So who has the best NFL coverage now?

[Guest Felonies!]

I'm going with NBC on this one. It just feels really important. Bob Costas and the music of John Williams have that effect on me. (I'm listening to The Mission as I type this, an important post.) The only real misfires are that terrible Pink song, and the fact that nobody EVER shuts the fuck up about Jerome Bettis.

"Tiki Barber, tackled at the Giants 39 for a gain of 12. I wonder what the Bus would think of a gain like that!"

"Stay tuned for the halftime show with Bob, Cris, Sterling, AND THE BUS! Let's see what the Bus has to say about halftime!"

"And he recovers the fumble and who does he look like? HE LOOKS LIKE THE BUS!" "no it doesn't that ain't me!" "YES THAT'S IN FACT YOU THE BUS!" "nawwww" "NO SIR I INSIST HE IS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF THE BUS!"

I mean, I know he's coming off the big Super Bowl win and stuff, but wouldn't it be creepy if we averaged one Cris Collinsworth reference per minute?

 

A case for Fox: Their music is still really cool.

A case against: Joe Buck overload. Dancing football robots. Beeping clicking scoreboards. Giant fucking first down arrows superimposed on the screen. I'm not THAT much of a football novice that I need a blue and orange arrow that takes up like half the screen to tell me that the Bears are going in that direction. I always get the game that Tony Siragusa is working. ALWAYS.

 

A case for CBS: They don't really do anything wrong at all, actually.

A case against: I always get shitty AFC games like Kansas City-Denver that I only watch because I'm really bored, but that's no fault of the producers, just circumstance.

 

ESPN:

 

 

EDIT: This was supposed to be a poll.

[Black Lushus 0]

Aside from Madden on commentary, I like NBC as well.

[CanadianChris 0]

NBC, and it's not really close. CBS would be second, and that's DEFINITELY not close.

[Hawk 34 0]

I also have to include the pre-game shows as a part of this and that's where I think CBS's beats FOX and ESPN.

 

FOX used to be really good but they aren't clicking anymore and the at site gimmick to suit Buck isn't helping. ESPN has Berman and Irvin at 11 am and that's way to early to deal with those two.

 

CBS has the right amount of coverage and they don't go overboard with the banter.

 

As far as actual gametime coverage goes? NBC has quickly become the best at it and that tends to happen with a big budget and getting big names like Madden/Michaels, Collinsworth and Costas.

 

I think two loudmouth retired players was overdoing it. Sharpe was a good commentator and I'd like to see him go back into the booth. I can't stand Bettis and his routine but I think he'll figure out that he'll have to move from retired rowdy fun loving player into a legit analyst just like Charles Barkley did.

 

I don't like Costas all that much but he adds credibility to any program.

[Guest Princess Leena]

1. CBS.

2. NBC.

3. FOX.

4. ESPN on ESPN.

 

CBS has the best pre-game by miles simply because of JB.

They have the best announcers. Gumbel and Enberg are good. Nantz is also fine when he's not a smug wannabe-Costas prick. They have incredible depth, too. Even their Browns/Texans games guys like Gus Johnson and Ian Eagle do a great job.

They rarely have any silly banter or graphics.

I even like their music better than FOX's. It makes me want to tackle someone.

 

NBC has the big game feel, but much of that has to do with Madden, who doesn't make sense anymore.

I loathe the Bettis shit that Czech talks about. Ruins the show for me. Almost as bad as when FOX has Siragusa on the sidelines, and there'd be "HAR HAR Tony is a big fat guy! Let's hear him say stuff!" every series.

I want to kill Cris Collinsworth.

Pink.

 

FOX has Joe Buck talking too much, and Bradshaw remains. And on-site pre-game shows just don't work for the NFL.

Lots of wackiness.

Bill Maas.

 

ESPN is worst.

The usual ESPN hype.

Joe Theismann, who must only keep his job because everyone hates him.

Tirico has zero big game feel. I feel like I'm watching a Louisville game on Thursday. He sounds like a partying teenager when he gets excited.

Chris Berman is unlikeable in every way.

[Guest Felonies!]

Can they scrap the Pink song and just stick more John Williams in there? Is it too late? Hell, stick the Nightly News music in there, just for shits. It'll still work better. I don't understand why they'd decide to shell out the big bucks for the preeminent soundtrack composer of our time, but also shell out the big bucks for some B-level androgynous rawker to do a bad Joan Jett cover with lyrics about the teams playing.

 

On a similar note, NBC needs the NBA back, if only for the fine fine music of John Tesh. You never get the impression that ABC's heart is really in it. They showed like, what, 10 games all year? It's just like "we also happen to have the NBA now" and that's it. No "JORDAN! EWING! THE NBA ON NBC!" overpromotion, or even much promotion at all. You'd think that since it's basically ESPN (or is, now that ABC Sports is ESPN on ABC...lame as fuck) they'd really try to produce high-quality stuff, but it seems like they half-ass everything on the biggest stage.

[Black Lushus 0]

the NBA on NBC music was fantastic...God I loved watching the NBA during the 90s. I agree that it just doesn't feel right on ABC, I just can't get into it.

 

I was that same way with NWA compared to WWF...presentation just goes a long long way in getting your product over, regardless of the level of crappiness.

[Guest Felonies!]

the NBA on NBC music was fantastic

Here you go!

The_NBA_on_NBC.mp3

[Guest Felonies!]

I think the poll is there now.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I voted NBC, then remembered how jarring it is to see Pink each time. Like, the rest of the show is geared and designed towards being A GRIDIRON SHOWCASE WORTHY OF THE AGES, and then Pink shows up. CBS seems to be the only channel with the right idea, that being that the sport itself is enough to carry the show. NBC was 95% of the way there, and then the same knuckleheads who decided on WWE/ECW overlap probably said some sort of "popular music" was needed. CBS also has the only post-game show that I'll actually watch instead of going immediately to a channel that's still showing live action.

[KingPK 0]

CBS has the most low-key approach and Shannon Sharpe is by far the most tolerable "loudmouth former player" of them all because he at least brings some decent analysis once in a while. ESPN's Countdown is just four guys yelling over each other and I tired of Berman a long time ago. I rarely watch FOX because I don't really follow the NFC. NBC has gotten off to a decent start, but Sterling Sharpe brings little to the table, Bob Costas is a smarmy prick and Madden needs to retire immediately. The Pink song doesn't help.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Can they scrap the Pink song and just stick more John Williams in there?

 

I'm not sure who you're talking about, but do you mean Hank Williams Jr.?

[Hawk 34 0]

Can they scrap the Pink song and just stick more John Williams in there?

 

I'm not sure who you're talking about, but do you mean Hank Williams Jr.?

 

Don't try to correct him on music. Don't put John Williams and Hank Williams Jr in the same sentence.

 

That being said, I'll take Hank's song over Pink's mess.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't even know who John Williams is. So that was a legit question, as opposed to correcting him.

[Guest Felonies!]

Can they scrap the Pink song and just stick more John Williams in there?

 

I'm not sure who you're talking about, but do you mean Hank Williams Jr.?

No, John Williams wrote the Sunday Night Football music. He also wrote the music to Star Wars and NBC News. Watching Sunday Night Football is like a fight between Darth Vader and Tom Brokaw.

 

EDIT: Also: Indiana Jones, E.T., and Jaws. What a whore. A whore who really knows how to use leitmotif.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Thanks for clearing it up, Czech.

[Guest Felonies!]

No prob. I actually selected the NBC Nightly News as my information source of choice as a 5-year-old because The Mission was so cool.

[devo 0]

CBS, mainly because I appreciate how low-key and sharp their presentation is. NBC in second because I really dislike the opening and the whole "Rock Star" thing.

 

FOX's graphics are stupid and their announcers are annoying. ESPN doesn't do anything right.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I couldn't believe the new football robots on Fox when I saw them for the first time. Maybe they could use some more CGI effects and throw a few sparklers on the joints of the robots for even more MOVEMENT THAT ATTRACTS THE EYE AND MAKES YOU WANT TO WATCH OUR SHITTY SHITTY SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

[Craig Th 0]

My friends dad wrote the Fox theme.

 

But I am in the minority as I like ESPN's coverage.

[Just John 0]

I like CBS. The studio show is good and not overloaded with gimmicky stuff. The game announcers are solid top to bottom. I especially like Gumbel, Harlan, and Dierdorf. The screen isn't filled with unnecessary or tacky graphics. Bascially, they just don't try to be fancy, and that works a lot better than the other stations who try too hard.

[sfaJack 0]

Agreed on preferring CBS's more straightforward approach. The problem is that Fox and ESPN seem to be hellbent on attracting non-football fans to their broadcasts without realizing that the only people who are going to tune into a football game are FOOTBALL FANS.

 

Trust me, there aren't enough graphics, goofy sounds, and robots in the world to hold my fiancee's interest in a football game on TV and all you're doing by using that crap is pissing me, the guy who actually wants to watch the game, off.

[Darthtiki 0]

Tie between NBC and CBS

3. Fox

4. ESPN

 

 

I was leery about the jump to NBC but they in the most part pulled it off. Madden, yes we can all agree is on the twilight of his announcing career, luckily they got Michaels to reign him in (though it hurt Disney's NBA coverage, but as a Disney fan the fucking deal was quite cool for what they got in trade).

 

We all agree that the Bus stuff needs to stop, but it will at least be about two years or so because Bettis is coming off the SB and being freshly retired.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't like the sideline reporter, it makes me feel like I'm watching Andrea Mitchell report about Corey Dillon's injury instead of something going on at the White House. I want Melissa Stark back, even though she reminds me of Maria, or hell someone more competent.

 

Pink's song has to go, it doesn't have what Hank Williams' song had. His song, while stale now, made you know it was time for the marquee game of the week. This song is a rip off of a classic Joan Jett song done by a pop artist whose star hasn't been brightly shining since 2002 in addition she doesn't have that football feel. Her music would work better at an X-Games rip off.

 

The pregame show, while great needs an epic open that reflects the title of the show: "Football Night in America" with shots of different locales in the US with an epic John Williams piece almost reminiscent of the '84 Reagan "Morning in America" ads.

 

More John Williams....Memo to NBC-Universal: Release a cd, call it John Williams and the Peacock with the SNF music and the Mission, the olympics, etc. It will sell.

 

One last thing on NBC, I have never been to New York so maybe I am uneducated but instead of the Horse Trailer that Madden and Michaels had on ABC we have a lucite block with the player of the game's picture on it displayed on the roof of 30 Rockefeller Center, which I'm guessing most people don't get to see, except on tv and the crew who put the picture on.

 

CBS is simple and status quo, still not as it was during the heyday in the 80's-93 with Musberger, Bradshaw, Madden and Summerall, but still good. Big coup on getting James Brown who I think is the best pregame moderator right now. The selection of games are lacking at least in my market, but what can you do? Their announce crews are a bit dry, but they get the job done.

 

Fox, Bradshaw seems to be carrying the entire show, Buck should stick to baseball (even then he is nowhere near Vin Scully who is one of the benchmarks of sports broadcasting), Fox seems to update their graphics package every year or so now almost to the point that it we're gonna have playbook selection screens during the huddles by 2010. The dancing robots are quite out of place, give me the wireframe of the NFL Today 1984 instead. Still some of the best music in sports, but way overplayed.

 

ESPN, god help them all. Theismann is fucking awful since the dawn of time, Korheiser just seems bored, Trico is trying to play the straightman to two other boring personalities. Makes me long for the days of Dennis Miller. I would rather Disney write a big check to send Cody and the kids to whatever Div-IA school they wish, send Kathie-Lee a big muffin basket and bring back Frank Gifford. Roone Arledge must be spinning in his grave upon seeing what has happened to his creation.

 

NFL Network I'm not hopeful for either if it's the lesser Gumbel and Collinsworth calling the game. It would be like watching Inside the NFL lite. Less filling but just as boring.

 

Also to Fox and CBS, is it possible to give us double headers instead of one game and then like golf or a movie of the week.

 

Off topic, but god I miss the NBA on NBC

[razazteca 0]

Positive:

NBC is the best it has Madden and Michaels calling the games!

FOX with Frank doing the impressions is the funniest thing on Sunday's pregame show

CBS has JB as the main man at the studio

ESPN usually has the scoop on which players are injuried for the week

 

HATE:

NBC should of gotten Monday Night Football

FOX I really dislike the guy who replaces Joe Buck during the halftime show

CBS Shannon Sharpe is probably the worst man in the business when it comes to doing halftime highlights

ESPN Stuart Scott, Chris Berman, and the MNF people are annoying as hell

[Slayer 0]

CBS: I used to not like their straight-laced approach, but over the years I've come around on it. Adding James Brown was a big plus. Definitely the best of the four.

 

NBC: I like the staff and the approach. Michaels is still good, but Madden needs to go out on his senile ass though. I haven't had the fortune of seeing the Pink intro (due to either being busy or watching FOX), but when I first heard about it I certainly wondered, as Pink hasn't been relevant since "Lady Marmalade". Somewhat close second.

 

FOX: I've never liked their lame pseudo-sketch-comedy bits. They're only good at outsourcing their humor (Kimmell and Caliendo). Went way downhill by bringing Buck in to replace Brown, as I've never liked Buck at all. The on-site set concept works well in college football, but it's an ass concept for professional football.

 

ESPN: Czech's technical indictments are, quite frankly, the least of the concerns here. Much like MTV before it, ESPN evolved to the point where the focus of the network was the network itself, rather than the subject on which it was founded, and the presentation of the NFL (and the NBA, as Czech noted) is simply another example of this.

 

Also, Berman and Jackson are self-righteous fucks.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I had no idea JB moved to CBS. When I tuned into Week 1 and saw that Fox pre-game show, I could only take about three minutes of that shit.

 

NBC is still too early to fully judge, although I'm a Bob Costas fan. CBS is fine for what it is. ESPN, well, I don't think I need to elaborate anymore on my feelings toward this bunch.

[Precious Roy 0]

I voted NBC, then remembered how jarring it is to see Pink each time. Like, the rest of the show is geared and designed towards being A GRIDIRON SHOWCASE WORTHY OF THE AGES, and then Pink shows up. CBS seems to be the only channel with the right idea, that being that the sport itself is enough to carry the show. NBC was 95% of the way there, and then the same knuckleheads who decided on WWE/ECW overlap probably said some sort of "popular music" was needed. CBS also has the only post-game show that I'll actually watch instead of going immediately to a channel that's still showing live action.

 

This is almost word for word what I would have written, except I instantly remembered how jarring Pink is and didn't even consider voting for NBC.

 

I'm a football fan. I'm watching first and foremost for the game. Bells and whistles are nice, but they are secondary. Fox is just WAY too busy, I find it visually unappealing. And I don't like Joe Buck. NBC's game presentation is fine, but fucking Pink....it can't be stressed how bad that is. If you need a pop music opening get like fucking Kid Rock or Jay-Z or someone like that....PINK?!!!?

 

I go with CBS because it's the closest to what I want out of a football broadcast. The game comes first and is treated with respect as an athletic contest rather than some big fucking pagent. The presentation doesn't overwhelm the game. The announcers are a BIG plus for them IMO. Nantz, Gumble, Eagle, Enberg, Harlan....it's just solid across the board. I like the graphics and the music they use. Classier than the other channels. I've always liked CBS sports the best out of the big 3 networks. I wish they still had baseball.

 

Plus, I'm mainly an AFC fan, so I watch the CBS games the most.

[Guest Felonies!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt9qi3rAsto

 

This is an interesting clip. I didn't know Terry Bradshaw was at CBS before Fox took the NFC. He's not as much of a cartoon character here. It's so strange to hear announcers use normal, modulated voices. It feels like everyone on Fox is just yelling all the time.

[MrRant 0]

I hate the fact that FOX's robots are wearing Cowboy helmets... even when they aren't playing.

 

I prefer the NBC or FOX Music though. When I hear the FOX Sports theme, it does a better job of getting me into it. But, I agree with Czech on John Williams, though I like Jerry Goldsmith a bit better.

[UZI Suicide 0]

NBC is at the bottom of the list to me solely because of Cris Collinsworth. He is unbearable.

 

My favorite pre-game show is ESPN's, because it is the most entertaining. I like the weekly Kenny Mayne feature, and I like watching Michael Irvin ramble on about nothing in particular, and I think Ron Jaworski is about as good as it gets when it comes to analysts.

 

However, for the most part I really don't care who gives the best analysis because pretty much all of them spew a bunch of BS that is proven wrong every week, but it doesn't matter because by the next day everyone has forgotten about it and the cycle continues week after week.

 

CBS bores me to tears, FOX has just fallen apart without JB.

 

My favorite highlight show is NFL Gameday on the NFL Network with Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders and Steve Mariucci.