Kill The Ticker!

It's 2010. Just about everyone has internet access. Many have internet access on their phones. There is nearly unlimited access to timely information at hand everywhere you go. Yet, it seems that TV channels, and especially sport channels, still think we need a ticker-tape across the bottom of the screen giving us constant updates on scores or other news.

There are two main reasons why these tickers suck:
1) They use up valuable screen real estate that could be used to show more of the game we are trying to watch.
2) Sometimes I watch or record replays of games, and most channels have yet to figure out that when they replay a game, it is NOT a good idea to have the ticker at the bottom of the screen show the FINAL SCORE of the game we are watching!

This latter issue drives me insane. The other day, a friend told me I should watch the Penguins/Capitals hockey game from earlier that day because it was really exciting. I found it being replayed on the NHL Channel (at 2 AM that night) and set my DVR to record it. I watched it for about 5 minutes the next day before they flashed the final score of the game across the bottom of the screen! Thanks for ruining it for me! What's the point of showing the replay if you are going to spoil the end??

So far, only NESN, the Boston RSN that carries the Bruins, has shown enough forethought to avoid showing the final score of the game during a replay. They do waste screen area on other updates, but at least they don't spoil the ending of the game I'm watching. The NHL Channel doesn't get it. The NY MSG channels don't get it. Fox Sports channels don't get it. When I record a re-play of a game on one of these stupid channels, I have to set up a big box in front of the TV to block out the update ticker so I can actually enjoy the games. Yes, it is ridiculous that I have to do this.

File this under "D" for "duh."