Here’s a suggestion for future Super Bowl TV coverage — which won’t happen for numerous obvious reasons:
Let the current NBC Sports team cover the games.
New England’s pulse-pounding win was one of the best contests in recent Super Bowl history — punctuated by Cris Collinsworth’s legitimate call, “I can’t believe it!” when Russell Wilson’s goal-line pass was intercepted, following a circus catch by receiver Jermaine Kearse with less than a minute remaining, a catch that seemingly set up the Seahawks’ winning touchdown.
Such end-of game excitement climaxed NBC’s solid, consistent coverage.
Can you name a better booth team than Al Michaels and Collinsworth?
Or a better production unit headed by director Drew Esocoff and producer Fred Gaudelli?
I can’t recall an important football game that produced as much entertaining ebb and flow, and a terrific ending, on such a curious, controversial play.
Experience and talent go hand in hand in TV sports coverage.
Sunday’s game was the ninth Super Bowl for Michaels, who began his run on ABC in 1988 in Super Bowl XXII when the Redskins routed the Broncos 42-10 in San Diego. Collinsworth, making his third appearance, teamed with Michaels three years ago when the Giants edged the Patriots.
The Esocoff-Gaudelli team came over to NBC after working numerous Super Bowls and “Monday Night Football” on ESPN and ABC.
The Michaels-Collinsworth tandem works well because the duo moves comfortably between play-by-play work and analysis. The two complement each other, providing entertaining, accurate coverage for bar-stool “experts” and casual Super Bowl viewers enjoying fish sticks.
And they’re not averse to providing old-fashioned excitement along with the concise coverage.
With 2:16 left in the first half, the Seahawks tied the score at 7-7 and Collinsworth bellowed, “We’ve got a Super Bowl game now!”
It was an accurate shout about things to come.
Throughout the game, the cameras focused on the agony and joy of coaches Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll. And Tom Brady was given a lot of disgruntled face time, particularly when he threw a second-half interception that led to a Seahawks touchdown.
The instant-replay cameras captured all the on-field drama so viewers could soak up the game’s many nuances.
With the aid of graphics, Michaels was able to provide viewers with snapshot histories of past Super Bowls and key players. Timely game graphics were featured regularly showing important offensive and defensive statistics.
Wisely, Michaels and Collinsworth stayed away from Deflategate. They noted consequences will be in the offing, while adding the game was a special football event. How right they were.
How many watched? Nearly all ratings experts agree the game will top the 111.5 million who watched the Seahawks throttle the Broncos last year.
Why would anyone stop watching Sunday night?
Super Bowl future. Ignore rumors that cable will soon take over Super Bowl coverage. The NFL is contracted with CBS, Fox and NBC to alternate coverage through 2023. CBS is next up in 2016 with Super Bowl 50 — that’s right — 50. The NFL is dropping the Roman numeral reference, which will end some fan confusion.
Meanwhile, ESPN is waiting in the wings for 2024.
Longtime Denver journalist Dusty Saunders writes about sports media each Monday in The Denver Post. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.
