Re-thinking the hiring of color commentators

[benderbender]

Personally, I'd rather have 2 color commentators and one play by play guy. That way the conversation is always going and you're not relying on a Pat Summerall for anything other than down and distance. 

[Scott7975]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

This is another thead for misplaced Collinsworth hate. What I want from a colour guy is the ability to break down a play immediately after it has happened to further my understanding of how or why it worked or failed. He does that better than any of his peers. 

 

Failing that give me pure entertainment and Matt Millen who was terrific week 2. 

 

If I never heard Troy Aikman's inane football for dummies analysis again it would not concern me and I want year 1 Tony Romo back. Not a bloke who just speaks really quickly and reeeeeeeaaaaalllllly high Jim!!! Romo was the best pre-snap and CBS clearly reigned him in. Take that away from him and he is an average announcer with an annoying voice. He is actually pretty average after the play and often says things then has to correct himself when he sees the replay. Doesn't have Collinsworth's eye.

 

Yes, bring year 1 Romo back!  

[Nextmanup]

PS:  I don't remember where I heard it, but someone recently suggested it is time for all NFL game broadcasts to include the "analytics guy" similar to how they have the "officiating guy" ready to jump in and explain complicated rulings.

 

The job of the analytics guy would be to pop in and comment on key decisions as they unfold during the game.

 

Like a HC decides to punt from his opponents 46 yard line and the analytics guy would chime in with the relevant probabilities and clarify that, according to the math, the decision to punt is wrong.  Then he would disappear again.

 

I think that would add a TON to broadcasts, though coaches around the league wouldn't like it.

Which makes me like it more.

 

 

[Mojo44]

6 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

None of us can change the fact that Collingsworth does Sunday Night Football and NBC is the only network that shows the game. My pet peeve is people who take a ridiculous stance in order to mount themselves onto an obnoxious high horse. You do you, man. Don't criticize others for wanting something better.

 

First of all it is your opinion that there is “something better“. Secondly, and again I believe you know this, if you don’t like Collingsworth turn on the radio broadcast. I’m pretty certain that all ESPN radio stations do a radio broadcast of Sunday night football. 
 

I really don’t care what you do. And I’m not even trying to be snarky. I’m expressing my opinion. And to repeat, you do have options to view the game and not listen to Collinsworth, use them or don’t use them again I really don’t care. just commenting on what I see as incessant whining about him when most of these posters do not have to listen to him. 
 

Enjoy the games this weekend. 
 

by the way, I don’t get the point of your video. Seems quite irrelevant to what we’re talking about if not a little bit immature. Again, enjoy the games this weekend. 

[LeGOATski]

3 minutes ago, Mojo44 said:

First of all it is your opinion that there is “something better“. Secondly, and again I believe you know this, if you don’t like Collingsworth turn on the radio broadcast. I’m pretty certain that all ESPN radio stations do a radio broadcast of Sunday night football. 
 

I really don’t care what you do. And I’m not even trying to be snarky. I’m expressing my opinion. And to repeat, you do have options to view the game and not listen to Collinsworth, use them or don’t use them again I really don’t care. just commenting on what I see as incessant whining about him when most of these posters do not have to listen to him. 
 

Enjoy the games this weekend. 
 

by the way, I don’t get the point of your video. Seems quite irrelevant to what we’re talking about if not a little bit immature. Again, enjoy the games this weekend. 

It's you mounting your high horse and getting kicked in the gut.

 

I thought that was pretty clear. Oh well. Enjoy playing with your radio this weekend!

[Mojo44]

3 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

It's you mounting your high horse and getting kicked in the gut.

 

I thought that was pretty clear. Oh well. Enjoy playing with your radio this weekend!

It’s not a

 

high horse and I think you know that. It’s my opinion. My “gut” remains unassailed. And I am fine with Collingsworth. I don’t need the radio. It seems like you do. I will enjoy my weekend watching the broadcast. Enjoy your incessant whining!

 

i’ll let you have the last word on this discussion.

[Saxum]

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

My biggest issue with color commentary guys is that they feel compelled to talk too much; like they get paid per word. And when you have two of them like ESPN does on Monday nights, it becomes a competition and the chatter becomes non stop. The game is interesting, but it ain’t that interesting. Sometimes less is more and ya gotta let the picture speak for you. 

 

Sometimes they talk so much BECAUSE the game is not interesting.   One team is blowing out another and announcers are trying to get viewers to not leave like the fans in the stands.

[Mr. WEO]

Still more evidence that a lot of posters are way too hung up on the audio part of the network broadcast.

 

Even so:

 

Players are fine, they occasionally add expert interpretation.

 

There probably are not 16 competent "film nerds" for TV broadcasting....

[Steptide]

When I watch football, the commentators are more or less just background noise. I enjoy Romo and a few others, but generally speaking I don't pay much attention and have learned to drowned them out. Sometimes though you get a guy who's so bad (Aquib Talib) that it's un listenable 

[Whites Bay]

I'm going to head down a tangential path.  I recognize it, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

 

I know we're talking about the in-booth broadcasters, but the in-studio hosts can drive me out of my brain.  And the one who stands out (in my mind) as the one who HAS to head to pasture is Terry Bradshaw.  I am SO done with his hee-yuk shtick, his "analysis" is three decades out of date, and - for the life of me - I can't see how Fox or the NFL thinks he's going to be relevant to anyone under 60 years old (that's me, by the way - and I can't stand him).  Those of you with children coming into the NFL viewing experience can flame me if you wish.  It escapes me why he's drawing a paycheck, but maybe Fox just wants a clown around as an eyeball magnet.  Personally, I wish they'd just go back to the experiment they had a few years back with the ultra-hot weather chick.  A much better use of 5 minutes of my life.

[Utah John]

On a related topic, this year I've noticed several games where the mix of the crowd noise along with the announcers is adjusted so the announcers are hard to hear, while the crowd noise is dominant. This has happened enough that I think it might be a deliberate choice, not to downplay the announcers, but to give viewers at home a better sense of the game experience.  Has anyone noticed this?

[RobbRiddick]

I think Miyagi would have made a great commentator.

 

Al Michaels: great play by the Bills! They might win this one!

 

Miyagi: Win, lose, not matter. They prove point

[Utah John]

Does anyone else remember reading that Cynthia Frelund, the analytics guru, was going to be at Bills games this year?  I thought that was odd, and then it doesn't seem to have materialized.

[LeGOATski]

4 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Still more evidence that a lot of posters are way too hung up on the audio part of the network broadcast.

 

Even so:

 

Players are fine, they occasionally add expert interpretation.

 

There probably are not 16 competent "film nerds" for TV broadcasting....

I don't think so, either. I highly doubt many of these "film nerds" can immediately diagnose what happened and spit out a coherent summary 10 seconds after the play occurs, along with visuals. Experience playing the game helps a lot with that. Not to say that I don't appreciate their contributions to the football fan world, but most just don't have the necessary experience or personality to be on a broadcast duo. It's a whole different thing. 

 

There are some commentators that need to be replaced, but I agree with the notion that the talent is currently in the ranks of minor league and radio broadcasts. 

 

An this is where I get all homerish and say that Eric Wood needs to be called up!

[RobbRiddick]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

This is another thead for misplaced Collinsworth hate. What I want from a colour guy is the ability to break down a play immediately after it has happened to further my understanding of how or why it worked or failed. He does that better than any of his peers. 

 

Failing that give me pure entertainment and Matt Millen who was terrific week 2. 

 

If I never heard Troy Aikman's inane football for dummies analysis again it would not concern me and I want year 1 Tony Romo back. Not a bloke who just speaks really quickly and reeeeeeeaaaaalllllly high Jim!!! Romo was the best pre-snap and CBS clearly reigned him in. Take that away from him and he is an average announcer with an annoying voice. He is actually pretty average after the play and often says things then has to correct himself when he sees the replay. Doesn't have Collinsworth's eye.

 

Millen was pure nuts this year. I loved him. An elderly uncle who turns up for a family reunion, slightly drunk and offending 90% of the people there. More of this please

[Mr. WEO]

1 minute ago, LeGOATski said:

I don't think so, either. I highly doubt many of these "film nerds" can immediately diagnose what happened and spit out a coherent summary 10 seconds after the play occurs, along with visuals. Experience playing the game helps a lot with that. Not to say that I don't appreciate their contributions to the football fan world, but most just don't have the necessary experience or personality to be on a broadcast duo. It's a whole different thing. 

 

There are some commentators that need to be replaced, but I agree with the notion that the talent is currently in the ranks of minor league and radio broadcasts. 

 

An this is where I get all homerish and say that Eric Wood needs to be called up!

 

I agree--these film guy sonly comment a day or two later after they have rewinded/pressed play a million times on each game.  They would be useless in the booth.

 

Radio call is always an alternative if a viewer simply cannot function properly while watching a game.

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

With color commentators, less is more.  Some of them talk too much and wander off into minutia and are actually a distraction when watching the game.  Having lived in different parts of the country, I've listened to a number of local radio color commentators who were beyond terrible.  A couple of them were Ron Wolfley (Cards) and Wil Wolford (Colts).  After listening to them, I appreciated the national media guys a little more.  Many of them are trying to find the right balance of contribution to keep new/less knowledgeable fans engaged without annoying knowledgeable fans.  Sadly, most of them provide too much distraction.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

5 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

I think Miyagi would have made a great commentator.

 

Al Michaels: great play by the Bills! They might win this one!

 

Miyagi: Win, lose, not matter. They prove point

[LeGOATski]

7 minutes ago, Utah John said:

Does anyone else remember reading that Cynthia Frelund, the analytics guru, was going to be at Bills games this year?  I thought that was odd, and then it doesn't seem to have materialized.

That was just a "partnership" with Frelund under the NFL's Next Gen Stats umbrella. She was only on the sideline for preseason games and has continued to do Next Gen Stats videos for the Bills.

[fasteddie]

7 minutes ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

With color commentators, less is more.  Some of them talk too much and wander off into minutia and are actually a distraction when watching the game.  Having lived in different parts of the country, I've listened to a number of local radio color commentators who were beyond terrible.  A couple of them were Ron Wolfley (Cards) and Wil Wolford (Colts).  After listening to them, I appreciated the national media guys a little more.  Many of them are trying to find the right balance of contribution to keep new/less knowledgeable fans engaged without annoying knowledgeable fans.  Sadly, most of them provide too much distraction.

Driving home from the game, I often listen to Sirius radio broadcasts of NFL games. And I agree, many are terrible at best, and homers all the time. (We gotta do this, that, other things). About the best of the bunch was the Raiders crew.