NFL Pregame Shows

AQB Logo

See past weeks: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Click here to read the AQB Awards for game announcers.

ArmchairQB.com Names Fox
Best NFL Pregame Show

By George Stahl

It doesn't have the best features.

It isn't the most insightful.

It isn't always easy to follow.

But it is consistently the most entertaining, which is why ArmchairQB.com gives its first-ever AQB NFL Pregame Show of the Year to "Fox NFL Sunday."

Unlike the too dull NFL Today, the too crowded NFL Countdown or the too understated NFL Preview, Fox has the best mix of football talk, insight and humor - thanks to its All-Pro studio team.

Just like on a football team, everyone on the set has his own role to play. Terry Bradshaw supplies much of the humor, Cris Collinsworth provides the opinion, and Howie Long adds the insight; meanwhile, host James Brown has the unenviable task of shutting the other three up to keep the show moving.

Sure, Fox sacrifices football talk at times for humor. Yes, the network can carry a joke too far (for example, the soap opera over Bradshaw's goatee). And there are definitely a lot of inside jokes made during the show. But while the extreme football fan may get frustrated at times by Fox's antics, no other pregame show is as consistently entertaining.

The studio discussion last week of the Kevin Greene incident and the possibility of racism in the NFL locked up the first place ranking for Fox. The Hearsome Foursome showed that when it wanted, it could seriously and intelligently debate an issue. It was one of the best studio discussions of the year (see below).

It is that kind of banter and conversation which is missing completely from CBS and why ArmchairQB.com named "The NFL Today" the worst NFL pregame show.

However, "The NFL Today" is not as bad as many critics have said. Armen Keteyian and Bonnie Bernstein's features, although sometimes overly dramatic, are among the best pieces done anywhere each week. And Jim Nantz is re-establishing himself as one of the better studio hosts after his rough Winter Olympics.

The problem is there is no depth on this team. Marcus Allen has fumbled more often this season than the sure-handed runner did over his 16-year NFL career, Brent Jones tries too hard and smiles too much, and George Seifort was clearly playing out of position.

CBS did the right thing in removing Seifort and adding Mike Lombardi. But while Lombardi provided the initial spark that a backup quarterback often does, it has since faded. Plus, his NFL inside information has been wrong as often as he has been right.

CBS is going to have to re-evaluate its personnel in the offseason. College football studio analyst Craig James could be a possibile studio replacement, as are Randy Cross or Sam Wyche. The network also is going to have to help Lombardi, who's background is football not reporting, in sifting through what is news and what is gossip.

Two shows who have no problems with their information men are CNN's "NFL Preview" and ESPN's "NFL Countdown." ArmchairQB.com ranked CNN slightly above ESPN overall because the all-sports network tries to do too much in its crowded two hours, while CNN better uses its lone hour to preview the day's schedule.

ArmchairQB.com's NFL pregame show rankings:

Best pregame show
1. Fox - understands that sports shows are meant to entertain and inform.
2. CNN - consistently presents the best week-in, week-out game previews.
3. ESPN - good but could be better with a less cluttered studio.
4. CBS - demonstrates potential but also needs lots of offseason work.

Best host
1. Brown - has his hands full with the three kids on the set.
2. Nantz - has his hands full with the three rookies on the set.
3. CNN Bob Lorenz - smoothly runs a well-balanced offense.
4. Berman - Love him on "Primetime" but tends to go overboard on "Countdown."
Honorable mention: ESPN Mike Tirico - would like to see more of him on Sun.

Best analyst
1. Long - explains his points in an easy-to-understand straightforward manner.
2. ESPN Tom Jackson - remains one of the best after all these years.
3. CNN Ron Meyer - insightful and opinionated, a rare breed.
4. Collinsworth - more opinionated than insightful, but very good.
5. ESPN Sterling Sharpe - would be better if he didn't try to outscream his suits

Best information man
1. CNN Peter King - seems to be right more often than the others
2. ESPN Chris Mortensen - why can't ESPN fit the Mort Report in 2-hour show?
3. CBS Mike Lombardi - needs to be right more often.
4. Brown - with magician unmasked, Fox should unveil info dude behind Brown.

Best features
1. ESPN - has more, does them better. Isn't afraid to explore different subjects.
2. CBS - Bernstein and Keteyian are consistently among the best.
3. Fox - Pam Oliver, Suzy Kolber and the studio guys are good but not great.
4. CNN - focuses more on game previews than features.

Best individual feature
ESPN's Andrea Kremer's look a players sitting out the year because of injury.

Best individual interview
Nantz's interview with Lawrence Taylor, which CBS showed over two weeks.

Best studio banter
1. Fox - the heart and soul of its No. 1 ranked show.
2. ESPN - lots of mouths and lots of opinions.
3. CNN - Meyer and Lofton are good but need to disagree more.
4. CBS - as scripted as a high school play.

Best in-studio discussion from one show
1. ESPN on the Panthers releasing Kerry Collins on Oct. 11.
2. Fox last week on the Kevin Greene incident.

Best move:
Collinsworth to "Fox NFL Sunday."
Honorable Mention: CBS removing Seifert and "Around the League" segment.

Worst move:
CBS matching Nantz with three rookies on CBS' "The NFL Today"

Best newcomer:
Lorenz on CNN's "NFL Preview"

Worst newcomer (obvious):
Seifert to CBS' "The NFL Today"

Worst newcomer (not-so-obvious):
Jim Kelly on ESPN. Still waiting to hear his first insightful comment.

In a perfect world, ... :

Fox would not do any facial hair features.

CNN would move to a different time than 10 a.m. EDT.

Jackson would get more air time on ESPN

and CBS could restart the season without Allen, Jones and Seifert.

Return to top
Return to main NFL page
What do you think about AQB's choices? Tell us on the Speak Out page.
Click here to see the AQB Awards for game announcers.
To e-mail your opinion to George, click here.

Design & Hosting by BLAZE inter.NET