Category Archives: CBS

NBC, football fans: Thank CBS for gift of Denver-Kansas City in primetime Sunday

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If not for a gracious move by CBS, most of the country wouldn’t have seen Denver-Kansas City Sunday.

Under the flex scheduling provisions, both CBS and Fox can protect five games from their inventory. The set-up prevents the NFL from moving those attractive games to Sunday night for NBC.

Note: Technically, it is the NFL, not NBC, that elects to flex games, although you can be sure the Peacocks make their feelings known.

CBS reportedly protected both of the Denver-Kansas City games, including Sunday’s contest in Denver. However, the network doesn’t have the doubleheader window this week. Fox does with San Francisco-New Orleans.

As a result, if CBS kept this week’s big game, which was scheduled for the late window, it would have aired in a limited number of markets beyond Denver and Kansas City. Most of the country wouldn’t have seen the game.

Given the circumstances, the NFL asked CBS if it would yield its protect rights and allow the game to be moved to Sunday night. A game featuring 9-0 Kansas City against 8-1 Denver looked much better than Green Bay at the New York Giants, the previously scheduled game for NBC. Peyton trumps Eli this year–big time.

CBS agreed. For the good of the game, right?

In a statement, the network said: “After discussions with the NFL, we made a once-only accommodation so that the game can be seen by a national audience, which we could not provide during our prescheduled doubleheader weekend.”

I like the “once-only” line. In other words, NFL and NBC, don’t even think about the Dec. 1 rematch between the two teams in Kansas City.

Actually, that game couldn’t be moved since Denver will have maxed out with six prime time appearances.

The real winner obviously is NBC, which gets four bites at the Peyton apple this year. Next week, the network has Denver at New England. Both games should do huge ratings for NBC.

As for CBS, it has only four games on its schedule this week. The No. 1 crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will be in my backyard for Baltimore at Chicago. An interesting game, but not Denver-Kansas City.

So while you’re watching the big game on Sunday, remember to say thanks to CBS. NBC will.

 

 

 

Nick Saban on 60 Minutes: Armen Keteyian gets inside access to Alabama coach

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Nick Saban and Alabama get the treatment from 60 Minutes tonight. Here’s a preview.

The rundown from CBS:

The best investment the University of Alabama ever made was the hiring of a football coach who delivered a team that has won three of the last four national championships.  So says Dr. Robert Witt, chancellor of the University of Alabama about Nick Saban, who created a football dynasty in Tuscaloosa, Ala. in just a handful of years under a contract that pays him more than $5.5 million a year.  Armen Keteyian gets to see up close how Saban managed this feat, as he profiles the famous Crimson Tide coach and takes cameras into his practices and coaches meetings.  Saban’s profile will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Nov. 3(7:30PM, ET/7:00PM PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Keteyian speaks to Dr. Witt as part of his profile of Saban. The question posed to the academic head of the Alabama University system was simple. As the highest paid coach in collegiate sports, was Saban worth it?  Dr. Witt responds without hesitation, “Nick Saban is the best financial investment this university has ever made. We have made an investment that’s been returned many fold,” he tells Keteyian.

Some believe Saban has gotten the team to its lofty heights by being tough on his players. But it’s not entirely accurate, says the coach of the undefeated Crimson Tide.  “Well, I don’t know if it’s fair [to say] I am really tough on people,” says Saban.  “We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody’s got to buy into that standard or you really can’t have any team chemistry.”

If he seems to be tough on players, he’s just trying to weed out mediocrity – something there is no room for on the number-one ranked team.  “Mediocre people don’t like high-achievers and high-achievers don’t like mediocre people,” says Saban.

In a twist on the old “winning is everything” strategy, Saban pushes his players not to think of winning, but to concentrate on executing each down — a method he uses to make his team play their hearts out every play.   “The approach was to challenge the players to play every play in the game like it had a history and a life of its own…it really is the simple way to do it and it’s the best way to [win],” says the Alabama coach, whose success has earned him a statue on the university’s campus.

Keteyian and producers spent months on the story, bringing cameras to numerous practice sessions and to a youth football camp Saban runs. Keteyian also interviews Terry Saban, his wife of 42 years.

Susannah Collins scheduled for sideline reporter duty on CBS Sports Network Saturday

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Susannah Collins is back to work. She is scheduled to be a sideline reporter for the Louisiana Tech-UTEP game Saturday night on CBS Sports Network.

If you recall, Collins was fired from her job as the Blackhawks sideline reporter for Comcast Sports Net Chicago in May. An unfortunate slip of the tongue put the spotlight on racy videos she previously did for a sports site. Even though Collins never hid from doing those videos–in fact, they helped launch her career–the Blackhawks objected to her presence on the telecasts. Hence, she was gone.

The fallout was considerable, leaving Collins to rebuild her career. According to a CBS Sports Network spokesman, Saturday’s assignment is a one-time deal for now. However, there could be more, as the network hires free lancers on an as-needed basis depending on the number of games they air.

For the latest in sports media, follow me at Sherman_Report.

 

 

 

 

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Kellogg on move to studio: “It’s not my job to agree or disagree with it”

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Clark Kellogg is trying to take the high road with CBS moving him from lead game analyst to lead studio analyst for college basketball. Greg Anthony is the new lead game analyst.

However, it doesn’t take a genius to see that Kellogg isn’t happy with the move.

The former Ohio State Buckeye had these comments to Bob Baptist of  the Columbus Dispatch:

Asked if he was disappointed by the network’s decision, Kellogg said, “It’s not my job to agree or disagree with it. It’s something the bosses thought would be good for the group.

“Organizational change is inevitable. My job is to embrace it and do my best in whatever job I’ve been given.

“I’ve always felt that nobody’s indispensable. I’m a team guy. The Bible says be joyful, prayerful and thankful at all times. That’s how I try to live.”

Note: Kellogg still will be working as an analyst for some regular-season games, but he will be in the studio for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead speculated if there are more moves to come, given CBS’ partnership with Turner for the NCAA tournament.

Turner clearly had a say in Anthony replacing Kellogg, regardless of what the networks say. Anthony has been a studio analyst with NBA TV for the last few years, so Turner is extremely familiar with his work. A quick breakdown of CBS vs. Turner at the Final 4 next season:

Game: Nantz (CBS), Kerr (Turner), Anthony (Turner)
Pregame: Gumbel (CBS), Barkley (Turner), Smith (Turner), Gottlieb (CBS), Kellogg (CBS)

One source who was privy to the conversations between the two networks said Turner also prefers Marv Albert to Jim Nantz in the play-by-play spot and Ernie Johnson to Greg Gumbel in the studio. (Johnson was the studio host on TBS during last year’s tournament.)

 

 

The power of Johnny Manziel: CBS pulls highest college football rating in 23 years

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Say what you want about the kid, he sure is fun to watch.

And watch people did. CBS pulled in its largest overnight rating since Lou Holtz was trading wits with Dennis Erickson for Notre Dame-Miami.

From CBS:

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CBS Sports kicked off its 2013 SEC ON CBS college football schedule with No. 1-Alabama vs. No. 6-Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 14, earning an overnight household rating/share of 9.0/21, up 200% from last year’s 3.0/7 for its season opening broadcast (Alabama-Arkansas).

The 9.0/21 is the Network’s highest-rated afternoon regular-season college football game in 23 years (excluding the SEC Championship game) in the metered markets (10.1; Miami-Notre Dame; 10/20/1990).

The Alabama-Texas A&M game rating/share peaked at 10.2/22 from 7:00-7:15 PM, ET.

Has CBS changed its policy regarding sideline reporters for NFL games? Wolfson to work Broncos-Giants

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Last week, Tracy Wolfson worked as a sideline reporter for CBS’ coverage of the New England-Buffalo game. This week, after reporting from the sidelines for the Alabama-Texas A&M game, Wolfson will hop on a plane to work Sunday’s Denver-New York Giants game.

Is this a change in approach for CBS? The network hasn’t used sideline reporters for regular-season NFL games in recent years.

“It’ll be week to week,” Wolfson said. “If it’s a big NFL game, and there’s a reason for me to be there, we’ll make the effort to make that happen. I can get to Atlanta easily (from a Saturday SEC game). If there’s a Saints game and I’m at LSU, I can get there. If the schedule works, I think you’ll see us utilize me in that role if it is possible.

“Potentially, later on in the season, when our SEC games are over, if there’s a need for a reporter, I can fill that role as well.”

As a sideline reporter, Wolfson obviously is an advocate of CBS using her services and others for regular-season NFL games. Last April, in an interview with me, she said:

“You have access down there. You can see things that you don’t necessarily get from a PR person. In college you can hear things. You have relationships where you can get information.

“It’s great to hear from a coach. It always brings to life the emotions, especially in tight games or when upsets are happening. I think that access is huge.”

As for this weekend, Wolfson is looking forward to the biggest game in college football on Saturday followed by the biggest NFL game Sunday.

“It’s a sports fan’s dream,” Wolfson said. “Logistically, we get back from A&M in the morning. It’s a 4 p.m. start on Sunday. I live in the New York area. So it does allow me to go from one to the other.

“It’s a little challenging not to be in on those meetings on Saturday with the NFL teams. It’s also preparing for two games in the same week, which always is difficult as well. I’ll focus on both of them at the same time. I’ll cover A&M-Alabama and hopefully the airlines allow me to get there on time on Sunday.”

 

 

CBS’ McManus on glut of NFL on TV: ‘I don’t think we’ve hit saturation level yet’

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My latest column for the National Sports Journalism Center site at Indiana University is on the endless feast that the networks will be serving NFL fans this season.

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When Fox Sports swooped in with the NFL in 1994, it dared to be revolutionary by launching a 60-minute pregame show. Previously, the versions aired by CBS and NBC were 30 minutes.

An hour? Such lunacy. Who would want to watch a pregame show almost as long as the first half of a game?

The answer: Everyone.

Less than 20 years later, an hour of an NFL pregame show almost counts as clearing your throat. This year, the various networks are pushing the notion of too much football on Sundays and beyond to the extreme.

Besides the regular Sunday pregame coverage on Fox Sports, CBS, NBC,  ESPN and the NFL Network, there’s two new major offerings this year: “That Other Pregame Show,” a four-hour extravaganza on CBS Sports Network and “Fox NFL Kickoff” on the new Fox Sports 1 network.

This is all in addition to the myriad of shows that provide constant talk about all-things-NFL during the week. And that’s not including the NFL’s 24/7 own network. There’s so much out there, Richard Deitsch of MMBQ needed 3,500 words for his preview of NFL studio shows.

Is there any chance of breaking the saturation point? Or does the concept of infinite not apply to TV and the NFL?

“It’s a logical question when you ask when is too much enough?” said CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus. “The answer is, I don’t think we’ve reached the saturation level yet.”

ESPN’s Mike Tirico tried to put it in perspective.

“I would assume at this point if we added up all the hours of pregame programming with so many people doing daily shows, it might equal the hours of actual football played during the week in the NFL,” Tirico said.

Actually, there’s probably more. There’s a simple reason for this endless smorgasbord of NFL: The audience is there.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football was the highest-rated prime-time show on TV last year; ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” does the highest ratings on cable; and nothing comes close to the Super Bowl. It’s the football version of “Field of Dreams.” Show the NFL and they will watch.

“I don’t see people complaining that there’s too much NFL product on now,” said NBC Sunday Night producer Fred Gaudelli. “At some point, ratings will get involved and how much you can sell things for will be the determining factor. But with five 24-hour sports networks, I mean how can you not have room for an NFL show or two or three? So I think at some point, we hit the threshold. Where that is I have no idea.”

McManus is counting on viewers finding CBS Sports Network’s new pregame show. Initially, the network was thinking three hours.

“Our feeling was that if you could start at 10 (a.m. Eastern), you also could start it at 9 (a.m.),” McManus said.

Sure, what’s another hour or four? McManus said the network got the idea to do a regular-season show after airing special coverage on CBS Sports Network during last year’s Super Bowl.

“The Other Pregame Show,” which can be conveniently shortened to “TOPS,” will be hosted by Adam Schien and feature Amy Trask, the former Oakland Raiders CEO who will become the first woman NFL analyst on a pregame show. After talking to Trask a couple of times, she has a chance to become a breakout star in her new TV gig.

“The lesson we learned from the Super Bowl is that if you’re creative enough and have some good panelists, you can put on some compelling programming,” McManus said.

Then again, you probably could stick a football with an NFL logo on the screen and it still would do a decent rating. Tirico has his theory on the insatiable demand beyond the fantasy football and betting elements.

“I think football fits the lifestyle of the fan because if you have five or six hours a week to devote to it, which is the equivalent of two Major League Baseball games, those six hours can have you as a pseudo‑expert on your team,” Tirico said. “You watch them play for three hours, watch a couple hours of pregame, listen to some talk during the week, get online and read whatever you need to get your fantasy team ready.  So when people want to access the information, it’s available to them and in a variety of methods of delivery, with personalities and approaches on all those pregame shows. ”

It all starts Thursday with an appetizer of Baltimore-Denver to launch the season on NBC. Then the complete feast gets rolled out on Sunday morning for Week 1.

Dive in America. The networks can’t wait to serve you football, live and in HD.

Hochuli! Everyone’s favorite NFL ref featured on 60 Minutes Sports

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This is a big night for Ed Hochuli fans. I envision viewing parties throughout the country with everyone wearing bulked up Hochuli ref jerseys.

The rundown from Showtime:

Fans who used to boo their calls gave NFL refs standing ovations when they returned to the field after a labor lock-out last year.  It took a few weeks of disastrous calls by the replacement refs for fans to finally realize how much they appreciated their regular professional NFL refs. Now, two of the NFL’s most respected refs talk to correspondent Pam Oliver about their jobs, the new rules, their new-found stardom and the labor lock-out.  The story with NFL refs Mike Carey and Ed Hochuli will be featured on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, Wednesday, September 4 at 10:00 P.M. ET/PT only on SHOWTIME.

In late September 2012, after a few months of the lock-out and a few weeks of NFL season games with shaky replacement refs, a blown call in the end zone handing the Seattle Seahawks a victory over the Green Bay Packers caused deafening criticism. A temporary truce was called and that Thursday night, the real refs were back on the field.   Did Carey think the Green Bay debacle called the NFL’s hand?  “You can’t predict when somebody is going to see the light,” says Carey.  “And sometimes pride gets in the way. From the beginning I…knew we were coming back. Was it going to be that next week? I didn’t think so. I thought they would maybe go another week [without the real refs] or so, just to show their power,” he tells Oliver.

Carey and Hochuli are among the most recognizable refs in the NFL and have been best friends off the field ever since they joined the league 24 years ago. They let Oliver into their worlds and their heads for this rare look at the officials who enforce the rules in America’s favorite sport.

On those “complicated” rules, says Carey, “We’ve spent hours and hours, weeks upon weeks, trying to perfect [the rule book] and nobody has it down perfectly. No one referee ever.” Hochuli says he studies the rules about 15 hours a week.  “I don’t necessarily agree with all of the rules, but I don’t write them. My job is to enforce them.”

Their job is often to listen, too, says Hochuli, to the nasty things coaches and others say to them when they make their decisions on the field.   “It’s in a tremendously emotional game…atmosphere. I go to talk to a coach on the sideline and he doesn’t have a question. He just wants to vent and I recognize that,” Hochuli tells Oliver.

Minister Lundquist? After 50 years, announcing still is Verne Lundquist’s ‘calling’

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Here’s the link to my USA Today piece on Verne Lundquist. The great CBS announcer recently celebrated his 50th year in the business.

However, after he graduated college, he almost went into another business.

From the story:

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If Verne Lundquist had felt the calling, he might be beginning his 50th year as a minister.

After graduating from Texas Lutheran College in 1962 with a degree in sociology, he had planned to follow in the footsteps of his father. However, after six weeks at the Lutheran School of Theology in Rock Island, Ill., Lundquist realized he didn’t have the dedication or the calling.

“I have six (credit hours) in Greek, which hasn’t come in particularly handy,” Lundquist said.

While preparing for what figures to be a huge season opener for CBS — Alabama at Texas A&M on Sept. 14 — Lundquist, 73, reflected on his milestone anniversary.

“I know it is a cliché, but I can’t believe I’ve done 50 years,” Lundquist said. “I was thinking, ‘How could this have happened?'”

Lundquist inherited his father’s voice skills. He soon put them to use, landing a job at a radio station in his hometown of Austin. Aug. 31, 1963, Lundquist launched a career that has made him among the most popular and enduring broadcasters in the business.

He eventually became a sports anchor in Dallas. In the days before ESPN, he recalled, he was a one-man operation, shooting and editing his own film.

It was his Lundquist’s radio work on Dallas Cowboys games that attracted the attention of the networks. He started at ABC in 1974 and joined CBS in 1982. He is the network’s lead voice on college football and is a fixture on its NCAA basketball tournament coverage.

Lundquist has been part of the familiar soundtrack for both sports. His play-by-play features an easy and engaging style that adds a distinctive texture to the telecasts.

“My role model was Jim McKay,” Lundquist said. “He was the greatest storyteller we’ve ever had. I try to do the same thing.”

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There’s more in USA Today. Coming next week, I will have the complete interview with Lundquist.

My USA Today story on Amy Trask: Becomes first woman analyst to have role on NFL pregame show

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Thanks to USA Today for asking me to do a story on Amy Trask. From talking to her and based on the tweets from people who know and cover her, she should be an interesting component in CBS Sports Network’s new NFL pregame show.

From the story:

Amy Trask never dwelled on her gender when she served as the longtime CEO of the Oakland Raiders. She maintains she will take the same stance with her new role as an NFL TV analyst.

It was announced Tuesday that Trask will be part of That Other Pregame Show, a new four-hour production that will air on CBS Sports Network from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., beginning with week 1 of the NFL season on Sept. 8. Adam Schein will be the host and other analysts include longtime linebacker Bart Scott.

Trask will be the first woman to fill an analyst’s chair who actually ran an NFL team. She spent 27 years with the Raiders, serving as CEO since 1997 before stepping down in May.

Previously, Phyllis George broke new ground for women on NFL Today during the 1970s. However, she and her successor, Jayne Kennedy, were primarily feature reporters.

Just as she did with the Raiders, Trask downplayed the notion that she is breaking any barriers.

“I have always tried to do my job as best as possible without regard to gender,” Trask said. “I’ve always felt if I have not considered my gender to be an issue, it will be less likely that others will consider it an issue.”

The bigger issue, Trask says, will be the mental adjustment that she will have to make. She says she always tried to avoid the news media during her days with the Raiders. She felt the focus should be on the players and coaches. Now she is part of the media, a prospect she called “nerve-wracking.”

“I spent almost 27 years running away from the cameras,” Trask said. “I tried my best not to engage in any dialogue with the media. This is a paradigm shift for me. Now I’m supposed to look into the camera, not run away from it, and answer questions.”