For those who tuned into Thursday night’s 4-Nations Face-Off matchup between the United States and Finland, one part of ESPN’s broadcast was unavoidable.
In addition to the scorebug in its standard top-left corner location, there was a running graphic on the bottom of the screen, telling viewers which 10 players were on the ice.
Those watching the 4 Nations Face-Off, what are your thoughts on the graphic displaying who is on the ice for each team? pic.twitter.com/40dxK6O8FY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2025
As we were reminded of in Super Bowl LIX, on-screen graphics are a touchy subject for people, particularly when they’re being displayed during the game.
This was no different.
Some viewers liked what they saw.
I like it https://t.co/iCNNl6zvc4
— Elliott Price (@ElliottFPrice) February 14, 2025
For this I actually like it. Not like anyone is used to these teams and it’s nice to know how the countries have put their lines together…also a reminder of who is on each roster
— Robert Snyder (@RobbieBuckets) February 14, 2025
I love it. https://t.co/gMwKJhMln7
— Music City Bets (@MusicCityBets) February 14, 2025
I actually don’t mind it. It’s helpful to know who’s on the ice since we’re not used to these lines. And if you don’t care for it, just don’t look at the bottom of the screen.
And that’s coming from someone who ABHORS the live scoreboard CBS has been using for The Masters. https://t.co/9Ehpe2XtOc
— Nick Bove (@NickBoveOnAir) February 14, 2025
Honestly really enjoy it. Especially because we have no idea who made these rosters.
— Anthony Sperando (@APSperando) February 14, 2025
In multiple respects, it’s a good idea.
One, events like this are made to attract casual fans. For people who aren’t used to watching it, hockey can be a tough game to follow as — unlike other sports — substitutions happen while the play is live and shifts are usually less than a minute long. Additionally, even serious hockey fans can get confused by these events. Nobody is used to the teams and some players are wearing different uniform numbers. So, this can be a helpful guide.
That said, the reaction to this graphic was, to say the least, divided. The primary point of contention was the graphic’s size.
So annoying and unnecessary
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) February 14, 2025
It’s horrific and a crime against hockey. They gotta get rid of it right away. You can’t see guys on the near boards on the rush. https://t.co/AoAHtSKnMI
— Ben Mathewson (@Ben_Mathewson) February 14, 2025
Maybe the worst graphic in the history of sports broadcasting. Get it off. https://t.co/h3xEuhXCY0
— Steve Bennett (@Sports_Casters) February 14, 2025
ESPN needs to drop this horrible bottom line. It’s blocking a significant portion of the ice. pic.twitter.com/KLyddYjnfw
— Ben Mathewson (@Ben_Mathewson) February 14, 2025
ESPN really thought they cooked here with this gargantuan graphic tracking what players are on the ice pic.twitter.com/slw1JB23CH
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) February 14, 2025
ESPN should make this ticker at least three times bigger https://t.co/LEmANyzE4Y
— Mike Cole (@MikeColeNESN) February 14, 2025
Of note, when play began in the second period, the graphic was not shown. That continued through the duration.
UPDATE: The graphic has yet to be displayed in the second period. https://t.co/s8yXj30Yqr pic.twitter.com/v7NuI4hpkF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2025
Even if it is helpful for viewers, no graphic should block that much of the ice. So, hile the concept is not bad, the execution of it can use some fine-tuning.
