AFL and NBC: Week One
Tim Ball
Monday January 30, 2006
NBC could have done far more to promote the AFL’s 20th season, but, with week one in the can there’s still plenty of time.
Finally Arena Football is here and we can start watching some valuable football.
In studio Al Trautwig, NBC’s big-shot, is just that and has the voice that immediately tells sports fans something valuable is on the screen. Glenn Parker is fairly harmless and has good stats he likes to throw around.
Lewis Johnson down on the field with players is something we need to see much more of.
I still believe NBC has missed the boat on the soul of Arena Football. Adding pre-game excitement and kickoff build-up is mandatory. They seem clueless to fun.
Why NBC didn’t have the Chicago Bears Rashied Davis in-studio and chose Hugh Douglas from the Philadelphia Eagles is baffling. Enough said. Davis lit it up last season with the SaberCats and is still a topic of discussion. He would have brought youthful exuberance and he is a character in his own right.
You don’t just watch Arena Football; you experience it. Until your team is eliminated from the playoffs every game is excitement in a can. That has to be communicated.
Pat Haden and Tom Hammond calling the game are good, with Haden having the kind of passion and knowledge that gives the new fan a chance to figure out the game quickly. Haden has a place at my dinner table anytime he’s in town.
Brilliant: The spot on Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee and Colorado’s Mike Dailey, who are lifelong friends, hugging after last seasons semi-final; and the cutaway to the wedding photo of the two, was Arena Football excellence.
Nice piece NBC. The up close and personal is always a winner.
That IS the AFL.
You should have run it one minute into the game.
Biggest problems of the telecast:
--The Colorado Crush and Chicago Rush game was so close that more of a build-up could have been attainted by announcers paid to do just that. One wonders sometimes if they practice their craft or just show up for the games.
--Of course as everyone knows, I’m a Trautwig fan and feel his presence keeps people tuned at halftime. I’ll miss him when NBC goes but for now, when he’s in studio, he needs to focus his talents on more aspects of the AFL.
--No major highlights from games played earlier? That is a major problem. Highlights are what we all want to see. Who is producing this part of the show?
--Trautwig could bring the game of marbles to life and Arena Football is the most exciting version of football ever invented. Let him have highlights.
Here’s a tip on future broadcast talent:
"Sportscaster Bob Fitzgerald" from the Bay Area.
There’s a voice out there that could blow this league wide open and Fitzgerald has it. Whatever it takes, he should be the voice of the AFL game.
Buying it
EA Sports nailed it.
"FOOTBALL IS MORE FUN INDOORS."
How many of us play AFL-style in the house? All of us.
Great commercial. I have put holes in the walls.
A week ago my son thought I was going to buy that head fake as he cut to go around the sofa and I laid a helmet on him It’s all about making that defensive stop.
If he repeats the first grade he may get back on track with his education.
Chicks dig scars. He’ll thank me when he’s older.
We’ll get the EA Sports Arena Football video game the day it is out. In stores 2/9.
EA guys; forget about the "Do not attempt" disclaimer.
We’re Arena Football fans. Not wimps. We literally are "in the game."
Support the sport
The 20th season means many people carried the load. Fans that have been with the league the longest should be highlighted (briefly) every game.
The AFL/NBC connection has to do a better job of communicating this sport and need to talk to fans. It’s obvious their market research is lacking.
But it is the players sweat and suffer for this game.
Talking with an in studio guest from the NFL is not interesting unless he used to be an AFL player, or can bring some wow-factor to his studio time. The Eagles’ Douglas didn’t cut it, even as a Soul "fan." It just didn’t ring authentic.
Ex AFL players Rashied Davis - now with the Chicago Bears - and ex-Rush and current Green Bay Packers receiver, three-year NFL veteran Antonio Chatman?
Now those names are important to the AFL.
Here’s another.
San Jose’s James Roe - the leagues premier receiver/line backer - goes down with a frightening impact with the boards after scoring and there is nothing mentioned?
NBC and the league office need to understand that players and fans really are connected.
It’s not just a sales pitch.
When a man the quality of Roe goes down hard we all want to know about how he is doing. Get that right guys.
NBC, our players are important to us; when one goes down and is taken out on a stretcher it is news in this league.
James Roe should be front page news.
You’re either with us or against us. That means "us."
And NBC, help with the salary cap since you guys are running so much of the league anyway.
Your grade can be improved with a little more focus and hard work.
Appreciation
AFL Commissioner David Baker along with players thanking fans?
You’re welcome guys.
Baker is the biggest reason the AFL is alive and healthy. Absolutely no pun intended. The league would not be where it is now without Baker.
Hey boss? Now raise the salary cap.
Money invested is money well-spent. AFL players deserve far greater salaries and we all know that there is money in this league now.
Mr. Commissioner, the talent flowing into the league needs a better funding stream. The owners can certainly spend far more than 1.8 million on player salaries.
Colorado carrying 18 guys so they can earn decent money is counter-productive. It means six players are unemployed. That’s ridiculous.
We’ve all been in this together every step of the way. But it is only the players who are one play away from their careers coming to a crashing end.
It is more important to concentrate on player personnel and money is not always a bad thing.
Week two can bring improvements all around.
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
