Game was Okay. Broadcast - Not so Much.

The Ravens/Steelers game was pretty good. Maybe it was more exciting for me because my fantasy football team fielded Suggs and my opponent had Polamalu in a close week. Irregardless of my motives for enjoying the game true football fans likely appreciated the good defensive struggle. There was hard hitting (running backs were falling like flies) and the game went to overtime.

But, not surprisingly, I cannot think of anything good to say about the broadcast. Tony was his usual annoying self. Making the stupidest, most pointess, comments and observations throughout. I used to keep track of these 'gems' but now I just go to Awful Announcing and shake my head at them there.

Again Tony wasn't the only problem. Replays were just as hard to come by as ever. For instance we didn't get a good replay of Mason's end-zone incompletion until a quarter later. At the time I questioned whether it looked like it could have been a touchdown but I guess the booth didn't think to question the call until Mason made a similar catch on the sidelines later in the game. And then there was Jaw's "going to the darkside" to breakdown defensive plays. When did that happen? ESPN may want Jaws to be the next Madden. I'd be happy if he just didn't suck.

Awful Announcing

Here is a website that has a format I'd once envisioned doing for MNF. (If I weren't so busy raising five children) Note: My one month old son was screaming in my arms through much of the game last night and he still was not as annoying as Tony.

Awful Announcing

My hat goes off to these guys on a great job.

Go to their website during the game and see all the terrible comments the MNF crew makes during their broadcast or catch up the next day if you missed the game or, like many, mute or listen to the radio during the game.

More of the Same...

Another terrible MNF broadcast where the sport takes a back seat to controversy and we are forced to listen to Tony say "If that were me I'd...." again and again. Like we give a crap what a non-athlete like Tony thinks or that a professional athlete like Brett Favre would be remotely thinking the same thing Kornheiser is. Give us a break.

Of course it is not just Tony that's the problem. I still hate how often we miss replays of important plays. If there is a false start I want to see it. If there is failed play in the end zone I want to see it. Heck, there was one play last night where they finally showed the replay and Jaws actually sounded surprised to see it.

Naturally, with the score lopsided in the second half, Tony started beaking off about the game being over. This, again, shocks me to no end. Does ESPN think it is alright for Tony to write off the game early in the third? Can anyone say "Goodbye viewers"? The Jets still made a game of it from that point when they scored - missed on the two pointer - and got possession of an onside kick. Tony needs to learn this is football he is watching and just about anything can happen and often does.

Lastly, am I the only one who thinks this crew is the least 'television friendly' looking group in all of sports? When the cameras go to the booth I feel like we've left the football world and are watching an episode of the "all new" Munsters. ESPN must know the difference between television and radio. Right?

Sigh..... Week 3 MNF = Fail

Tony Aplogizes - Not for His Terrible Broadcasting Skills.

Here is an article I found that discusses Tony's secretive apology on last weeks MNF.

I personally think the Spanish speaking population should be up in arms about this blatantly disrespectful comment and do their best to try and get Tony fired.

Sigh..... truthfully, I do not think Tony's comment had any malice behind it. I would just gleefully accept any reason for his leaving the show short of wishing bodily harm, dismemberment or death on him.

BTW nice to see the website where I found the article, Shutdown Corner, seems to agree Tony is what ails MNF. When will ESPN get the memo?

Ratings Winner - MNF Fan Losers

The Monday night game was, indeed, the highest rated cable-tv audience in history. 18 million viewers got to see how bad Tony and the boys are. Now all we need is a million or so to speak up.

Great Game - Terrible Coverage

Now anyone who loves football would agree the Eagles/Cowboys game was great. Even Eagles fans could not have been too disappointed (although with their fans you never know).

I am also sure that it will be a highly rated broadcast and that ESPN execs will be back slapping and high-fiving one another and claiming a huge victory. In fact here is an article that states the game might become the highest-rated cable program of all time.

Bad news. Bad, bad, BAD, news for us MNF fans.

Because in reality ESPN could have had trained chimps in the broadcast booth, throwing poo at one another, à la Madagascar, and the game would have still been the highest-rated cable broadcast of all time.

What we have here is a serious case of negative reinforcement. Like when your dog takes a crap on your rug, gives you those puppy eyes that say "I didn't mean to do it", and you go all smoochy on them and tell them it's all right instead getting out the newspaper and smacking them on the nose like you should. In similar response to the big dump the broadcast team took in the booth ESPN will think because they have a ratings winner they don't need to do anything to fix how terrible Tony and crew are. Sad. So sad.

And to be honest the game was so good last night I could almost forget how bad the broadcast team was. Almost, except that Tony says so many annoying and unnecessary things. He is such a drama queen. Ohhh... Donovan McNabb is gonna be mad that T.O. scored a touchdown and he is gonna try so much harder to score now to show up his old adversary.

Tony - Donovan is a pro athlete. He gets paid millions of dollars to go out there and play and win. He is playing before 70,000 people and being watched by millions. I think he has enough incentive. He's not a whiny little non-athlete like yourself. Please stop putting these top athletes in your shoes. Please!

And it's not just Tony. How many times do we have to see the players mulling about on the field as they get ready for the next play? How about a replay of the previous play instead?

Near the end of the game when T.O. and Asante Samuel got into it in the end zone and the penalty on Samuel was canceled because the ball was said to have been tipped at the line of scrimmage, how about a replay? Oh, we got our replay you might say. Yes we did, once the ref came back and said the ball wasn't tipped at the line. Then ESPN thought they should re-show the play. Even from my TV at home I could see the ball didn't look like it had been tipped. What was the broadcast team looking at? Tony's pink tie? I mean this was a huge deal in the course of the game and the broadcast spends all their time showing Asante and T.O. jawing at each other.

Oh and Tony.. when a multi-millionaire wears a pink tie it's making a statement (see Robert Craft and Donald Trump) but when you wear one you just look gay.

Yes I know, this is one of my most critical posts but I am just so sick of how bad MNF is and that it gets away with it week after week.

Minimalistic Approach

Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal that interviews David Hill, chief executive of Fox Sports. In it Mr. Hill talks about Fox's approach to broadcasting the NFL. One of David's statements really stood out to me. One that I wish ESPN executives would take note of.

Mr. Hill: We're really developing a minimalistic approach. We want to get rid of every production element that has been around since the 1970s. We want to be in the moment, don't clutter the screen, but keep the viewer informed for every second of the game. You don't want to wait all week for a game, and then at kickoff have us put up full-screen graphics of the offensive and defensive lines.

I guess that is the reason I enjoy watching Fox games on Sundays.

Anyway have a read and see if you appreciate Fox's modus operandi as much as I do.

Any Mention of 'Hope' in the Article Below was Greatly Exaggerated.

I didn't start watching the Packer's/Vikings' game until partway through the second quarter. I could tell right away that Kornheiser had said the catch phrase "Brett Favre" enough times for people to think the Jets were playing. It had already become a joke in the booth by the time I tuned in. (And one that I did not find at all funny). Of course there is going to be some mention of Brett in regards to Rodgers but come on people! And then they had the nerve to laugh about the fact there are two more Packer's games on the Monday night schedule. *shudder*

But that is not even what bugged me the most about Tony last night because in the second half he somehow refrained himself from saying Brett's name more than half a dozen times. What drove me insane was his childish way of analyzing the game and continually bringing up past choices by the coaches later in the game as though he knows better. Tony, it is so apparent you are not an athlete and were NEVER an athlete that every time you question what a player or coach does I cringe. You make a big deal out of every choice the coaches make. It's like watching a freaking soap opera.

Another thing that drives me crazy is the way he writes off the game before it is over. Last night was not the first time he has done this. Jaws had to remind Tony there were still four minutes left to play and that anything can happen. If people had been listening to Tony they would have been changing the channel long before the Vikings scored and got within a score of winning. How this is acceptable to ESPN I have no idea. Tony should just say "Viewers you might has well go watch something else because this game is as good as done". This is just more proof he knows nothing about football.

Anyway, that's my analysis of the broadcast last night. I saw none of the changes talked about in the article below and Tony added absolutely NOTHING to the broadcast.

MNF Week 1 = Fail