Tag Archives: Mike Tirico

How TV gets made: A look at massive enterprise that is Monday Night Football

Posted on by

You likely will sit in your easy chair tonight (do people still have easy chairs?) and flip on the Arizona-San Francisco game. You will listen to Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden, see all the replays and camera angles.

You will take it all for granted, and that’s just as well. How much thought do you give to how your car is made or what goes into your hot dog (you really don’t want to know)?

However, I got a chance to receive a behind-the-scenes look at ESPN’s Monday Night Football operation at Soldier Field last week. Make that, a huge operation. It gave me a new appreciation for what goes into the national telecast of a sporting event.

Occupying a large section in the bowels of the stadium, the Monday Night crew consists of credentialed production force of 250-300 people, 11 large 80,000-pound trucks, 35 cameras, and 25,000-35,000 feet of cable.

“Unless you see it up close, you can’t get a feel for the size of it,” said Steve Carter, who is ESPN senior operations director. “People take a look at all these cables, and say, ‘My goodness, this is big.'”

Speaking of the cables, I was sitting in the instant replay truck, looking at a massive board of connections. It literally was a wall of wires, seemingly randomly plugged in. I wondered if I pulled out one of them, would it take down the whole show?

I decided, not a good idea. I didn’t want to cause any headaches for Carter.

Carter is in his 13th year of making sure everything works when they flip the switch. He has a wonderful description for his job.

“I tell people, ‘Have you ever seen the parade for the circus?'” he said. “You see all the tigers, elephants and horses. And then there’s the guy with the shovel who gets to clean everything up. I’m the guy with the shovel.”

Carter, though, doesn’t appear to ruffle easily. He seemed pretty calm for a guy who endured a day of travel nightmares that left him with about an hour to spend at Soldier Field.

Perhaps Carter knows that it all works.

“It’s a controlled chaos,” Carter said. “There are a lot of pieces, but it all comes together. We’ve got such a good group of people. The great thing about this crew is that enough isn’t good enough. They always want to make it right.”

The biggest obstacle, Carter said, is the weather. The crew never had a bigger challenge than in 2010 when Metrodome roof collapse forced the Bears-Minnesota game to be played outdoors at the University of Minnesota’s college stadium.

“That was tough,” Carter said. “We always find ourselves having to adapt to the environment. Some challenges are more difficult than others, but we manage to get the job done.”

Here is one fact that got me: Carter said the entire operation will be torn down and on the road within three hours after the game. I don’t believe him. I can’t pack an overnight bag for a weekend trip in less than 30 minutes.

“Want to stick around and see?” Carter said.

I declined. I’m confident in the wee hours of the ESPN’s drivers had their trucks pulling onto Lake Shore Drive. All told, they’ll log more than 32,000 miles for the season.

They left Chicago and headed for Phoenix, and like Jackson Browne sang about the roadies, ready to do it all over again. After what I witnessed, I’ll be thinking of Carter and his crew Monday.

But you won’t, and that’s just as well.

 

 

 

 

My First Job with Mike Tirico: How Larry King helped land him anchor job in Syracuse

Posted on by

Mike Tirico is an immense talent. He didn’t need a fluke meeting with Larry King to help him land his first job.

Still, it never hurts to have a lucky break.

Earlier this week, while doing a Q/A with Tirico about his jammed schedule with ESPN, he told me a great story about his roots.

And I must share.

In the latest edition of My First Job, Tirico recalls how King unknowingly played a role in launching his professional career as a weekend sports anchor in Syracuse in 1987. Keep in mind, Tirico only was a junior at Syracuse University at the time.

*******

In 1987, Syracuse went to the Final Four. I worked the games at the same college station where Marv Albert, Bob Costas, Dave Stockton, Marty Glickman and Ted Koppel all worked.

Larry King was writing his USA Today column. You know, the dot-dot-dot thing. He writes, “The next time I need a sportscaster, I’m going to call Syracuse and tell them to send me the next one that’s ready.”

We saw that. So when we go to Washington to broadcast the Syracuse-Georgetown game, we ask if we can go see Larry King’s overnight radio show. It was a huge show back then.

The first hour, Larry has a Rutgers history professor talking about the Civil War. It couldn’t have been more boring. Then Larry does “Open Phone America” in the second hour. Larry is opening the mail, writing bills, and he’s on the air. We thought he was unbelievable.

Up to this point we’ve had no interaction with Larry except for a wave from the other side of the glass.

Larry then goes, “Would you like to know what it is like to be in college in 1987? Is it drugs? Sex? Books? We’ve got three college kids from Syracuse who are here, and they’ll be with us for the full hour.”

We’re like, “You’re kidding me.”

We did the whole hour at 2 a.m. One of our professors called in, and he made a big deal out of it. It was written up in the Syracuse newspaper.

At the time, I’m also interning at the CBS station in Syracuse. During that spring, they’re going through weekend sportscasters like they’re giving them away. They went through three in a 9-10 week stretch. Now they’re looking to hire somebody. And they make the great decision everyone makes at some point: Let’s hire somebody young and cheap. I was young and cheap.

Fast forward two months, and this weekend sports job opens up. The old veteran news anchor tells the GM of the station, “You should give Mike a shot. He’s good on the radio. And you read about him on Larry King.”

Larry King.

I got a six-week tryout as a junior in college. I was horrific the first weekend. I was Albert Brooks in Broadcast News with the flop sweat.

For some unknown reason, they gave me a second weekend. I got through that tryout and was there for 4 1/2 years before going to ESPN.

 

 

Q/A with Mike Tirico: On busy schedule; critics of Gruden; overrated impact of announcers

Posted on by

I tell Mike Tirico he needs to work harder.

“Joe Buck is working two games in one day,” I said. “What’s wrong with you? You’re slacking off.”

Tirico laughed. “I sent Joe a text. I told him it must have been awesome to have been a part of that,” Tirico said.

Seriously, Tirico doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone with his schedule. Actually, October is a slow month for him. He only has Monday Night Football as far as play-by-play is concerned.

Starting in November, he will pick up weekly NBA games. His calendar includes Big Ten college basketball games in the winter and three of the four golf majors in the spring and summer. He also does weekly radio shows and podcasts for ESPN.

For all I know, Tirico calls sandlot games in his spare time.

Tirico and Jon Gruden are in Chicago tonight for the Bears-Detroit Lions game. Here’s my Q/A.

You don’t have one month during the year when you’re not working a significant event for ESPN. Why do you take on such a busy schedule?

My schedule can be a challenge. I have an extremely understanding family and wonderful people who facilitate things for me.

I grew up in New York when Marv Albert was doing Rangers and Knicks game, doing sports on Ch. 4 at 6 and 11, and he was NBC’s guy for boxing on the weekends. I went to Syracuse because of Marv Albert, Bob Costas, Dick Stockton. I wanted to be like those guys, and that meant you just couldn’t say, ‘Oh, this is too much.’

Listen, we’re not digging ditches. We’re talking about sports. Even though you’re drained at the end of the day, it’s not that hard. It’s a pretty good job.

This is the first time you’re working with a two-man booth for Monday Night Football. What has that been like for you?

The most significant part of my job is to get the most out of an analyst–make them relevant. It’s much easier to do it with one person compared to two. I love Jaws (Ron Jaworski). We text all the time.

But the difference with two people is that it is more of a conversation. I can carry on a dialogue easier than trying to deal with a third person. I can ask a second or third question.

What is it like to work with Jon Gruden?Jon is the best prepared of any analyst I’ve ever worked with. I truly understand why he’s been so successful. When we meet with coaches (prior to a telecast), they have so much respect for his knowledge and ability. He’s on the cutting edge of what’s going on.

When you see his preparation, it helps you to understand why good coaches and bad coaches make such a difference in the NFL. When you watch our games and listen to the things Jon says before they happen, it’s incredible.

I bristle at all the people who say Jon is too positive and never gets negative. If they don’t think Jon doesn’t point out mistakes, then they aren’t listening to the game.

Does Jon go to a different level of appreciation about the ability of guys? Absolutely, because he’s coached players. He knows what it takes to be Peyton Manning and what he does out there. Not to get on my soap box, but we’ve turned into a miserable society if we can’t enjoy being around the best in the world.

If you watch a game, Jon will say why a guy is doing that and why a guy is not doing that. When people say Jon’s not critical, I call those people lazy. They need to listen closely to the game.

I’ll get ripped for saying that, but that’s good.

You’re in your seventh year calling Monday Night Football. How have you evolved as an announcer?

I’m sure your 100th column was better than your first. I go back and watch every game. I’m always looking to get better.

However, I always say nobody watches for the announcers. They watch for a good game. If they really watch for the announcers, then on Sunday, the networks should put their best announcers on their worst game.

If Fox put their No. 7 crew on the Giants-49ers game, it wouldn’t change the rating for that game. All we can do is hopefully enhance the experience.

Let’s go back to the end of the Seattle-Green Bay game. How did that play unfold for you?

You start with the fact Seattle had a chance to beat Green Bay. Then the play happened. First, you’re amazed that the ball didn’t hit the ground. Now all my attention goes to the officials and I see nothing.

Then they make two different calls. Wait, what you got here?

Looking back, I’m glad about two things. When I made the call, I used the word ‘simaltaneous.’ Ultimately, that’s the rule they were looking at. I’m glad I used the correct word.

Second, I’m glad after the fire bomb hit, there was the reality that this was the most significant faux pas of the replacement officials. We said it was going to put pressure on the league to make a change. And it did.

Do you really call sandlot games in your spare time?

No, c’mon. Going to the Tigers game tonight (Tirico, who lives in the Detroit area, was going to game 4 of the ALCS). I’m glad it’s one of the one sports I don’t cover. I’ve never taken a credential to a baseball game. I have a partial season ticket, and it’s the one sport where I can truly be a fan. It’s so much fun to be there with the family.

I love waiting in line for the concessions, sitting in the stands. It makes you appreciate the people who fill the stadiums. It helps you be connected to the consumer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s new for NFL 2012: Another lineup switch for ESPN on MNF; how long before Gruden coaches again?

Posted on by

Since ESPN took over Monday Night Football in 2006, the only constant has been Mike Tirico in the play-by-play seat.

The first year saw Tirico work with Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser. The chemistry wasn’t right, and out went Theismann and in came Ron Jaworski for 2007.

That trio lasted two years until Kornheiser decided he had enough of MNF, or they had enough of him. Take your pick. Enter Jon Gruden in 2009.

Again, ESPN felt it wasn’t right. After a three-year run, the network sent Jaworski back to the sidelines last spring. Now ESPN is banking two is better than three with Tirico and Gruden on the call for 2012.

Why another change? On the eve of the 43rd season for Monday Night Football, I posed the question of Tirico and producer Jay Rothman:

Tirico: I would say the difference, simply, having more of a conversation with one person, as opposed to spreading it out back and forth. That’s where the dynamic of the broadcast changes. People were under the false impression that a three‑man booth led to more chatter. Like any other broadcast ‑‑ there are no plays that go by with complete silence so, there’s just as much real estate.

We’ll be able to take a conversation and develop it and follow‑up on things. I’ll give you a great example, there was a screen pass in the game that we had in the preseason and Jon talked about the perfect phasing of the offensive line. And I know that term only because I’ve been around Jon for last four years and he’s taught us that. I was able to follow up with him on the next play, as opposed to going somewhere else.

So I think we’ll be able to do more of that. Just the nature of ‑‑ a conversation with two people who like each other, love football, and are prepared for the entirety of what’s in front of us that week with the two teams. I think you’ll get more of that in the broadcast with two, as opposed to three.

Rothman: Well, the only thing I would say about that is Jon is a unique talent and has a lot to offer. I think it’s very difficult and you’ll see there’s really no three‑man booth out there in terms of football coverage, really in NFL or college football.

It’s very difficult in a game with a play clock and the short window in which you dissect the game and analyze the game, that sort of thing. It’s cluttered. That’s why you don’t really see it.

I think this allows for more space and it allows for us to be more precise and on point. It allows us to showcase Jon and Mike’s talents, and we think it’s the right move.

*******

However, will ESPN have to make another change in 2012? I think it’s an upset that Gruden, 49, is back for his fourth year.

I asked Tirico if he is surprised that the former coach hasn’t become a current coach again?

Tirico: I think that after all the stories I read that Jon was not going to be back after year one, here is what I’ve learned over time. The more energy you spend predicting the future is wasted energy. You have no idea what’s going to transpire and what’s going to go on.

The unfortunate thing with a three‑man booth because I know that if at some point, Jon leaves, it’s because he gets sick of me.

But hopefully Jon enjoys what he’s doing ‑‑ and he can speak for himself, he’s a big boy. But we love having him and every day, whether it’s for the next 20 years or the next 20 months, every day that I get to work with Jon has made me a better broadcaster and I look forward to it and I hope the run doesn’t end, I really don’t.

******

As for Mr. Gruden, this is what he has to say about his future:

Gruden: When I got fired from coaching, obviously I had a tremendous loss. I didn’t know what to do. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be on Monday Night Football and be on with Mike Tirico and have a chance to work with Ron Jaworski at ESPN that have helped train me, and I know that I have to get better.

But when you work at ESPN, they call it “the worldwide leader” for a reason; if you can see the tape that they send me to watch, that’s what has really quenched my thirst for coaching. I get plenty of video to evaluate. I get to go to different teams and spend days there and watch them practice and see their facilities, meet their players and coaches.

So it’s really been a tremendous growing opportunity for me professionally, trying something new, and also staying on top of what’s going on in football. I’ve really enjoyed it.

*****

Gruden hits 50 next year. That’s a sobering number and you start to hear the clock ticking a bit louder.

I can’t see him not coaching again. If the opportunity is right, Tirico will be in line for yet for another partner.

 

ESPN happy to put own stamp on British Open; legendary Alliss returns

Posted on by

It’s been five years since I covered my last British Open. And I truly miss it, more so than anything else I covered in 27 years at the Chicago Tribune.

I loved everything about being over for the Open Championship (the proper name). There’s nothing like quirkiness of links golf. In fact, everything about the experience was quirky; from the food (yes to brown sauce) to the ridiculously small showers to summer temperatures in the 40s and 50s with a damp chill that goes right through you.

I’ll definitely be watching ESPN’s coverage, although I can’t say I’ll be awake for the opening shot Thursday. Network coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. (ET), meaning night owls on the West Coast can tune before they go to sleep.

In previous years, ESPN and ABC had to rely mainly on the BBC for its coverage. Again, think quirky, as the BBC pace is much slower.

Mike Tirico likened the experience to “playing with rented clubs.” If you’re a golfer, you know what that means.

However, ESPN has had its own cameras in place since 2009; the BBC will be available to supplement anything that gets missed. It has made a huge difference in the production.

I had a chance to talk to Mike McQuade, ESPN’s vice-president for event production, about covering the tournament and having 81-year-old legend Peter Alliss back as a contributor.

On the difference between ESPN and BBC coverage:

We cover golf differently than the way the BBC does it, from where the camera angles are to the storylines. It’s an American broadcast. It moves quicker. The big difference will be on Thursday and Friday. There are so many more storylines. While they might want to focus on some Englishman trying to make the cut, we’d rather focus on Phil Mickelson.

On the difference between covering a PGA Tour event in the states and a British Open:

Besides the fact that when it rains everyone is wearing a black rain suit and a hat and you can’t tell anybody from anybody, that’s a big problem.

The wind is always an issue.  Trying to follow the ball in conditions like that is an issue.  Telling Andy North he’s got to walk in the rain for eight hours could be an issue.

I think at this point we’re sort of used to that.  I think the one thing that we’ve tried to do to sort of overcome all of this is this Flight Tracker that we’ve used the last couple of years, and this year I think it’s on six different holes, that really allows the viewer to ‑‑ if the skies are gray and it is tough to follow a ball in gray and white skies, the tracker will at least give you a sense of where the ball is headed and the direction it’s going in.

On Peter Alliss being part of the telecast:

In our mind, he symbolizes the Open Championship. He’s been a part of it for the better part of 60 years. When you have someone that iconic, it goes without saying you take advantage of it. He offers perspective and insights that I think our guys may not be as quick to grasp on to. That’s a good thing. It makes us better.

Here’s Andy North on Alliss.

Peter is one of those few individuals that you come across in life that if you open up the New York telephone book and had him read six or seven pages you’d be enthralled by it.  He is one of those gifted people that is so much fun to be around, and Curtis (Strange) and I have the great opportunity to work the week following the Open Championship at the Senior British Open Championship.  It is a riot.