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CBS
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One Reviews
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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The NFL
Today took big steps in just its second week, showing
that it can contend with the older boys, Fox and ESPN. This
week, the dialogue was crisper, the features were better and
the show made the most news.
Most of
all, Jim Nantz and his three amigos no longer wear those wide-eyed
looks that made them look like they were reading the Starr
Report.
This
week's show started well right from the beginning when
Nantz chided colleague George Seifort, who has been rumored
to be the new Cleveland Browns coach.
"And,
coach, this show is presented by Southwest Airlines, and I
want to tell you that they have excellent service in and out
of Cleveland."
Later,
though, Seifort cleared up his future with the Browns after
an interview with Carmen Policy, a former 49ers executive
and ex-Seifort boss who is now part-owner and president of
the Browns.
"I'm excited
about Carmen's new position. I'm excited about what's in my
future. But I don't believe I'll be a candidate for the
Cleveland Browns job.'' Seifort had said earlier that
he and Policy "wore each other out."
Seifort's
admission about his future with the Browns was the biggest
news to come out of any of the five pregame shows this week.
Kudos to CBS for attacking head-on this much-discussed topic.
Actually,
the whole interview with Policy was enlightening and entertaining.
It was entertaining with Seifort and Policy kidding each other
about how hard it has been to get in touch with each other
this week, and it was enlightening when Policy shared how
his former 49er boss Eddie DeBartolo congratulated him on
getting the Browns franchise. Policy said their conversation
was like old times.
"It was
almost as though in that short conversation that nothing negative
had occurred in the last 2 1/2 years."
But
the Policy interview wasn't even the best part of the show.
Armen Keteyian's look at quarterback injuries in week one
- focusing specifically on Jim Harbaugh - was the best
feature I saw on any of the three pregame shows I watched
this week (HBO, CBS and Fox).
My biggest
complaint was that the approximately 2:45 piece was too short.
How
many times can you say that?
CBS later
pulled a Fox by using an in-studio field to demonstrate how
running backs can help the offensive line protect the quarterback.
(similar to Long's feature on Fox) Marcus Allen played the
role of the running back - something he is slightly familiar
with - while Brent Jones acted as a linebacker and later as
a defensive back.
The
best part came when Nantz asked Allen how many sacks he
gave up in his career. Allen said, "One," of which CBS just
happened to have the video. The interplay between Nantz and
Allen almost seemed unrehearsed, which actually is another
big step from the first week. Seriously.
Nice
new gimmick: As a way to mention those games not on CBS,
the network showed Allen and Jones take turns discussing the
games on Fox and Disney. It’s The NFL Today’s version of Fox
NFL Sunday’s Check It Out segment. The CBS version, made to
suggest that Allen and Jones are talking over the Internet,
is not as glitzy or as sharp as Fox; however, Allen and Jones
did a nice summing up the storylines in the different games.
Plus, the stats that appeared on the screen added value.
Good
line: Jones on Ram players revolting against Coach Dick
Vermeil’s long practices, “Those 3 1/2-hour practices were
great in the ‘70s, not in the ‘90s.” Seifort suggested that
if a players revolt is handled well by coaches, it can be
turned into a positive.
Update:
Seifort appeared more comfortable in front of CBS’ Virtual
Playbook, although the defensive play he was diagramming -
one way to stop Barry Sanders - was fairly simple. CBS, however,
still did not a shot of the diagrammed play in real reality.
... Phil Simms kidded Jones saying he looked good this week.
Jones was criticized last week in some circles for wearing
a three-piece wool-like suit over Labor Day weekend.
Unanswered
questions: Why does Jones move his eyebrows so much? He
moves his eyebrows more than Tom Snyder does, and it is even
more annoying.
Grade:
A-. For CBS to be this far, this quickly is impressive - especially
after last week’s performance. It’s not quite up to the best
of Fox and ESPN - yet. I would like to see more previews and
discussion of individual games - i.e. more information, game
plans, strategy, etc. But overall, this week's show was a
huge improvement, mainly because the main actors seemed more
at ease. (George)
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Fox NFL Sunday
may have moved its studio to the Fox entertainment studio
in Los Angeles from Hollywood (Is there really a difference?),
but it didn’t leave the chemistry behind.
(Old
habits must die hard, though, because Dick Stockton sent it
back to guys “in Hollywood.”)
But
while James Brown, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Cris Collinsworth
kept the banter high, Sunday’s show wasn’t up to the high
standards Fox has established. And the main reason was
Bradshaw, who just didn’t seem as sharp as he usually is.
For
example, he said there was something wrong with Redskins quarterback
Gus Frerotte but didn’t know what and will look into it. What?
How come you didn’t look into it before Sunday’s show? This
isn’t exactly a newly discovered problem, even my partner,
Randy Williams, who views life through burgundy-and-gold glasses,
admitted there was something wrong with Gus “I” Frerotte “how
to be a good quarterback.”
Back
to Bradshaw, though, he has to find out what’s wrong with
the quarterback before the show, not tell us that he will
look into it.
Bradshaw
did have a nice feature on Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson,
who tapes his fingers a certain way as a sign of love to his
mother. Viewers also found out in the feature that Johnson’s
favorite singers are Jo Dee Messina and Shania Twain (he’s
not exactly the only man in America to enjoy those singers).
Best
Feature: On the new in-studio field, Long demonstrated
how running backs and tight ends help the offensive lineman
protect the quarterback. (similar to the CBS piece) The informative
segment ended with Collinsworth jumping on Long’s back as
a method to block a defensive lineman. Long explained that
Billy “White Shoes” Johnson actually did that to him in a
game and apologized the whole time he did it. This is Fox
NFL Sunday at its best - informative and entertaining.
Long,
overall, had a very strong show as he was both informative
and funny. In a discussion about quarterbacks getting
hurt, he made an interesting point that on the road offensive
tackles can’t hear the signals, which could cause some confusion
on the line.
Huh?:
In the swing around the stadiums, Kenny Albert called the
Bears-Steelers game “one of the oldest rivalries” in the NFL.
Huh? The Bears and the Steelers are two of the oldest teams
in the NFL, but there is no rivalry there.
Good
line: Collinsworth on the Raiders poor performance last
week against the Chiefs: “Somebody should have put a tent
over that circus.”
New
studio: Some of the few differences with the new studio
include a television that pops up behind Brown, goal posts
on the in-studio field, and more televisions and computers
visible behind the main desk.
Grade:
B+, a good show - certainly more entertaining right now than
The NFL Today - but not the great show that we have come to
expect from Fox. (George)
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What I like best about
ESPN's two-hour "NFL Countdown" is that it gives
the studio analysts time to debate issues surrounding the
league and its teams.
Early, the crew discussed what Dallas may have learned from
New England's solid opening-week defensive effort against
Denver. Chris Mortensen pointed out that teams are blitzing
Denver in an effort to stop the run, not the pass. Jim
Kelly, who was opinionated in week one, said he doesn't think
John Elway can beat teams every week.
Talking about Green Bay-Tampa Bay, Sterling Sharpe said the
difference will be the quarterbacks. Kelly argued that Dilfer
is improving but Sharpe made a very perceptive point,
noting that the Tampa QB does not throw the ball in a spot
which enables his receivers to run after the catch.
Mortensen later noted that Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy is concerned
about Mike Alstott's recent fumbles and Warren Sapp's weight.
Mortensen said that Sapp is 20 pounds overweight.
Mike Tirico was more visible in this week's show, almost
spending as much time on camera as host Chris Berman. Berman
is good but, in my opinion, the show would move more fluidly
and be more interesting with Tirico at the controls. Tirico
is a special talent, something that shines through the
more he appears on camera.
On-site reporter Ron Jaworski, covering Kansas City at Jacksonville,
delivered for the second straight week with his "Playbook"
segment, dissecting the matchup of Jaguars tackle Tony Boselli
and Chiefs sack artist Derrick Thomas. Jaworski showed a couple
of interesting clips in detailing how Boselli handled Thomas
in a 1998 pre-season game.
Tom Jackson, ESPN's top studio analyst, said Thomas must be
moved up and down the line to be effective, enabling him to
face other linemen besides Boselli. Jackson made a great
point, noting that Thomas will not have the advantage
this week that he does at Arrowhead Stadium, where the crowd
noise enables him to get a jump on the opposing offensive
tackle.
Other on-site reporters included Mike Golic in Green Bay;
Andrea Kremer in St. Louis; Melissa Stark in Tennessee; Anthony
Munoz and Hank Goldberg in Miami; Ed Werder in Denver; and
Sean Salisbury at the Meadowlands.
Munoz scored in reporting that Bruce Smith, listed
as probable, said he needed to test his knee in pre-game drills
to be sure he can play. Smith missed last week's game and
some wondered whether he is actually hurt but Kelly said his
old teammate is "a gamer."
Mortensen, still bold despite getting into it with Kelly
last week, asked the ex-Bills QB if the Smith situation "is
about money?" Kelly said it isn't but then appeared to contradict
himself, adding that Smith is somewhat bitter that Ted Washington
and Rob Johnson received big contracts in short order. Watching
Kelly and Mortensen go at it all year is going to be fun.
Andrea Kremer provided the first, in-depth feature about
Randy Moss that I've seen. Finally, a profile on the ex-Marshall
standout that included an extensive interview. Kremer did
well in asking questions that revealed that Moss is intent
on gaining revenge against the teams that passed him over,
particularly the Rams and coach Dick Vermeil.
ESPN mixed pre-draft clips from NFL coaches and general managers,
who were wary of Moss, with statements of awe from his new
teammates and head coach Dennis Green.
Particularly telling was the quote from defensive tackle Jerry
Ball, who said "I've played with a great player in Barry
Sanders and Randy Moss has that presence." Green added that
veteran leaders like Ball and wide receiver Cris Carter "do
a great job of keeping a guy level-headed."
Ed Werder, reporting from Denver where he'll cover
Broncos-Cowboys, did an outstanding job with his feature
of Troy Aikman. Revealing interviews with Aikman and teammates
showed that the quarterback is happier football-wise than
he has been in years.
Also, Werder noted that Gailey is the first offensive-minded
head coach Aikman has had in the NFL. Werder's piece talked
about how the shotgun has revived Aikman, who completed 7
of 12 passes for 73 yards and ran twice for 40 yards from
the formation last week. Kelly and Sharpe followed the piece
with a good give-and-take about whether that offensive set
will succeed against the Broncos.
Lesley Visser, the sideline reporter for Monday Night's Niners-Redskins
game, delivered a short story on Washington defensive tackle
Dana Stubblefield, who will play his former San Francisco
teammates. Unlike some athletes, Stubblefield admitted he
doesn't feel comfortable playing his old team. This segment
was really lacking as it didn't talk to any of the star
lineman's current or former teammates or coaches.
Much better was Hank Goldberg's feature about Dolphins
running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar, still the starting tailback,
despite the efforts of Jimmy Johnson to find a replacement.
The piece mixed interviews of Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson and other
people close to the situation.
Merrill Hoge made a brief appearance but did a nice story
about the struggles of running back Jerome Bettis with new
fullback Jon Witman and a reshuffled offensive line. Hoge
said Kordell Stewart will have to carry more of the load with
defenses using eight- and nine-man fronts.
ESPN's show is interesting and, as a big football fan, I like
it. BUT, it annoys the heck out of me that it's now hard
to tell the difference between ABC and ESPN. From the
theme music to the use of the same personnel, this trend
bothers me. I, like many people, was initially drawn to
ESPN because it was "different." Now, there's little or no
difference between the two networks.
Top tips: 1) Jaworski saying he learned from Chiefs
general manager Carl Petersen that "there's a 90% chance (wide
receiver) Andre Rison will be deactivated for this game."
2) ESPN revealing that the Chiefs deactivated Tamarick Vanover
and Rison for the game. 3) Kremer said a veteran St. Louis
player told her "There's gonna be a mutiny on this team,"
referring to the displeasure with coach Dick Vermeil's lengthy
practices.
Most unique feature: "There's Something About the Packers,"
drawing a parallel between the combatants of Tampa-Green Bay
with the characters from the movie "There's Something About
Mary."
Interesting fact: Berman, divulging that Arizona, Tampa
Bay and Buffalo are the only teams to play the first two weeks
on the road this season.
Best line: Berman, predicting that The Commodores would
sing the national anthem at the Oilers' first game at Vanderbilt's
stadium.
Best stats: Kelly noting that 75 of Derrick Thomas'
113.5 career sacks have occurred at Arrowhead Stadium. A close
second was Berman's note that 15 players recorded at least
two sacks in week one, which may better reflect the quality
of offensive line play than the prowess of pass rushers.
Grade - B+ (Randy)
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CNN's Pro Football Preview
show led with a discussion of the eight starting quarterbacks
that were injured in week one.
Analyst James Lofton cited the difficulty in dealing
with the zone blitz while Ron Meyer said spread offensive
formations are the key, with no "personal protector" for the
quarterback.
Lorenz & Co. relied on reporter Peter King, who made
a pretty questionable comment about the Chiefs' quarterback
situation. King, covering the Chiefs-Jaguars game from Jacksonville,
said today's Kansas City starter Rich Gannon is "nearly Elvis
Grbac's equal." But, CNNSI's football expert stepped it up
with some interesting info when he pointed out that Bruce
Smith, listed as probable, would test his leg before the game
to determine if he would play.
At Lambeau Field, reporter Mark Morgan did a nice job,
particularly with a feature about Brett Favre and Warren Sapp.
He also delivered a nice tip with Tony Dungy saying he knew
the Bucs defense can stop Green Bay, adding that his own offense
worries him.
Lofton made an excellent point when talking about last
week's struggle by Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis, noting that
he misses his "security blanket," fullback Tim Lester, who
is on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
Josie Karp, at Mile High Stadium to cover the Broncos-Cowboys,
struggled. She delivered a long-winded introduction
that was nearly as long as the game feature she was leading
into. Karp also fumbled over words and just didn't
seem comfortable. She did make a good point, however, when
she mentioned that defensive tackle Leon Lett might not play
with an injured left knee. Lett was listed as probable in
Sunday's papers.
Jim Huber's short profile on new Hall of Fame inductee Tommy
McDonald was an excellent piece about an emotional guy. Such
exuberance in life, much less football, is rare.
The CNN show is good with Lorenz keeping things moving and
everyone adding something to the show. Karp was the
only contributor who didn't get it done in week two.
Top tip: King said the Cleveland Browns coaching candidates
are Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, CBS analyst
George Seifert, Northwestern coach Gary Barnett, Michigan
State coach Nick Saban and Pittsburgh defensive coordinator
Jim Haslett. He also pointed out that a caveat in the Cleveland
NFL charter that says the team can't trade any draft picks
in exchange for a coach or general manager in 1998-99. This
would rule out Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, who would be
interested in making such a move after this season.
The gaffe: Loud background music at Jacksonville several
times when Lorenz cut to Peter King, who is covering the Jaguars-Chiefs
game.
So, so harsh: Meyer saying the Arizona offensive line
is "horrible." Correct, but harsh.
Top stat: Morgan, at Lambeau Field, noting that Trent
Dilfer has thrown one career TD pass in seven starts against
Green Bay.
Best line: Lofton, saying oft-injured Baltimore quarterback
Jim Harbaugh, "is past his warranty. He's like a van that
starts to break down every time you put the kids in it."
That's a fact: King said Tampa Bay is the first team
to play seven straight games (including pre-season) on the
road in the 1990s, traveling 18,000 miles through week two
of this season.
Predictions: Lofton, Meyer and King like Denver against
Dallas; Lofton and Meyer pick the Giants against Oakland but
King chose the Raiders; and Lofton and King prefer the Chiefs
but Meyer picks Jacksonville.
Grade - B (Randy)
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HBO seems to
be pushing Cris Collinsworth’s role on “Inside the NFL” this
season. He was involved in nearly every studio shot and
was the only one to interview Troy Aikman and Gary Myers in
their respective segments.
The
Aikman interview was refreshing because it was a simple
question-and-answer interview with none of the music, graphics
and glitz that often crowds interviews on Fox and ESPN. Plus,
Collinsworth asked Aikman good, solid questions, which is
probably more than you would get from co-host Jerry Glanville.
As always
with “Inside the NFL,” viewers are treated to NFL Films
highlights of last week’s games. One of the highlights
of the highlights was Steve Mariucci’s reaction to Garrison
Hearst’s game-winning 96-yard touchdown run. Mariucci, who
was miked for the game, ran around ala Jim Valvano at the
end of the 1983 NCAA Championship Game. This time, Mariucci
was trying to figure out if Hearst had scored.
It is
always interesting when NFL Films mike players and coaches,
but even more so when the miked person is as colorful as Steve
Mariucci, who had some good lines in last week’s game.
Other
good game highlights were Steelers at Ravens, which included
a lot of good sights and sounds from the Steelers sidelines
and locker room.
A difference
this year is the picks segment. Picks are made throughout
the show, and sometimes only two or three of the announcers
will discuss and pick an upcoming game, leaving the viewers
wondering who the other host(s) like in the game. (All
picks, though, are on the show’s web site.)
This week's
show also included well-done pieces on Green Bay Packer coach
Mike Holmgren (by Bryan Burwell) and on the 63-yard field
goal by Tom Dempsey (by Curt Gowdy). The Dempsey piece
was an “NFL Storybook” feature, a new segment to this year’s
show.
Grade:
B, not a bad start to your NFL weekend. (George)
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