MEDIA
SCOPE - WEEK 7
by David Hershorin
I hope
some of you were not seriously worried about the lack of MEDIA
SCOPE in this sites content. My extended tours took me through
many towns in the northeast and Canada. In Quebec, it was
virtually impossible for me to get games to watch…let
alone get online at will. So excuse my excuses and let’s
get back to the kids playing with the oblong thingy.
Saturday
– October 12, 2002
FSU vs. Miami – Noon on ABC
Commentators – Bob Griese, Brad Nessler, Lynn Swann
From a
broadcast standpoint, this game succeeded. The announcers
held the viewers with steadfast commentary up to par with
the play left on the field. Funny though, this wasn’t
the best game for this talking team. A few uncharacteristic
misses on play-by-play and color portions surprised many watching
closely. Still, these guys called the best game of the day
even on one of their worst…that speaks volumes for the
stellar quality of this and any ABC broadcast boasting these
guys.
From the
beginning graphics of “Who Scores First” (14 of
last 15 have won this battle) statistically predicting this
one, the production trucks knew just what to highlight. They
corrected Terry Bowden’s halftime faux pas (curse) when
he inaccurately said a close game favors FSU- graphics later
showed games decided by five or fewer points have all gone
to Miami…five of them. “Wide Right” replays
were predictable yet obviously poignant. The booth came together
beautifully with their behind-the-scenes counterparts at the
games crescendo moment. Griese’s quick study of the
“Wide Left” effort was replayed from the optimum
viewpoint to hammer home his keen point of how poor the snap/hold
was to help in writing this similar chapter of these teams’
saga.
My favorite
comment of the day came as FSU drove for that game ending
score that never came. When TB Greg Jones was stopped behind
the line of scrimmage, finally made to look human by the weary
Miami DL, Nessler spouted “they just lifted him up like
Joan River’s face”. Classic.
The booth’s
few misses (no props to FSU’s OL for amply managing
the Canes bionic DL until late in 4th quarter, not commenting
on FSU’s poor play calling - obviously looking to “not-lose”
instead of win) were outweighed by many more omniscient comments
than any other announcing team Saturday. Griese remained calm
and disciplined, emitting a controlled vibe throughout the
day. He sometimes forgets these attributes when he allows
the moment to excite him. Any critical nature towards these
guys from this column only reflects the knowledge that their
best game is still to be called. Give them a B+ to motivate
them toward that best game (of course they read this). The
truck earns their A with replays highlighting team play, which
is too often ignored as individual highlights usually rule.
I sure hope these guys get the Fiesta Bowl.
Texas
vs. Oklahoma – 3:30pm on ABC
Commentators: Brent Musburger, Gary Danielson, Jack Arute
Home viewers were not treated to the same quality in this
game’s broadcast. Brent & Co. did reflect the fanatical
energy level the 80,000+ generated in the seesaw first half.
Quality observations were readily seen and replayed. Even
the UCLA/Oregon game was constantly updated, providing pivotal
highlights early and often, almost creating a split-screen
effect. But this crew seemed to miss the boat on specific
angles, mainly not highlighting enough the tremendous WR/CB
battles.
Many of
the individual plays made were touched upon with close-up
replays. Yet the entire offensive and defensive schemes revolved
around these all-star match-ups (see this sites “Heavyweight
Match-Ups” in last week’s EDGE previews), their
overall importance never to be telestrated or debated. It
soon became evident we viewers were missing out on the reasons
the teams’ play calling and breakdowns revolved around
these critical areas. It was finally pointed out (well into
the 2nd quarter) how zone coverage calls were to blame for
many of the big pass plays being given up by the defenses…too
bad we never saw those replays outlining the teams’
approaches and their results. Arguably, the unfolding game
reflected the progression of the WR/CB battle(s). Texas’
CBs held on for most of the first half, but OU receivers proved
more than their Longhorn counterparts. Unlike the previous
game’s replays, telestrated breakdowns were few and
farther between.
The producers
decided to show the Penn Sate/Michigan OT ending, earning
critical acclaim. This bodes well for us at home who don’t
have ‘game day’ packages. More production decisions
of this ilk would surely enhance Joe Six-Packs Saturday watching
experience. Good job on this point at hand. It counters the
modern trend of making more games available only for those
willing to pony up big $ for the entire season package. More
for free, how novel. The B given for the production value
raises an average effort missing any major flaws. The booth’s
C+ shows how high the bar was set for this one (any other
game besides FSU/Miami and their effort garners a B).
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