ESPN
| College Pregame Shows | CNN
Notre
Dame 36, Michigan 20
When
the dust settled after the NFL awarded its television contract,
NBC's Dick Enberg and TNT's Pat Haden were two veteran announcers
left out in the cold. Judging by their performance in their first
Notre Dame telecast, Saturday's win against Michigan, they're
doing just fine, thank you.
Enberg showed he's still a fine play-by-play man, correctly
spotting the ball and noting trends as the game developed. An
NBC guy to the end, he reportedly never considered leaving the
Peacock.
As the tide turned in the second half, Enberg noted that the Irish
defense against Michigan receiver Tai Streets was a big part of
Notre Dame's surge. This followed Haden's second-quarter remark
that the Irish needed to pressure Wolverines QB Tom Brady or double-team
Streets. Good idea. The wideout made eight catches in the first
half and none in the second.
Haden, like most TNT announcers, was surprised that network
lost out in the NFL, but his performance Saturday showed he is
worthy of a high-profile job. He showed the insight of someone
who has played the game and wasn't afraid to make a strong
comment.
Talking about the lawsuit former Notre Dame assistant coach Joe
Moore filed against the school, Haden said "I've always had a
high regard for Notre Dame but that's a lawsuit that should have
been settled much like the one in Little Rock should have been
settled." Pretty political for a football game but Haden was a
Rhodes Scholar, after all, not unlike Mr. Clinton.
Enberg and Haden were supported ably by sideline reporter extraordinaire
Jim Gray, who provided tidbits of information throughout the
telecast. Gray delivered timely injury reports and, before the
game, said the Irish were 4-0-1 in their last five season openers
against Michigan. My only problem with Gray was that he wasn't
heard from in the second quarter, though that may not have been
his fault.
My other complaint is minor. In the first half, when Michigan
quarterback Tom Brady threw several early passes too high or too
hard, the crew should have suggested that he might have been too
excited in his first college start. On the other hand, the group
did a good job of not talking incessantly about freshman quarterback
Drew Henson, waiting until he entered the game to talk about him
at length.
NBC's halftime show complemented the game with a well-done Dan
Hicks feature on former Michigan defensive back Daydrion Taylor,
whose career was cut short by an injury last year. Taylor is currently
working with the team as a coach's assistant.
Overall, the first Notre Dame telecast of 1998 was well done
and entertaining, particularly when Enberg and Haden hit their
stride in the second half.
Good observation: Early in the second half, when Notre
Dame began running the option more, Enberg and Haden wondered
whether the Fighting Irish had run the offense less in the first
half to throw Michigan off guard.
Isn't it ironic: Prior to the game, NBC's crew said Notre
Dame's coaching staff was very worried about their kicking game.
Two Michigan missed field goals and a couple of fumbles on returns
were the difference in the Irish victory.
Best line: When a horde of students stormed the field prematurely
near the end of the game, Haden said "It's starting to look like
the Jerry Springer show out there."
Top Graphic: Table showing that Notre Dame and Michigan
rank first or second all-time in wins, winning percentage, AP
Poll rankings, consecutive years in the AP Poll, consensus All-America
players, NFL draft picks and first-round NFL picks. (Randy)
Back to top
Ohio
State 34 West Virginia 17
After
watching Ohio State dominate West Virginia, 34-17, in an excruciatingly
mind-numbing 3-1/2 hour game, I was left with two questions. One,
which was more disappointing, the game or CBS’ coverage? Two,
didn’t I have something better to do with my Saturday night?
The
answers: 1. Too close to call. 2. Too close to call.
CBS’
coverage was as inspiring as the weathered American flag that’s
been down in your parents' basement since 1968. Play-by-play announcer
Sean McDonough was O.K. but seemed bored at times, while
color analyst and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue made few
insightful statements.
Both
have been better.
Not
helping matters was CBS’ production team, who also had a poor
game. Graphics with game stats were nonexistent, while replays
were sometimes missing or unhelpful. For example, Terry Donahue
made a good point in the first quarter about how Ohio State overloaded
one side of the field with receivers, making the play indefensible.
However, CBS didn’t have or, worse yet, didn’t show a replay to
help explain Donahue’s point.
CBS’
new halftime show with Tim Brando, Craig James and Lou
Holtz tried to be hip, irreverent and funny. It failed.
But that’s OK, because it also wasn’t that informative.
How could you not mention that Mark McGwire hit home run No. 60
earlier in the day? I know this is college football, not baseball,
but that is the biggest sports story of the day, if not the year,
and will undoubtedly be on the front page of every paper Sunday.
George,
you say, that’s baseball. OK, fine. But you know what, CBS also
didn’t mention at half that Penn State coach Joe Paterno won his
299th college football game. That might have been nice.
And
don’t even get me started on sideline reporter Mike Mayock, who
criticized the media for “never accentuating the positive” in
its coverage of the academic (sic) problems of Ohio State linebacker
Andy Katzenmoyer. I agree that Katzenmoyer’s curriculum of gut
courses is no different in many ways than the classes taken by
many other nonathletic people that I know at college. However,
that doesn’t mean that the media should ignore Katzenmoyer’s grades
or the issue of being a “student-athlete” in the 1990s.
CBS’
college football coverage was better last year but should improve
this year, unless the network has transferred all its good
people to its NFL games.
Tech
glitch: CBS lost its skybox - the time and score graphic in
the top left corner - for part of the first quarter. Then, after
it came back, the box showed the flag symbol in between two plays
when no penalty had been called. Actually, the flag graphic proved
to be troublesome throughout the game because CBS consistently
put it up either after McDonough had said there was a penalty
or after the play when it was obvious there was a flag.
Premature
Interjection: During a Zereoue run in the first half, Donahue
interrupted McDonough’s play-by-play to say that Zereoue was going
to break it for a touchdown. Zereoue was tackled about 10 yards
after the statement and about 50 yards from the end zone.
Virtually
good: CBS’ virtual reality playbook, in which the network
used computer animation to show the X’s and O’s of a play, was
nice in the one instance that it was used. It would have
been more effective if CBS showed an example of that same play
in reality, preferably from this game, after showing it in virtual
reality. As a matter of fact, Donahue said West Virginia already
had run the play a couple time in the game. It also would have
been nice for CBS to use it more than once.
Buttkiss
award: At halftime, James tried to get Holtz to take credit
for Notre Dame’s upset over Michigan by saying that Holtz recruited
this year’s Notre Dame team. If that logic works, then wasn’t
Holtz the one that recruited last year’s team, which went 7-6?
Later, Holtz predicted that Notre Dame would be in the Fiesta
Bowl, which is hosting the college football championship game.
Argh!
This
Oops For You: Donahue stated that West Virginia offensive
coordinator Dan Simrell said he would leave West Virginia's coaches
booth and have a Budweiser if the team's quarterback, Marc Bulgar,
had to leave the game. I’m sure Coors, who sponsored the opening
lineups, appreciated that story.
More
Snafus: Early in the game, CBS was flashing the scores from
other games faster than Superman can read them. It slowed the
scores down to a more readable speed as the game continued. ...
Donahue at one point called West Virginia’s blue jerseys “black.”
... McDonough was slow in naming West Virginia receiver Pat Greene
during the Mountaineers biggest offensive play of the game. ...
McDonough misstated the sponsor of CBS’ halftime show.
He later apologized and corrected his mistake halfway through
the third quarter. ... CBS waited till there was a few minutes
left in the game, when the only people with CBS still on were
those who had fallen asleep, to explain the significant influence
that Ohio State coach John Cooper had on Donahue's coaching career.
Although the story has been told before, CBS should have repeated
it earlier in the game as a form of full disclosure. This
way, viewers could have properly processed Donahue's comments
about Cooper and Ohio State.
Unanswered
Questions: 1. Why does CBS use such small lettering for many
of its onscreen graphics, such as for the down and distance to
go and for the opening lineups?
2. Was it just my television/cable system or did it seem like
the volume went down a notch or two everytime CBS came back from
a commercial?
Grade:
C. Katzenmoyer might like that mark, but CBS shouldn’t. (George)
Back
to top
To
see George's review of ABC's Kickoff
Classic telecast, click here.
To see George's picks/previews
of this week's games, visit Saturday
Selections.
|
 CNN's
College Football Preview Show hit plenty of high notes
with host Bob Lorenz, analyst Trev Alberts and reporter
Tim Layden.
Layden, covering Michigan's visit
to Notre Dame, provided helpful information, revealing
that Wolverines safety Marcus Ray told him the defense must
be "honest" without Charles Woodson and defensive end Glen
Steele.
He also said Notre Dame is confident and, on another matter,
asserted that new Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin
is ready to replace Peyton Manning and "won't feel any
pressure."
Lorenz ran the show smoothly and Alberts provided good
insight on Saturday's important games, reporting he
spoke to Notre Dame defensive coordinator Greg Mattison,
who said middle linebacker Bobbie Howard is the team's heart
and soul. Alberts picks Notre Dame to beat the Wolverines,
citing Madison's belief that the Irish will be a stronger,
more physical team in 1998.
Alberts also picks #1 Ohio State over #11 West Virginia
in a close game, disclosing that Mountaineers running back
Amos Zereoue has improved in the passing game and, according
to coach Don Nehlen, "won't leave the field."
The show's main feature is Lorenz's story about Tennessee's
Martin. The piece tells how Martin and his mother moved
19 times as they tried to find a safe place to live in Mobile,
Ala. Martin talks of seeing one of his friends killed, showing
that nothing that happens in Knoxville can rattle him.
Alberts says Martin will help the #10 Vols because he bench
presses more than 400 pounds and will make them (here we
go again) "more physical." The former Nebraska
star says Tennessee realized they needed to get stronger
after being manhandled by the Huskers in last year's Orange
Bowl.
He also wonders which #17 Syracuse team will show up
in the Carrier Dome, the one that mauled Wisconsin in the
1997 Kickoff Classic or the club that lost to 3-8 Oklahoma.
He concedes that quarterback Donovan McNabb, fullback Rob
Konrad and wide receiver Quinton Spotwood give the Orangemen
great offensive punch but questions the team's consistency.
This is a valid point since the 'Cuse's modus operandi under
head coach Paul Pasqualoni has been to lose two or three
games early and rally late in the year. Now, there's nothing
wrong with improving as the year goes on but the Orange
need to win big games early if they're ever going to make
noise nationally. This year's first two games are against
Tennessee and Michigan.
Alberts picks host Arizona State, ranked eighth, against
#18 Washington, marveling at how Sun Devils' quarterback
Ryan Kealy fools defenses by looking away from where he
will throw.
He also likes #21 Southern Mississippi to beat #13 Penn
State in Happy Valley; Brigham Young to defeat Alabama at
Tuscaloosa; and #15 Colorado State to topple rival Colorado
in Denver.
In fact, Alberts says if CSU beats the Buffaloes, the only
other challenge on their schedule is an Oct. 31 game at
Rice. He predicts that Colorado State may have "a little
bit of a beef with this Bowl Championship Series" at
season's end.
If the Rams beat Colorado and Air Force early, they should
run the table. Would they then be doomed to the same fate
as Brigham Young's 14-1 team of 1996? That fine Cougars
team was left to play Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl while
Florida and Florida State played for the national title
in the Sugar Bowl.
As
for Colorado, Layden says head coach Rich Neuheisel is trying
to be harder on his team after some players, like 1996 Butkus
Award winner Matt Russell, said the Buffs lacked toughness.
Layden said the team's role is now a spoiler, and still
a couple of years away from contention.
I thought that Lorenz and Alberts did an excellent job
this week, aided by timely comments from Layden. With
just 30 minutes to play with, Lorenz did a nice job of shifting
from game to game, managing to hit key points for every
major contest.
Alberts, on the other hand, scored points for delivering
his opinions confidently and concisely. About the same age
as ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, he is polished and a rising
television star.
Grade: B+ (Randy)
Back
to top
|
|
 "College
Gameday"
may be the best football pregame show, pro or college.
The interplay between hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and
Kirk Herbstreit rivals "Fox NFL Sunday."
A great
example of their interplay was when the three hosts, along
with ESPN reporter Tony Barnhart, debated the new Bowl Championship
Series. Corso and Herbstreit were discussing ways to improve
the complicated system, while Fowler argued it already was
too complicated and too susceptible to failure.
While
you may not always agree with him, give Corso credit
for speaking his mind and being the most opinionated
broadcaster in all of football. Some examples from this
show include him saying that the lack of pass rush from
Nebraska's front four "could cost them a national championship"
and that Notre Dame won't regain its lofty status until
it gets back to "smash-mouthed football."
Fowler
calmly and coolly leads the viewers through the maze
of college games, noting interesting and well-researched
facts about each one. He had a great line about keeping
the comedy going ("we go from Amos & Andy to Martin
& Lewis") as he transitioned from the Ohio State
and West Virginia game (West Virginia running back Amos
Zeroue and Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer) to Tennessee
and Syracuse (Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin and running
back Jamal Lewis).
Herbstreit
is a solid straight man to Corso and has become more
comfortable giving his opinion. When he first started, he
seemed a little reluctant to go out on a limb with a prediction.
But now, he is not afraid to confront Corso and give his
view of things. His piece this week on Martin, though, was
the weakest part of the show, as it ignored Martin's rough
and tragic background and focused solely on him replacing
Peyton Manning.
Barnhart,
reporting on the Tennessee-Syracuse game from Syracuse's
Carrier Dome, had a good line, saying hadn't seen so much
orange "since the beginning of deerhunting season."
Finally,
Mark Schwarz had an excellent piece examining the
off-the-field problems at Notre Dame.
Unanswered
questions: Why were the three hosts wearing headsets
with microphones as well as microphone clips on their ties?
Grade:
A-, Herbstreit's Martin story kept it from being an A or
A+ (George)
Back
to top
To
see George's review of ABC's
Kickoff Classic telecast, click
here.
To see George's picks/previews
of this week's games, visit Saturday
Selections.
|
