Broadcast Review: Week 13
Tom Goodhines
Friday July 14, 2000
Going into the last couple weeks of the season, the San Jose SaberCats currently lead the AFL standings and WB 20 is attempting to match that with some outstanding broadcast coverage. Although they didn`t get this week`s top production award, the network showed that it should provide some competition for the "Golden Goody" award at season`s end.
Grant Napear, who filled-in for Bob Fitzgerald, provided viewers with a solid performance. Napear`s delivery is excellent and his ability to call a game makes him this week`s top newcomer. Napear also worked very well with top color man, Artie Gigantino.
As always, Gigantino was on top of his game. The best example came at the end of the contest when he explained why kickers position the ball in a different manner for on-side kicks.
 Artie Gigantino Image courtesy of KCAL |
The only mark against this week`s broadcast was the fact that they cut away from the game with under a minute remaining. With a 75-72 game, you have to stay with the game! (Can somebody say Heidi?) No post-game show was also a killer to this otherwise outstanding broadcast.
Top production: 1. The Nashville Network. Despite the fact that they did not have the "30-Minute Drill," TNN still puts together the best package in the league. 2. Warner Brothers 20, San Jose. 3. Fox Sports West 2. Other notables: Warner Brothers 61, Phoenix; Comcast Network 8, New Jersey; Time Warner, Tampa Bay; WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville.
Top introduction/opening: 1. Fox Sports West 2. There is no question that their opening tease is the best in the business. 2. TNN. 3. Time Warner, Tampa Bay. Other notables: WB 61, Phoenix; WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville; WB 20, San Jose; CN 8, New Jersey.
Top pre-game: 1. TNN. 2. WB 20, San Jose. 3. Fox Sports West 2. Other notables: WB 61, Phoenix; Time Warner, Tampa Bay; WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville; CN 8, New Jersey.
Top halftime: 1. CN 8, New Jersey. Two features and top-of-the-line observations put this network at the top this week. 2. TNN. 3. WB 61, Phoenix. Other notables: WB 20, San Jose; Fox Sports West 2; Time Warner, Tampa Bay; WKFT-TV, Fayetteville.
Top post-game: 1. TNN. As soon as other network`s begin to use post-game interviews -- the gap will narrow. But right now, TNN is still tops even if it doesn`t use the player interviews. 2. WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville. 3. CN 8, New Jersey. Other notables: Fox Sports West 2; WB 61, Phoenix; Time Warner, Tampa Bay.
Top play-by-play: 1. Eli Gold, TNN. Continues to lead the way in a spot that will be highly contested at the end of the season. Had a strong showing by using appearances in the booth with Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden and AFL commissioner David Baker to lift the broadcast. 2. Bill Macdonald, Fox Sports West 2. 3. Tom Leander, WB 61, Phoenix. Other notables: Grant Napear, WB 20, San Jose; Trey Bender, WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville; Lou Tilley, CN 8, New Jersey; Brian Aungst, Time Warner, Tampa Bay.
Top color commentary: 1. Artie Gigantino, WB 20, San Jose. Artie is solid. There is no question that Gigantino knows the game and gets high marks for his ability to explain rules and situations to the viewing audience. I can see why he was seriously considered for the TNN spot at the beginning of the season and I wouldn`t be surprised to see some network giving the former coach a shot in the fall. 2. Ed Cunningham, TNN. 3. Eric Keaton, Time Warner, Tampa Bay. Other notables: Brian Baldinger, CN 8, New Jersey; David Norrie, Fox Sports West 2; Doug Plank, WB 61, Phoenix; ; Johnny Evans, WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville.
Top sideline: 1. Jill Arrington, TNN. Another strong showing by Arrington. This week, TNN used her perfectly and should continue to find ways to include her more in each broadcast. 2. John Jackson, Fox Sports West 2. 3. Tina Cervasio, CN 8, New Jersey. Unfortunately, CN 8 didn`t use Cervasio as much as they should. She was definitely under-utilized this week.
Top feature: 1. TNN, Arrington on Nashville head coach, Pat Sperduto. 2. CN 8, New Jersey, Mick Moninghoff on New Jersey`s Rookie of the Year candidate, Michael Lewis. 3. WB 61, Phoenix, "Rattlers` Tale" on Arizona`s Rookie of the Year candidate, Maurice Bryant. 4. Fox Sports West 2, Macdonald on Los Angeles` Shannon Culver. 5. WB 20, San Jose, Keena Turner with San Jose kicker Chris Sailer
Top interview: 1. TNN, Gold with AFL commissioner, David Baker. 2. WB 61, San Jose, Gigantino with San Jose defensive coach Mike Church. 3. WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville, Evans with Carolina`s Bo Kelly. 4. TNN, Gold with Oakland Raider head coach, Jon Gruden. 5. CN 8, New Jersey, Cervasio`s halftime piece with New Jersey head coach, Kevin Guy.
Top shot: 1. Time Warner, Tampa Bay. Lamont "Lamart" Cooper`s touchdown return on the opening kickoff of the game. 2. WB 20 and Fox Sports West 2. Los Angeles` Anthony Rice`s kickoff return in the second half. 3. WB 61, Phoenix and WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville. Arizona`s Bob McMillen`s kickoff recovery for a touchdown.
Top replay: 1. WKFT-TV 40, Fayetteville. Reverse angle of Arizona`s Bob McMillen`s kickoff recovery for a touchdown. 2. CN 8, New Jersey. Red Dogs` Kevin Gaines interception in the third quarter. 3. Time Warner, Tampa Bay. Milwaukee`s Wayne Wade`s interception in the fourth quarter to seal the Mustangs` victory.
Top graphic: 1. WB 20, San Jose. Turnover margin comparison between San Jose and Los Angeles. 2. WB 20, San Jose. Showing SaberCats scoring by quarters for the 2000 season.
Top audio: 1. TNN, microphone catching Nashville quarterback Andy Kelly talking to his receivers about their pass routes. 2. TNN, Kelly talking to the officials about a non-pass interference call. 3. WB 61, Phoenix, getting the "sounds in the trenches" with a microphone on Arizona lineman Darren Kenney. 4. TNN, inside Nashville locker room at halftime.
Top quote: 1. WB 61, Phoenix, Doug Plank talking about Carolina`s revamped roster, "The [Carolina Cobras`] press guide that came out before the season is worthless. It`s like an obituary page -- everybody is gone!" 2. WB 20, San Jose, Gigantino on the 2000 San Jose SaberCats, "This is clearly the best football team they`ve ever had for the SaberCats." 3. WB 61, Phoenix, Leander on Arenafan Online, "Go online and check out Arenafan.net. All you want to know with what`s happening with Arena Football."
Oops!: TNN, Cunningham saying that Florida`s Todd Hammel was the all-time leader in touchdown passes -- the all-time leader is Mike Perez with 341.
A special thanks to Arizona’s JT Thompson, Carolina`s Nathan Boudreaux, New Jersey fan Butch Richards, Time Warner’s Eric Keaton, San Jose’s Phil Simon and Artie Gigantino for their contribution to this week’s column.
Tom Goodhines was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2000 season.
