It won’t happen this year, with two, three, maybe even four players getting elected to the Hall of Fame today.
However, last year, the New York Times served up a memorable sports front when no players earned a trip to Cooperstown. A not so subtle commentary on the steroid era by the Times.
Said then sports editor Joseph Sexton: “(We) felt like history had spoken. How to convey that to our readers? I think we did it — a striking, profound emptiness.”
Some takeaways from ESPN’s megacast of last night’s game.
Johnny TV: The title game was suppose to be Tim Tebow’s coming-out party in his new role as an ESPN analyst. However, Johnny Manziel stole some of his thunder.
Manziel was featured throughout the pregame show and during the game on ESPN’s somewhat bizarre celebrity channel. Clearly, he was there as more than a casual observer.
Johnny Football definitely was auditioning for a post-football role at ESPN. As the Tebow template shows for a much-hyped Heisman Trophy winner, post-football can come sooner than you think.
Manziel definitely passed the test. He was glib, insightful and charismatic. In fact, he was better than Tebow. Last night showed Manziel will be in high demand by the networks after he throws his final pass.
Tebowing: As for Tebow, he showed some potential. He nearly nailed the final score, predicting a 35-31 Florida State victory.
Tebow was good at explaining the strategy and nuances about the big game. He never will be outspoken, but he might be a solid Xs and Os analyst.
Film study: ESPN’s Film Room in which analysts and coaches broke down the game was a big winner. They nailed it by predicting Florida State’s fake punt.
The platform offered terrific and different insights that you don’t normally hear during the traditional telecast. Expect it to be a staple during network coverage of all big events, from the Super Bowl to the World Series to NBA Finals. This was a game-changer.
However, one negative for me: I had trouble with the split screen format. I found the large-view screen extremely difficult to watch in real time. I would have saved that view for replays and use ESPN’s main feed for live action.
Big mess: Not sure what that thing was on ESPN2. Scott Van Pelt wondered the same thing in a tweet.
It was a mish-mosh that was unwatchable at times. While I love Cheryl Hines, ESPN needed to find a better and more relevant sports celebrity to roll out as the first guest.
Next time, I suggest a drinking game involving tequila shots. Would make things more interesting.
ESPN feeds: I didn’t watch much of the stuff on ESPN’s digital platforms. So I’ll defer to Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing.
The local FSU and Auburn radio calls were fun to switch back and forth for a neutral and I can imagine them being particularly popular for fans of either team involved. The BCS Spidercam (the camera directly behind the offense) also drew some positive reviews although there were a couple glitches versus regular viewing. As was evidenced throughout the night, some of the feeds were off sync with the main ESPN telecast. The only people I saw talking about the ESPN3 Fan Cam throughout the evening were employed by ESPN PR.
On the whole, there wasn’t anything on ESPN3 that would jump out at you as a viewing option for the entire game, but a couple interesting novelties worth checking out periodically.
Traditional telecast: All the gizmos were great. However, when the second half rolled around, I found myself needing to focus on the traditional telecast on ESPN.
That’s where you get the most information, and you still need the announcers to guide you through the telecast. The old way still is the best way, but last night also showed the future definitely is here.
Perhaps I’m reading too much into this, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Brent Musburger was sending a signal last night at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Over an aerial shot of the Rose Bowl, Musburger uttered his signature phrase, “You are looking live…”
It seemed like an unusual time to pull out the line. Musburger usually uses it at the beginning of a game.
If last night’s game was indeed Musburger’s final call of a big game, did he purposely want to slip in one last “You are looking live…” for old time’s sake? Definitely seems plausible.
Jason McIntyre of Big Lead wrote previously that Musburger’s contract is up at ESPN. With the playoff starting next season, and with Chris Fowler angling to do more play-by-play, it could be time for ESPN to make a lineup change with its lead college football announcer.
In a tweet last night, James Andrew Miller, author of the mega ESPN book, speculated: “Believe this will be Brent’s last ESPN game. If he stays with ESPN it will be as #1 PxP for new SEC network.”
It makes sense. Musburger lives in Florida. Keeping him in SEC country would reduce some of the travel demands for someone who will turn 75 this year.
However, it is entirely possible that ESPN allows Musburger to usher in the new era for college football. He showed last night that he still has plenty left on his fastball.
Yes, Musburger screwed up the open, calling himself Kirk Herbstreit. It happens.
Instead, focus on the fourth quarter. With the action fast and furious, Musburger rose to the occasion.
He punched the Kermit Whitfield kickoff return with, “And Auburn is stung by its own medicine.”
On Tre Mason’s run to put Auburn back in the lead, he said, “Auburn isn’t out of miracles.”
It was vintage Brent.
If this was Musburger’s last big game, he got a classic. Definitely fitting for a great career.
Of course, you still could watch the conventional telecast on ESPN. But that’s so 2013.
Here’s all you need to know from ESPN.
ESPN’s telecast of the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET will be the biggest production to date with a different viewing option of the No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn matchup across six of its television platforms as well as audio and digital outlets. The “BCS Megacast” presentation will feature multiple ESPN personalities, and guest coaches, players and celebrities for coverage across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN International.
ESPN’s traditional telecast will be called by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, working their seventh consecutive BCS National Championship game together, with reporters Heather Cox and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines, focusing on Florida State and Auburn, respectively. Additional information:
**“BCS Title Talk” on ESPN2 will give fans an inside view of the casual and organic conversations of ESPN personalities, coaches, players and celebrities. Jemele Hill and Michael Smith of ESPN2’s Numbers Never Lie will serve a host role in the room with nearly a dozen guests scheduled to appear. The current lineup includes quarterbacks Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and Tajh Boyd (Clemson); Vanderbilt coach James Franklin and USC coach Steve Sarkisian; entertainers Snoop Dogg, John Legend and Jake Owen; and ESPN’s Rece Davis, Paul Finebaum, Lou Holtz, Todd McShay, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack and Tim Tebow. On-screen graphics will incorporate game statistics and information as well as a “social stripe” that will provide live social media feedback throughout the telecast.
**“BCS Film Room” on ESPNEWS will feature Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Pitt coach Paul Chryst and Boston College coach Steve Addazio as well as ESPN analysts Matt Millen, Chris Spielman and Tom Luginbill providing in-depth X and O analysis of the game as it happens from a film room equipped with multiple camera angles and touchscreens.
**ESPN Radio’s broadcast will use ESPN’s Monday Night Football announcer Mike Tirico with analyst Todd Blackledge and reporters Holly Rowe and Joe Schad for the third straight year. The radio call will also be used as the audio on the “BCS Command Center” application, providing a split screen application with live game action and immediate replays of every play, on ESPN Goal Line.
**ESPN Classic’s “Sounds of the BCS” presentation will serve as one platform capturing sound from the 72 microphones ESPN will have within the stadium for the BCS Megacast production. The telecast will couple ESPN’s on-screen game coverage with the audio within the stands, field and more as well as the in-stadium sound system. Classic’s coverage will include the halftime performances of the Florida State and Auburn marching bands.
**ESPN3, in cooperation with IMG College, will offer an “Auburn Radio Call” and “Florida State Radio Call” presentation. Each team-specific coverage will feature the team’s home radio broadcast (Auburn’s Rod Bramblett with analyst Stan White, reporter Quentin Riggins and host Paul Ellen and Florida State’s Gene Deckerhoff, analyst William Floyd, reporter Tom Block and host Drew Branyon). The on-screen presentation will provide fans with the game feed plus isolated cameras on key coaches and players from that team.
**“BCS Campus Connection” on ESPN3 will showcase live fan reactions from various watch parties within the home markets of Auburn and Florida State into the game coverage.
Additional presentations include coverage on ESPN International networks, a telecast in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, content on ESPN.com and the use of ESPN’s various social media accounts within the coverage.
Coverage from Pasadena will begin at 7 p.m. with College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. Chris Fowler will host the program with analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. Alabama coach Nick Saban will join the GameDay set as a guest analyst.
Each of the ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNEWS presentations will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, on Apple TV and Roku to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
There will be several interesting storylines for ESPN during its coverage of tonight’s BCS title game.
It marks the debut of Tim Tebow as an analyst for the network that can’t get enough of him. It also could be the swan song for Brent Musburger, at least as far as calling college football’s biggest game.
First Tebow:
It is a given: Tebow won’t be your typical football analyst. Richard Sandomir of the New York Times wrote about his teleconference last week.
His responses on a conference call were packed with unyielding positivity. Newly hired analysts are usually happy and upbeat. But Tebow was in a different stratosphere. He used “thank” or “thankful” 14 times. “Opportunity” was mentioned 15 times. In using “relationship” 14 times, he reflected only on good ones, past and present. He said “great” 27 times.
Responding to a question about whether he could be a critical analyst despite his relentlessly rosy outlook, he said: “Well, thank you for saying that I’m someone who’s positive. I would love to continue to be someone who’s positive but also be someone that is objective.” He referred to all ESPN executives, men or women, as Mr. or Ms.
So that obviously begs the question: Can somebody that nice be critical of players and coaches who he believes also are nice? Tebow said:
“I would love to continue to be someone who’s positive but also be someone that is objective. I’ve never had a hard time saying what I believed or standing up for something, and hopefully I can continue to be that same person as an analyst and sharing what I believe about players, about teams, about games.
“I will look at it from an objective prism and try to share an insight with the viewers just like I always have any time I’ve had the opportunity to share.”
Really? Do you think Tebow can be candid? I have my doubts that he will be able to step up on such a big stage.
Tebow, though, does have one thing going for him. ESPN is putting Tebow in a situation where he can succeed. He will be the featured player in the new SEC Network, which begins next year. The Heisman Trophy winner from Florida will be play on TV in friendly territory.
However, none of it will matter if Tebow has nothing to offer and/or if he sugarcoats his analysis. As usual when it comes to Tebow, everyone will be watching once more.
*******
A story that bears watching is the future of Brent Musburger at ESPN.Tonight could be his last big game.
Last month, Jason McIntyre of Big Lead reported that Musburger’s contract with the network expires this year. McIntyre writes:
Brent Musburger, who has been a fixture on ABC Sports/ESPN since 1990, is in the final months of his contract with the network and there are increasing signs he could be replaced in the college football booth next season by Gameday host Chris Fowler, sources tell The Big Lead.
Neither ESPN nor Musburger’s agent – his brother, Todd – would confirm when exactly Musburger’s contract expires, but it is definitely up before the next college football season begins, multiple sources say. Musburger, an iconic announcing figure who turns 75 in May, has called the last four BCS College Football Championship game and will pair with Kirk Herbstreit to call Florida State vs. Auburn on January 6th.
Indeed, this is about Fowler as much as Musburger. Fowler, in an interview with SI’s Richard Deitsch during the fall, said he wants to do more play-by-play.
I have a lot more to do and there are other things I want to do that I have not done. I don’t think it is anything secret internally what I want the next step for me to be at ESPN. I don’t think that is a mystery given the landscape. It’s why GameDay is a unique standalone thing for me. It doesn’t act or feel like a studio show. But the live events are the most inspiring, unexplored thing for me.
SI.com: How so?
Fowler: I really have a passion to document live events as they happen. Hosting is wonderful and remains really satisfying but the joy for me is calling big matches and it was very hard for me to give up calling Thursday Night Football on ESPN. It became too much to manage with GameDay’s increased schedule and travel. But giving up calling football in the booth was the toughest decision I have had to make. That remains something I am drawn powerfully to.
Fowler is the best in the business when it comes to serving as a studio host. However, he knows if he truly wants to be the voice of college football, much like Keith Jackson, Verne Lundquist and even Musburger, it has to be doing play-by-play on games.
With the new college football playoff beginning next year on ESPN, this could be the time where the network makes the switch and allows Fowler to be the man for the next run of big games.
The situation might be comparable to what occurred with Notre Dame on NBC. The network moved out Tom Hammond on play-by-play to allow Dan Hicks to expand his role as the Irish’s new play-by-play voice.
Fowler is a highly valuable commodity for ESPN. The network will want to keep him happy. At some point, it becomes time for the next generation to move in.
According to Deitsch, ESPN isn’t planning any tributes to Musburger tonight. Given all that he has meant to the network and sports TV, perhaps the network gives him a few more big college football games before he calls it a career. Musburger still has his fastball, and few announcers can elevate the level of a big-game call like he does.
Definitely a story to watch.
Many tributes are pouring in today celebrating the life of Jerry Coleman, who died yesterday at the age of 89.
It was quite a life, reports Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press:
Coleman spent more than 70 years in pro baseball, a career that included four World Series titles with the Yankees and was interrupted by World War II and the Korean War, when he served as a Marine Corps pilot.
He flew 120 missions combined in the two wars. Coleman was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy Citations.
Around Petco Park and on Padres radio broadcasts, Coleman was known as “The Colonel,” having retired from the Marines with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Coleman, also known for calls of “Oh, Doctor!” and “You can hang a star on that!” after big plays, received the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Vin Scully weighed in on his old friend via Twitter:
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News posted a story he did on Coleman in 2005 when he was honored by the Hall of Fame.
“All I do is have a mike and love the games and tell the people what’s happening and try to get it right,” said Coleman when told there’s plenty of baseball fans this far north of his current digs who tune into The Mighty 1090-AM, or have access now to the Internet or satellite radio, to hear his call.
“With so many people able to tune in, that really ruins my day,” he added in typical self-effacing manner. “Now I have to be right all the time.”
Hoffarth also had a section on his “Colemanisms.”
Jerry Coleman was doing a Yankees-Indians doubleheader for the Yankees’ flagship radio station, WPIX, one afternoon, and for the first six innings of the opener, he had been telling the audience how it was unusual that day that Sam McDowell’s control was so much better than normal. Finally, in the sixth inning, someone at the station called to ask him to double-check the Indians pitcher.
Turns out it was Jack Kralick, another left-hander who was scheduled to pitch the second game.
That isn’t the only memorable malaprop Coleman has made in a baseball broadcasting career that has spanned almost 45 years, starting at the CBS Radio Network in 1960:
–“(Dave) Winfield goes back to the wall … he hits his head on the wall … it’s rolling all the way back to second base. This is a terrible thing for the Padres.”
–“On the mound is Randy Jones, the left-hander with the Karl Marx hairdo.”
–“The first pitch to Tucker Ashford is grounded into left field. No, wait a minute. It’s ball one. Low and outside.”
–“Ozzie Smith just made a play that I have never seen before. And he’s done it more times than anyone else.”
–“(Derrell) Thomas is racing for it, but (Willie) McCovey is there and can’t get his glove to it. That play shows the inexperience, not on Thomas’ part, but on the part of Willie McC … well, not on McCovey’s part either.”
–“George Hendrick simply lost that sun-blown popup.”
–“Larry Lintz steals second standing up – he slid, but he didn’t have to.” “If Pete Rose brings the Reds in first, they ought to bronze him and put him in cement.”
–“Before Glenn (Beckert, who had announced his retirement) leaves, I hope he stops by the booth so we can kiss him goodbye. He’s that kind of guy.”
–“(Manager Steve) Boros is not with the team today because he’s attending his daughter’s funeral. Oh wait, it’s her wedding.”
–“I’ve made a couple of mistakes I’d like to do over.” Coleman, who like Yogi Berra or Ralph Kiner before him, cops to all those. But he says one that was attributed to him is one he never said.
“The only one I deny is that ‘Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen,’ ” Coleman said. “I said he was ‘throwing ’em up in the bullpen.’
“Most of the time people know what I mean. My mouth just gets ahead of my brain. Fortunately, the fans have taken to it. They’ve let me come into their homes. That’s what 99 percent of good broadcasting is. If they don’t like you, it doesn’t work.”
Happy New Year to all from the Sherman Report.
After a two-week break for the holiday, I’m refreshed and ready to go for 2014. Well, sort of.
The temperature says it is 54 degrees at Sherman Report. That’s inside my office, where I have some heat issues.
Outside in Chicago, the nasty thermometer says -15. This is stupid cold. Then again, I’m the stupid one for choosing to live here.
I could be in Los Angeles, where I spent New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl with my brother, Steve (left), and two boys, Matt and Sam. It truly was a bucket-list experience for this longtime sportswriter. Of all the events I have covered through the years, I never did the big game in Pasadena.
For a child of the Midwest, the Rose Bowl always represented the pinnacle for the Big Ten, even if their teams got hammered in most years. So to finally be there in person and witness the spectacle made for a highly memorable day. And Michigan State actually won, meaning the Big Ten is 1-0 when I attend Rose Bowls.
As you can see I wore a short-sleeve shirt for the big game. Now I’m wearing long underwear while working inside in my office. I’ve lost nearly 90 degrees since Wednesday.
School has been cancelled for the kids today, but Sherman Report marches on in all weather conditions. Please check back shortly for the first posts of 2014.
Happy New Year to all.
Sherman Report is taking a break for the holidays. Check back here on Monday, Jan. 6, when we’ll kick off coverage of sports media in 2014.
Sincere wishes for a terrific holiday season. And many thanks for your support of Sherman Report.
After an eight-week absence, a “nervous” Dan McNeil returned to WSCR-AM 670 at noon today.
“As often as I’ve been through this, you’d think I’d be used to this,” McNeil said. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
He was very frank about suffering another relapse to his marijuana and painkiller addiction; how he almost decided to quit; and how he realized he wants to work again.
Here are some excerpts:
“To suggest I relapsed would be an insult to people who relapse. I returned to a lifestyle of doing weed and painkillers (in Aug. 2012)….I’m an addict. That’s not a gentle word, but that’s what I am. I can’t taste on occasion.”
“I headed to some dark places. My low is a burning desire to be alone. Isolation. My private Idaho. Sealing myself away from most people in the world.”
“I still have some game left in me. I’m glad to be here. I apologize to listeners for not being here the last eight weeks. Hopefully, I can make sobriety a lifestyle. That’s what I have to do be here.”
******
While his partner Matt Spiegel welcomed McNeil back, he said, “You have to regain some trust around here.”
McNeil said, “I know that. I wear that sign.”
******
Best wishes, Dan. Good to hear you again.
Dan McNeil is returning to WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago.
Earlier this morning, his partner, Matt Spiegel, posted this via TwitLonger:
Dan McNeil returns today at noon, and the Mac and Spiegs show will reconvene.
I know many of you have hungered for information and details about the show; I’m sorry I haven’t been able to respond and provide them along the way. The situation was simply too delicate personally, legally, and professionally to comment on publicly.I look forward to Mac being able to tell you about his absence and return, in his words, as he sees fit.
Laurence Holmes is a complete pro, a great host, and a phenomenal teammate. It’s been awesome to work with him these 7 weeks and get a rhythm going; I enjoyed my radio tryst. We appreciate those of you that stuck with us, or found us and stayed.Game on. Let the Iron Man streak begin anew.