukas Reichel Chicago Blackhawks

Intrigue, Questions, Hope Surround Blackhawks 2020 NHL Draft Class

As we continue to focus on the Blackhawks' rebuild, it's important to recognize that there were some pieces in the cupboard before the organ-I-zation changed general managers. And one of the draft classes that's stacking up to be one of the more intriguing in the immediate future took place at one of the most awkward times in the history of the NHL. Because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 NHL...

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Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

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REPORT: Red Sox Get Alex Bregman with a Huge AAV – UPDATES (Including Cubs Offer)

Well, that's that. Alex Bregman is not joining the Chicago Cubs this winter and is instead reuniting with his former Astros coach (and current Red Sox Manager), Alex Cora, in Boston. And while I'm not particularly surprised by his choice...

Nick Pivetta Signing Four-Year Deal with the Padres

One of the last two remaining qualified free agents is now off the board, leaving only Alex Bregman. Starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, whom many thought should have taken his Qualifying Offer from the Red Sox, is signing with the Padres....

The Cubs Are Trying to Kill Two Birds with One Stone (The Stone is Alexander Canario)

Not very long ago, during his first full season in the Cubs organization (2022), Alexander Canario was kind of the hottest thing around. As a 22-year-old outfielder and legitimate prospect, Canario swatted 37 homers across three levels, eventually reaching Triple-A...

Spring Training Miscellany: Brown, Swanson, Imanaga, Pearson, Poteet, More

A few health notes today from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, with two days to go before the full crew officially reports for Spring Training: https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhywujv5f22f As expected, Counsell is not going to make his Opening Day starter officially official...

Craig Counsell Still Sees “Good Opportunities” to Add to the Cubs’ Roster

It's not anything too terribly different from what he said earlier in the week, or what the front office said for that matter, but I thought it worth sharing Craig Counsell's latest comments on the state of the Cubs' offseason...

Sounds Like Cubs Know Which Two Dodgers Pitchers They’ll Face in Tokyo

In case you forgot, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will open up the 2025 MLB regular season well before the rest of the league. While most teams gear up for a March 27 Opening Day, the Cubs and...

Obsessive Alex Bregman Watch: Staring Contest on Offers, Ownership Involvement, Hinch, Arenado, More

The latest from the Alex Bregman rumor mill ... Just as we are obsessing about the possibility of an Alex Bregman signing, a whole lot of other constituencies are doing the same. The Cubs clubhouse, for one, but also Bruce...

A Reminder of How Much Money the Cubs Have Coming Off the Books the Next Two Years

Whenever we contemplate a deal for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, we mention how close it would bring the Cubs payroll to the first tier of the MLB luxury tax in 2025 ($241M). In short, absent a salary-shedding trade, any...

Zastryzny Outrighted, Pressly Not Quite Recruiting Bregman, Kershaw, Injuries, and Other Cubs Bullets

Took The Littlest Girl to Special Olympics basketball last night. We had fun. She wasnโ€™t judged. I wasnโ€™t judged. She simply got to be herself, welcomed by a community designed to support and include our family. Our experiences with Special...

Chicago Cubs Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule (With a Very Enjoyable Video)

Today, the Chicago Cubs announced their 2025 promotional schedule, which you can find right here. For the announcement, the Cubs crafted a promotion Hall of Fame video, which actually did take me back to some of my favorites. Bonus appearance...

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How to Watch Lindenwood (MO) Lions vs. Morehead State Eagles Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

The Lindenwood (MO) Lions (16-7) will host the Morehead State Eagles (8-16) after winning eight home games in a row.Lindenwood (MO) won its most recent game versus Tennessee State, 81-70, on Saturday. Mya Skoff was its top scorer with 18...

How to Watch Rider Broncs vs. Iona Gaels Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

The Iona Gaels (9-14) will look to end a four-game road slide when they square off against the Rider Broncs (6-16) on February 13, 2025 at Alumni Gymnasium.In its previous game, Rider fell to Siena on Saturday, 68-49. Its high...

Florida State vs. Louisville Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

ACC play on Thursday will see the the No. 23 Florida State Seminoles (19-5) host the Louisville Cardinals (17-7) at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, tipping off at 6:00 PM ET.In its previous game, Florida State lost to NC State...

Marshall vs. Old Dominion Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Old Dominion Monarchs (14-11) will attempt to break a four-game losing streak when they visit the Marshall Thundering Herd (7-17) on February 13, 2025 at Cam Henderson Center.In its most recent game, Marshall lost to Central Michigan on Saturday,...

Lipscomb vs. Bellarmine Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Bellarmine Knights (14-11) will attempt to break a three-game losing streak when they visit the Lipscomb Bisons (15-8) on February 13, 2025 at Allen Arena.Lipscomb won its most recent game versus Austin Peay, 65-59, on Saturday. Jalyn Holcomb was...

How to Watch NJIT Highlanders vs. Bryant Bulldogs Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

America East play on Thursday will see the the NJIT Highlanders (9-15) host the Bryant Bulldogs (13-11) at NJIT Wellness and Events Center, beginning at 6:00 PM ET.NJIT won its previous game against New Hampshire, 71-63, on Saturday. Alejandra Zuniga...

JMU vs. Appalachian State Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The James Madison Dukes (21-4) will attempt to build on a six-game home win streak when they take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers (13-10) on February 13, 2025 at Atlantic Union Bank Center.In its most recent game, JMU topped Ball...

How to Watch Western Carolina Catamounts vs. Wofford Terriers Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

The Western Carolina Catamounts (11-13) hope to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Wofford Terriers (14-7) on February 13, 2025 at Ramsey Regional Activity Center.In its most recent game, Western Carolina lost to Chattanooga on Saturday, 74-59....

How to Watch Little Rock Trojans vs. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

The Little Rock Trojans (13-11) will attempt to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (18-5) on February 13, 2025. The Golden Eagles have won nine games in a row.On Tuesday, in its last...

Eastern Illinois vs. Tennessee State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Eastern Illinois Panthers (14-9) aim to build on a nine-game home win streak when they host the Tennessee State Tigers (7-17) on February 13, 2025.In its previous game, Eastern Illinois lost to Tennessee Tech on Saturday, 65-54. Macy McGlone...

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