We begin with a disclaimer.
What I’m about to express is not sour grapes.
It’s about what you hear when you watch a football game, or any sporting event, for that matter.
But it’s not about a guy who is sorry he retired and is no longer broadcasting games, wishing he were back behind the mike.
No. I am delighted I am retired.
I left at the right time.
I didn’t need to do it anymore.
My next chapter is going well.
I’m not surprised. I thought it would be this way.
The only work I’m doing is this.
Writing this column every week.
It’s not work and I enjoy it immensely.
Actually, the challenges of coming up with topics and how I’m going to get them across is, in many ways, more of a test for me than describing a play.
It really goes back to my roots.
I know, that’s a long preamble to what I have to get off my chest after watching games all season.
Announcers talk too much.
They never shut up. They don’t let the game breathe and after awhile it becomes like elevator music.
You find you really don’t listen.
I decided to focus on this after watching Sunday Night Football last week.
The play-by-play man called the play and when it was over, kept on talking about things that were unnecessary.
For instance, if there is an incomplete pass to a tight end, I didn’t need to hear what draft pick he was, where he played college ball, and all the teams he’s played for in the NFL.
Hey, he didn’t catch the pass. Even if he did, I didn’t need a history lesson.
Now, if that player had caught three TD passes, it might be relevant.
I don’t know about you, but wall-to-wall talk takes something away from what we’re watching.
It dulls the senses.
Even the expert-analyst alongside the play-by-play man often over-talks and offers more than we require.
There is no need for him to talk after every play, especially when we see what happened and don’t need an overblown explanation.
If a pass is overthrown, it’s obvious.
If a run is stopped for no gain, it’s obvious.
Those, and other plays like it, are plain to see.
If you long for statistics, and info about a particular player, the many graphics that appear on the screen will suffice.
In reality, there are too many of those, as well.
With the improved box that appears constantly, we can see practically all that we need to know.
We can see the score, the time, the play clock ticking down, time outs remaining, penalties on which team, what the call is, and who committed the foul.
That’s a lot, don’t you think.
I also don’t need a running conversation between the announcers. After the first ten mentions, I am aware of what the game means.
I also don’t care to hear about the back-and-forth about strategy.
I know for a fact, that the announcers never have any idea what the two teams are attempting to do.
They guess, or speculate.
How about watching the game, like I’m trying to do, and coming up with the pearls of wisdom, the kind that made the team of Pat Summerall and John Madden so brilliant.
Pat would be authoritative with his exceptional voice and concise in calling a play.
John would then offer his view, almost always, beyond the knee-jerk response.
One time over lunch, I asked John what he expected of his partner in the booth.
He explained that he would like the play called, accurately and concisely, and then keep quiet.
John never wanted to be led into a topic started by the play-by-play announcer.
He said he knew where he wanted to go after a play and didn’t want to be led somewhere else.
Then, after John made his point, his partner would tie it all in with a comment to put an exclamation point on the play.
It was clean. It was clear. There was no clutter.
Pat, of course, was a master at simply calling the play, giving the viewer all he needed to know.
No embellishments, no unnecessary chatter.
What you would get from both, was a chance to hear the crowd, the signals being called on the field, and the overall drama.
More often than not, silence draws the viewer to the screen. It only heightens the tension on the field.
Another thing Pat never did was scream.
Today, most announcers yell and scream.
A good friend, who is a top network producer told me when announcers scream, he feels he is in World War II London during the Blitz.
There is a way to get excited, using a rising level indicating a big moment without losing it on the air by shouting.
Maybe you need a strong voice to begin with to do this. Pat did it. But his voice, as I indicated, was filled with drama every time he used it.
I was impressed by the recent World Cup telecasts.
Knowing only who were the best players performing, I was able to be drawn to the action without knowing the life histories of every athlete, or knowing all the rules and nuances of the sport.
I understood the gist of the game, and was able to enjoy the action and excitement without being constantly filled with too much information.
I believe Al Michaels is still the best ever at what he does.
My friend Joe Buck still makes it look easy, but I hope he isn’t trying to play to the social media crowd, looking for positive reaction.
Jim Nantz has been the voice of CBS’ NFL coverage, NCAA hoops and, of course, that netework’s golf coverage including The Masters. JIm’s an icon.
The next generation seems to fall into the talkathon world capped by screaming calls on big plays.
There, I’ve gotten that off my chest.
I will say, without question, that even the broadcasters who drive me crazy with their excesses, they are all prepared, all competent, all worthy of their places in the network booth.
It’s about their approach.
So, I will continue to watch, enjoy the games, and know that I have the ultimate weapon.
The MUTE button on my remote.
Happy New Year everyone.