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CBS
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In
this era of free agency, the NFL landscape varies greatly from year
to year, with some teams barely resembling the club they were the
year before.
The situation doesn't differ over the airwaves as
broadcasting partners are often separated and studio show lineups
are altered to improve a network's ratings. This was true again
this past off-season as ESPN, FOX
and CNN made minor changes in studio talent and
CBS returned to pro football broadcasting, reviving
"The NFL Today."
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Seasoned veteran Jim Nantz
leads the rebirth of "The NFL Today," hosting the
12-1 p.m. studio show with pregame-set neophytes George
Seifert, Marcus Allen and Brent Jones.
The recently retired Allen and Jones were smart, productive
players but working on the set is a completely different ballgame.
Can these former pros raise the bar in the studio, like they
did on the field?
Seifert should add valuable insight, but can he entertain
without singing, as he did in a Visa commercial two years
ago? Time will tell.
This
week, The NFL Today opened with a well-done tribute to
its past, showing classic clips of Pat Summerall, Jimmy The
Greek and Brent Musburger, who said “You are looking live.”
The tribute was short but long enough for viewers to realize
the special relationship that the NFL and CBS have shared.
Then,
the new pregame show started and destroyed all those warm
feelings. No, actually, I’m being too harsh. The show was
O.K. for the new crew’s first attempt but showed that
it is a distant third in a list with Fox and ESPN.
Nantz,
as you would expect, was smooth in handling the primary
host duties, but the other three lacked the spontaneity and
energy that the crews at Fox and ESPN have built. I’m sure,
though, the interaction between Allen, Jones and Seifert will
improve as the season continues.
The show
was constructed similar to Fox NFL Sunday but without the
smart-alecky remarks. After the opening tribute, it showed
all the games on the network that day, mentioning each game’s
major storyline in a straightforward, no joking manner. Then
after the initial introductions by Jim Nantz, CBS went to
all the stadiums of the 1 p.m. games for a further look at
those games. The show then continued with the standard features
and discussions.
Allen,
who seemed to be the most at ease in the studio, appears
to have the most potential to be strong commentator. He
delivered the strongest statement among the three when he
was talking about Bears running back Curtis Enis saying all
that team needs is confidence: “But you’re going to need more
than confidence, you’re going to need a miracle to beat Jacksonville.”
It seems
that Jones is the one CBS is depending on to add some humor
to the studio. But it isn’t easy being funny and being live,
and Jones isn’t there yet. While he may get more comfortable
and more humorous, right now much of his humor seems forced
and scripted, unlike the spontaneous humor that seems to occur
on the Fox set.
For example,
after Allen’s piece on Jets running back Curtis Martin, Nantz
asked Jones about the Kansas City running back situation with
Allen, a Chiefs running back last year, sitting in between
the two. Wouldn’t Allen know more or have better sources than
Jones? It seems the only reason Nantz asked Jones was to set
up a joke for the ex-49er, who said while looking at Allen
that the Chiefs now have to adjust to the “departure of ...
Greg Hill [another former Chiefs running back].” Hilarious
stuff.
Seifert
had a low profile on the first show, materializing mainly
for CBS’ Virtual Playbook. Seifert looked like a confused
weatherman while trying to describe how the Jets plan
to defend the 49ers receivers. But I think that the segment
has great potential once Seifert gets more comfortable, although
I have the same criticism about the virtual playbook that
I did last night when CBS did something similar in the Ohio
State. Show us an example of the play in reality after
discussing it in virtual reality.
(To see
a review of the Ohio State-West Virginia game, click
here.)
Phil
Simms also appeared on the program to give his list of
the top five quarterbacks in the NFL right now. They are,
in order: Brett Favre, Steve Young, Mark Brunnell, Troy Aikman
and Drew Bledsoe. Uh, hello, where’s Elway? The worst
part is that Allen and Jones didn’t even confront him on Elway,
asking instead about Grbac and Moon.
Best
feature: Bonnie Bernstein on Kordell Stewart. Bernstein
appears to be an excellent addition to The NFL Today lineup.
O.K.
feature: A look at the new NFL rules this season on a
Fox-like field in the studio.
Worst
feature: Brent Jones overly dramatic, overly reverential
look at Jerry Rice and his comeback. Jones’ report was softer
than Bill Parcell’s stomach and forced me to change the channel.
Fortunately, I turned to Fox to see Ronnie Lott’s look at
Rice, which was a much better piece, also done by an ex-49er.
Best
tip: Chester McGlockton may be out for the year (although
other shows also had this news)
Super
Bowl predictions: Seifert and Jones said San Francisco
(go figure), Allen said Denver and Nantz said Miami.
Grade:
B-. CBS has all season to improve, and it should. (Randy
& George)
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The Fox studio show changes slightly
with Chris Collinsworth, late of NBC, replacing Ronnie
Lott.
Lott never really clicked with Terry Bradshaw in the
studio and will spend 1998 as an analyst, joining Tim Ryan
and Bill Maas as the network's #3 team (for a listing
of Fox announcing teams, click
here.)
Collinsworth's willingness to question moves
by players and coaches should work well with Bradshaw and
Howie Long, who like to banter with teammates on the set.
Once again,
improving host James Brown is in charge of controlling
the mayhem, which airs from 12-1 p.m.
This week,
The Fox NFL Sunday crew took the show on the road to
the Meadowlands for the Giants-Redskins game. I always prefer
them in the studio, where I think they are more entertaining
and informative, but being at the stadium allows them to act
out skits like injured Giant defensive back Jason Sehorn throwing
a pass to Bradshaw on the set.
It also
allows Fox to focus more on the game that the crew is attending.
The problem this week is that it is hard to create enough
drama for a week one game, even an important intradivisional
game like Giants-Redskins.
It certainly,
though, didn’t take long for Collinsworth to fit in with his
new mates, saying early in the show that the Arizona Cardinals
are “way overrated,” noting that they couldn’t run the
ball or stop the run last year.
Howie
Long had the best feature, taking a look at the Redskins’
two new, highly paid defensive tackles, Dana Stubblefield
and Dan Wilkinson. Long examined the high expectations and
the questions that surround both linemen. Long also noted
that his old Raiders linemen coach is their new coach.
After
it was over, Bradshaw apparently put Long on the spot by asking
him who he thought was the best defensive lineman in
the NFL. Long said Bryant Young was the best overall, while
John Randle is the best on third down.
Collinsworth
later said he was disappointed that the Redskins new linemen
hadn’t dominated more in the preseason. To which, Bradshaw
responded, “Great players don’t play great defense in the
preseason. Sorry, Chris.” Good stuff! What separates Fox from
CBS and, to a lesser extent, from ESPN is that banter like
this comes off as spontaneous - like four guys talking
at the office water cooler - even though much of it is probably
planned.
While
Long’s piece was the best, the show’s other features were
also very good. Ronnie Lott, reappearing on the show despite
being moved to game analyst, took a look at Jerry Rice and
his comeback. Lott’s look, in which the interview took
place at a driving range, was much better than the
piece by his former teammate, Brent Jones, on CBS and
showed the difference between where the two network’s shows
are right now.
Pam
Oliver also had an excellent report on Randy Moss (whom
James Brown called at one point “the most talked-about rookie”
this year. I don’t know about that. What about Peyton Manning?)
Oliver said Moss probably will go the way of either Tampa
Bay defensive lineman Warren Sapp or ex-Dolphin/Ram running
back Lawrence Phillips, both of whom dropped in the draft
after suffering from negative press. The difference being
that Sapp is now an All-Pro, while Phillips is a bum.
The most
interesting part of the segment was Sapp saying he had
no sympathy for Phillips because Phillips didn’t take
advantage of the opportunities he had. It was a shame that
Oliver didn’t interview Phillips for the story.
Grade:
B+/A-. Overall, a very good show, just not quite up to the
high standards that Fox has set. (Randy
& George)
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ESPN increases the length of
"Sunday NFL Countdown" to two hours (11 a.m. to
1 p.m.) and adds ex-Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly.
Kelly
fills the position vacated by Joe Theismann, who will
work as a game analyst every week and report via remote to
the show.
Chris Berman remains the best studio host in the business
but the rising star is Mike Tirico, who is outstanding
at everything he does and will add polish to an already successful
show. The Syracuse grad is the future of sports at ESPN/ABC.
The rest of the crew - Tom Jackson, Sterling Sharpe,
and Chris Mortensen - remains the same, adding the
insight and information that make ESPN's studio show the unquestioned
leader.
This week, ESPN kicked off the 1998 season with a crowded
"NFL Countdown" set, which even included popular band Hootie
and the Blowfish.
Luckily, the show has been expanded to two hours, giving the
entire gang time to contribute. Ex-studio stalwart Theismann
weighed in from Kansas City, where he, Mike Patrick and
Paul Maguire will call tonight's Raiders-Chiefs contest.
As always, ESPN did a good job of previewing each game,
mixing several interesting features with comments from the
studio experts. Jackson, Sharpe, Kelly and Mortensen were
fine, especially TJ, who said the Giants will change schemes
and won't miss injured cornerback Jason Sehorn as much as
people think. (Mortensen added that the team will meet with
free agent corner Carlton Gray, recently cut by the Colts,
after the game with the Redskins.)
Ron Jaworski delivered a well-done feature about Brett Favre,
talking to three Detroit defenders to find out what makes
the Packers quarterback so tough to defend. Jaworski does
the best quarterback analysis in the business, which was
evident as he broke down some preseason film from Chargers
rookie Ryan Leaf.
The show also included good features on Emmitt Smith, by Mortensen;
on Randy Moss, by Andrea Kremer; on Ricky Watters, by Sal
Paolantonio; and on Charles Woodson, by Theismann.
In the Mortensen story, Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said the
Cowboys will take care of their running back by limiting the
number of hits he takes on non-running plays, such as third-down
passing situations. Will Chris Warren be as effective catching
balls out of the backfield as Smith has been in the past?
We'll see.
Mortensen also provided good information, not only
revealing that new Chiefs defensive end Chester McGlockton
had back surgery, but naming the surgeon and describing the
length of the incision. He added that the Chiefs expect the
tackle to miss 4-6 weeks, not 2-3 weeks as reported elsewhere.
Paolantonio's piece about Watters was better than Huber's
effort on CNN, largely because he asked more questions about
Ricky's time in Philadelphia.
On-site reporter Ed Werder provided good info from Dallas,
disclosing that newly signed Arizona defensive end Andre Wadsworth
will be used for 12-15 plays Sunday in the Cardinals' nickel
defense.
I thought the addition of Hootie and the Blowfish was a
bit overdone, particularly using lead singer Darius Rucker
for a weak interview of Dan Marino, his favorite player. The
highlight of the band's appearance was their performance of
"Hail to the Redskins." Hmmm. Maybe I didn't mind their presence
so much, after all.
I liked ESPN's show but I also have plenty of questions about
the new set and lineup. Does the two-hour format hurt the
fan who is busy with family and only has time for a show that
lasts an hour? What about someone who only has time to check
in for a few minutes?
Also, I found the studio too crowded, though I appreciated
the extensive features provided by the on-site reporters.
Berman, TJ, Sharpe and Kelly on the set is fine but Mortensen
works better from a remote site (like CNN's Peter King)
and Tirico was underused.
Good tip: Stuart Scott, from Baltimore, noting that
Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher is 1-4 in his last five season
openers.
Best line: Theismann, in his interview of former Wolverines
cornerback Charles Woodson, led off with this gem: "Tell
me what you thought of the Notre Dame-Michigan game."
The Fighting Irish beat UM Saturday, 36-20.
Unique feature: Action filled-segment with Brett Favre,
wearing a microphone under his pads, in an Aug. 24 preseason
game against Denver.
Interesting graphic: Figure showing that, from 1980-1997,
27 teams have gone unbeaten in the preseason with 17 making
the playoffs.
Grade: B - too much clutter. (Randy)
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New host Bob Lorenz replaces
Vince Cellini on "NFL Preview," which will
air from 10-11 a.m. Lorenz also assumes Cellini's hosting
role for CNN's "College Football Preview" with Cellini
taking Lorenz's position as co-host of the nightly "Sports
Tonight" with Fred Hickman.
Lorenz's transition will be eased by CNN veterans Ron Meyer,
James Lofton and Peter King. Meyer and Lofton
are knowledgeable veterans with helpful NFL experience and
King ranks with ESPN's Chris Mortensen as a great source
of information.
Lofton,
who spent 1997 as a game analyst at NBC, should be more comfortable
in his familiar digs but it will be hard for Turner to hide
its disappointment at being shut out of the NFL's new television
contract.
This week, Lorenz did a nice job by asking questions
of his counterparts instead of acting like a know-it-all.
Lofton and Meyer provided good analysis and predictions
while game-site reporters King and Mark Morgan played well
off of Lorenz's lead.
Lofton consistently made the strongest comments, saying
the Chargers can handle Buffalo's Bruce Smith with offensive-line
signees Aaron Taylor and John Jackson. He added that the Vikings
"fell asleep" by ignoring their defense in the offseason.
King also scored with key inside information, saying
newly signed Arizona defensive end Andre Wadsworth will play
about 20 plays. In Baltimore to cover the Ravens-Steelers
game, he said middle linebacker Ray Lewis told him "we're
on Pittsburgh's level now."
Morgan talked briefly about the Redskins new defensive tackles
- Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson - and delivered a nice
feature on how the Giants will react without Jason Sehorn.
He also did a good job stressing the importance of the game
against the Giants as the Redskins next four contests are
against San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Dallas.
Jim Huber's feature about Ricky Watters was interesting but
too short, especially when compared with ESPN's piece on the
running back.
Top info: King, saying Troy Aikman will play "four
or five more years."
Best lines: Lofton, saying that Gilbert Brown's problems
last year were an ankle injury and "eating too many hamburgers."
Also, talking about the Jets starting defensive linemen, who
recorded seven sacks in 1997, he said "Quarterbacks fall down
more than seven times during the course of a season."
Feel old now, Dan?: Peyton Manning comparing playing
against Dan Marino to his father Archie matching up with Johnny
Unitas and Bart Starr.
Best graphic: After talking about Barry Sanders, CNN
showed statistics about how far O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson
fell after rushing for 2,000 yards in a season.
Week One Picks: Oakland at Kansas City (KC-King, Lofton;
Oak-Meyer); Pittsburgh at Baltimore (Pitt-Meyer, King; Balt-Lofton);
and Tampa Bay at Minnesota (Minn-Lofton, Meyer; TB-King).
Super Bowl Picks: Lofton expects to see the Jaguars and
Vikings in the Super Bowl; Meyer picks Denver as champion;
and King likes the Packers, 31-9 over the Steelers.
Grade: B - not bad. (Randy)
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"Inside the
NFL" returns for its twenty-second season, featuring
Len Dawson, Nick Buoniconti, Chris Collinsworth
and Jerry Glanville.
The only show comprised solely of former NFL players and coaches,
HBO's signature football program continues to provide highlights
of previous games and the earliest look at the week ahead
(11 p.m. Thursday).
As always,
the best part of "Inside the NFL" will be watching
these "pros" make their weekly predictions.
This week's
episode, though, was not a true representation of the work
that HBO does. There was no Gary Myers
(Why not?), no cover story and, of course, no highlights from
last week's games.
But there
was an approximately 40-minute documentary on Super Bowl XXXII
done by NFL Films. Although the piece was certainly up to
NFL Films high standards, it offered little new information
about the game and was not timely considering everyone else
is looking ahead to the 1999 season as oppose to looking back
at 1998.
The only
noteworthy part of the show were the hosts' predictions for
the season and for week 1. Their predictions for the Super
Bowl were:
| Nick
Buoniconti |
Jacksonville
over San Francisco |
| Cris
Collinsworth |
San
Francisco over Denver |
| Len
Dawson |
Kansas
City (go figure) over Minnesota |
| Jerry
Glanville |
New
England over Tampa Bay |
The hosts
also made some general predictions about the season. While
Buonicotti said Redskin quarterback Gus Frerotte is not "a
first-rate quarterback" and Collinsworth said to watch
the Mike Holmgren situation in Green Bay, certainly important
issues on teams expected to contend, Glanville wasted our
time noting Allen Rossum on the Eagles.
Rossum,
a Notre Dame alum, is the punt returner/cornerback for a team
projected by most to finish last in its division, if not the
league. Of all the items in the NFL to note before the season
starts, why waste our time with Rossum? And I'm a diehard
Birds fan! Can you tell by Glanville's two predictions that
he did the Patriots-Eagles preseason game for local television?
My advice,
wait till next week's show. (Randy
& George)
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