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Chiefs 17 Seahawks 6
Theismann puzzled me on Kansas City's second possession. After
Chiefs QB Rich Gannon lost control of the ball when he tried to
stop his throwing motion, Theismann said the official ruled correctly
in ruling the play an incompletion, not a fumble. Since Gannon was
pulling the ball back, isn't it a fumble? We needed a clarification
here.
Top stats: First-quarter graphic showed that, in the last
nine seasons vs Seattle, the Chiefs are 15-3 with 64 sacks, just
23 sacks allowed and a plus-22 turnover margin. Grade: A, ESPN couldn't have done better under the circumstances. Return
to top By George Stahl This week's Monday Night Blast was easily the best of the season, mainly because it stuck to football. From Frank Gifford’s look at the friendship between Vikings receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter to a comical look at the Packers waiting list for season tickets, Monday Night Blast was able to enlighten, inform and entertain. Outside the Zone’s look at Moss and Carter was very good because it focused on their recent history. It showed how Carter and Moss motivate each other on and off the field. The piece didn’t go into Carter or Moss’ past, but it didn’t have to, because it was about their current relationship. Besides, their past already has been well-documented. It was a well-done piece, highlighted by Carter’s spoken wish to make Randy Moss into the best receiver in the game by the time Carter retires. This week’s “Bio Blast,” on Packers quarterback Brett Favre, was O.K., but I feel this segment is better utilized featuring a lesser-known subject. Most football fans probably learned little new about Favre, although give ABC credit for not using any footage from the movie “Something About Mary.” Aww, look at how quickly our Monday Night Blast has grown up! The Blast ended with a funny look at how long the waiting list for Packer season tickets is. It profiled a gentleman who is 13,000-something on the waiting list. Under the current pace of moving up about five places a year, the gentleman will be more than 2,500-years-old when he gets the tickets. The piece was cute and, most of all, was not a blatant advertisement for another Disney product. Grade: B+. Monday Night Blast would have gotten an A with somebody other than Favre as the Bio. Return
to top By George Stahl ABC’s Monday Night Football crew is slowly progressing into mid-season shape. Now if they could just get a good game to call that they can use as a measuring stick to see how far they have come. For a while, I thought this week might be it; however, Minnesota broke it open in the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf and Boomer Esiason were digging for things to discuss. In the first half, though, the threesome showed flashes of potential, especially Esiason, whose improvement from the beginning of the season is noticeable. The former quarterback noticed early on that the Packers defensive backs were having trouble keeping track of the ball and the Vikings outstanding wide receivers. This allowed the Vikings receivers to make big plays by just reacting to the ball. That’s a good job by Esiason of noting that early and making it a theme of the broadcast. However, he didn’t take the next step and explain why the Packers defensive backs were having problems. Was it the wet field, which made it easier for Vikings receivers, who knew where the ball was going, to shake free from defenders? Are the Vikings receiver just that much bigger and better? Or did the Packers players just have a bad day? A good announcer does what Esiason did; a great announcer takes the next step and further analyzes it. Another thing that has become more common as the season has progressed are the debates held by Dierdorf and Esiason. I don’t know if this is a planned evolution of the MNF booth, but it is a welcomed one. Some examples from this week:
Esiason and Dierdorf, though, can get carried away at times. At the end of the second half, I felt they unfairly criticized the Vikings for running out the clock in the first half. The Vikings had a 24-10 lead, the ball in their own zone and a nasty rainstorm in front of them. There is no reason for the Vikings to take chances and push the ball upfield. I thought Esiason and Dierdorf were criticizing just to be critical. As for Michaels, he was solid but not his spectacular self. He seemed a little slow on calls, but as always, he did a nice job summarizing the storylines in the game, such as the Vikings ownership situation, Randy Moss’ history and Dennis Green’s background. We haven’t heard Michaels best game yet. Overall, the crew got silly as game went on, but you can’t blame them because they haven’t had a good game all year. It may not have been a great game, but ABC did - and always does - have great graphics and statistics. Last night, ABC did an excellent job of keeping viewers informed of the carnage that the Vikings offense was inflicting on the Packers defense and the Packers defensive record book. Other good graphics included:
Other highlights and lowlights: Good lines:
1. After Michaels noted all the Randalls on the Vikings (Cunningham,
Moss, McDaniel, etc), he said he would call it a “Randy team” but
randy means lecherous, lustful and Clintonlike. To which, Dierdorf
responded “as you should know, [Al]” Debate starters:
1. Esiason and Dierdorf said Vikings defensive end John Randle
would be better used as a defensive tackle than as an end. (I don’t
know; he seems to be doing all right on the outside.) Dierdorfisms:
1. “Randy Moss, you have arrived.” Things that
make you go hmm: 1. Esiason, “Pressure is what leads to interceptions.”
Commercial crazy: Monday Night Football is the worst sports telecast when it comes to commercials, and a good example why occurred at the end of the first quarter. Here’s the sequence: First quarter ends, commercial break. Second quarter begins, Packers miss on their third down play but make a field goal. Commercial break. Kickoff. Another commercial break. From the end of the first quarter to 14:46 of the second quarter, there were three commercial breaks. Atrocious. Didja notice
that...?: 1. Some unidentified person was holding the umbrella
for Lesley Visser during her first report from the field after the
kickoff? Grade: B. ABC’s MNF crew is getting better; they just need some help from the teams. Return
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