Broadcast Review, Week 4
Tom Goodhines
Thursday May 11, 2000
Empire will feel the loss of Bentley’s outstanding insight, but the network took a step in trying to make up for the deficiency with the announcement of a new commentator.
Former Buffalo Bill special teams standout and NFL All-Pro Steve Tasker will replace Bentley in the booth beginning with Buffalo’s May 19 game against the San Jose SaberCats. Tasker, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, has been working as a color analyst for CBS the last two years and looks forward to joining the Empire staff.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” Tasker said. “This will provide me with an opportunity to sharpen my skills as an analyst and broaden my football horizons. This league [the AFL] is a very exciting brand of football and I hope to bring a player’s perspective to the broadcasts.”
Tasker has worked for Empire on numerous occasions, including being a regular contributor to Empire’s Fan TV and recently served as an in-studio analyst for the network’s 2000 NFL Draft Special.
“Steve brings years of playing experience and on-air expertise to the analyst position that will be invaluable to the network,” said Empire Sports Networks’ Executive Producer John Demerle. “There is no doubt that he will be able to step in with play-by-play announcer Jim Brinson and sideline reporter Bob Trimble to maintain the high standard of Empire’s Arena Football League broadcasts.”
Empire’s current plans have Trimble filling in as color commentator when Tasker is unavailable for broadcasts. Trimble will team with play-by-play mainstay Jim Brinson for this weekend’s game in Albany. No plans have been made to fill Trimble’s role of sideline reporter during Tasker’s absence – yet.
Best production: 1. The Nashville Network. We might need to eliminate this category or have you link back to last week’s review. Without question, the league made the correct decision to go with TNN instead of ESPN for a regular season package. And I’m sure that the broadcast brings a smile to Jim Foster’s face each time he watches it. 2. WB 61, Arizona. 3. Cox Communications, Oklahoma. 4. Sunshine Network. 5. Fox Sports South.
Best play-by-play: 1. Tom Leander, WB 61, Arizona. Leander has made a strong improvement over his tenure with the Rattlers. A veteran of Rattler broadcasts, Leander has shown that he understands the inter-workings of the AFL and has a firm grasp on the history of the league. His confidence and knowledge are very apparent and he has really flourished into one of the top play-by-play voices in the league. 2. Eli Gold, TNN. 3. Jack Damrill, Cox Communications, Oklahoma. 4. Bob Rathbun, Fox Sports South. 5. Gene Deckerhoff, Sunshine Network.
Best color commentary: 1. Ed Cunningham, TNN. Surprised? Not really. A perfect example of what Cunningham brings to the broadcast can be seen in his “Rules of the Game” feature. He is able to explain some of the unique rule variations that even the long-time fan might not have grasped yet. 2. Charles Davis, Fox Sports South. 3. Doug Plank, WB 61, Arizona. 4. Fran Curci, Sunshine Network. 5. Jim Traber, Cox Communications, Oklahoma.
Best sideline: 1. Arrington, TNN. Jill continues to be a great fit for the TNN broadcasts. Her features continue to be among the best and she has picked up on the game quickly. Arrington helps prove to other networks the importance of a sideline reporter and what they can bring to a broadcast. TNN, Empire, and Fox Sports West have set the standard for the use of a sideline reporter – but will others follow? 2. Tony Sellers, Cox Communications, Oklahoma.
Best newcomer: Cox Communications, Oklahoma. This network puts out a great product that features a solid pre-game and includes features from a sideline reporter during the game. Damrill, Traber, and Sellers provide good insight to the local viewers and should continue to improve once they gain experience with the Arena League.
Top feature: 1. Cunningham, TNN, “Rules of the game.” Week-in and week-out, this is the best feature out there. This week’s explanation of the line play and the rules that restrict what each linebacker can do was top notch. 2. Cunningham, TNN, with Kurt Warner, playing “Kurt Warner’s Arena Football Unleashed.” 3. Mark Goldberg, WB 61, Arizona, “Rattlers’ Tale” featuring Rattlers team meeting the community.
Top interview: 1. Cunningham, TNN, with Carolina quarterback Jim Arellanes. Cunningham was able to ask Arellanes tough questions about his sub-par play and the play of back-up Carlos Garay. 2. Damrill and Traber, Cox Communications, Oklahoma, with Wranglers owner Ed Gatlin. 3. Rathbun, Fox Sports South, with Nashville’s James Baron.
Top Quote: 1. Kurt Warner in TNN’s pre-game feature, “I love this game. I see myself as the poster boy for this league and I hope that I am able to open doors for guys in this league so that they can get a look from the NFL.” 2. Warner in TNN’s pre-game feature, “You have to feel like you have to score every time you touch the ball. And I feel the same way now. I have got the same mentality, that when a play needs to be made – I’m going to make it.” 3. Leander, WB 61, Arizona, “It’s a tough call, but [the official] was so close, he could smell the call,” after replays clearly showed a missed call by an official when Nashville’s Cory Fleming stepped out of bounds before scoring a touchdown.
Top Observation/Tip: 1. Gold and Cunningham, TNN, pointing out that “it could be a quick hook” if Arellanes got off to a slow start before Garay came in during the second quarter.
Missing games? The Milwaukee Mustangs and the Grand Rapids Rampage played in another thriller. It was high-scoring, it had lead changes – they even went into overtime. But, there was one thing missing. The Midwest Sports Channel didn’t broadcast the game. For the second straight week, Milwaukee was involved in an exciting game and for the second straight week, a MSC scheduled broadcast was not shown. Hello, MSC? Are you out there?
A special thanks to Arizona’s JT Thompson and Oklahoma’s Wes McKinzie for their contributions to this week’s column.
Tom Goodhines was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2000 season.
