Sunday funnies: Charley Steiner recalls memorable ESPN ‘Melrose Place’, ‘Freedom’ ads

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To celebrate episode No. 50,000 of SportsCenter Thursday, ESPN did a long conference call that included Charley Steiner.

Steiner, now an announcer for the Dodgers, was a SportsCenter anchor from 1988-2002. While he was great in the chair, he also is fondly remembered for some classic ESPN ads.

Steiner recalled his favorites during the teleconference.

Two things come immediately to mind.  The one we went and did, Melrose Place, Bobby the pool boy, Sydney.  We’d go out there.  We’re on this big Hollywood set.  All the women on the show didn’t know me from Adam.  They were scared to death that they might have their reputations sullied by being something on SportsCenter with the short, fat guy.

The guys, on the other hand, were all congregating around, talking sports.  This is pretty cool.  Then Sydney thought it would be a career-ender.  Little did she know she was so right, but that didn’t matter.  That spot had some pretty good wings to it.

It was the only time I wore a tank top.  Anybody who might remember the spot knows why.

The other one was the Follow Me to Freedom.  We did about four different lines at the end.  Follow Me to Freedom was just one of four that was selected by the producer and the director.  Others were something like I’ll Lead You to the Underground, All is Well, Brothers and Sisters, all that kind of crap.

 

Get ready for Peyton: Big comeback will mean big ratings for networks

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He’s back–at least in commercials. Peyton Manning, the endorsement king, already has had plenty of air time with all of his various commercials.

However, for the networks, the big payoff comes if Peyton Manning can become Peyton Manning again on the field.

In the very fortunate department, NBC lands his first regular-season game since 2010 with Pittsburgh at Denver Sunday. The game was slated for primetime prior to Manning signing with the Broncos in the spring.

So you can figure two elements were in play: The NFL had a hunch the quarterback would go to Denver; or Tim Tebow would be the starting QB for the Broncos. Never underestimate the Tebow factor.

NBC obviously is thrilled to have Manning’s return. Even though it’s early, I asked NBC Sports chairman Mark Lazarus if it is possible the game could set a new Sunday night ratings record of 27.6 million viewers.

“We know the anticipation will be there,” Lazarus said. “If the game holds up, and he has a great game, there’s always a chance. But it is difficult to predict.”

CBS definitely will be paying close attention. The network, which has the AFC package, will cash in if Manning returns to form. Houston-Denver already is slated for the national afternoon doubleheader slot for week 3, and Denver-New England–Manning vs. Tom Brady–is down for week 5.

And there’s much more down the line, if Manning is Manning. A big if, to be sure.

 

 

 

 

Posted in NFL

Saturday flashback: Where it all began for Monday Night Football in 1970

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Forty-two years ago, the idea of playing a NFL game in prime time was thought of as crazy. CBS and NBC passed, creating an opening for ABC.

Here’s the promo for the new series, heralding the “newly combined NFL and AFL National Football League.”

Here’s Howard Cosell interviewing Johnny Unitas prior to a Baltimore-Minnesota game in 1971. Check out Unitas’ expression during Cosell’s introduction.

And here’s Howard with his signature halftime highlights from week 11 in 1971.

Cover your ears: Berman signs long-term extension

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Chris Berman critics, you’re not going to like this. “Boomer” is going to be around ESPN for a long, long, long time. Did I say long?

The network announced a new contract extension today for Berman on the network’s 33rd anniversary. He joined ESPN in Oct., 1979

The release includes this line:

Berman’s extension will officially begin in 2013. At the conclusion of his new deal, Berman will have worked for ESPN for nearly 40 years.

I’m guessing it is at least a six-year deal. Regardless, it shows Berman is locked in at ESPN through nearly the end of the decade.

Here are the obligatory “everybody’s happy” quotes. Everybody but his critics, that is:

ESPN President John Skipper said:‪‪ “On the day we commemorate our company’s birthday, it’s fitting we extend our relationship with Chris, arguably the most recognizable face and voice in ESPN’s history. Since arriving in Bristol in 1979, Chris’ passion and enthusiasm, and, of course his signature highlights, have long been his trademarks, earning him a special place among fans for more than three decades.”

“For more than three decades, Chris has developed a special relationship with our fans, especially fans of the NFL. He is synonymous with our coverage of the league and other major events, and we’re thrilled he will remain an integral part of ESPN in the years ahead,” added ESPN Executive Vice President, Production John Wildhack.‪‪

Said Berman: “I never could have dreamed that ESPN would be my home as a young man in his 20’s all the way to a not-so-young man in his 60’s. It’s always been a privilege to work alongside thousands of colleagues who love the sports we cover and the people who make them so special. It remains an honor to be welcomed into the homes of sports fans far and wide, and I’m thrilled to be able to continue such a marvelous journey.”

To celebrate, Berman will be on play-by-play for Monday’s Oakland-San Diego game on ESPN. Somehow, I think it won’t be his last NFL game on the call.

 

 

 

 

A Sportswriters Life: Beat writer for Cubs during long road trip to nowhere

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This is the first of an occasional series on the life and times of sportswriters.

My first installment is going to be on my old friend, Paul Sullivan, the Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Tribune.

I talked to Sullivan the other day from the lobby of his hotel in Washington. He was in the middle of what only can be described as the road trip from hell: A 10-game trek to Washington, Pittsburgh and Houston in September.

“I’ve been dreading this trip all season,” Sullivan said.

I know exactly how Sullivan feels. I covered a series of bad White Sox teams in the late 80s for the Tribune. There’s nothing worse than being on a long road trip in September to cover meaningless games for a team going nowhere.

Unfortunately for Sullivan, he has experienced this drill before. He’s been on the baseball beat for 19 years, most of them with the Cubs. The last time they were somewhat relevant was in 2009, following back-to-back division titles in 2007-08.

However, despite three straight beyond-bleak years, and the prospect for several more with a rebuilding team, Sullivan said his enthusiasm for the beat hasn’t dimmed. “I love writing, and I love baseball,” he said.

And he wants to remain on the Cubs beat, if for no other reason than out of fear of leaving.

“I know the minute I come off they are going to start winning like crazy,” he said.

Here’s my Q/A with Sullivan on what it is like to cover a bad team in September:

So what is like at this point in the season? It has to feel like a death march.

I can’t lie. I’m looking forward to October. I’m seeing some bad baseball. It’s not pleasant to write negative things about people you like and respect. There are no players on the team I don’t like.

You look around for players to talk to after the game. After going to the rookie pitcher, who else are you going to talk to? When the team is winning, it’s easy to go from one guy to the next.

It makes you appreciate the veterans like Carlos Pena and Mark Grace, who were the go-to guys. This team is so young, they don’t have any real go-to guys.

Your stories now are often features with a smattering of game detail. When was the last time you wrote a true game story?

Probably the end of April. You have to find different stories, but I never have a hard time doing it.

The hardest part is that (manager Dale Sveum) isn’t the most quote-worthy managers. I spent eight years with Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella. That was like the golden age. I like Sveum, but he isn’t the most quote-worthy guy.

What is it like to cover the new front office regime of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer?

It’s different. I had good relationships with Jim Hendry and Kenny Williams and Ron Schueler (from when he covered the Sox).

These guys are insulated. You don’t know if you’re going to hear back every time you reach out to them. A lot of time, they do it by Email.

They’re never around. They’re never in the clubhouse or hanging around the batting cage. They don’t want to chat with the writers.

I don’t know (Epstein) enough to like him. I don’t dislike him, and I agree with his game plan. But I have no relationship with him.

19 years is a long time on the beat. Do the long seasons, especially losing seasons, ever get you thinking about doing something else?

The travel is tough. I’m going to be gone for 12 days on this trip, and I’m already running out of clothes.

But it’s still baseball and it’s still writing. I love baseball and I love writing. I still enjoy what I do.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s new for NFL 2012: CBS has surgeon on call; LaCanfora new league reporter; Super Bowl year

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It’s a sign of the times.

Injuries are such a big part of dictating an NFL season. And the post-career damage for former players continues to be a huge storyline for football.

CBS has responded by adding a doctor for its NFL coverage. Neal ElAttrache, the orthropedic surgeon who operated on Tom Brady in 2008, will serve as the network’s medical consultant.

“Injuries and recovery time and medical storylines often become an important part of our coverage,” said CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus. “So rather than speculate on a certain injury or recovery time, we decided to bring on someone who’s generally considered one of the renowned orthopedic surgeons in America.

“So the hope is he can give some insight both on a current injury, what that athlete might be looking forward to in terms of when he can be back on the field? What the injury means? What athletes have had similar injuries and what kind of recovery time there might be?”

Given the injury rate in the NFL, the doctor should get plenty of air time.

*******

Jason La Canfora moves over from NFL Network to be CBS’ new information guy. He replaces Charlie Casserly.

McManus likes La Canfora’s versality. He’s a prolific tweeter and writes for CBSSports.com.

“We were looking for someone who could contribute to all of our platforms and Jason has the energy, exuberance and the 24-hour commitment,” McManus said. “I talked to coaches and owners around the league, and I watched what he was doing. I saw how many stories he was on top of, and he looked to me the ideal candidate. He literally lives and breathes the NFL 24 hours a day.”

********

It is CBS’ turn for the Super Bowl. Any year with a Super Bowl means it is a big year for the network.

 

 

Posted in CBS

Ratings: Tony Romo and Cowboys rout Bill Clinton and Democrats

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Not sure what this says about our priorities. On a night when a former president delievered an epic speech at the Democratic National Convention, the Dallas-Giants game delivered a much bigger rating. In fact, this was like a 30-0 rout.

From NBC:

NBC DOMINATES PRIMETIME: The NFL game on NBC faced strong competition from the Democratic National Convention on CBS and ABC, as well as on multiple cable news networks. The 14.7 rating and 23.9 million for the game more than doubles the night’s primetime averages of ABC and CBS combined, according to preliminary fast-affiliate averages for those networks (3.3/5 in households and 5.1 million viewers overall for CBS from 8-11 p.m. ET, and 2.5/4 and 3.6 million for ABC).

What’s new for NFL 2012: Fox makes point with new graphic; Riggle, Andrews join pregame show

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Fox Sports loves graphics and other gizmos to illustrate the game. With the exception of the glowing puck, most of them work.

Fox has a new gizmo this year. It is a simple graphic to identify players on the field. Here’s an example:

 I’ll let Fox explain:

Football uniform numbers are not always easy to see from the side so FOX Sports is developing a graphics system that tells the viewer who’s who.  “It’s a new way to identity players and we’ve used similar technology during our NASCAR coverage, using pointers to follow the cars.  We’re really excited by this technology that tracks players on the field and follows them in real time where you can ID them in wide shots,” said FOX Sports Media Group President and Executive Producer Eric Shanks. 

Two banks of eight unmanned cameras are set up high in-stadium at adjacent 35 yard lines.  The cameras track all moving objects and technicians identify and tag players by number.  Once tagged, the system can generate the player’s name and place in a graphic, or “pointer,” that can be made to appear on-screen.  Once on-screen, the pointer remains until removed. 

This new tracking system debuted during FOX Sports’ coverage of Hawai’i at USC last Saturday night and was developed in conjunction with Hego US and Sportsvision.  Additional information, such as statistics, can also be inserted into the pointer.  Hego US is responsible for the tracking system and interface, while Sportvision, the supplier of the yellow first down line, creates the graphics. 

 “Rather than the old fashioned way of analysts drawing a circle on the guy beforehand, this is a better way to do it and more technically efficient way to do it,” added Shanks.

Makes sense to me.

**********

The core of Fox’s NFL coverage remains unchanged. Richard Deitsch of SI.com points out that the combined ages of Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson are 172. Translated: They’ve been around forever.

The guys, though, will get a new set for Fox NFL Sunday and a new comedian. Rob Riggle replaces Frank Caliendo as the resident funny man on the show. Farewell, John Madden character.

Erin Andrews also makes her presence felt on the NFL side. She will have an interview with Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers to kick off the season.

Andrews, who hosts Fox’s primetime college show, will contribute to Fox NFL Sunday and then will play a role as a sideline reporter for the Thanksgiving Day game and the playoffs.

Transcript of Bobby V’s interview; Was the response justified?

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WEEI in Boston has the transcript of Bobby Valentine’s stormy interview with Glenn Ordway yesterday.

The exchange of where Valentine says “If I was there, I’d punch you right in the mouth” made national headlines. However, it is clear that Valentine was joking about the punching part if you read the entire quote to a fairly damning question.

Have you checked out?

What an embarrassing thing to say. If I were there, I’d punch you right in the mouth. Ha, ha. How’s that sound? Is that like I checked out? What an embarrassing thing. Why would somebody even, that’s stuff that a comic strip person would write. If someone’s here, watching me go out at 2 o’clock in the afternoon working with the young players, watching me put in the right relief pitchers to get a win, putting on a hit-and-run when it was necessary, talking to the guys after the game in the food room — how could someone in real life say that?

Valentine took offense that somebody reported he arrived late for a game in Oakland. And late was 4 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game.

It seems Valentine was picking up his son from the San Francisco airport and got caught in traffic. So naturally, he bristled at the suggestion that he “had checked out.”

You were late at a ballgame last week.

I shouldn’t have to explain that. That pisses me off. Whoever wrote that knew what happened. They knew that my son was coming to see me for the first time in this lousy season and that I got to see him on the road, and that his flight was late, and that I was waiting at the airport in San Francisco for his flight  to come in, and that came in, I sent the lineup in and reported to my coaches that I was going to be a little late. For someone to say that I was late is an absolute disgrace to their integrity, if they have any.

Are you showing up putting in your best effort? Are your players?

I just told you, when you said what you said, you should apologize to me for saying that I came late.

Were you not late?

I wasn’t late. When you call in and say that you’re delayed in traffic coming from the San Francisco Airport to the stupid Oakland Coliseum and that there’s a traffic jam, then you’re not late, no.

Here is the end of the interview, which is a regular Wednesday appearance for Valentine.

Ordway and Holley say they’ll talk to him next week.

I promise, if you don’t say anything about my family and things that are most upset about me, I’ll never get upset again.

Ordway says he was just asking about something that was reported.

I guess I should read the paper or at least have someone read it and say, “You know, can you believe this was reported,” so I could at least correct it before Wednesday comes around so I’m not bushwhacked.

Ordway: OK, we’ll see you next Wednesday.

All I’m going to say is I am very, very disappointed and personally hurt that someone would actually report that that was a day of coming late.

After 42 years on the job, to do something that was absolutely proper in waiting for my son’s late plane to get there. I know he’s 29 and he could have made it from San Francisco to Oakland on his own, but I wanted to be there when he got off that plane because that’s what I promised him, and to get there the same time another manager in my division gets there every day [Maddon] — not one day, every day, OK? And have someone report that that’s getting to work late, I think it’s just irresponsible.

What do you think? I think Valentine had a right to be offended. The Red Sox have many problems, but I don’t think Bobby V’s effort is one of them.

 

 

 

Posted in MLB