EURweb |
NBC FOOTBALL NIGHT: Network’s Sunday service anticipates big congregation; ex-Steeler, Jerome 'The Bus' Bettis, part of the mix.
After all, the network’s “Sunday Night Football” show has the familiar faces of the former “Monday Night Football” with Madden and Michaels, not to mention a big favorite of the game in (“The Bus”) Bettis. And NBC’s “Football Night in America” is hosted by the most-honored studio host in history with 18 Emmy awards – Bob Costas.
Additionally, the cast isn’t only the only weapon for this particularly football program offering. NBC Sports and Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol said that the day plays an important part in making the shows an important part of the 2006-07 NFL season.
“’Sunday Night Football’ really began with the National Football League. They determined that Sunday night was the night with the greatest growth potential. They felt that the competition factors, one of which affects the West Coast -- they felt that people struggling to get home for a game that started at 6 o'clock on the West Coast was not an ideal way to go. They also thought that this was -- with the best games, this was a continuation of football's greatest day on Sunday, and so they determined that ‘Sunday Night Football’ would become the broadcast night for the National Football League,” Ebersol said.
.jpg)
Jerome Bettis and Jay Leno
Ebersol continued that Sunday night was also clearly the best night for NBC in part because of the network’s very popular late night shows. He explained that having the Monday night games would cut into “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” so Monday was not an option.
It turns out, that NBC Sports owed Leno a favor anyway. If it hadn’t been for him, the NBC on-air team may not have included Bettis, one of the most popular players in recent NFL history.
“After the Super Bowl ... I did not have the deal in place with NBC or anybody in terms of television,” Bettis said. “I went on Jay Leno's show and mentioned to him that the problem was that I didn't have a job. I should have thought about having a job before I retired, and it turned out to be an interview on air. Mr. Ebersol was in Italy at the Olympics, saw it, and was very interested at that point and the deal pretty much took place after that. So I have to thank Jay for getting me the job.”
Television is certainly ready for some football. Between the four channels hosting the games and all the highlight shows – network, cable, and local – the term “football fatigue” may be put to use.
Cris Collinsworth, who has pulled in six Emmy Awards himself, says that outside of the serious football die-hard, most people won’t be able to catch every second of every game on Sunday. Thank goodness for “Football Night in America” with Bob Costas at 7:30 pm (Eastern).
“I was doing the #1 games at Fox and I had a chance to stay there, but the reason I decided to move is because I really think that this is totally unique. This is a paradigm shift that the NFL has never seen before. It's sort of one-stop shopping, that if I miss anything during the day, if I tune in from 7 o'clock until midnight, I promise you, you will be caught up with the entirety of the National Football League,” Collinsworth boasted.
Team member and gridiron great John Madden is definitely a football TV icon. He turned 70 earlier this summer and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month, and said that he couldn’t possibly have more fun.
“You know, it's something I've been in all my life. I went from a player to a coach to a broadcaster – I’ve never worked a day in my life,” he joked. “I mean, I've been in recess all my life.”
With Madden, Michaels, and producer Fred Gaudelli, fans might get the feel of ABC’s “Monday Night Football,” since these three were formerly the faces and force of that show. Michaels assured that the Sunday night offering would be different although it has a very familiar cast and crew.
“Well, we've been on the same team. It's almost like there's a big trade and like four or five guys go to another team. The opportunity to do something differently and to work with Dick and, of course, the guys on ‘Football Night,” I think we're going to have an opportunity to fold in back and forth, hopefully. I think [it] will be an interesting component that we never had on Monday night,” he said. “The question has always been asked of us each year, ‘What are you going to do that's different?’ And we always ask ourselves, ‘What can we do that's better?’ So we're always looking to ... whatever we do, refine it, make it a little bit better.”
This weekend, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” will see the Denver Broncos traveling to New England to play the Patriots in a rematch of last year’s playoff bid, won by Denver. Coverage begins at 7 pm ET. Check www.nbcsports.com for more on the networks Sunday matchups and game coverage.
-------------------
Freddie Jackson's new CD "Transitions" in
stores everywhere on September 26. Includes
a collector's bonus DVD of 17 of Freddie's greatest
videos including "Rock Me Tonight" and "You Are
My Lady." Also includes a special tribute to the
late Luther Vandross - "Superstar/Wind
Beneath My Wings." Available on
Orpheus Music
.jpg)
