ARTICLE: NFL Network will not use sideline reporters

[WoodysGirl]

July 7, 2006 -- Are NFL sideline reporters an endangered species?


Following the lead of CBS Sports, the NFL Network is seriously considering going without a sideline reporter on its late-season Thursday and Saturday-night game package.
NFL Network decision-makers think that with the high-wattage tandem of Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth calling the games, there probably is no need for a third voice.

"We are leaning that way, but we have not made a final decision,'' said Seth Palansky, the NFL Network's communications director.

"We believe that Gumbel and Collinsworth can keep our viewers adequately informed.''

Last March, during the NCAA Tournament, CBS did away with sideline reporters until the Final Four. At that point, it used game analysts on the sidelines to interview coaches.

Now, the expected has become official as CBS Sports VP LeslieAnne Wade confirmed that the network does not plan to use sideline reporters during the NFL's regular season.

"The people in the booth are on top of all the information and news on-site,'' Wade said. "They handle the complete story of the game.''

While Fox and NBC will use sideline reporters, ESPN is the worldwide leader. Not only will it have a three-man both for Monday Night Football, it will have two sideline reporters on each telecast.



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Former WNBC-NY sports anchor Fran Charles is on the verge of becoming an NFL Network host. Charles will lead NFL Scoreboard, which will be a late-afternoon highlight show. Charles will continue to do boxing for HBO.
andrew.marchand@nypost.com


NY_Post

 

[bobtheflob]

I'm all in favor of that. The only thing sideline reporters are good for is giving injury updates and they could just as easily report all updates to the booth. I can't stand fluff interviews, I usually mute them anyway.

 

[superpunk]

But....how will we ever know what Bill Bellichick thinks of his team's performance in the first half????

 

[MONT17]

sideline reporters should be seen and not heard.... a cpl of shots froma camera behind Pam Oliver or Suzy Kolber would be alright with me!!!


Collinsworth is in the BOOTH I may need more than a cpl!!!

 

[Funxva]

sideline reporters should be seen and not heard.... a cpl of shots froma camera behind Pam Oliver or Suzy Kolber would be alright with me!!!


Collinsworth is in the BOOTH I may need more than a cpl!!!

you may need more than a couple backshots of Collinsworth?

umm.. ok buddy... whatever floats your boat...

/backs up against wall and sliiiides away.

 

[lurkercowboy]

I will miss all the important information the sideline reporters provided.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

useless?

 

[jazzcat22]

I will miss all the important information the sideline reporters provided.

Yes, like what some player had for breakfast when he was a kid. And now how he remembers that to this day by making millions of $$$$.

 

[NorTex]

Just show the damn game! Who cares about the announcers/reporters...I just want to watch the game...I can't stand it when they don't show a replay because the are busy talking about some irrelevent subject.

If I didn't have Tivo, I think I'd go nuts.

 

[dreamshatterer]

Just show the damn game! Who cares about the announcers/reporters...I just want to watch the game...I can't stand it when they don't show a replay because the are busy talking about some irrelevent subject.

If I didn't have Tivo, I think I'd go nuts.

Exactly! There have been many time when the sideline reporter has been talking, then all of the sudden they go to a shot of the game and a play has just ended. Very annoying.

 

[ghst187]

good decision...they don't add anything to the game...someone needs to send out a memo from the fans....

"dear NFL, we as fans want you to know that we do NOT tune into football games to hear the comments of Al Michaels, John Madden, Joe Theismann, or any other idiot, egotistical jerk. We tune in to watch pure football, in fact, sometimes we watch it on mute because the idiot, egotistical jerks you put in the booth actually DETRACT from our enjoyment. They often get caught up in hearing themselves talking or chase some idiotic tangent and we're left wondering if there was alcohol served in their booth. Furthermore, remember the old rule: 2's company, 3's a crowd. When there are 3 people working a game they end up fighting to get the most mic time. Meanwhile we'd just prefer to mute the sound. Also, please encourage all commentators that "dead air" isn't a bad thing if we are hearing the sounds of the game. The reason we watch the game on tv is because we can't actually go to the game. The more sounds of the game and crowd we can hear at home, the more we feel like we're at the game. This is important to us. So in commentary, remember less is more.
We'd also like to get rid of the homerism. A commentator can be a fan of a team, that's fine, but when they carry on and on about that team even when that team isn't playing in the game we're watching, that's annoying. Its also annoying when a commentator refuses to give a team he hates any credit. Anyway, get rid of the blind homers....Theiswoman's name comes to mind...
One more thing, speed up the instant replay process for the love of all that is good and decent about football. Thanks!

- The Fans"

 

[ghst187]

sideline reporters should be seen and not heard.... a cpl of shots froma camera behind Pam Oliver or Suzy Kolber would be alright with me!!!

I will miss seeing Pam Oliver....I still miss Melissa Stark too. Some hotties. Suzy's alright too.

 

[jman]

You mean no more "Coach, you're down 28-0 in the first half, have only 18 yards rushing, and your starting QB has thrown 4 ints...What adjustments are you going to make at the half?" questions???

 

[JackMagist]

You mean no more "Coach, you're down 28-0 in the first half, have only 18 yards rushing, and your starting QB has thrown 4 ints...What adjustments are you going to make at the half?" questions???

Whatever will we do without those interviews? We won't be able to see the anguish on the coach’s face as he fights to keep from strangling the idiot reporter. And we won't get to here the scrambling for an answer to a question that will sound reasonable and intelligent when he is thinking "How the hell should I know? These idiots would screw it up anyway."

I really don't mind some cute chick with a mic bringing brief injury updates or maybe a tidbit from the sideline about why a change was made at some position (QB for instance) or whatever. But PLEASE get rid of the likes of Tony Saragosa and Chris Mortenson on the sidelines. These guys seem to think that they need to be a major part of the program but they just don't. They are the types that screw up the broadcast by getting their air time while a play is going on.

 

[Hostile]

The only thing sidelines reporters really add to the game is if there is an injury to report on.

 

[big dog cowboy]

useless?

Great stuff.

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Just as long as FOX doesn't do away with the always informative and entertaining Tony Siragusa, I'm ok with or w/o the sideline reporters.

 

[dougonthebench]

when it gets that bad with the play by play guys on tv,I just put on Brad Sham.Although,I sure do miss Pat Summerall's voice on Sundays!!