YOU know what was nice about watching football, yesterday? Really nice? None of it was on ESPN or ABC, those Disney networks.
On Fox, we watched most of Vikes-Packers, some of Eagles-Skins, then all of Cowboys-Giants. We watched Browns-Steelers on CBS. Then there was Colts-Chargers on NBC. And for all the flaws and excesses in and around the telecasts – and even though Fox was forced to leave the end of Eagles-Skins for the start of Cowboys-Giants – it still felt as if the telecasts were primarily designed for football to be watched, perhaps even enjoyed.
I felt more like a sports fan instead of a jerk, instead of a jerk with only two choices: Watch on ESPN/ABC or don’t watch at all.
ESPN’s and ABC’s college football telecasts, starting with Rutgers-Army, Friday night, through a dozen more games well into Saturday night, came welded to the same, relentlessly recurring – pounded – theme: Big NASCAR events were coming on ESPN and ABC. This weekend, next weekend, NASCAR!
Made no difference that not one viewer previously disinclined to watch auto racing was going to watch. Or that NASCAR fans who intended to watch were, at those times, watching football to watch football.
Heck, a fat, over-the-field graphic that at first looked like a starting offensive line in Kansas-Oklahoma State, Saturday, turned out to be NASCAR points leaders. And no one seemed more eager or suited to bang the drums than Brent Musburger, who has been a network shill for even longer than ESPN/ABC has been a shill network.
For all the empty-headed stats that get shoved down our senses, those deserving of legitimate gee-whiz attention often get little-to-none. Saturday, late in Arizona State-UCLA on ABC, Tim Brant made passing mention that this would be ASU freshman Thomas Weber’s 10th punt.
Tenth punt of the season? No, 10th of the game. That’s wild; six punts normally make for a busy game. That ASU was up, 24-20, makes 10 punts downright incredible. By comparison, in a 35-23 loss to Oregon, the previous week, Weber punted five times.
But we’ll always be encouraged to pay attention to silly. The Packers, who have had no trouble scoring, yesterday were on their way to 8-1 and a 34-0 win. But that didn’t stop Fox from noting that Green Bay’s 20th in Red Zone offense.
John Davidson, now president of the Blues, flew in last week to attend the Lester Patrick Awards luncheon that honored, among others, Davidson’s ex-MSG Network teammate, Stan Fischler, and former Rangers’ publicist/historian John Halligan.
After yesterday’s “SportsCenter” ended with anchor Bob Ley and NFL reporter John Clayton in earnest, intelligent discussion about the NFL taking additional measures to prevent concussions, ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” followed with come-and-get-it clips of players being smashed in the head.
This Just In: During the Giants’ first possession, yesterday, Fox found it necessary to send it down to Pam Oliver, who reported that the Giants really want to win this one! Not only was this intrusion ridiculous, Dallas had just taken a 7-0 lead, after just seven plays.
Steve Somers, temporarily signing off WFAN, Saturday afternoon: “We’ll be back right after Air Force beats Notre Dame.” … Alert job by MSG, Saturday, taping the pre-game, pre-air warm-ups, thus catching the renewed hassle between Sean Avery and Darcy Tucker before Rangers-Leafs.
Mike Tirico, by now, would be widely regarded as among TV’s best play-by-players if he worked for a network other than ESPN. Tirico’s attention to games is weekly fractionalized by Monday Night Football productions that turn him into an infomercial and variety show host. But you can tell he’d be very good – if he were allowed to be.
Good switch by Fox, yesterday, leaving Vikes-Packers at 27-0 in the third for Eagles-Skins. Hey, if not for that switch we wouldn’t have been able to hear Tony Siragusa, after a flag against the Skins, holler, “Stupid penalties have got to be eliminated!” Now that’s analysis!
Kevin Burkhardt, off a strong first season as SNY’s Mets field reporter, has signed a new, improved, all-year deal. Tonight at 6:30 (repeated at 11), he debuts as the weekly host of “Mets Hot Stove.”
Where does ESPN find these guys? With :44 left against Indiana on ESPN Classic, Northwestern took the lead, 31-28. Analyst Jay Taylor then provided this overview of Northwestern’s kickoff team strategy: “We cannot allow a touchdown, at this point in time, or a long run.” Who knew?
Something about the Isles’ Miroslav Satan scoring the winner against New Jersey, Saturday, that doesn’t fit. “Satan Scorches Devils” makes for a confusing headline. Kinda like the Cubs’ Angel Pagan. Can you be both?… First, Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights, wore black jerseys. Yesterday, the Giants, “Big Blue,” wore their red jerseys. No wonder Reuben drones.