NBA League Pass & More Marv

DirectTV has been giving a free preview of NBA League Pass this week.  This is a nice freebie and has given me the chance to watch out of town broadcasts.  Last night I watched the Utah feed of the Jazz-Timberwolve game.  I forgot the Jazz play by play man’s name (I’ll get that next post) but he got a little too excited every time a Utah player made a 3 pointer, to the point where he would scream.  Another thing I found  weak was their halftime show which featured the host, David James along with Thurl Bailey, Jeff Hornacek and Pace Manion.  A 4 guy halftime show?  With 4 guys it felt very uncomfortable watching and I’m sure it felt uncomfortable to be up on that panel.  They seemed rushed to give every person a chance to comment on the game, usually with no flow whatsoever.

Good Ol’ Marv Albert is on tonight doing the YES feed of the Nets-Hornets game.  I commented the other night on the poor radio performance by Marv doing the football game.  Tonight Marv is showing where he really belongs-on TV.  He still does a good job doing this, when on radio and asked to paint a picture of what’s going on, Marv just doesn’t cut it.  TV seems to be his natural habitat.

WEEI, Felger, and Marv Albert

I’ve posted my dislike for WEEI’s (Boston radio) 10am-2pm Dale Arnold in the past.  Today he and co-host Michael Holley, who I think is a great announcer, have the day off.  In their place the fill-ins are Michael Felger and Joe Haggerty.  From the second WEEI’s morning duo of Dennis and Callahan transitioned their show to Felgers show, Felger immediately confronted and challenged the morning guys on a Bush-Obama topic.  I don’t know who was right or wrong but what I enjoy about Felger is that he challenged them.  Usually when confronted D&C either talk over or hang up on anyone who brings great counter to their arguments.  With Felger in studio they couldn’t do that and had to hear him out.  That’s what I do not care about Arnold.  He would NEVER get into it with those guys, instead he would make some corny, golly gee, golly guys comment and giggle like a teenager.  The show itself is on in the background as I type this.  I don’t agree with Felger on everything but I enjoy his knowledge, his memory and how he takes sides and makes his opinion known.  Oh Dale NEVER takes a stand on an issue if it involves the possibly to ruffle feathers.  The next time he criticises Bill Belicheck or Terry Francona will be his first.  WEEI, I plead with you to replace Dale Arnold when his contract expires.  It must be embarrassing when out of towners tune in to hear the #1 rated radio station and hear him being a company yes man.

I found myself in the car listening to the end of the NFC Championship game yesterday afternoon.  Marv Albert was the play by play man for the Westwood One feed.  This is the second time I’ve heard Ol’ Marv this year on the radio, previously I caught a majority of his Dallas-Baltimore call.  The little I heard yesterday had me wondering what just happened on the football field.  Not only does Marv not paint a good picture for the listeners he doesn’t even get what just happened correct.  Notably and critical 4th down by the Eagles.  He said that Philly had caught the ball.  Seconds later he states that its Arizona’s ball.???  Marv get it right.  Then on the last play of the game he just gave up calling the play.  Apparently Philly called the desperate play of doing hook and laterals.  Marv said, not verbatim, McNabbb goes back to pass…..silence for a good 3 seconds……the ball is being tossed around….Arizona comes up with it….game over.  Bad job Marv.  Stick to TV where when you mess up and can use my eyes to tell me what exactly happened.

Comcast New England, FOX and NESN

New England Sports Network cancelled their Globe 10.0 show at the end of 2008. Here’s a good read from Boston Sports Media Watch.

I’m trying to decipher why FOX chose to telecast the Arizona-Carolina game in prime time and are showing the Philadelphia-New York Giant game Sunday at 1:00pm.  Why wouldn’t you want the New York market in prime time on a Saturday night?  The reasons the NFL and FOX have crazy telecast schedules is to air the best markets in prime time.  It’s going to be curiuos to see the ratings Monday morning.

With the recent cancellations of Comcast New England programming the deets are out on the severance packages for the non-contracted employees.  They received one month of in-house, not on the air, employment where they could put together resume reels,etc.,  staring at the walls, playing solitaire and going for extended lunches.  Axed employees will also receive 1 week pay per year of service after the initial month.  For example; a 14 year employee will receive 14 weeks of paid time off, as long as they don’t get a new job making within 75% of what they would normally be paid.  Comcast also will keep their benefits package for employees during  this period.  All in all it sucks for these employees but Comcast will take care of them for the short term financially.

Ordway, Fiesta Bowl,WEEI

Some random blurbs from the last 2 days.

On Sunday night ESPN ran on their crawl that the New England Patriots were going to franchise (football term) quarterback Matt Cassell.  This had been speculated and talked about for at least 2 months on WEEI’s airwaves.  Different hosts, guests and callers all had their own opinion if this was the proper thing to do.  Now on Monday morning both Gery Callahan and especially Dale Arnold ridiculed that ESPN had posted that.  Although it’s still not official from the team I found it very sad that Arnold kept thinking that ESPN was telling us something that we didn’t already know.  This is HUGE news for Patriot fans.  When ESPN reports something like this it gives the specualtion some credibility.  I just can’t figure out why Arnold thought it was so amusing.  Please do a search on my site for more on Arnold and his antics.  PLEASE REPLACE HIM WITH MICHAEL FELGER!

Some good news to report from WEEI.  The Big Show host Glen Ordway has re-upped agian.  Here’s a link from the Boston Herald:  Ordway  It’s good to have The Big O back.

Monday’s night Fiesta Bowl on FOX showed the respective schools, Ohio State and Texas, marching bands at halftime.  Seemed like the older days when that used to be a fixture.  The Sun Bowl last week also did this.  Nice touch guys.

NBC-Football Night in America

Comments on NBC’s pregame and halftime coverage of their “Football Night in America“.  These comments are based on very short viewing glimpses I’ve had of the program.  After watching doubleheaders every Sunday usually after the 2nd game I quit football until the 8:15 game comes on.  I give my family some face time for a change.  Because of this routine I rarely watched NBC’s attempt at coverage.  What stuck out at me was the absolutely bad performances by Keith Olbermann and to a lesser degree Dan Patrick.  I loved Patrick when he was on ESPN and had the opportunity when I was a Sirius subscriber to hear him when he  had the Dan Patrick Show on radio.  Olbermann, another former ESPN anchor, tries to hard to be funny and brings his intellectual opinions into his highlight review.  I find it hard to stomach that both of these guys resort to doing highlights when their skills are better utilized elsewhere.  So with the little of  FNA I actually saw these guys were not a reason to tune back in.  Peter King is a great contributor to the show.  Jerome Bettis has an ego.  It seems the hand full of times I’ve heard him, mostly during halftime, he somehow works himself or the Pittsburgh Steelers (his former team) in a comparison of what he/they would have done.  Bob Costas is himself.  Take him or leave him.. He doesn’t change.  That’s a good thing.  I dislike when commentators conform to the their broadcasting partners in order to be funny.  With ALL this said I tuned in last night to watch the NFL double header between the Falcons and the Cardinals then the Colts and Chargers.  What I couldn’t believe is that for “expert” commentary NBC hired Matt Millen.  The former head of football operations of the Detroit Lions.  The mastermind behind gathering the talent for the 0-16 Lions.  The worst season in professional football history.  How long has Millen been contributing to this show??  Maybe he had good points but I was not objective and just didn’t WANT to listen to what he had to say.  What’s the matter NBC, was OJ  Simpson busy??  Why Matt Millen?

 NBCee IT is an excellent feature NBC adds to their broadcasts.  It shows video replay of a close call then zooms in with great clarity to get an even closer look.  Last night they zoomed in to a wide receiver’s feet as they tried to stay in bounds.  I’m sure every other station will copy cat this new feature.  I hope so because it gives you an ants eye view.