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Take Back the Television: NFL Blunders with its Precious Network

Posted: Jul 2nd 2008 12:46 PM ET by Tom Mantzouranis (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Fans, NFL Gossip, NFL Media Watch, NFL Network

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NFL players are constantly and increasingly warned to beware the all-seeing eye of the Internet and its resourceful inhabitants. The league itself might want to heed that lesson a little bit, as well.

The league has taken a sorta progressive stance compared to other leagues on offering online video (although a package to watch games online might, you know, be a good idea), but they recently got caught with their guard down. NFL.com streamed the live NFL Network feed of Michael Strahan's retirement press conference on June 9th and then ... forgot to close the feed.

The result: some tubes nerd discovered that by visiting the URL for the Strahan conference, he/she could watch the NFL Network, for free, in glorious real time. Rampant message-boarding ensued. The stream remained for almost an entire month, until it was shut down yesterday. The error is significant, given the vigilance the league usually maintains over its content online, the NFL Network's treatment by the league as a precious commodity, and its struggles with cable over distribution. It also came at a bad time as each side continues to fight for leverage, with the NFL already losing more and more everyday.

I was tipped off to this a couple of weeks ago but kept quiet here because ~~my market is sans-NFLN and I was enjoying the taste while it lasted~~ I wanted to see how long before the league caught on on its own. With it no longer, I contacted the league for a response and it seemed they were still a little confused by it all. They did tell me, however, that they didn't think that the bootlegging was widespread (Google disagrees) and that they hope we "enjoyed the NFL Network freeview." Thank you, we did. I love stickin' it to the man.

NFL, ESPN Offer to Test Prototype Wireless Internet Devices

Posted: Jun 27th 2008 3:23 PM ET by David J. Warner (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Media Watch, ESPN, NFL Network

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And now for the geekiest thing you'll read on FanHouse all day.

The NFL and ESPN have told FCC that they would like to test "white space" devices during live NFL games. The goal is to see if and how the wireless internet devices might interfere with wireless microphones and local TV signals in a real-world environment.

If you're not familiar with white space devices, here's some background for you. When the FCC handed broadcasters free analog TV spectrum back in the day, they required that there be "buffers," or white spaces, in between spectrum allocations, so as to avoid interference between channels. Now that analog TV signals are set to be switched off and replaced with all-digital TV signals next February, a few tech companies see an opportunity to use those white spaces to deliver wireless internet on the cheap -- the theory being that digital signal is much less susceptible to interference.

The hitch is that broadcasters are terrified that white space internet signals will interfere with TV signals. The National Association of Broadcasters wants to ban the devices, while White Spaces Coalition members are accusing the NAB of engaging in empty rhetoric. Unfortunately, NAB has the upper hand right now, as several white space devices tested by the FCC haven't worked very well.

NFL Network Hires Bob Papa to Replace Bryant Gumbel

Posted: Jun 25th 2008 3:37 PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Media Watch, NFL Network

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Neil Best of Newday is reporting that NFL Network has hired Bob Papa to handle play-by-play on its slate of eight regular-season games, replacing Bryant Gumbel as the top in-game broadcaster on the league-operated cable channel.

By hiring Papa, NFL Network has basically gone the exact opposite route it went when it hired Gumbel: Papa is an old pro who has a firm understanding of the job but isn't well known outside New York; Gumbel is a big name who had no experience calling play-by-play.

Tom Hammond was thought to be the front-runner for the gig but was apparently passed over. NFL Network wanted Al Michaels but couldn't afford him.

On NFL Network Papa will work with analyst Cris Collinsworth. Papa's primary job is as the Giants' radio play-by-play man. He is also the lead announcer for HBO's Boxing After Dark.

ESPN, NFL Network Could Join Forces

Posted: Jun 20th 2008 7:40 PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Media Watch, ESPN, NFL Network

3 COMMENTS

ESPN and NFL Network may be heading for a merger.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Worldwide Leader and the National Football League's house network are engaging in high-level talks about developing a partnership. The discussions go all the way up to Disney CEO Robert Iger and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

At first glance, it looks like a win-win: For the NFL, the deal would help get NFL Network into tens of millions of cable TV households that currently don't carry it. For ESPN, it would strengthen ties with America's most popular sports league, and it would ensure that the NFL won't develop a similar partnership with a cable TV competitor.

But the deal could be a loser for NFL fans. Competition between ESPN and NFL Network -- especially at NFL Draft time -- has made both networks improve their coverage. If they start working together, what little competition currently exists in cable TV coverage of the NFL disappears.

NFL Network Not in Al Michaels' Future

Posted: May 14th 2008 6:24 PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Media Watch, NFL Network

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NFL Network will not be hiring Al Michaels as the play-by-play voice of its live regular-season game coverage, Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports.

All indications are that NFL Network would have loved to hire Michaels, but that Michaels declined:

"NBC was open to it, but it didn't work out from Al's point of view," said Steve Bornstein, the president of the NFL Network. "We never got to the specifics."

Michaels has, in the past, indicated that he much prefers being on network television to cable. He has derided ESPN as a "four-letter network," and if ESPN is too small-time for Michaels, NFL Network obviously would be, too.

With Michaels out of the picture and Bryant Gumbel long gone, next up for NFL Network could be Tom Hammond, an old pro who would be a solid if not spectacular addition.

Does Patriots Spygate Story End Today?

Posted: May 13th 2008 6:15 AM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Patriots, Boston, NFL Network

1 COMMENT

Former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh has a meeting today with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and another one with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter. If the Patriots and the league get their wish, both Goodell and Specter will announce after their meetings with Wals that they're convinced that the Patriots didn't tape the Rams' final walk-through practice before the 2002 Super Bowl, and the Patriots Spygate story will come to an end.

More realistically, however, it's going to be more complex than that. Goodell will, I'm sure, announce at his press conference this morning that he's satisfied that the punishments he's already doled out to the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick fit all the crimes that Walsh told him the Patriots and Belichick committed.

NFL Network to Hire Al Michaels?

Posted: May 1st 2008 5:18 PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Media Watch, NFL Network

2 COMMENTS

Now that NFL Network is done with the two-year experiment of Bryant Gumbel as play-by-play man, where will the league's official cable channel turn?

Neil Best of Newsday reports that the NFL could be looking to add a huge name: Al Michaels.

Michaels, who for three decades has been among America's best-known play-by-play voices, would lend instant credibility to NFL Network, which has struggled to find an audience. If the league could get Michaels, it would be thrilled.

But could the league get him? It would be a tough schedule for Michaels, who would have to do double duty for seven weeks, working NFL Network Thursday and NBC Sunday. And Michaels isn't crazy about working on cable TV -- especially cable TV that not every cable subscriber gets.

Still, if the NFL is willing to fork over enough dough -- maybe $500,000 a game or so? -- I could see this happening.

ESPN NFL Draft Ratings Drop

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 7:04 PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Draft, NFL Media Watch, ESPN, NFL Network

4 COMMENTS

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the decision to change the start time of the draft to later in the day on Saturday, and to cut the amount of time between picks, was an attempt to make the draft more appealing to fans.

Preliminary TV ratings suggest that it didn't work. From Sports Media Watch:

the final rating for the event was down only 3%. ESPN drew a 3.4 national rating with 5 million viewers for its coverage of the 2008 NFL Draft, down slightly from a 3.5 and 5.1 million in '07.

Ratings for the Draft remain the lowest in five years; the 3.4 rating is the lowest since the 2004 Draft drew a 3.1.

This is bad news for ESPN, but it could mean any number of things: It could mean there was less interest in the NFL draft this year than there had been in previous years. It could mean that increased interest in the NBA playoffs led sports fans to change the channel. It could mean that fans dislike the new format. It could mean that more fans are watching the draft on NFL Network (ratings for NFLN are not available).

But, one way or another, fewer people watched Chris Berman and Mel Kiper this year than in any of the last four drafts.

ESPN Seems Ill Prepared for New Fast-Paced NFL Draft

Posted: Apr 26th 2008 5:15 PM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Draft, NFL Media Watch, ESPN, NFL Network

2 COMMENTS

I must admit that I usually stay loyal to a certain brand. However, I may have to finally make the switch to NFL Network's coverage of the NFL Draft. ESPN hasn't been wowing me.

In fact, they've left me frustrated. I understand that advertising is the lifeblood of television, but I don't need 400 Under Armor commercials forcing me to miss ... I dunno ... actual picks.

Because of the commercials, we missed the Lions make their pick live. Because of the dozens of talking heads spread all over the country, we missed Roger Goodell announce Glenn Dorsey as the Chiefs' pick. Just now, they were shouting over a cheering crowd who was acknowledging the NFL honoring members of our Armed Forces.

We have Chris Berman being ... Chris Berman (we all saw the "hold the Mayo" comment a mile away). Keyshawn Johnson can't use words to convey his thoughts. We miss all the trade announcements. Whenever something breaks ... they all start stuttering and grow silent.

Oh, and they've been ruining the suspense by showing guys chatting on cell phones and wearing team hats well before the pick is announced (Awful Announcing has been watching both networks and says NFL-Net actually has the trade details five minutes or so before ESPN).

Madden '09 Announcers: Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth

Posted: Apr 25th 2008 1:21 PM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Fans, NFL Media Watch, Video Games, NFL Network

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We found out yesterday that Brett Favre will be the face of Madden '09. Today, courtesy of Awful Announcing, we find out whose voices we will hear doing the broadcast on the game.

Madden NFL 09 will also feature a network-inspired broadcast presentation. Players will benefit from the authentic football knowledge of an in-booth play-by-play and color commentary team featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond. In addition, numerous graphical enhancements have been made, including realistic weather and grass, sleeker player models and exterior stadium views.

That's kind of big news. First off, it pretty much confirms the Hammond/Collinsworth team on NFL Network (imagine Bryant Gumbel on the game). Second, it takes us away from having John Madden and Pat Summerall/Al Michaels in our ears.

Apparently John Madden will be in the game in some form (I mean, it is the 20th anniversary edition and Brett Favre is on the cover) but it hasn't been revealed.