Talking TV Sports

Agreements, New Network Ensure Profits, Stability

2013-05-03T14:04:00.003-04:00

While the on-field action at the top level of college sports might not officially be irrelevant or secondary, it certainly took a backseat to a couple of sports-media moves announced in recent weeks that have ensured the profitability and stability of intercollegiate athletics for years to come.

The long-expected announcement of the SEC Network came this week. It's a deal about longevity and revenue.

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN announced the 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multi-platform network that will launch in August 2014 and be based in Charlotte, N.C. The deal gives CBS Sports the one football game it has had each week for years (usually at 3:30 p.m. Saturday) and the rest of the inventory belongs to ESPN outlets, including the SEC Network.

According to several different sources for revenue estimates, the SEC Network could generate as much as $29 million per season per school, slightly more than the $25 million produced by the Big Ten Network -- which created the business model for conference channels that has produced huge profits and prompted imitators (such as the SEC Network).

The SEC Network could have some advantages, too.

First and foremost, there's ESPN's muscle and multi-platform promotional approach. While the Big Ten Network and partner Fox (which owns 51 percent of BTN) have set an impressive and profitable standard for such a conference channel, ESPN remains the biggest player in the big-money sports business.

In addition, the Big Ten Network has limited itself in a way the SEC Network might not. By not accepting ads for alcohol and other vices, the BTN has made money with some apparent standards. It's not clear the SEC Network would partner with such advertisers, but the SEC has never attempted to burden itself with all the academics-first and student-athlete rhetoric of its rival conference to the north.

Because ESPN has a 100-percent ownership stake in the outlet, the SEC Network could also impact everything from game selection to college football news in general -- including what gets covered and what does not. At the least, it will impact the perception of those things.

The 20-year agreement gives conference members guaranteed revenue, and a reason to stay put. Not that any school would consider leaving the SEC.

Last month, though, the Atlantic Coast Conference moved to keep its teams from departing through a similar approach -- when all current ACC members surrendered their media rights to the conference, even if they were to leave the league. Because TV money holds the key to any conference's lifeblood, that move prevents any program from exiting for the Big Ten Network or someplace else.

That approach was a bit more unexpected, an unusual, than creating a conference network, but it certainly made an impression. And it should keep the ACC together and viable -- perhaps for as long as the ESPN-SEC deal lasts. (Or at least until some other really rich conference, one like the Big Ten or SEC that has its own network, figures out a way to make a move somehow more lucrative for a school to move.)

While the ESPN-SEC agreement does not automatically result in riches for everyone involved, it's darn close, and work during the next 15 months -- as ESPN and the SEC Network iron out agreements with cable networks throughout the Southeast -- could hold the biggest key to what happens initially.

For example, Big Ten Conference officials had trouble getting some cable networks agree to carry their network (it took more than a year in some instances), but once a cable company came on board the channel could start collecting higher per-subscriber fees to carry the channel. If the rabid approach of SEC fans carries over to their cable subscribers, those negotiations could be interesting.

They'll either go quickly, because cable operators will know they need the programming to keep viewers happy, or they could become contentious and lag. In that case, it'll be interesting to see who gets painted as the bad guy in the process.

Either way, the profits will come for conference members. And with that comes a reason to embrace stability.

An Anniversary, An Apology and More

2013-04-29T21:09:00.000-04:00

Sports media reaction has been predictable in the wake of Jason Collins' announcement that he's gay.

The free agent NBA center, who has played for a half dozen teams during his 12 years as a pro, made his coming-out announcement in Sports Illustrated this week. It's the magazine's cover story (LINK) and it ignited a to-be-expected mix of knee-jerk reaction, thoughtful response and, not surprisingly, media-on-media attacks as people shared their opinions.

Reaction on on radio and TV ranged from ignoring the information (an approach championed by satellite radio sports-talk heavyweight Chris Russo) to focused discussion, as should be expected on ESPN's usually excellent "Outside the Lines."

Still, no matter the venue, lines were drawn. And one of the early notable lines was drawn by ESPN the Magazine senior writer Chris Broussard, who left the politically correct approach at the curb when he shared his opinion on the matter. That response can be found in the first of two links below. At the same time, Broussard showed his personal opinions do not impact his reporting during a "SportsCenter" segment, visible in the second of two links below.

Broussard Video -- Opinion on 'OTL' / Reporting on the NBA

There's nothing wrong with what Broussard did in either appearance. Maybe he was too frank on a touchstone topic, but he was doing his job. And where other media members, or members of the public, fail the media and themselves is when they criticize Broussard for having an opinion. He has been open about his opinion on the matter before, and he knows the climate that exists around team sports in the United States.

Many people who cover sports, play sports or watch sports have many divergent opinions on controversial topics. Broussard should not be penalized -- in any way -- for doing his job.

Collins' announcement follows months of buildup (and some legitimate news) for the NFL Draft. In fact, the NFL (and the Collins news this morning) has relegated other potentially important and interesting sports media news to almost irrelevant or overlooked status in the past week or so.

Here's a look at some of what should stand out -- as well as a couple pieces of news sports media types have given a little too much attention.

Act: Anniversary of launch of "Wide World of Sports," April 29
React: Hardly anybody mentioned the anniversary of the first quality sports anthology show, and that's a shame. It was probably a non-starter to begin with, especially because the last episode ended in 1998 and the show probably became irrelevant as much as a decade before that, but "Wide World of Sports" created an approach, launched numerous trend-setting careers and saved a network, ABC. The show was imitated, but never successfully, and it remains a cultural touchstone as well as a piece of American history -- because it introduced so many people in the United States to their neighbors, both near and far, competing in everything from the offbeat to world-class sports.

Act: "Monday Night Football" play-by-play man Al Michaels remains silent
React: It's been a couple of weeks since Michaels was arrested and charged with in with driving under the influence. Yes, he was barely over the legally intoxicated limit, but it's time for him to apologize. As DUIs go, his case seems mundane (though some would certainly argue there's no such thing). Still, that's the process ... make a mistake, take cover from your network's publicist and eventually apologize. It will not prevent him from doing his job, but it's interesting that it's gone this long without an apology.

Act: Love for ESPN's "Elway to Marino"
React: Another standout film in the "30 for 30" series -- an endeavor that regularly showcases the best of the all-sports network and its partners for the films. In this case, the film (and it's a film, not a documentary) was carried perfectly by agent Marvin Demoff and his meticulous notes. Every piece of archival coverage was appropriate and the interviews hit the mark as well. The commitment to reconstruct the ballroom where the draft was held in 1983 was a nice touch as well.

Act: ESPN names Robert Lipsyte as ombudsman
React: The award-winning writer and author begins an 18-month stint as ESPN's fifth ombudsman in June. He'll offer independent analysis and critiques of ESPN's work. It's a necessary role, and a position sports media types have wanted filled for months. Still, it's a position few beyond the business care about. It's an appropriate and interesting hire, but the question is how many people will notice. Then again, if he points out the gaffe's ESPN makes (especially if it continues with some of its recent problems in the past 18-plus months), Lipsyte should not have a hard time getting attention for his work.

Act: Media awaits announcement of selection committee for College Football Playoff
React: Sorry, it just seems to be much ado about nothing. People in charge will invest hundreds of thousands of dollars informing the committee, transporting the committee, housing the committee and making it's work possible and all they have to do is select the top four teams to participate in the so-called playoff system. (Keep in mind it's nothing more than a plus-one approach, but that's another topic for another day.) Honestly, the only thing a committee could do would be to cause problems. The previously existing BCS formula worked as best it could, and someone will still run those models. About the only thing a committee could do to prove it was working wold be to select a team from outside the polls' top four ... and once they do that there will be all kinds of emotional, and probably appropriate, reaction. Waiting to see who gets named to a group that has, at most, a ceremonial role -- or should have only a ceremonial role -- seems much ado about nothing.

NFL Draft Offers Proven, Reliable Reality TV

2013-04-24T23:54:00.001-04:00

It was the first and it remains the best. In the world of sports, as in the world of reality television, the NFL Draft holds an unrivaled position.

From Thursday through Saturday, with start-to-finish coverage on two networks (ESPN, NFL Network), the draft will attract viewership that dwarfs just about every other sporting event on TV -- except for NFL games themselves.

The draft is a near-perfect, made-for-TV event, with established stars from college football up for grabs, a reliable schedule, with predetermined time periods between selections, and a rooting interest for dozens of different fan bases. It works as something a hard-core fan could watch from beginning to end, and it works as background noise -- providing regular news and easy-to-find entry points for viewers to get information whenever they want.

Both ESPN and NFL Network will provide on-screen tickers of players selected by team as well as by position. With viewers used to on-screen information now more than ever, they'll be able to see who was just picked, who picks next, and who remains as the best available talent, according to the networks' respective experts.

In addition, thanks to cooperation from the broadcast partners and the NFL, viewers even get a play-along, top-down approach to the selection process. Never mind breaking any news, neither ESPN nor the NFL Network plans to have its reporters reveal picks before they're announced by the commissioner during the first round Thursday or the second round Friday.

After that, though, news might come without having to originate from the mouth of a league official first.

Still, most viewers (87 percent, according to a poll by Sports Business Daily) like the approach. It might be ceding control to the league, but fans appreciate and trust the TV approach that has been crafted and protected by the NFL and its partners in regard to the draft.

They should, too, because the NFL does the draft well.

Great Guide
No one who writes about the draft and what to expect on TV does it as completely, or as well, as Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated. His preview of what to expect, and some strong opinions about who to watch and why, follows.
LINK: Media Circus

Fox Remembers Pat Summerall

2013-04-24T06:40:00.002-04:00

TV Viewer(s) Drive Masters Penalties, Storylines

2013-04-13T14:50:00.002-04:00

A vigilant TV viewer pointed out the mistake and prompted what became the most prominent story entering the third round of the Masters.

During the second round Friday, Tiger Woods apparently took advantage of an improper drop on the 15th hole. By signing an improper scorecard after the round, he would typically be disqualified.

Tournament officials said the matter was not that simple.

While those officials immediately reviewed the matter (based on the TV viewer's call) and reached a decision that Woods did not violate the rule, a second caller pointed to Woods' answer during a post-round interview that he had dropped farther back from the original spot on purpose to give himself a better shot -- basically admitting a violation.

When Masters officials were made aware of that, they scheduled a Saturday morning interview with Woods, talked about the situation and levied a two-stroke penalty -- dropping him from three strokes off the lead and tied for fourth to five strokes behind and tied for 17th.

One long-followed, traditional golf rule (Rule 26, which would've prompted the disqualification) was in apparent contrast with another (Rule 33, which prevents after-the-fact penalties) in the situation. Still, with Woods' admission about his mindset in the situation, many golf purists believe he should withdraw because of his intent.

"He unkowingly broke a rule, but he knowingly took and advantage. It casts a dark shadow over the proceedings," Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said. Chamblee said it was not a matter of disqualification but withdrawal, adding that Woods had a chance to do something bigger than his golf game, acting as a leader in the game by pulling himself from competition.

Still, there was hardly any unanimity on the matter. For every expert or former player who wanted to talk ethics and golf tradition, there was another who pointed to Rule 33, which was implemented just two years ago at least in part to protect players from mistakes later revealed through TV. Conversely, those supporting Woods believed the two-stroke penalty was more than enough.

Beyond the viewers who pointed out the rules violations, there were many others to consider. While CBS Sports officials were not part of the discussions (nor should they have been), the millions who would watch the final two rounds of the Masters certainly had to be a consideration. With Woods, they would have a reason to watch. Without him, they would have a reason to do almost anything else.

Ridley said Woods, the world's No. 1 player, was not given special treatment.

"We felt it might have been prejudicial to Tiger if we had not given him the benefit of the doubt. I can't control what the perception might or might not be. This tournament is about integrity," Ridley said. "If it had been John Smith from wherever, he would have gotten the same ruling -- because it is a good one. I hope it sets good precedent, because I think it was a good decision."

If nothing else, the incident again shows the importance and power of TV viewers. Those two calls, one after Woods shot on the 15th hole and the other after his interview with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi, are typical for golf. Ridley said tournament officials get dozens of calls each year, and that they follow up on every one.

TV also played a role in the other high-profile rules matter during the second round.

Because players have been pushed to play more efficiently in order to keep things moving for TV, that led at least in part to the slow-play violation for the group including 14-year-old Tianlang Guan.

While his playing partners and some others feel bad about the penalty for the youthful player, the rule was applied as it should have been. It exists to help golf build a more TV-friendly profile, though, and that's not a bad thing.

Of course, when a sport -- and especially one big-name player -- attracts a big TV following, the rules and how they apply can sometimes become a matter of debate.

Balance, Facts Lose to Immediacy, Judgment

2013-04-08T10:48:00.002-04:00

Forget balance. Never mind context -- even facts. And, perspective? No way.

Too often those things get lost, even by some respected sports journalists, when people feel the need to chime in, jump on or simply react.

The latest examples come in regard to the major NCAA basketball stories of the past week.

First, in the aftermath of the appropriate coverage of Mike Rice's coaching methods and eventual firing at Rutgers, one important sidebar story was lost and a second developed that has blossomed and earned even more attention.

First, the apparent money-grab request by former RU assistant coach Eric Murdock was overlooked. The practice tapes showing Rice's actions first became available to university administrators through Murdock, who threatened to make them public unless he was compensated (apparently asking for as much as $950,000).

Sure, that was a secondary story to Rice's tactics, but it was almost ignored for more than a week. Even though many sports fans knew the blackmail story was out there, it seemed of little interest to media members more interested in assessing blame or finding someone at fault. It was just as compelling, but there was no tape (no smoking gun) to drive the Murdock story home with a general audience.

Instead, the story of the day, and days, after Rice was rightfully fired was blame. Never mind that it was clear Rice was most at fault.

Fueled by many in the media, athletic director Tim Pernetti lost his job as well -- despite the fact that he had been prevented from taking more serious action against Rice when he wanted because he was hampered by the university's human resource policies and legal limitations.

Worse, media members piled on with incorrect information. Never mind the facts.

That included the following from USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, a trustee at the Northwestern University who invariably has solutions for every institution of higher education in the nation when scandal breaks. On April 4, she wrote:

"There are two men who are responsible for allowing Rice to represent Rutgers four months too long -- two men who failed the students of Rutgers and their families, who failed the taxpayers of New Jersey, who failed that 2007 women's basketball team and who failed Clementi's memory. They are university president Robert Barchi and athletics director Tim Pernetti. Astoundingly, as of Wednesday night, they both still have their jobs. They still are employed by Rutgers and the people of New Jersey."

That sounds great, but it's factually wrong. Pernetti was not hired at RU until April 2009. So there was no way he could "fail" the women's team in 2007. But why should facts stand in the way of a good story?

Our fast-paced media environment just does not lend itself often enough to balance and context. It's a bigger shame when veterans who know better take the somewhat salacious route, and Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Peter King of Sports Illustrated joined that group the past two days.

On ESPN's "The Sports Reporters," Burwell lamented that Louisville was taking advantage of injured standout Kevin Ware by raising money using shirts with his name and number on them to benefit a scholarship fund. It's a fair criticism, using a player for a university's gain, but it needs the context that Ware himself benefits from a scholarship (possibly in part attributable to the success of generations of basketball players before him at Louisville) and that Ware would benefit in coming weeks and months from the university's largesse in the form of free medical care for his gruesome injury.

It's appropriate to critique the NCAA and university for taking advantage of Ware's situation, but context matters.

On Monday, King joined the trio -- and he should have been flagged for his unbalanced piling on in his weekly "Monday Morning Quarterback" column. He wrote:

Factiod of the Week That May Interest Only Me I

Between them, Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice and athletic director Tim Pernetti are due more than $2 million in contract settlements in the wake of leaving university employment.

There is something twisted about that.

Really? Something twisted? C'mon, King knows better. It's not illegal or twisted, it's called a contract. Of all, people, King who regularly writes about NFL contracts and salary cap numbers should have an appreciation that people in the upper reaches of intercollegiate athletic departments have contracts.

When they get fired, it's not as if they leave their office with only the clothes on their back and a cardboard box filled with office supplies. They get compensated.

Sure, it's might seem unseemly to some, but it's business as usual. Without that context, without making it clear that such exits happen all the time, such as when any major college or university fires a coach with time remaining on their contracts, it's an unfair and twisted way to treat Rutgers, Rice and Pernetti as well.

Final Four Set to Cap Strong Tournament on TV

2013-04-04T22:06:00.003-04:00

Ratings and viewership have been up throughout the NCAA Tournament for CBS Sports and its broadcast partners this year -- and the storylines and teams set for the Final Four should help the TV numbers to finish strong.

Action begins at 6:09 p.m. Saturday with Louisville-Wichita State. Forty minutes after the conclusion of that game, it's Michigan-Syracuse.

As the tournament's top seed with a rich tradition, college basketball fans have a reason to watch Louisville as it faces the tournament Cinderella, Wichita State. In addition, the broken leg sustained in a gruesome manner by Louisville's Kevin Ware during the regional final last weekend might add casual viewers to the mix on Saturday evening.

There's no doubt Ware's injury has drawn attention beyond the typical college basketball audience. The unusual nature of the injury and the emotional response have been chronicled everywhere from CNN and ESPN to "Good Morning America" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

In the second game, Michigan and Syracuse meet for the first time in the tournament. The game features AP Player of the Year Trey Burke for Michigan, along with teammates Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III -- the latest in family lines of college basketball standouts. Of course, Syracuse counters with always measured but at the same time opinionated coach Jim Boeheim and the team's effective 2-3 zone defense.

Both Michigan and Syracuse have big fan bases and rich traditions as well.

Again, it's a recipe for bottom-line success for CBS Sports, and if the on-air talent and behind-the-scenes production teams bring the same focused and measured approach they displayed last week, the broadcasts will be an artistic success as well.

Finally, a PTPer
College basketball TV icon Dick Vitale gets his first NCAA Tournament assignment at the Final Four, working Louisville-Wichita State on the international feed produced by ESPN with play-by-play man Brad Nessler.

He'll be heard (it's always that first for Vitale) in 150 countries -- everywhere but the United States -- and he's excited about the opportunity. He does not plan to change his approach, either. So the catchphrases will abound.

"It's carried me for 34 years," Vitale told USA Today of his style. "I say this humorously, but think about it. Some people think I'm loud, that I talk a lot. But I must be doing something right. I can't go anywhere without people yelling, 'dDo I need a T.O., baby?'"

ESPN's Jay Bilas will work the Michigan-Syracuse game on the international feed.

Day Without Knight Hurts Him More Than ESPN

2013-04-03T23:34:00.003-04:00

When ESPN Radio talks in depth again Thursday about the removal of Rutgers men's basketball coach Mike Rice, it will do so without its own in-house bully and someone who might have been able to add interesting insights: Bob Knight.

Still, that's probably a good thing for the show. For Knight, not so much.

According to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, Knight cancelled his scheduled appearance on "Mike and Mike" late Wednesday night. ESPN said Knight declined comment on Rice.

Had Knight appeared on the show, the questions asked and his responses would have been interesting.

After all, Knight crafted a legendary career at Indiana and Texas Tech that included a couple high-profile bullying incidents of his own. His actions never reached the level of those revealed by Rice in the Rutgers practice video earlier this week that eventually led to his firing, but Knight certainly would've had an opinion. And if co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic did their jobs well the result would have been appropriate questions and entertaining radio.

Of course, we'll never know what would've happened -- because Knight has brought his bullying approach to his role as an analyst, too. Apparently, he can decide when he will or will not appear on ESPN and ESPN Radio.

At the same time, his absence saves ESPN Radio from the embarrassment of what a radio interview with Greenberg, Golic and Knight could have become. Remember, Knight went most of the 2011-12 season covering college basketball and refusing to say "Kentucky" in regard to the eventual national champion because of his distaste for Wildcats coach John Calipari. So the Hall of Fame coach certainly knows how to control a message -- and had he been given anything close to a free pass of soft questions from the network's morning radio team it would've meant a credibility hit for the network.

While "Mike and Mike" might not regularly rival "Outside the Lines" atop the sports journalism journalistic hierarchy, the radio show regularly goes about its business professionally and well. Not having Knight as initially scheduled hurts a little, but it hurts him more than the show.

Barkley, CBS Bring Calm, Cool to Tournament

2013-04-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

Credit Charles Barkley and CBS Sports with appropriate perspective and restraint during their coverage of the latest installment of the NCAA Tournament.

They earned accolades and made news as a result.

Barkley stepped into action first. After analyst Doug Gottlieb put his feet firmly in his mouth when he offered a bad joke about "bringing diversity to the set" and offering a "white man's perspective" when joining the studio team, it could have initiated an onslaught of social media criticism.

OK, it did initiate such a response. Many bloggers, critics and fans responded immediately. Fellow analysts Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, along with host Greg Gumbel (all of whom are black) either cringed, ignored or initially laughed off Gottlieb's nonsensical self introduction.

Still, people started piling on -- until Barkley stepped into the fray.

Gottlieb's remark came as last Thursday night's action was beginning, and Barkley's strong response came later in the night.

"I know this has nothing to do with the game. I want to say something about Doug Gottlieb," Barkley said. "He made a joke earlier tonight and people are going crazy. All those idiots on Twitter, which I would never ever do. Listen, me, Kenny and Greg Anthony and Greg Gumbel did not take that personally. So all you people at home who've got no life and are talking a bad about Doug Gottlieb, get a life. It's over with. It's no big deal."

Barkley was correct, and his candor saved a lot of headaches.

In the same manner, the weekend's biggest moment -- and clearly a big deal -- was the gruesome injury suffered by Louisville's Kevin Ware. When he came down after trying to block a shot in front of his team's bench, his right leg let loose -- a compound fracture with his leg bending where it should not past the top of his sock line. It was gruesome ... something people did not see again.

To its credit, CBS Sports showed the play twice and that was it. While the broadcast did not go to commercial, staying with coverage for nearly nine minutes, the production team did not sensationalize what had happened. It was a horrific injury, and the reactions of teammates, competitors and coaches was more than enough to tell the story.

In addition, sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson provided timely updates on Ware's status and the situation.
It was an appropriate approach -- measured, professional and well done. That was the case with Barkley's on-air defense of Gottlieb too.

Those two moments provided a highlight of the Sweet 16-to-Final Four weekend of the tournament for CBS Sports and even in a weekend with mostly lopsided games the approach made the coverage a success.

TV Teams Mirror Talent on the Tournament Courts

2013-03-26T22:25:00.001-04:00

With a handful of unexpected teams in the Sweet 16, the NCAA Tournament has showcased the depth and talent that exists in college basketball. That's the case among broadcasters working the games, too.

And, just like the teams on the court, there are several good teams but not really one overpowering standout working for CBS Sports/Turner Sports during the tournament.

Here's a look at the four remaining broadcast teams who will work regional action this weekend:

Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracey Wolfson

They're clearly the No. 1 team working the tournament, but they're also the most predictable, the personification of the CBS Sports tradition. They're not flashy, and when they're working games the NCAA clearly has a partner among its broadcast partners.

With Nantz, who knows how the process works after years of referring to "patrons" during The Masters, viewers get the company line. And when it comes to any sort of criticism, especially of the officials, Kellogg shies away from that topic like a basketball big man trying to avoid any necessary ballhandling.

They're a Final Four fixture, at least as long as the tournament's last three games remain on CBS. When those games move to TBS, though, do not be surprised to see a change behind the microphone. And that could happen as soon as next year.

Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craig Sager

When that move comes, the Albert-led group could be a strong candidate to get the assignment. Until then, Albert remains one of the best in the basketball business, and his away-from-work peccadilloes barely remain memories for most people.

Meanwhile, Kerr is honest and open while Sager (always hard to miss on the sideline with his sartorial skills) does his job well. Actually, among the top three broadcast teams the sideline reporters -- Wolfson, Sager, Nichols -- might be as strong as any trio in any sport in regard to those duties.

Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery/Rachel Nichols

Even with age, and occasional missed or slow calls, Lundquist and Raftery work well together. There's not a team farther down on the networks' depth chart that deserves to be elevated above them and they continue to relate the action on the court and surrounding the games they work well.

Nichols might be in a position to get bumped up in the near future. Among many ESPN expats, her move from the all-sports network could be one that pays off the best.

Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson

They're enjoyable, but clearly fourth among the four. A proven bunch of pros, they provide the kind of depth and talent the networks need to capably cover the tournament. It's hard to imagine them, as a group, elevating above the others. If reconstituted, though, maybe Harlan could get a shot to move higher on the depth chart.

Sweet 16 Start Times Scheduled

2013-03-25T14:04:00.001-04:00

Start times, networks and announce teams for NCAA Tournament games in the Sweet 16.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

Washington, D.C.

7:15 p.m.: Marquette vs. Miami
After: Syracuse vs. Indiana
Games on CBS with Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery/Rachel Nichols

Los Angeles

7:47 p.m.: Arizona vs. Ohio State
After: LaSalle vs. Wichita State
Games on TBS with Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

Indianapolis

7:15 p.m.: Oregon vs. Louisville
After: Michigan State vs. Duke
Games on CBS with Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracey Wolfson

North Texas

7:37 p.m.: Kansas vs. Michigan
After: Florida Gulf Coast vs. Florida
Games on TBS with Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craig Sager

Tone-y Tournament Truly Tips on Thursday

2013-03-20T17:08:00.001-04:00

Although the First Four concludes Wednesday night, with the two remaining play-in games for the NCAA Tournament providing some sports programming for a broadcast partner, the tournament truly kicks into gear Thursday.

While the entities that make the NCAA Tournament possible (broadcast sugar daddies CBS/Turner the NCAA itself) talk about the importance of the midweek games, even those working the games seem to know what matters and what does not. That was clear from the opening game of the First Four.

While North Carolina A&T and Liberty played Tuesday night for the right to meet tournament top seed Louisville, what became a dramatic game seemed like an afterthought with a business-as-usual, no-need-to-question effort. That was the approach because the game did not matter, and the most glaring example game in the final seconds of the game.

Although Liberty's John Caleb Sanders drove the length of the floor for a last-second layup that missed, the near foul on the play was never reviewed by the on-air team working on truTV. Sure, a replay would not change the call, but viewers usually expect that analysis in such a situation. It never came. (And, honestly, the viewers themselves might not have cared because they were probably sneaking more regular peaks at Robert Morris vs. Kentucky.) Still, what could could confirm a game as meaningless any more than one of its decisive moments not being examined as part of the broadcast?

Again, though, we're talking broadcast "partners" with CBS/Turner when it comes to the tournament and that partnership, with an accompanying soft-glove treatment, bleeds through to viewers all too often at tournament time.

It's most often displayed in the tangible deference to coaches. Play-by-play men, analysts and sideline reporters seem to practice familiarity-and-friendship approach as opposed to a practical-and-professional approach. So, when truTV reporter Craig Sager interviewed North Carolina A&T coach Cy Alexander after the victory, he addressed him as "Coach Cy" as opposed to "Coach Alexander."

It's a small thing, but it matters.

Throughout the tournament, the on-air types -- and much more often it's the folks on site rather than those in the studio -- practice a too chummy, familiar tone. At its core the games are games, and they should be fun, but the result is an all-in-this-together approach, as opposed to anything that seems like just generally balanced or open-ended coverage.

Experienced, Proven Experts Ready for ESPN

2013-03-17T15:23:00.002-04:00

Never mind the regulars who work all season long on ESPN, ESPN Radio and other platforms for the all-sports behemoth, the two most important voices on Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament might come for part timers.

All college basketball fans already appreciate the work of Joe Lunardi, the college basketball aficionado who has made the tournament his own in much the same way Mel Kiper Jr. has taken ownership of the NFL Draft through the years. Although Lunardi has not parlayed his expertise into the financial security ad year-round presence of Kiper, he's no less an expert.

And while Lunardi maintains his regular job as assistant vice president for marketing and communications at St. Joseph's University he rarely misses when predicting the tournament field because he understands the selection process quite well.

Still, ESPN has added someone even more versed in the workings of the tournament selection committee this year: Greg Shaheen, the former NCAA executive vice president for championships and alliances. He worked closely with the selection committee during his 11-year tenure from 2001-12.

The beauty and value Lunardi and Shaheen should provide for viewers comes with a start-to-finish perspective. While Lunardi points out who's likely in the field and who's not, Shaheen can share insights about the process and timing of the selection committee's work.

They both do good work and ESPN's ongoing relationship with Lunardi as well as its decision to add Shaheen show the importance of adding the right talent at the right time -- even for broadcasters.

Expressing expansion

When the tournament went from 64 to 65 teams, it grew by one team but the impact was even greater. That's certainly true with the current field of 68 teams -- thanks in large part to how the media shapes its conversation about the selection process.

For example, when Lunardi talks about the tournament, the discussion has been parsed into segments, and the segments do not add up to 68. Here are the specifics ...

-- Last Four In, that means the group that gets the field to 68

-- First Four Out, pushing the discussion to 72

-- Next Four, expanding the conversation to 76.

And, in the buildup to Selection Sunday and the announcement of the backets much more time will be spent on the Last Four In and beyond than on any other regarding the makeup of the tournament field. Sure, debates will range a little bit about top seeds and who plays were but the most vocal debate will be about who's not in and why.

Quite honestly, though (and kudos to the experts who will point this out), who cares? We're talking about teams just barely making the field when the tournament exists to crown a winner.

That's not to say a team's inability to make the field does not come without casualties. Most notably that would include coaches whose teams miss the field, Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg, for example, and Northwestern's Bill Carmody just this week.

Many Big Decisions Remain for Fox Sports 1

2013-03-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

One of the worst-kept secrets in TV sports became official earlier this week with the announcement of the creation of Fox Sports 1, the latest entry into the crowded field of all-sports cable networks.

No such channel has ever been as well-positioned to succeed. By rebranding Speed Channel, FS1 will debut Aug. 17 in more than 90 million homes. That's a head start ESPN2 never had and a plateau to which CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network aspire.

In addition, FS1 has some of what matters most for success: content. Not enough, but some.

That initially includes college basketball (a likely deal with the restructured Big East basketball schools could mean extensive exposure for those schools) and football and the UFC. Coverage of Major League Baseball, NASCAR and soccer will follow.

In the world of sports networks, live events matter most. They're valuable because viewers watch rather than record, as they might with other TV programming. While viewers "time-shift" more and more content by recording and watching on their own schedule, that does not happen with sports.

Still, FS1 needs more content -- and it will work to wrestle that away from ESPN and other rights holders in the coming years. Thanks to the power and relationships of Fox Sports, FS1 might have a decent possibility to land some sort of NFL programming sooner rather than later. But, along with high-profile properties, the channel needs a lot of programming to fill 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

As a result, bigger decisions about what FS1 wants to be remain. Especially in its firsts few months and years.

With "Rush Hour," a panel discussion show to be hosted by Regis Philbin, channel leaders have already reached for a combination of entertainment and sports. They've also elected to invest in programming at a time of day -- the show will air at 5 p.m. weekdays -- that ESPN has shown can draw advertisers, eyeballs and reaction. In lieu of more games, some solid, studio shows would provide important programming during the channel's infancy.

Deciding just who hosts those shows, and how they're structured really matters, though. Imitators of "Pardon the Interruption" and "Around the Horn" have been searching for years for formats that feel just enough to be different but somehow similar enough to keep people form changing the channel.

Because of that, FS1 officials must decide soon who will become the initial faces of the channel. Without a ton of "tonnage," some personality must define and drive the channel. It probably should not be Regis Philbin. Then again, if they're differentiating, mabye it will be.

Fox Sports has plenty of options on its roster (Erin Andrews, anyone?), and will probably do as NBC Sports Network has done with Bob Costas and try to find a forum for some of existing talent to create original content and utilize that work across several different distribution platforms. In addition, some high-profile free agent signings in the next few months, or beyond, would not be a surprise.

Either way, they're important decisions, and they're magnified by the fact that FS1 needs more content -- in the form of live games -- to make easier decisions on a more regular basis. After all, it's almost always easier, and smarter, to show a live sporting event than a studio show.

For Women: Failed Kicks, Overlooked Pass Lowlights That Garner Too Much Attention

2013-03-04T08:22:00.001-05:00

All too often the media overemphasizes or overstates sports-related issues related to women or women in the media, and the past couple of weeks have provided some prime examples.

Although the best stories generate interest or resonate thanks to context and depth, stories with women in sports -- and especially those that seem to garner the most attention among national media -- get to that point with an easy, superficial approach rather than context and reporting.

With Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500, the story of her pole-qualifying run and strong race was appropriately about women's firsts. First to qualify on the pole. First to finish so high in the race itself.

Still, anything beyond that was haphazard at best. And the examples were numerous:

A story about her boyfriend who also races, and what might happen if they were racing for position during an event? Strictly gossipy stuff.
A story about her weight and any advantage being lighter might provide (even though NASCAR has rules in place to account for drivers' weight)? Somewhat serious, but still off base.
A story positioning Patrick as the face of women's sports, a champion for equality? Silly, just because that hardly seems to be Patrick's position on the matter. Especially so with her long-proven role pitching Go Daddy.

This week, former collegiate women's soccer player Luaren Silberman, who participated in a regional NFL tryout, the first woman to get such an opportunity, was the focus. Again, it was a matter of firsts, and everyone rallied around the story.

Instead of the typical handful of media members who show up for such NFL regional combines, nearly two dozen media members turned out for Silberman's tryout. Although she herself seemingly diminished the effort by talking about what might come from it beyond football (and that was before it happened, so you have to wonder about the ultimate goal), the tryout flop proved the media's inability to find context or truth beforehand.

Honestly, when she exits the tryout after two kickoff attempts, the best of which reached four yards beyond midfield, the abundance of hype only seems to damage the efforts of women in sports.

Some media members know that, but they are among the minority. For example, NFL Network Aditi Kinkhabwala seemed to indicate her impatience with the process on Twitter during the tryout.

Instead, though, some women's media standouts and women's rights champions, notably Christine Brennan, stand behind any such effort. In this case, Silberman also was positioned as a pioneer and while the tryout opportunity was nice, she was hardly in a position to make an impact. For the media to advance the story beyond that, without context and without real reporting, borders on irresponsible.

At the same time, more important stories about women in sports and sports media have been overlooked or diminished.

Also at the Daytona 500, rapper 50 Cent tried (repeatedly and eventually successfully) to kiss reporter Erin Andrews on pit road before the race. While some national media types thought the TV moment was an unscripted highlight of the broadcast, it was really an affront to Andrews. It also diminishes the value and work of all sideline reporters, and especially those who are women because it objectifies their role.

Without an outcry about the moment, which had to be viewed by many more people than watch a regular season college football game or many other events when female sideline reporters get airtime, it becomes an acceptable approach. And it's not.

Meanwhile, all three of those stories get more attention than than the much-more-important move by Lesley Visser. According to a report by SI.com, Visser will move from duties as a sideline reporter to enterprise and features work for CBS Sports.

An on-air pioneer for women in sports broadcasting, Visser started her career at the Boston Globe and later moved to TV. She has worked for CBS Sports, ABC and ESPN. She has covered the NBA, NFL, college football, horse racing and the Olympics while earning accolades from her peers as well as fans and viewers. When we find things to focus on, the accomplishments of Visser, and the legacy she leaves as well as the doors she opened, are much more important than a former soccer player trying a pair of kicks at a camp full of NFL hopefuls.

Debating Danica's Importance, Role a Good Thing

2013-02-22T12:58:00.001-05:00

Driver Danica Patrick, better known for her relationship with sponsor Go Daddy than for her accomplishments on the racetrack, starts from the pole Sunday during the Daytona 500.

It's a big deal, one that has gotten both NASCAR and Patrick and abundance of media attention since she sealed the top spot with her qualifying run last Sunday. Her accomplishment has been the focus of generally breathless, first-woman-ever, momentum-changing-moment-for-the-gender coverage.

That's just part of the story, though. It's also interesting to look and those telling the story ... and those not.

Patrick's success in NASCAR has been limited at best, and during her open-wheel racing career the high points were leading the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 (a first for a female driver) and finishing third in 2009. Yes, she won a race in Japan, but the Indy 500 efforts invariably get more notice.

In addition, the pole position for the Daytona 500 means little. In 54 previous races, just nine drivers have won after starting from the first spot.

Those facts and pervious performances should not take way from Patrick's accomplishment, though. She turned the fastest qualifying effort and deserves the spot. Drivers prove themselves on the track, and that's what she's done in this instance. Plus, few drivers jump into the Sprint Cup Series and make an immediate impact.

Still, the accompanying, mostly fawning, media attention for Patrick this week has been dizzying -- exploding well beyond the usually yawning response for most Daytona 500 pole winners. As a result, she has been positioned as a champion for women's sports, and a role model for young sports fans, for girls in general and for anyone who has ever been overlooked and undervalued.

While those might be interesting storylines, they're probably incorrect in her case.

Because of her looks and ability (although it's certainly weighted more in favor of the former than the later), Patrick has had opportunities to race on a regular basis during her career. Her success rate in open-wheel racing would've made it hard to continually find sponsors had she not been the Go Daddy girl. Still, she always had a ride.

Even in NASCAR this year, Patrick's team has its sponsorships set for the entire season -- something Hendrick Motorsports has not been able to do for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been voted NASCAR's most popular driver 10 years in a row and has 19 career victories and more than $74 million in career earnings.

Patrick might be the face of an up-and-coming, well-funded racer, but it seems abrupt -- like an unexpected right turn while going 190 miles an hour at Daytona International Speedway -- for her to become the face of women's sports.

After all, many perceive her in a style-over-substance manner, auto racing's version of Anna Kournikova. While Patrick has battled that stereotype throughout her career and some might find it unfair because she has worked hard to improve as a racer, critics will either proclaim that standing criticism or whisper it (depending on who they are and the forum they have) until Patrick finds victory lane.

At the same time, it's not as if all others who champion the cause of women's sports have formed a consensus of support behind Patrick. For example, while ABC News was airing a segment on "World News Tonight" about Patrick to start the week and ESPN.com has had the Daytona 500 and Patrick featured prominently online all week, sources such as espnW have been silent by comparison.

Although ESPN's women's focused outlet champions many causes and competitors, Patrick has not been one of them. Perhaps that group best of all understands how incongruent it seems to have the woman who has spent much of her career building her image on semi-sexy Super Bowl commercials to all of a sudden become the face of women's competition.

For all she is, and all she might become, Patrick is not Billy Jean King for a new generation -- and some members of the media seem to get that. At the same time, some media members want to chastise those who do not jump on Patrick's NASCAR bandwagon. And others simply want to hype a story that seems different.

Olympic Decision Overlooks TV Impact

2013-02-12T20:05:00.001-05:00

So much for TV's all-powerful, decision-driving role in sports.

A decision by the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee ousted wrestling from the 2020 Summer Games based more on politics than anything else.

The Olympics, always driven by political motives and especially so in regard to decision making at the international level, decided to keep modern pentathlon instead of wrestling -- at least in part because of the lobbying of Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the son of the former IOC president and the vice president of the governing body for modern pentathlon. Junior also serves on the executive committee that made the decision to pin wrestling.

In viewership alone were considered, though, the decision would merit a reversal.

According to The Associated Press, citing global TV numbers, wrestling pulled an average of 23 million viewers and a maximum of 58.5 million during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. At the same time, modern pentathlon averaged 12.5 million viewers, with a maximum of 33.5 million.

Report: Lee, 'OTL' Provide Balance on Paterno

2013-02-10T18:56:00.003-05:00

Some supporters of Penn State and former football Joe Paterno have complained about bias by ESPN and other news organizations since the Jerry Sandusky scandal first broke in November 2011.

Those folks believe, and in some cases rightfully, that the media failed in its job while covering the scandal -- easily following hype without much balance in their reports. It was a rush to judgement, they have said loudly and repeatedly, and the media played a major role.

At the same time, some fans and news consumers continually generalize about the media, including ESPN. They see one report, or more than a handful in this case, where a news organization offers negative information about something they feel differently about and they believe that means the organization is biased. The possibility that the organization is just doing its job never becomes a consideration.

As a result, any opportunity for gray areas, nuance or perspective is lost. Only yes and no, right and wrong, them and us remain. For many supporters of the late Penn State coach, that has been the case with ESPN for the past 15 months.

With that backdrop, it was interesting that the Paterno family worked with ESPN's "Outside the Lines" to reveal their own report, which can be found at Paterno.com online, Sunday. Perhaps the family, in its dealings, had a different perspective. Or perhaps they felt the best outlet for sports journalism on TV, "Outside the Lines," was just the proper place for their side of the story to get its first airing.

Not surprisingly, the family-issued report finds abundant flaws with the Freeh Report, which was commissioned by the Penn State board of trustees and subsequently became the basis for the NCAA's historic punishment of the university's athletic program. Along with a record fine and scholarship reduction, that report led the NCAA to impugn Paterno's legacy and strip him of 111 coaching victories.

With veteran sports journalist Bob Ley at the helm Sunday, "OTL" provided a forum and perspective for the Paterno family's formal rebuttal to the situation.

To his credit, Ley allowed room for the Paterno family's advisers and investigators to state their case while asking appropriate, balanced questions about their efforts and ultimate goals. The responses were a mix of generalities (a query about legal eventual action was nicely sidestepped) and somewhat specifics specifics (as a member of Team Paterno said the person at fault should be Jerry Sandusky, not Penn State or other individuals).

Overall, the report offered no smoking guns or surprise answers, just an elongated and formal response that had been months in the making -- proving experts such as Dick Thornburgh, a former U.S. attorney general and governor of Pennsylvania, the opportunity to reach the same conclusion that many laypeople had formulated months earlier.

Thanks largely to Ley, the coverage on 'OTL' was balanced and fair. It's only the beginning of another wave of action and reaction in the emotionally charged ongoing story, but -- from a media perspective, at least how it does its job, not the sure-fire reaction -- it was done well.

Memorable Super Bowl Plays Just OK on TV

2013-02-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

Cameras captured every important moment of Super Bowl XLVII -- from the emotion of the coaches and players to the darkened Superdome lights during a 34-minute delay and even replays of every potentially controversial play (there was only one that was even challenged, and the decision was correct and obvious) -- but there was still something missing from the broadcast.

CBS Sports missed regularly with necessary context and, worst of all, with any sense of importance, timeliness or urgency.

As far as game broadcasts, the effort was solid. In general, that's a good thing because the broadcast did not take attention from the game itself.

Still, beyond the pictures -- and the production staff caught every important and necessary shot -- the broadcast never really reached a Super Bowl level.

In the end, sideline reporter Steve Tasker emerged as the breakout star of the game, with as-newsy-as-possible updates during the blackout. With CBS limited to just 11 of its 62 cameras during the blackout, Tasker rose to the occasion sharing what news their was about the situation and providing perspective from the field.

He shared what he knew, did not speculate and shone as a result. While other on-air types offered lame humor (said play-by-play man Jim Nantz to Phil Simms when they finally returned to air, "Let us know the next time you plan to plug in your cell phone") or sophomoric silliness (it seemed everyone wanted to talk about either Beyoncé or the Ravens shutting down the power in the stadium), Tasker stood out because he did his job.

Luckily for viewers, it was Tasker and his cameraman, not Solomon Wilcots or Tracy Wolfson, who the production crew went to first and foremost. It was a good decision.

From a direction and production standpoint, the broadcast featured the just-right storytelling shots of everything from the 49ers' offensive alignment on the first play of the game (which drew a penalty) and the on-field emotions throughout the game to players biding time during the blackout and the 49ers' final offensive play of the day (which did not draw a penalty).

In terms of content and context, Simms talked too much, and about things that did not matter or where he was just plain wrong -- and it started on that first play of the game, when the 49ers completed a big pass play but were whistled for an illegal formation.

"I saw that and said that's an illegal formation," Simms told viewers after the play. Well, if he saw it and said it, he did both to himself. Pointing it out after the fact misses the point, and saying you saw it after you never really said you saw it just compounds the problem.

That was an early example of where the Super Bowl broadcast, like so many others in sports, falters because someone (anyone please) does not encourage the on-air types to react to what viewers actually see on the screen. If they do so, it comes up late and sounds wanting.

CBS did it again when Ravens safety Ed Reed was injured. He clearly came up limping while defending a pass and the action was caught on camera, but nobody made mention of it until Reed was off the field.

Then, viewers saw him leaving the field and minutes later, Wilcots provided a no-information update that Reed had left the field and was being treated for an injury. Really? Viewers should expect more than what they already know -- and someone should help put the talent in a better position to succeed, or at least to prevent them from sharing the obvious.

For Nantz and Simms, the broadcast had a regular-season feel simply because they treated it as such. There were too many references to things "we" (that'd be Nantz and Simms) had seen earlier in the season or earlier in the playoffs, but the fact is that a normal playoff game draws some 20 million viewers and the Super Bowl 100 million. So the audience was probably unfamiliar with what they were talking about and a little more context would've helped.

Even for football-focused fans, things such as an early first-down pass to Baltimore fullback Vonta Leach seemed different on the first play from scrimmage for the Ravens, and the broadcast would've been stronger if viewers could have been told, for example, how many times Leach had caught a first-down pass this season. With just 27 receptions all season entering the game, you get a sense it was a relatively small number that could point to part of Baltimore's game plan.

Similarly, the chippy play and emotion of the game were obvious, but never referenced by Nantz and Simms or reigned in by officials ... until a skirmish led to offsetting penalties in the second quarter.

Nantz and Simms offered appropriate priase of the Ravens' offensive line and Simms was similarly spot-on about 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick never throwing a pass until he sees a receiver open, as opposed to before a receiver makes his break during a pass pattern. That was good information that helped viewers, and was repeatedly obvious as the game progressed.

Still, such things were the exception rather than the rule.

Great pictures of Ravens coach John Harbaugh on the sideline with his daughters before the game and during the blackout were accompanied by ... nothing. Similarly strong shots of Harbaugh (often less emotional than his brother Jim, the 49ers' coach) ranting at an NFL official during the blackout were accompanied by ... nothing. No context in either situation. That's a mistake, in both instances.

The blackout news itself never resulted in any on-air interview or input from an NFL official. Granted, those folks were probably busy, but CBS did not press enough to make it happen ... because it never happened.

At the end, Simms bookended the broadcast with indecision -- never a good thing for an analyst. On Kaepernick's pass into the end zone, intended for Michael Crabtree, the analyst was without an opinion.

"The more angles I see the more confused I get," he said. "It's hard to throw a flag in that situation."

To his credit, Nantz correctly raised the possibility of a Ravens safety to end their subsequent possession, even though Simms dismissed the possibility of such an approach. Of course, Simms was wrong.

Super shorts
-- Kudos to CBS production types for digging up that aerial footage of the power outage that impacted the Monday night game between the 49ers and Steelers from 2011.

-- Former coach Bill Cowher was the only one member of the CBS Sports studio team picked the Ravens to win, citing, at least in part, fate, so the power outage storyline played nicely to his logic.

-- The blackout probably helped drive a record for social comments about the game. According to Blue Fin Labs, an analytics company that connects advertisers, agencies and networks to real-time audiences, the game eclipsed the record of 12.2 million social media mentions set last year.

-- The NFL should examine its approach to televising kickoffs. For years it seems, the play has been under attack by the competition committee and league to make it either more entertaining or more safe, and with a record-tying kickoff return for a touchdown in the game the play certainly has an important role. Still, the process of commercial-kickoff-commercial needs to be examined in terms of the structure of broadcasts. It's just not an approach that's friendly for viewers.

About the ads
First, some math ... Bud Light > Black Crown. But, neither equals Budweiser and the Clydesdales.

As expected, humor scored (for Doritos and Taco Bell) and emotion proved powerful late in the game, with longer-form efforts by Dodge (farmers, Paul Harvey voiceover) and Jeep (Wounded Warrior Project, Oprah) touching a chord.

Still, ads in the first half rated higher in general than those later in the game, according to USA Today's AdMeter.

And a few ads that aired just before the game (giving advertisers good exposure but not at the same expense) were entertaining. That included efforts by Freecreditscore.com, Wheat Thins and Volkswagen.

A Trio of Pre-Game Super Bowl Media Winners

2013-02-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

After two weeks of hype and with a full working day until kickoff for the Super Bowl -- when the commercials take center stage for many and CBS Sports focuses 62 cameras on the game action -- a small handful of sports media winners have emerged.

Even with hundreds of media members working to inform listeners and viewer, not much news emerges during the buildup for the game and one network's coverage invariable looks and sounds just like that of another. Still, there have been a handful of standouts.

Here's my short list:

"Mike and Mike in the Morning," thanks in large part to the show's standout production staff which landed Packers receiver Donald Driver as a guest in the middle of the week. With relatively nudging from the show's hosts, the veteran wideout announced his retirement. It was the biggest unstaged moment leading up to the Super Bowl. While Randy Moss's me-first moment, declaring himself the best receiver ever, made headlines, that was part of Media Day, when somebody always says something. Likewise, the NFL's made-for-TV "NFL Honors" revealed winners of season-long awards.
Rich Eisen, the host of record and face of NFL Network. His interview with NFL commissioner after the commish's state-of-the-league address was timely and touched on topics that needed clarified or were missed during the news conference itself. Plus, Eisen's absence during the Hall of Fame announcement Saturday evening made the even seem a little less special because the NFL Network's top host was missing.
Rachel Nichols, who made the move to CNN and got a chance to co-host a show on site in New Orleans on Saturday. Many who leave ESPN for supposedly greener pastures do so with success, and others fail. For Nichols, bringing a sports presence to CNN could be a valuably visible experience.

Super Bowl Week Really Begins with Media Day, When NFL Network Adds PR Insider to Its Team

2013-01-28T21:50:00.001-05:00

Team arrivals have been chronicled and the initial news conferences have been completed.

Sports-talk radio shows broadcast all day long Monday from New Orleans -- with ESPN and CBS Sports Radio Network housed in separate areas while some smaller networks and stations from across the country made their home at a sparse Radio Row.

Business picks up Tuesday, though. That's when the teams, media members covering the Super Bowl and the usual mix of the unusual takes center stage for Media Day.

While the on-field sessions for coaches and players have been somewhat unproductive for working media members for years, the circus-like atmosphere works for the NFL because it makes news and provides a spectacle. It even attracts a crowd, with the general public again having access to watch from the stands this year.

Longtime NFL reporters might complain about the process, but they'll be there. They'll be joined by small pools or reporters (among them many from network TV affiliates across the country making the trek to New Orleans just for the week, especially Media Day). Of course, they'll be joined by correspondents from late-night television shows and reporters from across the world. All told during Super Bowl week, from the days leading up to the game to the game itself, the league will issue more than 5,200 media credentials.

So, Tuesday kicks things into high gear for news organizations of any size and whatever focus.

Not surprisingly, NFL Network plans four-and-a-half hours of live coverage, including what might be a sports TV first -- an NFL PR pro's perspective on Media Day and the week leading up to the game.

NFL Network has added Rich Dalyrmple, the Dallas Cowboys' vice president of public relations/communications, who has more than 20 years of experience, to its on-air team for the day to provide analysis and insight into what the public relations staffs, coaches and players are facing during the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

Amid the loud mess of media madness that happens on Media Day, the move to add the accomplished and respected Dalyrmple might get overlooked, and he might not get a lot of airtime. Still, he should provide in interesting and welcome behind-the-scenes perspective.

It's a nice move that will not take away from NFL Network's proven Media Day process that includes hosts Rich Eisen and Melissa Stark, along with Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp and roving reporter Deion Sanders.

Super Bowl Week 1 Offers Usually Unusual News

2013-01-23T22:49:00.004-05:00

Some people think it's too much. Two weeks. Fourteen days. And dozens of football-related stories about the NFL and the Super Bowl but not really about the game itself.

That's how media members pass the time while coaches and players involved in the Feb. 3 game finalize their ticket requests and handle travel plans to New Orleans.

All that blather, all that anything-but-the-game focus seems too much for some people.

Not for me.

Already this week we've had ...

a he said-he said soap opera about a Super Bowl from 10 years ago, when both Tim Brown and Jerry Rice accused then-Raiders coach Bill Callahan of sabotaging the team's game plan against the Buccaneers;
the reinstatement of New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, two weeks sooner than many expected and enabling him to do his job evaluating talent at the Senior Bowl;
an update on the post-career plans of just-retired tight end Tony Gonzalez;
a hopeful (depending on who relayed it) story about failed No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell hoping to rekindle his NFL career; and
the NFL issuing a $10,000 fine to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his legs up slide during the AFC Championship Game.

It's a mix of stories that shows the breadth and depth of the NFL on a daily basis. With 32 teams, hundreds of current and former players and all kinds of on- and off-field stories developing at any time, the NFL drives the sports news cycle every day -- from the meaningful to the mundane.

During what remains of these two weeks, the NFL gets the kind of attention it deserves. Perhaps not because it has always earned that attention, but certainly because people want to know what's happening. They're interested in those stories and media members are doing their jobs.

Because of that, these two weeks of NFL coverage are always enjoyable -- a trip that mixes the planned and staged with the unexpected and unpredictable. This first week usually produces most of the things nobody expected. Next week, we get the paint-by-the-numbers predictability, from Media Day to Radio Row silliness and even Hall of Fame voting.

Sure, two weeks can be a long time. But it's not too much time.

Not All of Best Teams Remain in NFL Playoffs

2013-01-10T21:25:00.003-05:00

While the eight teams alive entering this weekend's Divisional Playoffs represent the best the NFL has to offer on the field, the same might not be true of all the broadcast pairings at this point of the season.

Six games remain in the the NFL season -- four this weekend, two next and, of course, the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. One broadcast tandem, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms of CBS Sports, will cover half of those games.

They might be, at best, the second-best broadcast team remaining in the playoffs, though. And the NFL's two best color commentators will not draw another assignment this season.

Here's the weekend lineup:

Saturday

Baltimore at Denver (4:30 p.m., CBS) / Greg Gumbel-Dan Dierdorf
Green Bay at San Francisco (8 p.m., Fox) / Joe Buck-Troy Aikman

Sunday

Seattle at Atlanta (1 p.m., Fox) / Thom Brennaman-Brian Billick
Houston at New England (4:30 p.m., CBS) / Jim Nantz-Phil Simms

All four TV tandems have strengths, with the Brennaman-Billick duo deservedly getting its first playoff assignment. And you could make a fairly strong case that that team is better than Nantz-Simms.

Overall, the four play-by-play men are solid pros who avoid hype and keep game broadcasts moving. Of the four, Buck's the best with Brennaman next and Nantz and Gumble behind them on my personal list.

Among the color commentators, an alphabetical list summarizes what they bring on gameday. That means top to bottom it's Aikman, Billick, Diedorf and Simms. As Billick, the former Baltimore Ravens coach, has toned down his smartest-man-in-the-room routine, his work has steadily improved.

Still, NFL fans will miss Chris Collinsworth and Mike Mayock of NBC Sports during the most important games of the season. Collinsworth is the best in the league at what he does, and Mayock is not far behind. They're always prepared, and both have opinions based on reporting and research. They do not just rant.

Next week, Buck-Aikman and Nantz-Simms get the conference championship game assignments, and Nantz-Simms will complete the season at the Super Bowl.

After 14 standout years as quarterback for the New York Giants, including an MVP performance in Super Bowl XXI, Simms has been the lead color commentator for CBS Sports' coverage of the NFL since 1998 and this season's assignment will mark his seventh Super Bowl assignment. (It's his fifth with CBS after working two for NBC Sports earlier in his career.) Still, his penchant for not offering an opinion or waffling sometimes offsets his wonderful experience and knowledge.

Appropriate Moves Start the Year for ESPN

2013-01-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

Two personnel decisions by ESPN that became public Tuesday were the right moves for the individuals and for the network.

ESPN offered an apology for Brent Musburger's over-the-top comments about a female fan in the stands during the BCS National Championship Game. The network also refused to renew the contract of commentator Rob Parker for inappropriate comments he made in mid-December that prompted a suspension.

With 26 million viewers watching Alabama pummel Notre Dame, many more people heard Musburger's comments. And they were hard to miss because they simply should not have been part of the broadcast.

While ESPN had planned on mentioning Katherine Webb, the girlfriend of Alabama QB AJ McCarron and the reigning Miss Alabama, Musburger sounded more like a dirty old man than a veteran play-by-play talent with his comments. Color commentator Kirk Herbstreit chimed in a bit, but not nearly as much as Musburger.

To ESPN's credit, production personnel on site knew what was happening right away. According to a report in The New York Times, ESPN's executive vice president of production, John Wildhack, quickly told Musburger through his earpiece to "move on."

Social media reaction was swift and steady, though. Everyone heard, and they all thought the opinions that had nothing to do with the game were wrong.

Appropriately, ESPN offered a statement about the topic Tuesday: "We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly et that test. However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that."

Perhaps the brouhaha and resulting statement might help remind on-air game talent, at least in some small way, to stay focused on the action on the field in the future.

Also appropriately, if overdue, ESPN confirmed Tuesday that it would not renew Parker's contract. The commentator was suspended in December for comments he made on "First Take" in which he questioned the "blackness" of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

ESPN said Parker's contract expired at the end of the year and after the network evaluated its needs and Parker's work -- including the RG III comments -- a decision was made not to renew Parker's contract.

The "First Take" episode where Parker went analytically out of bounds aired Dec. 13. Although Parker issued an apology on Twitter a few days after the show, what was a 30-day suspension by ESPN simply was not enough. To its credit, ESPN listened to the reaction from viewers and made the separation between the parties permanent.

Of course, to its discredit, it's the format of "First Take" in particular -- and too many ESPN shows in general -- that encourage debate and ranting over content, context and conversation. In this instance, though, Parker went overboard.

While "First Take" regulars Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith get attention for their loud and firm opinions, they seem to have perfected an ability (thanks in large part to their ability to draw daytime ratings) to stop without going too far. Sure, they bother and even offend some people, and have done so repeatedly, but they have done a better job in recent months to keep from overstepping the bounds of rational discussion.

Unfortunately for Parker, he did not get it -- and still does not. During an TV interview in Detroit that aired Sunday, he said his comments were taken out of context and that he was shocked by the reaction to his comments.
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While ESPN officials said Parker's TV interview was unrelated to its action, it's OK if that had been part of the decision. Without it, if that's true, the move to part company made sense. With it, the move made even more sense.

If ESPN repeated the action it took in both instances with all other matters of the same ilk as it moves forward, it would be a step toward enhanced on air products and increased respect and trust from viewers.

Highs and Lows (2012) and A Look Ahead (2013)

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In 2012, another sports network officially came to life -- with the launch of NBC Sports Network (rebranded from Versus) on Jan. 2 -- and the year produced many moments when on-air and production types shone during game coverage and related programming.

Of course, there were moments when those same folks were out to lunch as well. One of the most noticeable came during ESPN's coverage of the Notre Dame-USC football game when Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, as well as two sideline reporters and their supporting production personnel, missed the on-field action when Irish QB Everett Golson lost his helmet and was forced to leave the game or one play.

Without that perspective, the on-air team speculated about irrelevant penalties and unrelated game strategy, neither of which served the viewers who knew more by simply watching what was on the screen.

As usual, it was year filled with that mix of highs and lows. Some of my favorites follow, as well as a quick look ahead at 2013.

Best Studio Show
"College GameDay" -- On Saturday mornings, this show sets the stage for all of the day's college football action, and it does so in an engaging and informative manner. Its weekly on-campus location provides unparalleled atmosphere, as well as the backdrop for some schtick. Still, the show invariably rises above the silly and delivers information, insights and news.

While TNT's NBA studio show comes close, thriving in its own right on the strengths of opinions and personalities, "College GameDay" remains the standard for which all other studio shows should strive.

Best Studio Host
Chris Fowler, ESPN -- The best studio show rests squarely on the shoulders of the best host. Fowler knows college football and always keeps the show on track, across conferences, across newsworthy and across the country. He keeps things comfortable for viewers and his partners, but he's clearly in control.

Close behind would be Ernie Johnson of TNT, in large part because of his ability to keep a show that features Charles Barkley on task but mostly because Johnson is very good at what he does.

Best Play-by-Play Team
Mike Breen/Jeff Van Gundy, ESPN/ABC -- Engaging and entertaining, steady and solid, a true team. Breen never misses the nuts-and-bolts action while offering appropriate moments for Van Gundy to share his expertise and options. They play well together, and play well on TV as a result. They're serious about their work and also provide appropriately lighthearted moments as well.

Many others teams are close, but none are as good.

Best Play-by-Play Man
Joe Buck, Fox Sports -- He's their top guy for baseball and football, and he deserves that spot in both instances. He's simply a pro who relates game action well and allows his color commentators to do their jobs. The few moments when he does not do that, and imposes his own opinion on broadcasts, represent the only glaring downside to his work.

Best Color Commentator
Chris Collinsworth, NBC Sports -- Always prepared and always opinionated, the two best possible traits of a color commentator. He knows what he's talking about and he's not afraid to tell viewers why. Too often, people in his seat offer silliness or the same-old tired approach. That's just not the case with Collinsworth. He makes play-by-play man Al Michaels better, and he always keeps the viewers in mind.

Best Sideline Reporter
Tom Rinaldi, ESPN/ABC and Doris Burke, EPSN/ABC -- In a world of the over-blonde and under-talented, these two stand out because they act and look different. They're serious reporters who share provide context and information, knowing all the while that the show and the segment of the show on which they appear is not about them. Viewers appreciate that approach and the resulting work.

Best Insider/Expert
Peter King, NBC Sports/Sports Illustrated -- During his comparatively brief TV time on Sunday nights as part of "Football Night in America," King shares good, timely information. Like all the best insiders, though, he sets himself apart by contributing to numerous outlets on various platforms, always sharing the kind of information readers/listerners/viewers want and often cannot get anywhere else. His connections seem ot set him apart.

Newcomer of the Year
Adnan Virk, ESPN/ABC -- With several radio hosts, most notably Doug Gottlieb, leaving ESPN Radio for other opportunities, depth could be a slight concern for ESPN Radio moving forward. Plenty of talent exists, it's just not easy for someone who move into a role and quickly make a connection or prove themselves. Virk did that well when filling in for Mike Greenberg on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" and got additional airtime throughout the year. The Canadian-born talent started as a host on ESPNNEWS and seems set for bigger and bigger roles in coming years.

Comeback Talent of the Year
Joe Buck, Fox Sports -- OK, he never really left but after a virus in the laryngeal nerve of his left vocal cord hampered him (and almost ended his career) in 2011, Buck recovered and returned to his usual high level of performance.

Where Have You Gone Award
Erin Andrews, Fox Sports -- Hired as host spot on the network's mostly overlooked college football studio show on Saturday nights, Andrews might not have been seen by any fewer viewers than she was in her role as a sideline reporter for games on ESPN/ABC, but she certainly seemed like a less important part of gamedays. Plus, she has not yet developed the gravitas to be a studio host.

TV Moment of the Year
Game-Winning Touchdown on "Monday Night Football" -- The controversial game-ending play as the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks was the final game action of the season for the NFL's replacement officials and it was something that would not have happened without TV.

The shared-possession/touchdown call itself would have been problematic for the regular officials but that was really not a primary part of the discussion after viewers saw they play and then flocked in record numbers to watch "SportsCenter" after the game ended.

TV's ability to show the play from all angles fueled debate and quickly prompted league officials to end the dispute with officials. It was a testament to the power of TV.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2013
Four things to watch for in radio/TV during the coming year.
1) The launch of CBS Sports Radio on Jan. 2 provides a challenge on another front for ESPN and ESPN Radio. With talent such as John Feinstein, Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb -- each of whom hosts consecutive three-hour shows beginning at 9 a.m. -- and important support from CBS and Cumulus Media the sports network's lineup has already supplanted ESPN offerings in some markets.

2) The need for programming for CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network as they strive to compete with ESPN will drive rights fees for live events and related programming to even higher levels. Live sports events on TV remain highly desirable programming because viewers generally do not record those events. They watch -- and that's what the fledgling networks need.

3) The launch of a network for the Southeastern Conference should provide even more revenue for programs in that conference.

4) The debut, albeit a one-time-only affair, for Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale as they work a college basketball game together.