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The
Halftime Show By George Stahl NEW YORK (AQB)--A two-minute warning before halftime sets off a flurry of activity not only on football fields but also in the studio of CBS' NFL Today. Host Jim Nantz runs through his cards on each game, checking the handwritten information and looking at the highlights once again. Gary Horton, a former NFL scout and now NFL consultant for CBS, explains to analyst Craig James that the absence of San Diego running back Natrone Means is forcing the team's defense to play more than it probably wants, so fatigue may be a factor in the second half. Randy Cross asks a group of denim-shirt-wearing young men and women for the first-half stats for Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart, and CBS' NFL information man Jay Glazer updates Jerry Glanville on the injury to Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin. Shortly before all of this, The NFL Today foursome of Nantz, James, Cross and Glanville had taped part of the halftime show. That part, which focused entirely on the later 4 p.m. games, is shown either before or after a live part, depending on when CBS' four games go to halftime. Having part of the halftime taped helps CBS juggle the different halftime shows so that every game gets a live part, which includes highlights, scores and analysis from the The NFL Today crew. It was now time to go lives. "This is Pittsburgh-Buffalo, right?" Nantz asked, seconds before going on the air to the 30 percent of the company getting the Steelers-Bills game. Nantz welcomed the viewers to the halftime show and asked Glanville what he thought of the game so far. "I don't know. I wasn't watching that game," Glanville responded, shocking his desk mates. Although the analysts watch every game, they each generally focus on one game for the halftime. For Glanville, it was the Patriots-Chiefs contest, not Steelers-Bills. Cross, who was the studio analyst on the Steelers-Bills, jumped in with his opinions, but Glanville already had uttered the words that would be a running joke the rest of the day in the studio. After that halftime segment, Nantz, James and Cross kidded Glanville for not coming up with something better than "I don't know" when Nantz put him on the spot. Glanville later poked fun at himself at halftime of the Patriots-Chiefs game, when he responded to Nantz's request for a comment on that game by saying, "I can't. This is not the game I'm watching. I was doing another game ... No, I have been watching this game. I have been watching this game." While millions of viewers across the country probably thought that Glanville was just being silly, about 75 or so people at CBS studios knew the real meaning behind those words. After the four halftime shows, which followed one another in rapid-fire fashion, Glanville told me that he was just following some old advice when he admitted that he wasn't watching the game. "My Momma always told me to tell the truth." The reasons why CBS' analysts usually can provide the truth on any game is because, one, they have been watching each game; two, they have researchers behind them ready to provide any stat they want; and, three, they have Gary Horton watching every game. The former NFL scout and two of his staff members look for the strategic trends that are developing in each game, as oppose to the statistical ones. Horton then will offer that perspective to the analysts. Then, there is Jay Glazer, who continues to update Nantz and the crew on the latest gossip and injury news. Unfortunately, though, there usually isn't much time during the quick halftime updates to get into many of Glazer's details. For example, by the 4 p.m. halftime shows, Glazer had heard that Chicago quarterback Shane Matthews needed help leaving the locker room and that there was a good chance that rookie Cade McNown would start next week. However, that news wasn't used. "You're giving us these great stories," Nantz said diplomatically, "but you've got to see that we have no time for it." Oh, if only halftimes were longer... |
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