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Posted
Agree, Johnson is probably the smartest. He knew how to win ("cheat") as a coach and he knows a good team when he sees one. I remember a few years ago, when someone on the Fox crew thought the Bills would make the playoffs, he just said

"with a second-year quarterback?" (meaning JP) and you knew it would be another long year. He is the analyst I would put my money on picking games.

 

As for analysts who know theXs and Os, I'll go with Jaws.

 

By the way, I would take either guy as our next head coach.

 

We'll have to see how Jimmy feels about the Bills this year then, prick he is.

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Posted
so by HONEST - you mean that it was OK for JJ to cheat just like the Pats were doing

 

OK --I see how your logic works

What he means is that JJ and Parcells said what was already known--that this type of taping had been going on for decades and it was widely known and that no one really made a big deal about it. Years ago, Wellington Mara was asked about the problem of teams stealing signals, he said you don't need to change the system, you need to change your signals.

 

My booth would be Jaws, Collinsworth and JJ.

Posted
Blasphemy! As a reader and participant of The Stadium Wall, I believe you're supposed to hate Dierdorf.

 

Actually, I agree with you. For years, I've read TSWers blast the guy. Because of it, I've deliberately looked back at some of the recorded games with him as commentator, and tried, actually tried to find something that would make him so disliked by the readers of this forum. I can't figure it out. He seems very fair, even-handed, and has good insight into the game. There may be some things he says that you don't agree with, but do you expect to be 100% in lockstep with anyone? Why have the sound on if that's your wish? Do your own commentary!

 

It's certainly your right to dislike Dan, or anyone else for that matter, but I'm curious - what has he said that has brought such distain from the "Dierdorf haters".

 

Same thing is true in regard to Mel Kiper. Doesn't get a lot of love from youse guys. Granted, he's not very charismatic and doesn't have that instant likeability factor that TV holds so dear, but he's without question very knowledgeable about college prospects - at least far more than any of the rummys here who criticize him incessently. Keep in mind, even the professionals who work in their respective NFL team personnel departments have on occasion misjudged some talent. It's not an exact science, but I think Kiper has done a great job of reporting the pros and cons of prospects, and providing a viewpoint that can be enlightening and entertaining.

 

 

But the original question is a good one. Who do you like? Who in the sports commentating world is universally held in high regard? Seems everyone outside of Van Miller has been the victim of TSWs insults.

 

I think the disdain that many have/had for Dierdorf, goes back to his days on MNF. He was always bright, but he did have a tendency to "over hammer" home a point from time to time. I think Bills fans are particularly unforgiving of this, because when the Bills were in their glory days of the early 1990's, they would make 2 or 3 appearances on MNF, with Dierdorf in the booth. If you recall, as great as the Bills were doing those years, one of those MNF games, every year, seem to feature the Bills getting their ass handed to them by teams like the Steelers or Chiefs, on the road. Dierdorf is excellent at detecting weaknesses on teams, and he would find them on the Bills during those years. You have been around here a while, I am sure you realize, by now, Bills fans like to complain about the Bills, but do not appreciate it when it comes from national media types...

 

As for Kiper, I am in agreement with you. I think there is just a prevailing sentiment with everything these days, that anything that is old, is bad. As journalists become bloggers, it is easier to take un-professional pot-shots at establishment, because there are no real professional standards for bloggers... it may be a old vs young thing. What these guys write (some of it has merit) seems to be accepted as fact.

 

What the people who hate Kiper so much, don't seem to acknowledge that he almost single handedly made the NFL Draft a public sporting event. I am not that old (44), but old enough to remember the days when NFL Draft coverage consisted of looking at the transaction page of the Courier Express, or the Buffalo Evening News on Monday afternoon... Kiper is an icon... our ADD society doesn't have any use for icons. The way Kiper is used on ESPN now, being pitted against their younger draft guru, for point/counter-point segments (sorry can't remember his name at the moment) is silly, and it makes Kiper and the other guy look stupid. Really undignified television...

Posted

Chris Spielman. He is often assigned the lower profile college games but he is 1) enthusiastic, 2) knows the rules, 3) can speak to a player's performance with either praise or criticism (like the player's coach would), 4) doesn't fill the air with pointless babble, and 5) sees the entire play. This is a guy that spent ALOT of time in film study. Nothing like noticing the same little details that I saw during a play and then commenting about it to make me think highly of him. :unsure: He and McDonough did a first rate job on UB's MAC championship game.

 

Just like some coaches are best suited to the college game (I think he'd make a good one), he may not translate as well to the NFL but he'd still be better than most of the ones doing that job there now.

Posted
I like Jimmy Johnson for this reason - when news first broke of the Patriots spying, as evidenced by video tapes, and everyone was just starting to talk about it and form their opinions, everyone was saying how unbelievable it was and terrible, etc. Jimmy Johnson looked at them all and said it was not a big deal, that MOST teams did it in one form or another, that his teams did similar things, and, he pretty much told them all they were a bunch of liars for acting like it was out of nowhere and a one of a kind thing. That was on national T.V., and got little attention at the time, but was brought back up later. I like that he told it straight, even when doing so he put himself in Jeopardy of critisism. We know with him that his opinions might be right or wrong, but he's legit and HONEST, and he knows a lot about what really goes on in football.

I like Collinsworth for the same reason, he is not afraid to tell the truth and ruffle feathers. Amazingly I like Aikman too, didn't much care for him when he played but I think he does a really good job doing the color on fox. I don't like Tirico at all, he reminds me a sorority girl, i am just waiting for him to get out the pom poms. Tasker bothers me at times because he seems to try to disassociate himself from the Bills.

Posted

Jawz

 

He made a great point about Trent. That Trent holds the ball until he sees that the WR's open as opposed to reading the D and throwing the ball in anticipation of where the WR will be when he makes his "break", so that the D doesn't have time to react and recover. This also explains why TE checks down so often. I thought this was great and accurate analysis of something that TE can improve on with experience that can take his game to another level.

 

I also think Aikman does a good job analizing games.

 

Tasker seems to be too cognizant of his Buffalo ties and he has a tendency to be overly critical of the Bills.

Posted
Jawz

 

He made a great point about Trent. That Trent holds the ball until he sees that the WR's open as opposed to reading the D and throwing the ball in anticipation of where the WR will be when he makes his "break", so that the D doesn't have time to react and recover. This also explains why TE checks down so often. I thought this was great and accurate analysis of something that TE can improve on with experience that can take his game to another level.

 

I also think Aikman does a good job analizing games.

 

Tasker seems to be too cognizant of his Buffalo ties and he has a tendency to be overly critical of the Bills.

 

 

Jawz also seemed to think the Bills were in pretty good shape with Losman at the helm. His point about Edwards is valid, but it wasn't an issue early on...the more Edwards "thinks", the more likely he is to make mistakes.

 

Interesting thing, though...with Gruden coming to the MNF booth this season, it would seem that Jawz will be cast as the bafoon of the trio... I can't see Gruden playing that role...

 

Also, I agree with you on Aikman. I know I would appreciate him more, if he was paired with someone other than Joe Buck.

Posted
Blasphemy! As a reader and participant of The Stadium Wall, I believe you're supposed to hate Dierdorf.

 

Actually, I agree with you. For years, I've read TSWers blast the guy. Because of it, I've deliberately looked back at some of the recorded games with him as commentator, and tried, actually tried to find something that would make him so disliked by the readers of this forum. I can't figure it out. He seems very fair, even-handed, and has good insight into the game. There may be some things he says that you don't agree with, but do you expect to be 100% in lockstep with anyone? Why have the sound on if that's your wish? Do your own commentary!

 

It's certainly your right to dislike Dan, or anyone else for that matter, but I'm curious - what has he said that has brought such distain from the "Dierdorf haters".

 

I will tell you what I do not like about Dierdorf...to me he is lazy and still talks like all fans are idiots. I can anticipate 90% of what he is going to say, some of his rote discusiion points include"even though this drive ended in a punt, I can guarantee you that X team views that drive as a victory" (when staring a drive inside the 10 and getting a first down" . Out of 16 games, he will have at least 10 players at every position that are "one of the best, if unknown, players at his position". He will prattle on the same platitudes that he has used since the eraly 90's. Again, not that I hate him, just like it better when he is not doing the game.

 

Now, I really think Collingsworth is the best, although I like Sims as well.

Posted
I will tell you what I do not like about Dierdorf...to me he is lazy and still talks like all fans are idiots. I can anticipate 90% of what he is going to say, some of his rote discusiion points include"even though this drive ended in a punt, I can guarantee you that X team views that drive as a victory" (when staring a drive inside the 10 and getting a first down" . Out of 16 games, he will have at least 10 players at every position that are "one of the best, if unknown, players at his position". He will prattle on the same platitudes that he has used since the eraly 90's. Again, not that I hate him, just like it better when he is not doing the game.

 

Now, I really think Collingsworth is the best, although I like Sims as well.

 

 

Every game Dierdork does, he has someone headed for Canton. According to Dierdork, the HOF should be more crowded than Times Square on New Years Eve.

Posted
so by HONEST - you mean that it was OK for JJ to cheat just like the Pats were doing

 

OK --I see how your logic works

 

No, I don't think you do. His honesty, in this case, is in saying he was involved in similar things - and suggests he would have admitted it at the time he was coaching, since there weren't rules against it, and everyone assumed everyone was doing it. He admitted it without having to, considering he could've put his SB's in a bad light, too. Instead, he manned up to it. I respect that.

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