Green Bay 36, San Francisco 22 By George Stahl While I have seen a couple games done by Fox's A team of Pat Summerall and John Madden, this was the first game of theirs that I reviewed for the site. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with my partner, Randy. Summerall has lost a step. He is slow in reacting to calls on the field, gets easily confused and misses some action. Don't get me wrong, I like Summerall. When you hear his voice, you know it's a big game. And he occasionally comes up with a big call, such as the second touchdown catch by Packer receiver Antonio Freeman, but he makes too many mistakes to be on a top team. Summerall is a lot like Packer defensive lineman Reggie White - he is noticably a step slower, not the same player he was years ago, but occasionally makes a big play. Oops: Summerall said on the 49er safety that the ball went through 49er punter Reggie Roby’s legs, when it actually went over his head and through his hands. Huh?: After Packer quarterback Brett Favre was sacked on first down, Summerall said, “He might get off a pass one of these times.” Huh? Favre’s last pass attempt was an 80-yard completion for a touchdown. I think Summerall was confused by the fact that Young was sacked on his last two pass attempts on the 49ers previous series. Although Summerall may have lost something, he still is a great straight man for Madden. Summerall and Madden have the best chemistry of any announcing team in the NFL. This was shown once again when the two of them talked about Madden's bratwurst barbeque before the game. If Summerall is White, then Madden is Steve Young - a wily veteran who has seen everything but is still among the best. One could describe Madden in the same way the analyst described Young in the fourth quarter. Madden said Young is in a small window of time in his career where he has been around long enough to see everything but is still young enough physically to use his experience to its maximum benefit. Madden, who has been around professional football since the 1960s as a coach or analyst, has seen everything, can describe anything and remains at the top of his professtion. Some of Madden's better points Sunday included talking about how Young likes to scramble to his left; pointing out that White lined up over center, which is unusual, on a 49er fourth and inches; and how teams, in general, use the screen pass to slow down a defense's rush. One of Madden's best skills is anticipating what is going to happen. His experience as a coach and an analyst has provided him with a feel for a game that most of us don't have. For example, on a 49ers drive in the third quarter, Madden mentioned that the 49ers have to take a shot deep, especially with the caliber of wide receivers that they have. Within seconds, the 49ers went deep, albeit unsuccessfully. Madden also will give his opinion whenever necessary. When the 49ers went for it on fourth down early in the game, Madden said he agreed with it. When there was a questionable no call on a Packer incompletion to start the fourth quarter, he said it was interference. Viewers value announcers' opinions, especially opinions from those announcers they respect. Madden's best point during the game was noting how the game's momentum changed twice with defensive plays. The first time was when the 49ers intercepted Brett Favre's pass at the goalline to end the first half. The second time, and the deciding time, was when Packer defensive back Leroy Butler sacked Young hard in the fourth quarter. Hmm: Madden said during halftime that former 49er quarterback Joe Montana was the best offensive player he has ever seen. But Madden's excellent commentary may not be the best thing about Fox's A team. Production-wise, Fox's A team - led by Sandy Grossman - rivals ABC's Monday night production crew as the best in football. They consistently showed the right replay, the right camera angle or the right graphic at the right moment. Nice
Shot: 1. Fox showed a closeup of Packer quarterback Brett
Favre putting his fingers to his mouth as if he was smoking cigarette,
while he was calling the count at the line of scrimmage on a play
that the 49ers blitzed. Good graphics: Fox consistently showed the right graphic at the right time. When 49er receiver Jerry Rice made his first catch, Fox showed how many consecutive games Rice has caught a pass. When Rice and Young hooked up for the touchdown, Fox showed that Young/Rice now has more touchdown passes together (80) than any other quarterback/receiver duo, surpassing the Dolphins’ Dan Marino/Mark Clayton. Other good graphics included a list of the 49ers first 15 plays, which are scripted before the game. Fox, however, didn’t the same thing for the Packers, who also script their plays. Fox, though, did an excellent job updating the Packers recent success against the 49ers in the first quarter. Missing in action: A better angle of the Packers second touchdown, a 30-yard pass to Robert Brooks. Brooks was very close to the sidelines when he made the catch, but Fox never showed clearly whether he was in or out. Unanswered question: Could Fox publicize the movie "The Lost World" any more? It just got ridiculous as the game continued. Literally, every five minutes Fox said or did something to promote the movie. Grade: B. It's sad to say, but Summerall's best days are behind him. Back
to the top
|
|
Today's Lineup | Sports
Pages | Features | Newsstand
| Sports Links
Speak Out | Mailing
List | Scouting Dept. | About
Us | Home
