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April 16 Boom! John Madden RetiresFootball isn't going to be the same without John Madden.
He's the most colorful color commentator in the game and one of its most knowledgable experts.
Hey, it's clear he had to step down sometime. I hope he enjoys his time with the family.
In the meantime, we've got Cris Collinsworth stepping in. I'm not a huge fan. In fact, when I got the latest Madden for the Xbox 360 and saw that it has Collinsworth doing commentary instead of Madden, I should have seen this coming.
- posted by Raoul February 03 It Was Pretty Super...
This just in! Sunday's broadcast of the Super Bowl was the most watched program in television history! "Super Bowl XLIII is now the most viewed television program in U.S. history with a total audience of 151.6 million viewers, according to official national ratings data released today by Nielsen Media Research....The M*A*S*H finale in 1983 averaged 106 million viewers and total audience figures for the program are estimated to be 122 million viewers." Somehow I wouldn't have bet on the "M*A*S*H*" finale as the #1 program of all time. It just goes to show you... - Posted by Kate August 13 Olympic Fever: I've Been VaccinatedLast night, I was out at a bar playing trivia (sadly, no cash prize for us this time, and sadly one all-too-easy TV question about what 444 day event led to the start of "Nightline.") Anyway, the bar was airing NBC's Olympics coverage, which was the first I've seen of the Games.
You might be asking, "How can this be? You cover television for a living. And right now the Olympics are the biggest show on TV."
I hate to say it, but I just am not that into it. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Some of my reasons for being mostly indifferent:
1. To me, the greatest thing about the Olympics was when they could serve as proxies for international conflict, allowing us additional pride in defeating our greatest adversaries in the arena instead of on the battlefield. Jesse Owens single-handedly destroyed the notion of Aryan supremacy in the 1936 Games. And our rivalry with the Soviet Union led to the stuff of legends. Until Al-Qaida fields an Olympic team, that's not going to happen so much any more. Sure, China's still communist, but it's not the same thing without a nation to root against.
2. Back when I was growing up, we had far fewer viewing options. When the Olympics were on, the other major broadcasters pretty much stepped aside. Nowadays, with all the different channels, there's always something as good or better. And that's not to mention DVDs and the Internet also adding choices.
3. I'm a lot more cynical now. It's hard to watch without wondering who's on performance-enhancing drugs, or how teams might be trying to skirt other rules. I mean, the Chinese got a talented little girl to sing and then a cuter little girl to lip-sync.
4. Back in the day, if you missed a classic performance, you missed it. So you had more incentive to watch every last second because you never knew when someone would break a world record or whatever. These days, any clip like that will be online and viewable at my convenience.
5. This may be a function of my willfully blocking out hype, but the only true Olympian I can name off the top of my head is Michael Phelps, and I don't really know anything about his personality. So unlike Mary Lou Retton or Carl Lewis, there's no larger-than-life personality to draw me in.
6. Reality shows have tainted my feelings toward the Olympics. It may be blasphemy, but what are the Olympics but a reality show writ large with a ton more glitz and Bob Costas?
7. I could use a break from the hype. Even with TiVo, I can't escape all the commercials about the proud sponsors of the Games. And did you catch the finale of "Last Comic Standing?" About half of it was plugging the Olympics. It's hard to think of the games as pure athletic competition at its finest when all these companies have gajillions invested in it.
8. I still maintain we sold our soul when we let NBA players compete in basketball.
9. I have in the back of my mind attempts to bring the 2016 games to Chicago, not too far from where I live, and I can't say I'm altogether pleased about that.
10. I hate myself a little for watching some of these athletes who have worked their lives to get to this stage and then screwing up. I'm not too proud to admit that part of me enjoys gymnasts bobbling on balance beams and such, but I really don't like encouraging that part.
I admit that I like to chant "USA! USA! USA!" with the best of them, and it was awesome seeing that USA swim relay team blow everyone else out by like half the pool. But other than another trip to a bar, that's probably the last of this Olympics I'll be watching.
- posted by Raoul February 04 The Tears of the Patriots Taste Just Like CandySorry to rub it in, Patriots fans, but I have to say that I likes me an underdog winning. The Super Bowl, not surprisingly, was strictly good times.
There was a minimum of dumb commentary, except either Joe Buck or Troy Aikman was saying something about how the Giants couldn't have hoped for a better first half. I'm like, "Um, I think they could have hoped for one where they were ahead. Unless they had really low self-esteem."
I wonder what happened to the Patriots' offensive line. Did it always suck and somehow hide that fact up till now, or were the Giants really just that fired up?
I also wonder how many times we'll see clips of that crazy third-down completion where Manning escaped approximately 50 gazillion attempts to sack him and got the ball to Tyree. One for the history books.
I realize how disappointed Bill Bellichick must be that he wasn't able to go undefeated for the season, but he gave one of the most classless post-game interviews I think I've ever seen. And that's especially considering that he should shoulder the blame for the loss. If he had gone for a 49-yard field goal instead of a first down on 4th and 13, the game would have probably played differently. Instead, he helped give the Giants defense extra confidence that they could hold the Patriots down.
The commercials this year were as usual a mixed crop.
On the plus side, the talking baby ones for E-Trade, the Macy floats fighting over a Coke bottle, Charles Barkley bugging Dwayne Wade and the Budweiser commercial with the dalmatian training the horse to make the grade were all pretty amusing.
I was confused by the commercial with the stain. And the Justin Timberlake getting sucked into a backyard by a woman drinking Pepsi was just weird.
The worst of the bunch were the two Sales Genie ads. Crappy animation mixed with semi-stereotypical plots about an Indian sales agent and his many kids and a pair of Chinese pandas using Sales Genie to get free leads made them pretty awful.
- posted by Raoul January 08 Why Can't Sportscasters Stop Themselves from Saying Racially Insensitive Things?You may or may not have come across the latest mini-controversy: a commentator jokingly said that all the other PGA golfers should "lynch Tiger Woods" if they want to have a chance to win.
The guy apologized, and Tiger took the remark in stride.
But it just makes me wonder why there's a lengthy history of sportscasters saying dumb stuff in a similar vein. From the infamous Jimmy the Greek comment years and years ago to Michael Irvin saying that Tony Romo must have some black genes in him because he's so athletically gifted, there's plenty one could choose from.
Is it just that jocks can't be bothered to be PC? Does the need to fill tons of air time result in the inadvertent bloopers? Are people more quick to pick up on sports stuff for some reason than other broadcasters' gaffes?
Anyone have any ideas?
- posted by Raoul December 27 Are You Ready for Some Patriots Football?As you may know, the New England Patriots are going for a perfect regular-season record on Saturday.
But you may be less aware of the news that the NFL has decided to let both NBC and CBS do a first-time simulcast of the game. Previously, it was scheduled to just be on the NFL Network.
I'd almost say the move was gracious, if I weren't sure the NFL will be well-compensated for its decision.
It seems like seeing the Patriots smash the Giants and downing a couple of cold ones will be cause for much TV viewing. I'm guessing that the audience will be upwards of 30 million.
- posted by Raoul August 03 Incredible 'X-Games' Footage of a 40+ Foot DropI was hanging out at a bar last night when I first saw this accident happen. Now that I'm 100 percent sober, I still can't believe the guy just got up and walked away.
Knowing he's as close to alright as he is, I don't feel bad that the moment when he's in the air with his legs wriggling makes me think of Wile E. Coyote.
- posted by Raoul
- February 05 A Second Super Bowl TakeI had a different feeling on the Big Game than my partner in crime, in part because I'm from Chicago and so was more invested in it. It was a tight contest and anybody's game until the fourth quarter, when Bad Rex threw another pick. It's unfortunate that the Bears lost Cedric Benson so early, because clearly the game plan was to punish the so-so run defense of the Colts and without Benson, Lovie didn't seem to have an offensive Plan B.
Plus, it took till the fourth quarter for the Bears defense to sew up the middle of the field. It was ridiculous how many times he could dump it to someone there. But if the Bears had to get beaten, it's better that it was the Colts than the Patriots.
On the commercial front: As usual, only a few could possibly have been worth the $2.5 mil. I personally liked the beer commercials with the fist pound being replaced by the bitch slap and the down-on-his-luck dog getting to fake being a Dalmatian, the Coke Grand Theft Auto rip-off where the protagonist becomes a nice guy after having some coke and the Career Builder survival-of-the-fittest deals. (Although the consensus among viewers was that we wanted to see them revisit the guy who was working with monkeys). The one about beating heart risks was pretty good too, and the Oprah-Letterman one that Kim referenced earlier.
There were a couple headscratchers: the robot who dreams about being laid off and committing suicide, the guys kissing and then ripping off chest hair to prove they were heterosexual and the people dancing to "It's Hot in Herre." And even though the overall female audience is huge, it seemed silly to me to advertise women's hair coloring during the Super Bowl.
And maybe it was because there were two black head coaches, but it seemed like advertisers went out of their way to kiss up to black folks this time around.
- posted by Raoul January 30 Puppy Bowl III!You can also vote on the Puppy Bowl MVP (Most Valuable Puppy, of course) at the Animal Planet Website, find out more about pet adoptions, and, in case you missed "Puppy Bowls I and II," they're also available on DVD at the Animal Planet site. Tip to you 'rents: Kids LOVE these DVDs. My niece sits totally glued to the tube when you pop one in.
Here's a YouTube clip of the "Puppy Bowl II" opening:
- posted by Kim January 29 Federline's Super Bowl AdKevin Federline says: "Would you like fries with that?" Actually, he's not a fast food worker (yet) in real life ... he just plays one on TV, in this Nationwide Insurance ad that will air during the Super Bowl. Doesn't really make me want to patronize Nationwide. Or fast food. Or ever listen to rap music, ever again. You?
- posted by Kim February 16 Bryant Gumbel, Race and the Winter OlympicsA little controversy has started about Bryant Gumbel's commentary about the Winter Olympics.
A television blogger transcribed a monologue from Gumbel's "Real Sports" program explaining his non-fanhood. According to the transcript, Gumbel in part said: "So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the winter games look like a GOP convention."
This has led to accusations of racism, both in the right-wing blogosphere and on the show's message boards.
I'm on the fence on this one.
If anything, Gumbel should take flak for not recognizing that the Republican conventions are putting an increasing number of blacks in them.
I think if anyone were to gather the world's greatest athletes, they would have far more blacks than are present at the Winter Games. But in 2006, shouldn't we be past caring about the races of athletes? Shouldn't we all just unite in the understanding that the Winter Games are really, really boring?
What do you all think?
- posted by Raoul
February 06 On the SuperbowlSuperbowl XL? More like XS.
I think that was the least attention I've paid to a Superbowl in like 10 years. Maybe I would have been more entertained if I had actually put money on this game. But I don't think I knew anyone who would take the Seahawks.
Hey, hot tip for you. Did you know Jerome Bettis is from Detroit?
Even the commercials were pretty weak. Mostly a bunch of spots where I was like, "They paid a couple mil for this?" I only noticed the FedEx commercial, which I thought was a little over the top.
Thanks to Janet Jackson, we didn't get to hear Mick Jagger sing that a woman's so hot that she can make a dead man come, even though fans have been hearing that for 30, 40 years. Shouldn't he have just omitted that lyric if he knew he wasn't going to get to sing it?
Here's wishing Superbowl XLI is worth watching.
- posted by Raoul December 12 TV Poker Takes Its Next StepFOX Sports Network is planning to introduce the next wave in TV poker: a stately Pokerdome that will host events starting in May. The tourneys there will include "speed poker," in which players have only 15 seconds to act.
It will aim to make poker more of a spectator sport, with an audience that can hear what the players are saying and doing, while insulating players from what audience members are saying and doing. The series will use cards with special computer chips in them, so even when players fold hands, the audience will know what they have.
There will also be what FOX is calling the largest single day payout in sports history through this series when six players put up $10 million apiece and the winner takes all.
I am a TV poker junkie, much to my wife's chagrin. If it involves chips and felt, I'll give it a whirl. And if this new series can get high-quality players like Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and others, it'll be a sure thing in my book.
- posted by Raoul December 05 WWE Will Start Random Drug TestingAfter the death of one of its stars, World Wrestling Entertainment is instituting what it says will be frequent screenings for steroids and illegal drugs.
Will it be enough to change people's behavior? Will fans turn off a league where 'roids aren't around?
- posted by Raoul November 08 Jon Stewart on Terrible TerrellSometimes, the best perspective on the more ridiculous situations in sports come from the non-sports commentators. Take this one on the Terrell Owens drama from Jon Stewart on last night's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart": "The other big news, of course … a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles was suspended from the team for last night's game in which the Eagles lost to the Washington Redskins and will no longer play for the Eagles for the rest of the year, because he is a dick. That's the reason. Very talented player. They decided to suspend him. "Apparently he made crass remarks about the Eagles organization, about quarterback Donovan McNabb and got in a fist fight with one of his teammates. So they had a meeting and said, 'Gee, should we suspend this guy?' When is the last time you could go to work, call your boss a dick, say he's not doing a good job, punch out another employee and then sit back and go, 'I think I'll play tonight, yeah! That would be good.' The talented idiot." - posted by Kim September 12 'MNF' Pre-game ShenanigansIf you're near a TV right now and are a sports fan, check out the "Monday Night Football" pre-game on ESPN. Trash-talking by Jeremiah Trotter led to a fight between the Eagles and Falcons resulted in Jeremiah Trotter and Kevin Mathis getting kicked out. Then a whole bunch of Eagles and a whole bunch of Falcons were jumping up next to each other trying to establish dominance. Bi-zarre.
If you're not, you'll probably see this video for the next two weeks again and again.
My take is that the fight didn't seem to involve actual punching, so I don't know if it's right to kick them both out.
I'm sure it's something folks will be discussing over at Sports Filter. So feel free to head over there.
- posted by Raoul September 10 The Couch Potato WorkoutJust in time for the first official week of armchair quarterbackin' the new NFL season: WebMD's workout that lets you get fit while watching the tube.
Now if only I could figure out a way to make a living while watching TV. Oh wait …
- posted by Kim August 06 'Knight School's' In SessionLegendary basketball coach Bobby Knight becomes a reality TV star next season when he offers Texas Tech students the chance to survive his intense training sessions and win a walk-on role on the Red Raiders' hoops team.
The six-episode series, which begins filming in September, airs next February on ESPN, but as any sports fan will tell you, the strategically brilliant, but volatile, to say the least, Knight has the potential to stir up some reality TV excitement that belongs on one of the major networks. In primetime.
- posted by Kim
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