NFL Pregame Show

Thoughts, notes and observations while watching the Sunday pregame shows. Grades will be given out at the end.

Inside stuff: All the networks appear to be trying to improve their NFL gossip line. Here are some the best inside information from this week:
1. CNN's King said one NFL coach came up to Eagles coach Ray Rhodes after a game this year and told him that Eagles quarterback Bobby Hoying is one of the worst quarterbacks he has ever seen and that Rhodes should consider replacing him.
2. CBS's NFL insider Mike Lombardi said the Bill Musgrave was basically the offensive co-ordinator for the Eagles this week. Musgrave came up with the game plan and will call the plays. Lombardi did not say what this meant about current Eagle offensive co-ordinator Dana Bible.
3. Fox's James Brown reported that the NFL is putting expansion on hold till well after the millenium to give Los Angeles more time to get an ownership group together.
4. Lombardi said the Ravens probably won't renew the contracts of coach Ted Marchiboda of his coaching staff, unless the team does well this year, i.e. the playoffs.
5. Brown reported that former 49er executive John McVay is returning to the team's front office and that the team is reworking coach Steve Mariucci's contract, which means Packer coach Mike Holmgren won't be going back to San Francisco. Lombardi also talked about the Mariucci negotiations.

Collins controversy: All four shows devoted much attention to the Saints signing Kerry Collins, who was released from the Carolina Panthers after telling the coaches there that his heart wasn't in it. I rank the networks according to how I rate their Collins coverage.

1. CNN: Sports Illustrated's Peter King said that from talking with Saints coaches, he think quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver needs to do a "bang-up job" to remain the starter. King said that Saints offensive co-ordinator Danny Abramowicz told him, "We didn't bring [Kerry Collins] in here to sit on the bench." King also reported that Saints coaches didn't keep Collins in meetings too often during the week because they wanted his new teammates to get acquainted with him. He also said that when Collins starts, which may be as soon as next week, he will wear a hologram on his wrist with all the plays.

After King, analyst Ron Meyer said he thinks Carolina is going to be the regretful franchise in the end. Meyer said that when things are going poorly, everyone always wants to quit - it's just that most people don't express it. Meyer should know about the mood on poor-playing teams, given his coaching histroy. He did, though, make an excellent comparison to Mike Ditka discussing quitting after a game last year. Now look at how things have changed with the Saints and Ditka.

2. Fox talked to Saints coach Mike Ditka, but its best stuff came in the studio, where analysts Cris Collinsworth and Terry Bradshaw discussed Collins' past and present. Collinsworth said Collins had to go in Carolina, not for quitting but for the racial remark he made last season. Bradshaw said a supposed team leader can't quit, naming many famous U.S. generals who never quit. He added that he doesn't consider Collins a first-round pick and that the new Saint quarterback still has a lot to prove.

3. CBS also interviewed Ditka, taped from earlier Sunday morning. The questions were fair and required, except for George Seifort's question at the end about how is it to return to coaching after broadcasting. With the Collins stuff going on and the Saints surprising start, this wasn't the right time for that type of humorous question.

I would have liked to have seen more in-studio debate after the interview, but all viewers got was Seifort saying it was a good decision by Ditka. What about analysts Marcus Allen and Brent Jones? How would they feel about playing with someone like Collins? CBS needs to do a better job with its resources.

4. ESPN devoted a good portion of its show's begining last week to the Collins story. This week, it also talked about it at the beginning but on a smaller scale. Mortensen said the Saints and Collins are targeting the Nov. 1 game at Carolina as possibly his first start.

Studio analyst Jim Kelly, though, was way too soft on Collins, saying that he hopes Collins does well in New Orleans and ignoring that Collins quit his team and made a racial remark about a teammate. And what about Joe Theismann, who last week said Collins should never play again? Even though there is no Sunday night game, ESPN should have had Theismann - either on tape or live - give his opinion on the Saints and Collins.

[Note: I missed much of the Thursday night game, so Theismann may have discussed the subject then because Collins was signed Wednesday. However, I know of Theismann's opinion because I watched "Sunday NFL Countdown" the week before; thus, ESPN should provide Theismann's opinion on "Sunday NFL Countdown" for consistency sake.]

ESPN was first in its Collins coverage last week; this week, everyone else caught up to them.

Flutiemania: Every show also featured Bill quarterback Doug Flutie and his new cereal, Flutie Flakes. By far, the best jobs were done by CBS' Bonnie Bernstein and ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, who both devoted much of the segment to Flutie's relationship with his autistic son. Both features were excellent, among the best of the weekend, and it's tough to say which one was better. While both covered much of the same stuff, Bernstein devoted more time to the son by showing home videos, while Paolantonio did more on his football career. Pieces by Fox's Suzy Kolber and CNN's Jim Huber were clearly a step below these two.

CNN's King did say that the starting quarterback job is Flutie's as long as he wins and that a "full-scale quarterback controversy" may start in Buffalo.

Best Features: 1. ESPN Andrea Kremer's look at how difficult it is for injured players who are out for the season was far and away the best feature of the weekend. This type of provocative piece is not seen much on Sunday NFL pregame shows.

Kremer focused on the Giant cornerback Jason Sehorn and Jaguar running back James Stewart, both of whom are gone for 1998, as well as 49er receiver Jerry Rice and the Viking running back Robert Smith, both of whom have returned from seasonlong injuries. If you didn't see it, I recommend catching it this week on ESPN, which I'm sure will replay it on SportsCenter some time this week.

2. Flutie features by CBS Bornstein and ESPN Paolantonio.

3. Fox's Terry Bradshaw's interview with Falcon coach Dan Reeves. The piece, laced with country music and Southern talk, was funny and insightful, such as when Reeves talked about being fired from the Broncos and the Giants.

4. ESPN Sean Salisbury on the Vikings trio of wide receivers. The piece was funny and insightful as Salisbury, a former Viking quarterback, speculated how it would be to have Chris Carter, Jake Reed and Randy Moss for receivers. This was better than Pam Oliver's piece on Fox.

Too close to home: CBS' Brent Jones feature on Steve Young at home had its moments, such as Young kidding Jones for always saying that he was open, but it also seemed to have too many inside remarks between the former roommates. I think it was a good idea by CBS, but Jones just dropped the ball.

Opinions: 1. CNN's King said that because of their rough remaining schedule, the Giants will be "cooked" this year if they don't win at home Sunday against the Cardinals.
2. Fox's Cris Collinsworth said it was "flat-out stupid" that people would suggest that Dan Reeves held John Elway back.
3. All three Fox studio analysts say Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham should remain the starter when injured Brad Johnson returns.
4. CNN's Meyer said soon it will be time to sweep the Redskin coaches and front office out of Washington.
5. CBS' Jones, "this isn' the same Steelers team we're used to seeing."

Good lines: 1. Fox's Howie Long called Flutie the "David Hasselhoff of the NFL" because he is famous everywhere else but in the NFL. To which Collinsworth responded, "Does everything have to be an acting analogy with you?"
2. CBS' Jones said the Chargers offense is like the lightening bolt on their helmets. It "never strikes twice."
3. CBS' Seifort, trying to dispel rumors about him going to San Diego, says he "has his team" now, acknowledging his studio mates. Earlier, Seifort didn't seem to appreciate Jones and Allen chiding him about San Diego, who replaced its coach this week.

New look: Terry Bradshaw was displaying a growing goatee. It won't take long for him to have more hair around his mouth than on his head. Obviously, his studio mates teased him about his new look, and James Brown urged viewers to e-mail their opinion. My opinion: It didn't look bad, although I would still rather look at Pam Oliver or Suzy Kolber than T.B. ...

Player insights: 1. Tampa Bay quarterback Trent Dilfer said on ESPN that he needs to be more aggressive as quarterback.
2. Also on ESPN, San Diego linebacker Junior Seau said fans could expect "some wins" after the coaching change.

Glitches: 1. ESPN had some production problems at the beginning. There seemed to be an open microphone somewhere, while Chris Mortensen reported from Atlanta. Also, the camera moved awkwardly while showing Mike Tirico.
2. CBS showed the Colts/49ers game graphic over host Jim Nantz's shoulder, while he was talking about a different game.

CNN Picks: Some of Meyer's picks from Saturday's show: Jaguars over the Bills in a close one; Vikings win big over the Redskins; Steelers over Ravens, sees a big day from backup Steeler running back Richard Huntley; Bucs win by a point over Carolina.

As for CNN's picks at the end of the show, James Lofton, Meyer and King like the Patriots over the Jets on Monday night; Meyer and King like the Cardinals, while Lofton picks the Giants; and Meyer and Lofton take the Jaguars, while Kings picks the Bills.

ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown: ESPN had the best features this week, which makes up for the weak Kerry Collins coverage. Grade: A-

Fox NFL Sunday: The best stuff, as always, comes from in the studio. It's now finding the right mix of news and nonsense, instead of too much nonsense earlier in the year. Features by Pam Oliver and Suzy Kolber weren't as good as others on the same topic. Grade: A-

CNN NFL Preview: Mike Galanos filled in ably for Bob Lorenz this week, but it's Peter King and Ron Meyer that makes this show tick. King's NFL insider notes and Meyer's brash opinion are the only reason to watch this show. The features weren't as good this week as usual. Grade: B

CBS The NFL Today: CBS has a great NFL insider with Mike Lombardi, a terrific reporter in Bonnie Bernstein and has been able to get interviews with the hot names on Sunday (Ditka this week; the Lions' Mark Carrier a couple weeks ago). Now, if it could just work on the studio chemistry... Grade: B-

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