Whitlock: NBC's cast of thousands is a bad act

[WoodysGirl]

by Jason Whitlock

Updated: July 10, 2008, 2:33 PM EST 262 comments add this RSS blog email print


Everyone I mention in today's column — except Jay Mariotti — is someone I like personally, respect professionally and hope will understand I have a job to do. My job is to tell you what I honestly think, not to play kissy-face with my peers in the media.

What in the hell is NBC doing adding another person to its NFL studio show who doesn't really care or know anything about the NFL?

The last thing "Football Night in America" needed was Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann trying to out-cute each other while highlights play in the back-back-background. The return of The Big Show is going to look, sound and feel like The Big Show-offs, another overdone football distraction.

NBC executives must have missed the memo: The Big Show era is dead. ESPN killed it. Every Tom, Dick and Stu Scott wannabe beat the other side of the pillow, cold and Pooh season and en fuego to death.

It ain't coming back.

What's worse is that Football Night was already hamstrung by an overcrowded set featuring talking heads with limited insight about, connection to and passion for the NFL.

Bob Costas, a brilliant broadcaster, is a baseball man. He named a son after Kirby Puckett. No shame in that. But a baseball man is out of place hosting the highest-profile football studio show.

Olbermann, a brilliant broadcaster, is a left-wing political pundit. You don't think football when you see Olbermann. You think Bill O'Reilly. Olbermann's work on Football Night comes off like he spends an hour each week thinking about the NFL. His disjointed and confusing commentary last season about Michael Vick exposed how out of place he is talking football on a big stage.

Tiki Barber quit football in his prime because the entire concept of the game utterly bored him, and that's just how he comes across during the brief, off-the-main-set segments he is allowed to speak. I'm glad Tiki is embracing life outside the locker room and wants to evolve well beyond being a football player. I just don't want to witness it during a prime-time football show. I can monitor Tiki's evolution five days a week on the "Today Show."

Jerome Bettis, terrific fullback, should be hosting a pro bowlers studio show. As a broadcaster, he's not ready for the main stage. He's not Emmitt Smiff, but Jerome hasn't mastered the art of speaking in provocative, insightful sound bites.

On paper, Peter King is qualified to star on Football Night as an information man. No one follows the game more thoroughly than King, the Sports Illustrated scribe. He's a true insider who can get on the phone with damn near any coach or executive in the league. Unfortunately for King, the guys breaking the most news these days are the journalists with the best access to agents and players.

Nope, Football Night has just one star — Cris Collinsworth. He loves the game. He immerses himself in the game. He's willing to be outspoken about the game. He's just not on camera enough because the show has to make room for all the guys moonlighting as football experts. Collinsworth has no one to talk to on his level. I'd bet he's the only person on the show who actually watches game film.

Dan Patrick, a brilliant broadcaster, won't help. He's a clever radio host, but he's not a football guy. Patrick will be one more person on the show who has little real interest in the game.

I'm sure all these guys are football fans. Hell, they probably operate great fantasy teams. But they'll all contribute to one big, sloppy mess on Sunday nights. In terms of relevance and chemistry, the NBC show will lose more ground to Terry, Howie, Jimmy and Curt Menefee.

I'm not pimping Fox's studio show because I work for FOXSports.com. I don't roll like that. Just about everyone in the industry agrees that Fox's studio show is the best in football. The reason it's the best is because the main guys are all still football men first. They still love the game and follow it with tremendous passion. Or at least that's how they appear on Sunday afternoons. They act like they'd rather watch football on Sundays than grill George W. Bush about his Iraq policy.

Tiki, Olbermann and Costas are too intelligent and sophisticated to care about football the way Terry, Howie and Jimmy do. Bettis, King and Patrick just aren't good fits considering all the other dynamics in play.

NBC's show will be so bad that about the only thing that could be worse would be if ESPN decided to team Stu Scott, Jay Mariotti and Emmitt Smiff in the Monday Night Football booth.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8331492

 

[tomson75]

Nope, Football Night has just one star — Cris Collinsworth.

I was thoroughly enjoying this until right there....and then immediately stopped.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

 

[baj1dallas]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

he's terribly boring at times but he does at least seem to watch the games.

 

[es22]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

I second that.

Collinsworth is one of the few ex-players who tell it like it is. Too bad they had Gumbel on NFLN the last two years.

It doesnt hurt that he is not a Cowboys hater like many in the industry.

 

[CowboyWay]

Fantastic article. Whitlock can pretty much forget about being on any of those guys Xmas card lists, but he NAILED it.

I've always liked Collinsworth. Kind of goofy, but the dude could flat out play, and there is no question he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the game.

 

[big dog cowboy]

There are several reasons I don't watch NBC's coverage of the NFL.

 

[VACowboy]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

I'm no Whitlock fan but this is a great article. I agree with every single point, especially the stuff about Collinsworth.

 

[percyhoward]

I'd bet he's the only person on the show who actually watches game film.

I've posted exactly that same comment myself here about Collinsworth.

 

[bootsy]

I wish people would leave Emmitt alone about his work on ESPN last year because if you listen to interview from Lake Tahoe that someone posted on this board and the way he talks on those NFL Films clips when he was playing he sounded very polished. I never noticed that he had a speaking problem or anything of that nature. I think his problem and have always thought this is that he has trouble in a script environment where he can't improvise. That ESPN setting is not for him but he can improve. It is jus like he is as a football player. As a rookie you will struggle but get some experience and you will start to see improvements. He mentioned this on that Lake Tahoe interview. I just wish people would give Emmitt time instead of crucifying him after his first season on ESPN. Is he a natural? No. Can he improve? Yes. If he is still struggling next year and the years after then yes he is fair game but I think the media has been real unfair to him after 1 year.

 

[miamicowboy21]

Great Article. Other than collinsworth none of these guys have the passion for football. NFL network made the same mistake with gumbel. That NBC show is going to be a disaster.

 

[CowboyWay]

I wish people would leave Emmitt alone about his work on ESPN last year because if you listen to interview from Lake Tahoe that someone posted on this board and the way he talks on those NFL Films clips when he was playing he sounded very polished. I never noticed that he had a speaking problem or anything of that nature. I think his problem and have always thought this is that he has trouble in a script environment where he can't improvise. That ESPN setting is not for him but he can improve. It is jus like he is as a football player. As a rookie you will struggle but get some experience and you will start to see improvements. He mentioned this on that Lake Tahoe interview. I just wish people would give Emmitt time instead of crucifying him after his first season on ESPN. Is he a natural? No. Can he improve? Yes. If he is still struggling next year and the years after then yes he is fair game but I think the media has been real unfair to him after 1 year.

Hey we all love Emmitt don't get us wrong. What he has done with the star on his helmet, none of us will ever forget, but you have to look at this thing objectively. He is the worst broadcaster in the history of the NFL in my eyes. I get stomach cramps from just watching him. He is that foul.

The man doesn't have the speaking skills to work the register at Walmart if you ask me, let alone to be on stage in front of TV cameras.

Can he improve? Absolutely, because there is nowhere else for him to go but up. However, he has a mountain to climb to someday hope he can be an average broadcaster.

Sorry, Emmitt, I love ya, but this gig just ain't for you.

 

[Chief]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

I agree.

That's a great column. Like him or not, Whitlock calls it like he sees it and I see the same thing he does on this subject.

Great job.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

I agree, that guy is a trip sometimes.:bang2:

 

[Tex]

I wish people would leave Emmitt alone about his work on ESPN last year because if you listen to interview from Lake Tahoe that someone posted on this board and the way he talks on those NFL Films clips when he was playing he sounded very polished. I never noticed that he had a speaking problem or anything of that nature. I think his problem and have always thought this is that he has trouble in a script environment where he can't improvise. That ESPN setting is not for him but he can improve. It is jus like he is as a football player. As a rookie you will struggle but get some experience and you will start to see improvements. He mentioned this on that Lake Tahoe interview. I just wish people would give Emmitt time instead of crucifying him after his first season on ESPN. Is he a natural? No. Can he improve? Yes. If he is still struggling next year and the years after then yes he is fair game but I think the media has been real unfair to him after 1 year.

You have got to be kidding right? Learning how to speak English should come BEFORE you get a job as a broadcast analyst on national TV. Thats really not a place to learn as you go. Emmit needed to be TRAINED on how to speak proper English BEFORE he was put on the air. I thought it was very painful to watch him at times as he embarrassed himself. And thats not what I wanted for Emmit. I love him to death but... Its not good for Emmit when he is being made fun of all over the place. And he was that bad. NOW I think he has potential but... they really should of worked with him more BEFORE they stuck him on TV in that role in my opinion anyway. Again I love Emmit! And thats why it sorta hurt to watch him at times. He would say something and you would just grimace and shake your head as it was painful. It was painful to us that cared about Emmit. To everyone else they just laughed and thats a lot worse.

Tex

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Collinsworth voice just grates on me sometimes. I swear by seeing him and hearing him, if you did not know better, you would say he would never have played football.

But he is knowledgeable about the game, I don't always agree with his takes but he is probably the best on NBC for calling games.

Personally I quit watching NBC's pregame show years ago...just could not stomach it.

I watch ESPN or Fox shows before the game.

 

[bootsy]

You have got to be kidding right? Learning how to speak English should come BEFORE you get a job as a broadcast analyst on national TV. Thats really not a place to learn as you go. Emmit needed to be TRAINED on how to speak proper English BEFORE he was put on the air. I thought it was very painful to watch him at times as he embarrassed himself. And thats not what I wanted for Emmit. I love him to death but... Its not good for Emmit when he is being made fun of all over the place. And he was that bad. NOW I think he has potential but... they really should of worked with him more BEFORE they stuck him on TV in that role in my opinion anyway. Again I love Emmit! And thats why it sorta hurt to watch him at times. He would say something and you would just grimace and shake your head as it was painful. It was painful to us that cared about Emmit. To everyone else they just laughed and thats a lot worse.

Tex

If you have heard Emmitt speak you know that he can speak English. So that is not a question. Doing it on TV when you haven't done it before is not something that comes naturally for most. It's like getting up and speaking in front of an audience as opposed to speaking one on one in a casual setting. If you thing going on TV when you have little to no experience is as easy as 1,2,3. I don't think so. I took Broadcasting classes in college and went in front of the camera and it is a different experience then speaking to someone in a casual. It's not easy to do. I didn't hear anyone have a problem with Emmitt's English speaking abilities before being on ESPN so you mean to tell me he forgot how to speak English.
Who's kidding who?

 

[bootsy]

Hey we all love Emmitt don't get us wrong. What he has done with the star on his helmet, none of us will ever forget, but you have to look at this thing objectively. He is the worst broadcaster in the history of the NFL in my eyes. I get stomach cramps from just watching him. He is that foul.

The man doesn't have the speaking skills to work the register at Walmart if you ask me, let alone to be on stage in front of TV cameras.

Can he improve? Absolutely, because there is nowhere else for him to go but up. However, he has a mountain to climb to someday hope he can be an average broadcaster.

Sorry, Emmitt, I love ya, but this gig just ain't for you.

I think saying he is the worst broadcaster in the history of the NFL is a way over the top incorrect especially after 1 season. See this is what I talking about. People like you not giving him a chance to prove himself. I guess you would have given up on Troy Aikman after his first year as a Dallas Cowboy too. Or Peyton Manning for not winning a playoff game his first 4-5 tries. Or Romo for not winning one yet. Some people like a Collingsworth can pick it right up and are a natural. Emmitt is not but let's see what happens this year.

That bolded statement is stupid also. To become an average broadcaster doesn't take that much work. He just needs to be a little bit more polished and comfortable on camera. Some of it could have been laziness, being unprepared. He said in that Lake Tahoe interview that he has a lot of things he needs to improve on. He said he reviewed himself on tape and knows he needs to improve. If Emmitt Smith the football player could review tape and improve. I would like to think Emmitt Smith the broadcaster can do the same. My gosh you act like the guy has no chance and will never be able to do it. If he doesn't improve this year and is still making the same mistakes then I would say this is just not for him and he needs to get out of TV and play golf or something and enjoy his retirement but let's wait and see first before saying he is the worst broadcaster in NFL history.

 

[theogt]

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

Ditto. The guy's one of my favorites.

"What a great route!"

 

[YosemiteSam]

I was thoroughly enjoying this until right there....and then immediately stopped.

Outstanding article.

And I agree with Whitlock about Collinsworth. I've never gotten why people hate him so much.

He is right about Collinsworth. He is the only person that should be on the show that actually is.

Other than that. I hate him because of his arrogant awesome person mentality. While most of the time he speaks with logic and presents facts to back them up, if he clearly doesn't like someone or something he starts firing off what amounts to garbage and won't present anything to back up his claim.

Top that off that he talks with a sense of entitlement. That always turns me off.