Joe Buck, Troy Aikman...What? What Game?

[Fritz]

I get so damn irritated that NFL football announcers really do not announce the game and provide information crucial to a real fan.

Exhibit A: Sometime during the game my buddy and I noticed that Francois was playing outside linebacker...no Erik Walden. Aikman and Buck were blathering on about god-knows-what (whatever the "narrative" they decided upon), and there was nary a word about what happened to the Packers' starting right outside linebacker.

Then later, another player was at that spot (Diryal Briggs?). Again, no mention of what happened to Walden....and now Francois. It was driving me mad because Chicago ran a couple times to that side, and I had no idea what had happened to Walden.

I would also have liked to get some help knowing who was playing down for the Pack. Jenkins had a great game, and I wondered sometimes if he was in on what looked like running downs...I couldn't always tell. But no, Buck'nAikman blathered on and on about meaningless "storylines" that don't have much to do with the actual game.

Could they maybe pay attention to the details of the actual game, and keep us informed?

[mraynrand]

It was driving me crazy too. There was a ball on a Packer punt that almost hit a Bear - but did it? The nearest ref was 20 yards away - did they miss the call? Did we get a replay from another angle? No, we got a video recap of the Bears' season in 'headlines.' Show the dam game.

Then, Jordy Nelson gets held by his hand warmer on a go route, and there's no replay. I had to rewind the DVR five times to try and see it. Other penalties and plays were not replayed while some other crap was going on. Awful.

[Lurker64]

Joe Buck really annoyed me when, on Raji's interception, he blurted out "What's he even doing in coverage" or something similar. Joe Buck watches at least 19 football games per year, by now he should probably know what a zone blitz is.

[Kiwon]

I'm glad they're Packer fans but Aikman is naturally so low-key and Buck is about as interesting as watching paint dry - whether he's doing football or baseball.

The network requiring 10 second live interviews with Matthews and Urlacher about 30 seconds before the kickoff was ridiculous. The guys need to be with their units, not answering some inane question from a reporter.

[mraynrand]

I'm glad they're Packer fans but Aikman is naturally so low-key and Buck is about as interesting as watching paint dry - whether he's doing football or baseball.

The network requiring 10 second live interviews with Matthews and Urlacher about 30 seconds before the kickoff was ridiculous. The guys need to be with their units, not answering some inane question from a reporter.

10 seconds isn't enough time for that

[gbgary]

generally pretty good but they have their moments that's for sure.

[Kiwon]

10 seconds isn't enough time for that

No joke. It was probably a little over 1 minute from the time Urlacher's interview finished until A-Rod had a 20-plus yard completion. The Bears defense was out of sorts that whole first series (not that I minded :-) )

But if I were a player, I would be pissed if I "had" to do an interview right before the game just because the network wanted one. The reporters had seven days to prepare and say what they wanted to say. Let the players alone after the introductions IMHO.

[green_bowl_packer]

How many Packers games in a row have they done? 5?

[sharpe1027]

I have no interest in their stupid bit pieces they run instead of showing a replay or talking about the last play. The lack of replays was really annoying.

[gbgary]

How many Packers games in a row have they done? 5?

probably. they get the number one game...and that's been the Packers games.

[ND72]

Get used to it, they have the super bowl

[HarveyWallbangers]

Hard to believe, but there's a huge dropoff from one street FA (Walden) to the next (Francois).

[Smidgeon]

I get so damn irritated that NFL football announcers really do not announce the game and provide information crucial to a real fan.

Exhibit A: Sometime during the game my buddy and I noticed that Francois was playing outside linebacker...no Erik Walden. Aikman and Buck were blathering on about god-knows-what (whatever the "narrative" they decided upon), and there was nary a word about what happened to the Packers' starting right outside linebacker.

Then later, another player was at that spot (Diryal Briggs?). Again, no mention of what happened to Walden....and now Francois. It was driving me mad because Chicago ran a couple times to that side, and I had no idea what had happened to Walden.

I would also have liked to get some help knowing who was playing down for the Pack. Jenkins had a great game, and I wondered sometimes if he was in on what looked like running downs...I couldn't always tell. But no, Buck'nAikman blathered on and on about meaningless "storylines" that don't have much to do with the actual game.

Could they maybe pay attention to the details of the actual game, and keep us informed?

When I saw Francois in the game, I didn't think Walden was hurt. I just assumed it was yet another of Capers' many subpackages. Especially since Walden is a better pass blocker and maybe Francois was a better run defender. Don't know. <shrugs>

[get louder at lambeau]

I'm glad they're Packer fans but Aikman is naturally so low-key and Buck is about as interesting as watching paint dry - whether he's doing football or baseball.

Yeah, it would be a good idea to split them up, and put both with someone who has more energy. Or just trade them to CBS. The dull network.

[Bossman641]

I agree with the sentiments posted. Like ESPN and the mainstream sports media in general, it seems like the quality of the announcers has really declined. Too much time spent story-telling and recapping the season, not enough time looking at replays or breaking things down.

[Bossman641]

Yeah, it would be a good idea to split them up, and put both with someone who has more energy. Or just trade them to CBS. The dull network.

Gus Johnson disagrees. He is amazing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIB42WqVUmk

[Freak Out]

If the game is on Westwood I'll listen to that and turn the sound on the TV off depending on who is calling the game.

[Smeefers]

If they wanted people to, you know, enjoy the game announcers, they would pick up radio announcers and have them sit in the booth. That's not what the networks want. They want big flashy names to sell a product. The NFL is the product and they're going to push whatever the NFL wants them to push, regardless of what's going on in the game. They make you think that you're listening to commentary about the game, but really, that's just secondary to what they really want to do. Sell you the NFL in all its forms.

[SkinBasket]

It was driving me crazy too. There was a ball on a Packer punt that almost hit a Bear - but did it? The nearest ref was 20 yards away - did they miss the call? Did we get a replay from another angle? No, we got a video recap of the Bears' season in 'headlines.' Show the dam game.

Then, Jordy Nelson gets held by his hand warmer on a go route, and there's no replay. I had to rewind the DVR five times to try and see it. Other penalties and plays were not replayed while some other crap was going on. Awful.

They did seem to be missing a production truck for this broadcast. The lack of replays while we watched random plays mill about the field like cold zombies did noting to enhance my NFCC game experience. That and after careful consideration of Aikman's loss of weight and his increase in stupidity, that he doesn't have AIDS of the head, as I first hypothesized, but rather Alzheimer's, which apparently, according to my wife anyway, is marked my malnutrition and increased confusion.

After another quarter of idiocy I diagnosed Buck with AIDS of the head.

[Scott Campbell]

It was driving me crazy too. There was a ball on a Packer punt that almost hit a Bear - but did it? The nearest ref was 20 yards away - did they miss the call? Did we get a replay from another angle? No, we got a video recap of the Bears' season in 'headlines.' Show the dam game.

Then, Jordy Nelson gets held by his hand warmer on a go route, and there's no replay. I had to rewind the DVR five times to try and see it. Other penalties and plays were not replayed while some other crap was going on. Awful.


Fox should be embarrassed over their game coverage. It was by far the worst I've ever seen in a big game.

[mraynrand]

They should at the very least have focused on the luxury box when they were performing CPR on Virginia McCaskey after Sheild's interception.

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0gEqcJs15b8Oo/610x.jpg

P.S. OK, I went too far.

[MichiganPackerFan]

They were pretty horrible for this game. It seemed as though they forgot it was going on after the packers offense went flat with the (temporary) exit of Clifton. But at least Clifton came back! Ordinarily I don't mind them, I much prefer blah over annoying. Speaking of: fuck jon gruden for taking MNF from really bad to horribly gawd awful.

[Smeefers]

I will happily listen to Jon Gruden for the next 5 years as long as they promise to keep Tony Kornhieser far from the booth.

[CaptainKickass]

I will happily listen to Jon Gruden for the next 5 years as long as they promise to keep Tony Kornhieser far from the booth.

Amen brother! Here here! Bravo! Etc etc