Broadcast Review, Week 2
Tom Goodhines
Wednesday April 26, 2000
Game: Tampa Bay at Florida
Talent: Rick Peckham, play-by-play; James Bates, color commentary
Grade: C+
The Tampa Bay Sunshine Network crew made its 2000 debut with a familiar face. Rick Peckham, who has been the voice for the Storm on Sunshine Network for the last few years, brings experience and familiarity with both the game and the Storm personnel to the broadcast. Color-man James Bates, a former Florida Gator linebacker, has proved that he can pickup quickly on the nuances of Arenaball, and should improve once he gains experience. Most of the broadcast’s improvements need to be made on the technical side. Sunshine should go to the on-screen clock and score box that most other networks already use. Being a new broadcast team, Peckham and Bates need time to jell. That should come with time and having a veteran like Peckham will only help that process.
Network: Fox Sports South
Game: Nashville at Houston
Talent: Bob Rathbun, play-by-play; Charles Davis, color commentary
Grade: B
Fox Sports South goes “Old School” with their new broadcast look. Bob Rathbun, who was the original play-by-play commentator for ESPN’s Inaugural broadcasts of the AFL during the Preview Season in 1987, makes a strong return to Arena Football. Rathbun, who is also the voice of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, brings a wealth of experience and replaces longtime voice of the Kats Denny Petro. (He’s now Media Relations Director with the Florida Bobcats.) Fox solidified its on-air talent with newcomer Charles Davis, a former University of Tennessee player. Davis made a strong showing and continued to improve as the broadcast progressed. Last year’s musical chairs at the color commentary seat should be a thing of the past. Also gone from a year ago is sideline reporter Julie Tello. The lack of a sideline reporter took away from the overall grade, but Rathbun’s halftime interview with Cory Fleming is an element that needs to be repeated.
Weekend Highlights
Best production: 1. The Nashville Network. If this trend continues, we might have to change the name of this weekly award to the "TNN Award." Overall package is going to be hard to beat. The larger budget puts this network at an advantage but the talent brings home the high marks. "TNN has simply lifted the Arena Football League to another level in terms of production, exposure, and credibility," said AFL spokesman David Cooper. "We are very proud to be a part of TNN`s sports programming, and look forward to exciting action in the coming months." 2. Fox Sports West 2. 3. Fox Sports South. 4. Sunshine Network.
Best play-by-play: 1. Eli Gold, TNN. Gold is setting the tone early and probably won’t be a stranger to this award as the season continues. It`s his rookie season and he is already performing like a seasoned veteran – setting up his partner well and right on with his calls. 2. Bob Rathbun, Fox Sports South. 3. Rick Peckham, Sunshine Network.
Best color commentary: 1. Ed Cunningham, TNN. Until the others catch up, expect Cunningham to dominant this award for as long as he’s on the air – which is only scheduled for one more week. The departure will be a shame as Cunningham is the John Madden of Arena Football broadcasts due to his knowledge of this game and his seven years AFL broadcast experience. I said it last week and I’ll say it again – TNN needs to find a way to keep Cunningham in the fold. 2. David Norrie, Fox Sports West 2. 3. Charles Davis, Fox Sports South.
Best sideline reporter: 1. Jill Arrington, TNN. Arrington completes the sweep on Week 2 talent awards for TNN. She is very polished and has shown why she might be a nice fit somewhere in the fall. 2. John Jackson, Fox Sports West 2
Best newcomer: 1. Charles Davis, Fox Sports South. Davis shows signs of becoming a solid AFL commentator with good insight into different rules and knowledge of players. 2. James Bates, Sunshine Network.
Best segment or feature: 1. TNN, Arrington on Milwaukee`s Gary Compton. 2. Fox Sports West 2, Bill Macdonald on Los Angeles` Todd Marinovich. 3. TNN, Cunningham’s piece with Milwaukee`s Alvin Ashley about the different uses for the side walls. 4. TNN, Arrington on San Jose`s Barry Wagner.
Best interview: 1. Fox Sports South, Rathbun with Nashville’s Cory Fleming. 2. TNN, Arrington with Grand Rapids’ Michael Baker. 3. TNN, Cunningham with Milwaukee’s Gary Compton.
Best shot: 1. Sunshine Network, Florida’s Tremain Jones’ TD catch off the net. 2. TNN, Replay of the season-ending injury of Milwaukee’s Alvin Ashley. 3. Fox Sports South, Nashville`s Fleming`s juggling touchdown reception (his fourth of the game.)
Top quote: 1. Davis, Fox Sports South, on Houston’s poor showing in Week 1: “It seems almost impossible to only score 14 points. You almost get that for just running on to the field.” 2. Cunningham, TNN, on the size of 150-pound, 5 foot 11 inch Milwaukee star Alvin Ashley: “And another thing that is a big difference in the Arena League - is the size of the players. They are much bigger than outdoors. Alvin, you got something to say to Jill?”
Tom Goodhines was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2000 season.
