AA Review: NBC Game #1 (Saints-Colts)

Friday, September 07, 2007


So the first game of the NFL Season is under our collective belt, and just like I do with the Monday Nighter each week I'm going to give a little review and grading. If you disagree or have something to add feel free to do so in the comments.

Olbermann aside (I'll get a final word in on that shortly) I thought it was a great broadcast. I could have done without Rich Eisen to start the show, but as a whole NBC showed why the have the best game coverage in the business.

Sure Madden gets a little crazy when it goes past his bedtime, but that's always enjoyable. I thought Michaels did an excellent job of calling a game that turned into a blowout quickly in the 2nd half. I also didn't notice any of the new fancy technology, which is probably a good thing.

Game Coverage and Announcers: B-

Announcing Quotes of the Night:

"If you start the contact in an legal position and end up in an illegal position....it's legal."- John Madden
"I'll buy that."- Al Michaels

"Well that's the Chicken Fry"- John Madden
"It's Something Fried"- Al Michaels
"Chicken Fried isn't chicken....they just beat the meat and throw it in a fryer."- John Madden
"It's a lot of fat grams whatever it is."- Al Michaels

"Basically every week you're going to do a commentary every week, and then back track the next week."- Chris Collinsworth

Commenter Quotes of the Night:

"Does Al still think he's fooling us into thinking he's the same height as Madden? It's been 5 years Al. We know you're standing on something."- Student of the Game

"Jeff Saturday looks like Ron Jeremy with a Helmet on."- OilCanBoyd

Pregame Show Grade: B, I missed Kelly Clarkson, but Faith Hill wasn't bad and the fact that JCM didn't play Ouuuur Country is grounds enough for a high grade.

The Halftime Show:

I'll keep this quick since everything that needed to be said was done so in the comments of the video post, buuuuut I wanted to get a few things straight.

I like Bob Costas, I actually can stand Jerome Bettis, I think no other writer has as much access as Peter King, and I think Chris Collinsworth needs to still be in a booth somewhere. I also generally like Keith Olbermann, but this segment of his is just an abomination. I'm sorry but it has to be said.

I went back and watched the video and they had two points about the first half. Tiki mentioned Saints Corner Jason David for about 20 seconds, and Chris Collinsworth had a minute to talk before they went to Olbermann's piece. They didn't even have their whole team in the studio. Here's a question.....

What the hell are the going to do when they have Peter King and Jerome Bettis filling out the room? There's going to be games where one or more people aren't even going to get to talk! I'm sorry, but like I said before....if you don't see this as a blatant ad for Olbermann's show than I don't know what to tell you.

Halftime Grade: D, Would have been an F if it wasn't for Collinsworth trashing Olbermann.

Overall: C+, I'm trying not to let 5 minutes ruin an entire broadcast

2 Comments:

Madden/Michaels are awful, they are 15 years past their prime and that is the sad state of NFL announcing that they are considered the gold standard. Tiki is getting ripped for doing his job and KO really needs to remember that we all don't want to watch Countdown.

Unknown said...
Sep 7, 2007, 10:55:00 AM  

The Olbermann segment was awkward. Given his new live as a commentator on MSNBC, the whole thing was like a flashback to when they had Limbaugh on NFL Countdown.

Anonymous said...
Sep 7, 2007, 1:28:00 PM  

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