1. When the NFL broadcasting carousel was going down in early 2022 and expertise was switching networks and touchdown monster contracts, there was plenty of discuss concerning the worth of broadcasters.
Individuals are going to look at NFL playoff video games regardless of who is looking them, so why shell out huge bucks for expertise? Even CBS play-by-play man Greg Gumbel mentioned on the SI Media Podcast {that a} broadcaster would not convey one viewer to the TV set.
Whereas followers might not tune in for the announcers, the individuals calling a soccer recreation can definitely improve or worsen your viewing expertise. Each of those instances had been on show this weekend.
For the second yr in a row, NBC’s second crew was panned throughout the board. Final yr, the article of viewers’ scorn was Drew Brees, who was calling his first NFL recreation throughout wild-card weekend. This yr, it was Al Michaels and Tony Dungy calling Chargers-Jaguars on Saturday evening who drew the ire of social media. With Jacksonville pulling off a historic comeback, viewers felt Michaels and Dungy did not have the power to match the hype of the second.
This was the primary time Michaels and Dungy referred to as a recreation collectively, so it is not stunning there was an absence of chemistry. Michaels has by no means been a screamer, and, sadly, he bought caught up in specializing in the penalty flag through the Jaguars’ game-winning kick as an alternative of the comeback win being accomplished.
The underside line with Al is that this: He did not need to go away NBC and Sunday Night time Soccer and its viewers of 20 million viewers. He bought pushed out after which needed to name a depressing schedule on a streaming service that struggled to get 10 million viewers a recreation. Then he needed to name a playoff recreation with Dungy, a man who he has by no means labored with earlier than and gave the impression to be in a coma for many of the evening.
Whereas Dungy introduced nothing to the desk, essentially the most egregious a part of NBC’s broadcast was guidelines analyst Terry McAulay defending the refs by saying a blatant false begin wasn’t a false begin.
In case you hearken to the SI Media Podcast, you have heard me say many occasions the principles analyst job is essentially the most overrated factor to ever occur in sports activities broadcasting, and McAulay confirmed why. A guidelines analyst ought to be used to elucidate complicated or little-known guidelines. They should not be used to inform us what we’re seeing with our personal eyes.
Whereas Michaels and Dungy had been the targets of social media Saturday evening, it was Romo’s flip Sunday.
In wrestling lingo, when a very good man turns into a foul man, it is referred to as a “heel flip.” I really feel like we have watched Romo do a heel flip. Followers liked him his first couple of years, and now they can not stand him.
I nonetheless suppose Romo is aware of his stuff, however he does appear to rely extra on hype than evaluation today. The fixed yells of “THIS IS THE GAME!” or “THE SEASON IS ON THE LINE HERE!” are OK in small doses, however that is not what’s taking place with Romo. I really feel like Romo tells us “why” one thing is occurring throughout a recreation loads lower than he used to.
It will’ve been good to get extra perception into why the Dolphins had been an entire mess on offense and stored getting referred to as for delay-of-game penalties.
I do not suppose Romo has regressed as a lot as critics on social media suppose he has, and I feel his enthusiasm is a plus, however I would prefer to see him give us extra perception and evaluation.
Consider, Romo was the one individual in America who, earlier than the sport, mentioned the Dolphins would hold issues shut and did not perceive why the Payments had been such a big (13 factors) favourite.
On the flip aspect of what we noticed Saturday evening and early Sunday, Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen, calling Giants-Vikings on Fox late Sunday afternoon, had been wonderful. Olsen has actually improved because the season has gone on and is so good at explaining performs in an easy and concise method.
When Olsen got here on the SI Media Podcast a couple of weeks in the past, I instructed to him that he go tougher on the refs, so it was good to see him name out the officers for the terrible roughing-the-passer name towards the Giants on the Vikings’ ultimate drive of the sport.
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, calling Ravens-Bengals, on Sunday evening had been stable, as nicely. Tirico is all the time going to offer you a very good broadcast, as a result of he is ready, however he additionally makes it appear easy.
Tirico could not have had a greater name of Sam Hubbard’s wild 98-yard fumble return landing within the fourth quarter. It was good from begin to end.
2. In case you simply learn every part I wrote above, then this clip will make sense to you and you’re going to get a kick out of it.
3. The social media wars are simply as intense because the playoff video games themselves.
4. Packers linebacker Quay Walker was fined $13,261 for pushing a Lions athletic coach throughout their recreation in Week 18.
Lions operating again Jamaal Williams was fined $18,566 for this landing celebration in the identical recreation.
Good job, NFL.
5. Nice piece right here, impressed by the well-known one-shot in Goodfellasby Kyle Brandt from CBS’s NFL Right now pregame present Sunday.
6. This week’s SI Media Podcast options an interview with ESPN’s Troy Aikman. Subjects lined embrace:
• Being on-air for Damar Hamlin’s damage
• Wild card weekend
• NFL’s quality-of-play drawback
• First yr at ESPN
• Why Tom Brady remains to be good
Following Aikman, Sal Licata from WFAN in New York be a part of me for our weekly “Traina Ideas” section. This week, we talk about the very best bets for wild-card weekend, the issue with the nationwide title recreation, a tipping dilemma and extra.
You possibly can hearken to the podcast under or obtain it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can too watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Blissful Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
You’ll want to compensate for previous editions of Traina Ideas and take a look at the Sports activities Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify gold Google. You can too observe Jimmy on Twitter, instagram and TikTok.
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