American Diggers = American Idiots

[PKD]

Its on at 10 tonight I think. Cant wait to actually see an episode. I have only seen snippets on the net

Please.......You can't wait to watch the show? Wow, you got a lot to learn. Why does anybody even waste their time with this !!!!? I mean, its not even worth giving them the views. Seriously people, if you want metal detecting to be shined in a positive light, don't give the show the views it wants, positive or negative.

 

[Mozhoven]

Ok, I'll admit watching 3-4 episodes before loosing my lunch. I'll play Devil's Advocate for a bit though to clear up some misinformation.

1) He always asks for permission before digging

2) He always works out a deal with the property owners to split the "proceeds"

3) He is not a hobbyist, but operates a "recovery company".

4) The show is actually a "reenactment" of some of their "best finds". (actually mentioned in the opening sequence) and not a documented live event.

This last bit should explain why the dealers know all about the objects, and seem to be waiting for them. It would also explain why they always seem to find the Big One just before giving up. There's another show called Repo Wars that is based on the same concept of reenacting "real stories'.

Ok, I'm done with that. The show is garbage. It gives new MD's unrealistic expectations, and it gives the public the wrong idea. Half the people will assume that we'll destroy their property, the other half will assume they are entitled to the "proceeds". I'm not saying they aren't per se, but if we all gave away half our good finds at the end of the day, we probably would loose the taste for this hobby.

Meteorite Men is a better alternative. The cameras actually follow the guys around while they are hunting and edit the footage together later to make a show. Sometimes they do well, other times not. Just like real life.

 

[Syrex5]

That show is a joke. " I'm here to preserve the slave history" Score, a slave tag! Time to go sell it!

Precious historical site? Bring in 2 bulldozers!

We were there for another 3 days and found another $12,000. !!!? I'm sure if they found anything worth a fraction of that it would have been shown on tv or even mentioned

Good signal? Use your shovel as an axe and hack your way to the object without damaging it

 

[ATProGuy]

agree, that show puts a bad light on the hobby, now when you ask permission people think you're going to come in there with backhoes and other heavy equipment and tear the place up.

I already dealt with that fear already from homeowners now thanks to this show.

 

[YoungPatriot]

I need to get some dynamite to get those big, deep soda cans out of the ground.

 

[OZARKS]

That show is a joke. " I'm here to preserve the slave history" Score, a slave tag! Time to go sell it!

Precious historical site? Bring in 2 bulldozers!

We were there for another 3 days and found another $12,000. !!!? I'm sure if they found anything worth a fraction of that it would have been shown on tv or even mentioned

Good signal? Use your shovel as an axe and hack your way to the object without damaging it

I told my wife before the show even started " Watch they'll find a slave tag...but, you know how rare those are?"

And bamm, they found one...gimme a freakin break, that show is fake as they come...

 

[Briman05]

Also the cops on that show last night wouldn't have hand cuffed them right away or acted like that they would have first asked what they were doing there and then talked to the land owner

 

[dogpound]

i wish the cop would of tased him..........now that would make good t.v.

 

[daddydigger]

i wish the cop would of tased him..........now that would make good t.v.

Yeah, LOL, Fatty says "Don't taze me bro!" and the cop says 'BOOM BABY!" then pulls the trigger!

 

[strock]

discover chanel

best way to stop it is quit watching. ratings go down they close it. also email the producers. strock

 

[daveinoregon]

Saw a preview on Spike last night for the next show.. seems the "Diggers" are going to loot some old public property without permission and the cops come...

How much more damage are these idiots going to do to our hobby before they pull that moronic show?

I really hope NONE OF YOU act like these people do. If you do, DO US A FAVOR AND FIND ANOTHER HOBBY.

For sheer entertainment value I would give the show a "10". No other detecting shows to watch on primetime and its a bit more dramatic and well put together that the usual youtube vids that I watch.

As for what they do to our hobby I have mixed feeling though:

On a positive note they do obtain permission from property owners before excavating. They promise to repair and leave the area as it was before. They also kindle new interest in the hobby for some and open doorways for others by letting property owners know what their land may contain and what to possibly expect by letting us detect there.

On the flip side though watching their retrieval techniques with a pick...not pulling flaps or plugs pains me to watch. I have also seen them flipping "junk" targets back onto the ground.

I know the show is a staged re enactment for dramatic effect so I am hoping they do much cleaner digs than shown.

I also wonder how this may tighten up retrieval laws in some states after archeologists worry about losing precious artifacts...hopefully not.

All in all though its entertainment television. And after watching it gives me a broader scope of the potential areas we can hunt and spikes my dreams with thoughts of potential "big finds". Who are we kidding ?? any one of us would love to be in his shoes getting payed to travel and detect

I for one and hoping this show sticks around or paves the way for other better ones. Do I believe all his finds are real?? not really, but I would like to coming from the point of view of a fellow treasure hunter.

Safe travels all!!

 

[JunkInTheTrunk]

damn it all... I KNOW...

I need to get some dynamite to get those big, deep soda cans out of the ground.

Ric Savage: I KNOW that damn signal was a penny... MANNN I hope I sure do find that "Zincoln"... it's worth a good $250,000 to a coin collector... I'll put everthing back together just as we found it and split... I mean, split the "proceeds" with you...

 

[Mozhoven]

best way to stop it is quit watching. ratings go down they close it. also email the producers. strock

I seriously doubt anyone really watches the show besides us MD'rs. Sadly though, those shows have almost no production costs and can last forever without or without viewers. On a positive note, I just read an article in the Huffington Post:

In a post titled, "Some changes at American Digger Magazine," Holcombe wrote:

After much deliberation, we have decided to drop American Digger’ Magazine’s association with Rick Savage, who until this month wrote our Savage Facts column. The parting was amicable, and we appreciate his work on his column and past promotions of the magazine . We won’t lie, our dropping his association was in great part because of the controversy his TV show has created, and the confusion that American Digger Magazine had anything more than a passing association with the Spike TV series which shares our name. Please, if you enjoy or have enjoyed American Digger Magazine in the past, continue to do so, because we will not change our format: A good digging magazine for those more concerned with historical values than market values. We wish those connected with the show well, but had to further make a distinction between the magazine and show. We hope this helps clear things up.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/ric-savage-american-digger_n_1392285.html

 

[coinMD64]

American Diggers NO GOOD!!!!

Since my first and last viewing of the first American Digger Alaska episode, I dont bother watching that show on Spike Channel. The show is full of bad ideas. Ric Savage should return to fake pro wrestling. From its beginning it was all the way faked. No more American Digger for me!!! This show already showed damages to metal detectorists. I had enough of this show!!:mad

 

[DougF]

I also wonder how this may tighten up retrieval laws in some states after archeologists worry about losing precious artifacts...hopefully not.

My theory is that the archaelogists are behind this show, hoping to start a backlash against metal detecting. I say that only half kidding.

 

[coinMD64]

American Diggers NO GOOD!!!!

Since my first and last viewing of the first American Digger Alaska episode, I dont bother watching that show on Spike Channel. The show is full of bad ideas. Ric Savage should return to fake pro wrestling. From its begiining it was all the way faked. No more American Digger for me!!! This show already showed damages to metal detectorists. I had enough of this show!!

 

[Longhair]

I've gone so far as to e-mail representatives of SpikeTV to inform them of my boycott of sponsors until the show is removed from the air, as well as my encouraging others to do the same.
Hit 'em where it hurts!

 

[mws_1984]

I've watched it and it is interesting to a degree. But we all know it is staged just like all the other "reality" shows out there. Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Hardcore Pawn, all those types of shows. well anything on TRUtv actually lol.
So just pure entertainment factor, not anything more than that.

 

[dogpound]

the only good show on spike was "the man" show, now thats entertainment

 

[itsaring!]

the only good show on spike was "the man" show, now thats entertainment

Now that was a good show! Loved that trampoline!