The
Final Threesome
ESPN Has The Last Three-Person Booth In Pro Football
By George Stahl
NEW YORK (AQB)--Joe Theismann doesn't mind being part of the only remaining three-man announcing booth in the NFL.
"When we talk about football [on the air], we all look at one other. ... I think that's one of the unique qualities that our telecast has managed to keep over the years - it's a group of guys sitting around, discussing the game for all those other people that are watching it.
Their initial discussions were forced by ESPN, who tried to mirror Monday Night Football's three-man look at its Disney sister, ABC, by adding Paul Maguire last year to the 10-year team of Theismann and Mike Patrick. Yet, the threesome has made it work.
"We enjoy being around one another," the former Redskin quarterback said. "It's hard to find, I think, chemistry with three people because everybody has to find a role. But to Paul's credit and Michael's, we've all managed to find the things that we can contribute to a telecast."
Jed Drake, ESPN's vice president of remote production, said that trio's chemistry is the key.
"You do a three-man booth when it works. So while we sort of backed into this because of ABC, what we found was a booth that does work. But I'm a big believer that the only time you do a three-person booth is when the chemistry is right between the people. Clearly at ABC, that was not the case and now they are into a two-man booth. I'm sure that if they had a third person that they liked, that they really thought would add to the overall broadcast, they would do it.
"If the chemistry isn't right, then there's absolutely no reason to have three-man booth because it's just going to be a nightmare."
This week, though, is a dream come true for ESPN, which gets to air the return of the Browns to Cleveland.
"We're interweaving our television broadcast into the stadium opening, so that they are one and the same," Drake said, explaining that NFL Primetime host Chris Berman will end Primetime and welcome viewers and fans to the first Browns game by appearing simultaneously on the scoreboard and on television.
Then, "in a perfect example of Disney synergy at its finest," as Drake said, ABC's Drew Carey will lead the audience in the song Cleveland Rocks.
Maguire, an Ohio native, can't wait.
"I think you've got to commend the National Football League for two things: One, putting Pittsburgh in Cleveland for [the Browns'] opening night. I think that's absolutely phenomenal. Two, putting the best announcing team in television on their first game. I commend the National Football League for their brilliance.
"I am more excited about this than the two Super Bowls I did with NBC. Whether they win or not is beside the point, the Cleveland Browns are back in Cleveland."
There
are no major changes to ESPN's NFL coverage, other than Suzy
Kolber will host Edge NFL Matchup and report from NFL games.
Kolber replaces Stuart Scott, who is taking the place of Mike Tirico on
Sunday NFL Countdown.
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