Category Archives: NFL Network

SI’s Deitsch knocks Berman; examines Twitter in draft analysis

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Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch channeled his inner Peter King. He wrote a 4,000-plus word analysis of the networks’ coverage of the NFL draft.

Imagine if the draft was 17 rounds like it was in the good old days. He’d be the Leo Tolstoy of the NFL draft.

Deitsch started his treatise by dumping on ESPN’s Chris Berman:

The bellowing never stops. It pummels you over the head like a hard rain, and  it’s forever accompanied by outdated references (“Mel Kiper, to quote Stan  Laurel, ‘Here’s another mess you have gotten me into, Ollie.’ “) and long-winded  intros that last nearly as long as a Presidential campaign. Mostly, there is  Chris Berman simply talking and talking and talking.

It’s a shame, really, that Berman remains the ringmaster for ESPN during the  first two days of the NFL Draft, because the network has terrific draft assets  and a first-rate production.

Berman obviously is getting touchy by the criticism. Later, Deitsch detailed this weird exchange:

I think, during a discussion on Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe prior to the  Chiefs selecting him at No. 11 overall, this exchange happened on ESPN:

Berman: “Maybe they are reading Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories. I  don’t know. There are some good ones, you know.

Gruden: He’s got a lot of Poe-tential

Berman: See, now if I had said that, I’d be ripped for about three  years. You can go with it. You are a rising star.

Gruden: I learn quick from you, Chris.

Why was the exchange particularly amusing? Because last week Berman told USA Today that he doesn’t pay attention to  criticism. Show me a person in sports television who doesn’t read stuff about  them and I’ll show you a Kardashian who can act.

Deitsch also got into the whole impact of Twitter on the draft coverage, with picks being tipped in advance by the networks’ reports. He had this passage:

I think it’s interesting that NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger  told La Canfora to back off tweeting picks during the draft. “Mike Lombardi and  Jason could have tweeted every pick Thursday night but they didn’t,” Weinberger  told SI.com in an interview Sunday. “We sort of unleashed Jason on Friday and he  was doing it, he was picking off picks on Twitter. And the reason we were able  to do it is the picks were coming in so fast that there were backups of three  picks at some times. So there was more time to get the information out  there.

“But after following him on Twitter and me watching the show, we told Jason  to pull back. And I don’t think at this juncture it’s as simple as saying,  ‘Don’t follow him on Twitter.’ It’s what people do. It’s hard to say turn your  tablet off. Everyone is watching TV with a tablet. We have to find ways to  continue to grow these sporting events and this is becoming an obvious one: The  viewer wants it to be a TV show and the way they like it now is they want to see  it on the podium.”

 

 

 

Twitter removes draft suspense for ESPN, NFL Network

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How far were ESPN and the NFL Network behind Twitter for the draft? Let’s put it this way: I just heard Roger “Hug-Me” Goodell announce the Bears selected Gale Sayers.

If you were on Twitter last night, you knew the upcoming team’s selection several minutes before the NFL Commissioner went up to the microphone to formally announce the pick. And is he the most affectionate commissioner in sports history? I mean, could you imagine Bowie Kuhn handing out so many hugs? Definitely not Clarence Campbell.

Twitter took all the suspense out of the draft. It felt like that cell phone commercial where the annoying users already posted the video to Facebook.

The league and the networks had hoped to preserve the suspense of the draft by not showing players on their cell phone talking to teams prior to the official announcement. Now they’ll have to figure out a way to shut down Twitter.

Various outlets on Twitter were disclosing a team’s pick. Heck, even Seattle owner Paul Allen was tipping off picks.

Among his tweets:

Dallas takes Claiborne at 6

Tampa takes S Barron #7

I’m sure the league will ask Allen to cool it. However, it will be much more difficult to stop the information flow of an upcoming pick prior to the announcement from reporters who want to get it out now.

Early on, while the TV guys were speculating on who Cleveland would take,Twitter followers already knew it was running back Trent Richardson at No. 3.

That’s when I first noticed something was amiss. Pretty soon, it felt like being at a poker table where somebody was tipping cards.

Finally it dawned on me: Is the suspense being phonied up here? For instance, Chris Berman & Co. were trying to build up the drama about whether Cleveland would take Brandon Weeden with the 22d pick.

But if you were on Twitter, you already knew the Browns took the Grandpa QB. In fact, it was out there for several minutes.

Surely, ESPN’s producers had that information. Surely, master tweeters Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter knew it was Weeden.

But over on the main stage, Berman, Gruden and Kiper were acting like anxious kids waiting to see what’s inside the box. Seriously, they didn’t know?

OK, I’ve been told the producers usually know of the pick, but don’t reveal it to the guys on stage. However, this situation is different, because now many, many more people know because of Twitter.

The whole dynamic creates a huge problem. Viewers expect authenticity. There’s nothing worse than phony drama.

The networks and NFL have embraced the new age of social media, especially Twitter. It’s been very good to all.

But not last night. Twitter beat them all to the punch. Or more specifically, to one of Goodell’s hugs.

 

 

 

 

NFL draft: Getting ready for the big night

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It is one of the most anticipated nights of the year, begging the question: What took the NFL so long to move it to prime time?

The NFL draft begins in all of its glory Thursday night. ESPN and the NFL Network will be on an endless clock.

Happy Mel Kiper Jr. day to all.

Here’s some coverage of the coverage to get you ready:

Richard Deitsch at SI.com has an interesting piece examining the behind the scenes at the draft. He writes:

At the NFL Network, Yook said six staffers are involved in finding footage and  double that who work to create graphics packages. “It starts with individual  footage of 150 players by the Senior Bowl and by the time we get to the combine,  I want that number to be as close to 300 as possible,” Yook said. “The goal this  year by the draft was to have footage on about 500 players and 1,800 total video  clips, and I think we will hit that.”

Deitsch also has a story saying broadcast cameras will no longer show first-round draftees on the phone with their teams before being selected. Good move. From the story:

“The league, the NFL Network and ESPN have recognized that it has probably  tilted too far in taking some of the suspense out of the draft,” said ESPN  senior NFL producer Seth Markman, who is overseeing his first draft for the  network. “Part of the problem in this world of instant news and social media is  that you can’t hold the news. But I think we do need to find a way to find a way to bring back some of the suspense of the commissioner making the announcement.”

Fang’s Bites has the details of NFL Network’s coverage with its lineup. He has the complete 2,155-word release. He writes:

NFL Network showing it can throw just about anyone and anybody on its Draft coverage this week, is doing exactly just that. Headlined by Rich Eisen, Mike Mayock, Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Charles Davis, Michael Irvin, Michael Lombardi, Jason LaCanfora, Deion Sanders and Melissa Stark.

And Ken has all the info for ESPN’s coverage. The net was a bit more restrained with its release at 1,915 words.

Anthony Olivieri has had enough. He has overdosed on the draft talk. He writes in LostLetterman.com:

A source familiar with the situation told me that the NFL draft is one day away.

Thank God.

I can’t read another thing about the torque on Ryan Tannehill’s release, Robert Griffin III’s ceiling or what countless people think of Morris Claiborne’s elite ball skills. Yeah, the phrase is bad enough.

Did you know that Andrew Luck is really smart? He might even be the next Peyton Manning.

Sorry, that’s not the case for me, Andrew. I can’t wait for tomorrow night.