Letters to the Editor
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Kelly Holcomb?
Um, don't you mean Kerry Collins? I believe Holcomb is still in Buffalo, presumably to be Losman's backup for as long as it takes the Bills to remember how terrible he is.
Also, I'd like to take this oppurtunity to point out that I told you so with respect to Charlie Batch. Nyerrr.
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instant repaly
Let's get rid of it, this is not a video game, it's real life. And half the time when they use it, they still get it wrong, so why not just flip a coin if they have to do something about a bad call...
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let them review it anyway
I've always thought a touchdown should be reviewable even after the xtra point. If you're gonna have replay a touchdown is too important to let a stupid extra point get in the way. Without my amendmen to the rules however, I guess it's kinda like when the referree fails to acknowledge a timeout prior to running the play. Too bad for the Dolphins
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Poor Nick Saban
His throw was way too tentative. He should have studied his opponent's flag-tossing technique. When Cowher throws the flag, everyone knows it, although his chin and spit usually reach the official before the flag does.
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Re: Kelly Holcomb?
Um, don't you mean Kerry Collins?
Yes!
Crap, I wonder if that's going to be this year's mental block. Last year, or maybe the year before, it was calling Philip Rivers something else. David Rivers or something. Not even a name of someone I'd ever heard of. A few years ago I kept typing Victor when I meant Carlos Zambrano and vice versa.
This is aside from always typing hear when I mean here and vice versa, then catching myself about 95 percent of the time, leaving the mistake plenty often enough for me to look illiterate.
Thanks for the catch. It's been fixed.
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NBC looks a lot like ABC
I happen to think Costas is to Berman as James Joyce is to Soupy Sales, but does it matter that much?
Flawed analogy. You're comparing sportscaster to writer vs. sportscaster to comedian.
Better choice: "I happen to think Costas is to Shelley Berman as James Joyce is to Soupy Sales."
Now you've got something.
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Pittsburgh Steelers vs Trade Federation Droid Army
Not a big fan of the John Williams score. Sounds virtually the same as the Droid invasion on Naboo scene in Stars Wars: Phantom Menace, bar for bar.
And on a somewhat unrelated note: I know Notre Dame has an exclusive TV contract with NBC...
Notre Dame
Broadcasting
Company
(another horrible acronym by a football fan, I know)
...but at least show some clips and interviews of Penn State personnel. They have this coach named Joe Paterno. I don't know, kind of a living legend. It might ruin the continuity of Michael Bay-esque-slow motion-hero clips of Quinn and Weis but you can't hype a game focusing on just one team.
Roger Roger.
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NBC's Coverage
I agree 100% about the coverage. Say what you want about John Madden, but I could listen to the guy all day. Yes, he occasionally stumbles over himself or points out the world's most obvious football fact, but I appreciate his knowledge of the game. Al Michaels is also great as always.
The one person I didn't care for was the sideline reporter Andrea Kremer, but that's nothing new. I haven't liked an MNF on-the-field person since Melissa Stark left a few years ago. I found her... not grating exactly, but not quite soothing either. Hard to explain I guess. And while Andrea isn't great, at least she's not Tony Siragusa.
And the main aspect of the broadcast I liked was the presentation in general. No fancy nausea-cams, replays when we need it, good explanations of what's going on, etc. It was an excellent show over all.
I was a little sad to lose Monday Night Football (it's dead to me now - I can't watch the beating that is the ESPN announcing team), but Sunday Night on NBC looks to be even better than it used to be. Plus I get to see all these commercials for NBC shows between possessions. I had about forgotten they were on the air (I really can't think of the last NBC show I've watched).
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Screw Costas
He's an unctious hack. I'd rather listen to a weedwhacker. Why all the reverence for that guy? Sure, he can speak smoothly and extemporaneously (actually, I wonder how much of his blatherings are well-prepared in advance), but then again, so can I. He's a used car salesman.
You know what? Give me Madden over Costas. Costas just seems like he'd be insufferable in conversation.
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The Red Flag
I found the whole red-flag incident maddening (no pun intended). Well, not the actual incident, but that Michaels and Madden droned on and on about it for 10 minutes. I mean seriously, is it that hard of a concept? A) A referee cannot take action on a red flag if he doesn't see it. B) You can't use a red flag to challenge the throwing of a red flag. MOVE ON.
This dwelling on an obvious point while the game moves is common among announcers, but Michaels and Madden take it to a new level on a regular basis. I guess they think we're morons.
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how about the new commish?
Wasn't that a fascinating conversation between Madden and Michaels and the new commissioner, Roger Goodell? What a stiff suit. Here's the Goodell drinking game: drink every time he says "keep the game strong." He must've said it 10 times in his 3 minutes in the booth. That's his top priority AND also what he hopes is legacy will be in 20 years. Michaels did at least ask him a question about HGH, to which Goodell gave a bland canned answer that I can't remember. I wish they would've asked him about the new crackdown on celebrations by the No Fun League.
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the red flag is 13th on the list of things to be thrown at referees, eh?
I have to wonder what the first twelve are...
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The red flag
is 13th on the list of things to be thrown at referees, eh? I have to wonder what the first twelve are...
There's one person who made it to the end!
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I Challenge Your Challenge Challenging The Play Two Plays Ago
My pals and I were in hysterics as the replays showed Saban's flag clearly hitting the turf before the kick. Amidst the giggling, we speculated that as long as Saban could throw the flag again before the kick-off, he could challenge whether or not his first challenge came in time. The refs would have to consider whether or not Saban's initial toss constituted a "football move"; Whether, because of his pump fake, the toss might be actually ruled a fumble, or if not, did the "tuck rule" apply; and of course, considering the pathetic throw itself in the direction of no one, if it was actually intentional grounding.