Monthly Archives: January 2013

Judge Judy over Tiger? Several local CBS affiliates pass on golf tournament

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Apparently, not everyone bought into CBS’ decision to air the final holes of the Farmers Insurance Open on the network this afternoon. Despite Tiger Woods romping to victory, several local affiliates passed on golf, opting for their regularly-scheduled programming.

I’m watching golf on CBS2 in Chicago. But other folks aren’t as fortunate.

According to people responding to my tweet, Tiger isn’t on the main CBS channels in Atlanta, Orlando, Providence, Phoenix, Kalamazoo, to name a few.

Some sample tweets:

Albany, NY has it on digital channel. DirecTV does not get the digital channel. Ellen must be popular.

Orlando WKMG CBS 6 passed… Watching on PGA Tour iPad app

Atlanta passed. Bullshit

In some cases, the golf is being shown on the affiliate’s sister or HD channels. However, not everyone gets those channels, as evidenced by the tweeter in Albany. And apparently, there is some confusion. Many people didn’t stick around long enough to get the message to go elsewhere, judging from the tweets.

CBS officials are in full Super Bowl mode in New Orleans and haven’t gotten back to me for a comment.

Obviously, the network is going to hear from plenty of angry golf fans. Then again, if those local affiliates showed golf, they probably would be hearing from angry Ellen and Judge Judy fans.

Next time: Probably best to show entire Monday finale on Golf Channel if a network can’t get clearance from all of its affiliates.

Note: The tournament is being streamed live at CBSSports.com.

 

 

Hockey town Chicago: Blackhawks set another record; peak rating higher than Pro Bowl

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Last night, ESPNChicago.com’s Jon Greenberg sent out this tweet:

We need a Blackhawks-Pro Bowl Chicago ratings story tomorrow from @Sherman_Report.

I tweeted back that I thought football, even a lousy Pro Bowl game, still would top hockey in Chicago. Turns out I only was partially right.

The Blackhawks-Detroit game did a 6.31 local rating on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, shattering the regular-season mark set last Tuesday (see below). Meanwhile, the Pro Bowl had a slim edge with a 6.44 rating on WMAQ-Ch. 5.

However–a big however–the Hawks game peaked with a 8.09 local rating (282,000 homes) at the end of the Hawks’ thrilling 2-1 overtime victory. The Pro Bowl, meanwhile, only had a 7.79 peak early in the telecast. Obviously, a few of those bored football viewers in Chicago switched over to the more compelling Hawks game.

All in all, the hockey rating is astounding, considering just a few years ago the Hawks were celebrating if they did a 1.0 rating.

Here are the details from CSN Chicago:

Comcast SportsNet, the television home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the 6-0-0 Chicago Blackhawks, delivered its highest Blackhawks regular season rating ever last evening (January 27) — a 6.31 household rating for its live coverage of the Blackhawks home ice battle against the division rival Detroit Red Wings.

For last night’s thrilling 2-1 OT victory by the Blackhawks, Comcast SportsNet attracted approx. 220,000 households for the entire game and posted an 8.09 “peak” rating during the 8:15 PM quarter-hour (approx. 282,000 households).  The 6.31 single game regular season ratings record on Comcast SportsNet shatters the previous record set just five days earlier on January 22 for the Blackhawks home opener vs. St. Louis (5.40).  Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research overnights.

Including last night’s record-breaking rating on Comcast SportsNet, the Top 4 highest-rated Blackhawks regular season games in network history have all occurred over the past six days…note the following:

1)    6.31 –      Blackhawks vs. DET (January 27, 2013)

2)     5.40 –       Blackhawks vs. STL (January 22, 2013)

3)     5.13 –       Blackhawks at DAL (January 24, 2013)

4)     4.39 –       Blackhawks at CBJ (January 26, 2013)

5)     4.35 –       Blackhawks vs. VAN (March 5, 2010)

Comcast SportsNet was also the #1-highest rated television network in the Chicago market last night in the key advertising demos of Men 18-49, Men 25-54 & Adults 35-64 for the entire length of the game (6:00-8:45 PM).  The network was #2 overall in the market in the demo category of Adults 25-54.

Posted in NHL

What is wrong with you? More than 12 million viewers tune into Pro Bowl

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Really, don’t you have anything better to do? How about reading a book? Or listen to an audio version of a book? I listened to Tina Fey’s Bossypants during a drive to Indiana University last weekend. Very entertaining.

No, it looks like a significant majority of you tuned into NBC’s coverage of the Pro Bowl last night. According to NBC, the game did a 7.7 overnight rating, which means more than 12 million viewers tuned into the dullest and most worthless sporting event on TV.

To make matters worse, it appears as if the game won the night for NBC. A Sunday night in primetime in January, no less.

That rating will just encourage the NFL and the networks to continue playing this charade of a football game. Dare I say it, maybe they’ll even add a second Pro Bowl, much like baseball did when they used to play two All-Star games.

Speaking of baseball, you can’t be happy that the 7.7 rating for the Pro Bowl was higher than the 7.6 average rating for the four games of the World Series. Perhaps, Joe Buck should do next year’s series with Troy Aikman. Might trick a few football fans into watching.

Yes, we love football. Yes, we do.

 

 

 

Posted in NFL

Q/A with CBS’ producer for Super Bowl: Most football games don’t have Beyonce performing at halftime

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Lance Barrow said I helped give him his wake-up call about being the main man for a Super Bowl.

Barrow’s first spin as the coordinating producer for the Super Bowl came in 2007 for the Indianapolis-Chicago game. During a CBS media gathering in Miami, he found himself sitting on a dais with all the network’s heavy hitters such as Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Dan Marino, James Brown, Boomer Esiason, etc..

“I figure the producer never gets asked anything,” Barrow said. “I’m thinking, ‘How many stone crabs am I going to order tonight?'”

Turns out Barrow was wrong.

“All of sudden, you ask me, ‘How does the Super Bowl compare to doing the Masters?’ Then (somebody else) asks me a question. I came up to you guys later and said, ‘What was that all about?'”

It’s about the Super Bowl, Lance. It’s about being in charge of a broadcast that will feature 62 cameras at the Superdome in New Orleans. It’s about being the man responsible if one of those 62 cameras fails to catch the right angle for a pivotal play.

Not only is the Super Bowl the most viewed event in sports, it also is the most scrutinized. Any mistake, even a blip, gets magnified a thousand-fold.

Barrow is well aware of what he will be walking into Sunday. This will be his third Super Bowl as CBS’ coordinating producer. It will be his 11th overall, dating back to when he was Pat Summerall’s spotter for Super Bowl XII in 1978.

In a Q/A, Barrow talks about the pressure and expectations and how he feels about the reviews as he prepares for the big game Sunday.

You did your first Super Bowl in 1978. What stands out as the major changes in doing the game today.

Obviously, everything is bigger. Not only the game, but everything around the game. You have more equipment, more personnel.  Most football games don’t have Beyonce performing at halftime.

You know it’s the Super Bowl. Nobody has to tell you that.

Is there any extra pressure for you as a producer? You know so many more people are watching and critiquing.

You know you’re doing this huge game that hundreds of millions of people are watching around the world. But it’s a football game. What you’re doing is a football game.

I’m not really about that nervous about it. Sure, there are some nerves. If you didn’t have any, something must be wrong with you.

You don’t want the largeness to overwhelm you. You’ve still got to go out and perform, just like the teams. You don’t want to get too nervous. Otherwise, you won’t be able to perform.

I got into this business to do the biggest events, the most important events that we have at CBS Sports. I’ve been very fortunate that I have been chosen to do these huge events.

I love it. I can’t wait for it. After I did the first one (in 2007), someone said, ‘Aren’t you glad it’s over with? I said, ‘No, I wish we could do it again next week.’

You have so many cameras and gadgets to play with. Do you have to be careful not to overuse them?

You have to be really careful. You have to make sure they don’t get in the way of the broadcast. They are there to enhance the broadcast, not to take away from the broadcast.

Even with 62 cameras, do you ever have any fears of one of the cameras missing a crucial angle on a play?

I expect us to get every angle. My boss (CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus) expects us to get every angle. We expect that every week. We expect everyone to perform at a top level. We’re the No. 1 crew at CBS Sports. We’ve been given this opportunity to produce the Super Bowl.

I don’t go into the game worrying if we’re going to have the right replay. I expect it to happen.

During the 2010 Super Bowl, New Orleans coach Sean Payton opened the second half with an onside kick. It caught Indianapolis by surprise. Did it catch you by surprise? Explain what went into covering that play.

Nobody told us they were about to do an onside kick. Sean Payton had mentioned to us in our meeting, ‘Bill Parcels said you’ve got to lay it on the line for a big game.’ Payton said, ‘Don’t be shocked if I do an onside kick.’ It could have been the first kick of the game or the last. Nobody is calling us and saying, ‘Hey, by the way, get ready, we’re going to do an onside kick.’

We were as surprised as Indianapolis was. But (director) Mike Arnold had the Skycam on, and this is where teamwork comes into play and being prepared for that moment. I always think about the great line in the movie, Tin Cup (in which Barrow, Nantz and other CBS staffers had roles). Kevin Coster says, ‘You could define the moment, or the moment defines you.’

CBS Sports defined that moment. We had the Skycam on. Instead of going away to follow the kick (like a sideline camera), the Skycam followed the ball. When it came time, we had the right replays. Then you start thinking about not only who covered it, but did it go 10 yards?

You have 40-50 replay devices. You’ve got to make sure you pick the four or five replays that show the right one. That’s what we did.

Do you worry about the reviews? Do you read them?

I don’t worry about too much about them. Sure, I’m interested in what they have to say. It’s human nature. You want to be liked. But at the same time, I only can produce the game and do the coverage the way we think we should do it.

It’s live television. It’s not a perfect science. I have in my mind what (legendary golf producer and Barrow’s mentor) Frank Chirkinian said once in an interview: ‘If I ever produce a perfect show or game, I will turn around and walk away from this business because I never will be able to accomplish it again.’

It took me a few years to realize that. He’s right. I said to our crew before the the AFC title game: ‘Tom Brady or Joe Flacco might throw an interception, but that doesn’t mean they won’t wind up with five touchdowns.’ It’s the same thing with us. It’s 3 1/2 hours. It’s beyond split-second decisions that are being made. You hope you make the right moves.

When it comes to the Super Bowl, I always joke that I’ll be on a plane at 6 on Monday morning, going off to Pebble Beach (to produce CBS’ coverage of  the AT&T National Pro-Am). By Monday afternoon, I’ll have a golf meeting. Less than 24 hours after you’ve done a Super Bowl, you’re on to something else. That’s the way it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiger effect, No. 1,862: CBS to air finish of today’s golf tournament

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The normal procedure is to push coverage to the Golf Channel when regular a PGA Tour event spills over to a Monday. And if it was Brandt Snedeker or Nick Watney holding a commanding lead today, CBS would say, “It’s all yours, Golf Channel.”

So why is CBS airing the final holes of the Farmers Insurance Open Monday afternoon? Two words: Tiger Woods.

Woods carries a six-shot over Snedeker and Whatney with 11 holes left to play. CBS wants to show Woods either marching in for the victory or folding down the stretch, which still is a possibility with the new-age Tiger. Either way, the network wasn’t about to miss a chance to air Woods in the hunt during the final round of a tournament.

As a result, the Golf Channel will handle the earlier holes today, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Then it will hand off coverage to CBS at 4 p.m. The Tiger Show will give the network a nice lead-in to the evening news.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“CBS wanted to put it on and wanted to finish at 2:30 p.m. local time,” said Mark Russell, PGA Tour tournament director. “They’re our partner, so we went with it.”

Asked if he knew if the network’s decision was based on Woods, Russell took a mulligan.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I’m not a network executive in New York. “They’re our partner and they wanted to show it and we accommodated them.”

No need to ask, Mark. It’s all about Tiger.

Note: If you’re out or stuck at work, the coverage will be streamed live at CBSSports.com and via its mobile app.

 

 

 

Costas at the Movies: Penny Marshall says Demi Moore literally got ‘screwed’ out of lead role in ‘A League of Their Own’

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Next on Costas at the Movies: Penny Marshall and Geena Davis discuss A League of Their Own (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, MLB Network). As always, Marshall is very entertaining.

Highlights from MLB Network:

Penny Marshall on Demi Moore almost being cast as Dottie Hinson:

“Demi Moore, I liked, but by the time we came around, she was pregnant. So Bruce [Willis] literally screwed her out of the part.”

Marshall on hiring Madonna:

“I lost a girl who was good because her pilot went for television, so that takes first priority. So I had to look for a hot girl who could dance. … Well, [Madonna] could dance and she’s hot. So, she was on her way to Cannes for ‘Truth or Dare’ to promote that and I said, ‘Well, I can’t wait.’ So she tried out in New York at St. John’s. …  In three hours, the coaches called [and] said, ‘Trainable.’”

Marshall on casting Tom Hanks:

“Tom Hanks came to me and wanted to be in it because he had had some movies that didn’t do so hot.”

Marshall on actresses playing hurt:

“They all played injured. Lori [Petty] had a cast on. Rosie [O’Donnell] had broken fingers…They played their hearts out because they respected these ladies.”

Geena Davis on learning to play baseball:

“Before the movie, I couldn’t play baseball at all…But I got pretty good.”

Davis on who the best player in the cast was:

“Rosie O’Donnell, no doubt. She could actually play.”

Davis on portraying the quirks of a baseball player:

“I made a bit of a study of that kind of thing. I watched a lot of baseball and tried to pick up people’s mannerisms.”

Davis on wearing skirts to play baseball:

“Some of our real cast, from sliding into home, had ripped the skin off their legs. It was nutty.”

Posted in MLB

Winning PR game: Colin Kaepernick sent pizzas to 49ers media trailer

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The 49ers QB is really smart. Writes Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle:

The 49ers‘ media trailer at  the team complex in Santa Clara has been jam-packed with hard-working reporters.  Thursday afternoon a delivery person arrived with 15 large pizzas, compliments  of Colin Kaepernick.

A thoughtful gesture? More like astounding.

Not that the media can be bought off with pizza, but … OK, we can.

 

 

 

Sunday books: Rick Telander’s unique look at football

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Rick Telander lives nearby. So instead of dropping the book and video in the mail, he decided to run them over to the house.

We chatted for a few minutes about various things. Then he pointed at his knees.

“Hey look,” Telander said. “First time my legs have been straight in 40 years.”

Telander recently had both knees replaced. His news badges from years of athletic pounding had their roots back to his football days.

The Chicago Sun-Times columnist wrote about his high school, college and very brief pro career in Like a Rose. The book, initially published in 2004, was re-released with a new introduction this fall to coincide with NFL Films doing the video version of Telander’s story.

Here’s the link. If you watch the video, you’ll notice Telander’s legs aren’t straight. It was done pre-operation.

The book and NFL Film piece recount Telander’s days as a high school quarterback in Peoria, Ill.; an All-Big Ten defensive back for Northwestern; and his experience at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp in 1971. It lasted only a few weeks as coach Hank Stram helped send Telander into sportswriting.

A quick and interesting read at 160 pages, Telander provides a unique look to a game that consumes its players and fans. He writes in his opening paragraph:

Football is the oddest, meanest, sweetest game. It is a conflict at its roots and at its surface. It pulls a sane person in two directions–anger and joy. At times, players literally fight one another, and at times they are bound together in a dance. Baseball, it has been said, is America’s pastime; football is its passion. Give me passion.

There’s plenty of passion in the book, as Telander tells his story. It includes passages about him as a father being conflicted over whether his son should play the game he loves.

As America dives into football mania this week, Telander’s book is a terrific reminder that there is much more to the game than the players who will be on the field next Sunday.

 

 

 

 

Super Bowl could be bumpy for Ray Lewis; Washington Post writes major story about 2000 murders

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It won’t be a complete celebration of the end of Ray Lewis’ great football career next week in New Orleans. The problem with reaching the Super Bowl is that the spotlight and scrutiny level goes up exponentially.

That means the off-the-field portion of Lewis’ life also will be examined. He has a dark moment in his past: His possible involvement in two murders in Atlanta in 2000.

The Washington Post isn’t waiting for New Orleans. The Post’s Kent Babb did a terrific piece of enterprise reporting with a long story about Lewis and the murders. Charges against Lewis were eventually dropped, although the Baltimore linebacker wound up paying millions to settle civil suits by the victims’ families.

Babb visited one of the victim’s families in Ohio. The family still believes Lewis was involved.

Babb writes:

Nearly 13 years after the incident, Lewis’s legacy centers on his outstanding career, his message of faith and giving, and the charisma that will no doubt be on display throughout next week before the Super Bowl.

Richard Lollar’s family in Akron, meanwhile, associates Lewis’s name with something far different, and they continue to struggle — with money and Priscilla’s mother’s illness and the impossibility, even so many years later, to find closure to a situation that has offered none. Some relatives have faced Richard’s death head-on, but his mother has dealt with it by ignoring the ordeal’s most elemental fact: that her son is dead.

Later, there’s this passage:

On Feb. 3, Lewis will be introduced in New Orleans and will play in his second Super Bowl. He said before the playoffs that he’ll retire after this season, and in five years, he will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, less than 25 miles from the home where Richard Lollar grew up.

In the years since Lollar’s death Lewis has become one of football’s most beloved figures. He speaks openly about his faith in God, and his No. 52 Ravens jersey is, according to NFLshop.com, one of its highest sellers. At the country’s most-viewed sporting event, most eyes will be on Lewis, who most assuredly will be compared with a warrior making his heroic last stand.

“I don’t want to hear that,” Faye Lollar says, “because he’s not no hero to me.”

Lewis will have numerous media sessions with the national media next week. Will the murders be brought up? How much will it be a part of the narrative for the stories on him?

Judging from the Post story, plenty.

 

Posted in NFL

Saturday flashback: CBS’ opening to the Ice Bowl; no hat for Frank Gifford

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If you’re feeling cold wherever you are today, here’s a reminder of what’s really cold. This is CBS’ opening to the famed Ice Bowl game between Green Bay and Dallas on Dec. 31, 1967.

Ray Scott, Jack Buck and Frank Gifford did the coldest open ever with temperatures at 15-below. “The Giffer,” though, wasn’t about the mess up his hair by wearing a hat. Vanity has no bounds.