The seasons are changing. Summer slip-and-slides are making way for the Collinsworth Slide.
But will the latter actually be returning this fall?
Just one of the numerous questions NFL viewers will have at the dawn of the season, Collinsworth's on-camera trademark slide represents a microcosm of what's to come for NFL media: a swift passage from one point in time to the next.
Bryan Curtis of The Ringer recently sat down with Collinsworth for an interview on The Press Box podcast, in which the lead NFL analyst for NBC revealed some interesting information on his separation from Al Michaels, a certain coach who he thinks could be the next commissioner, and the unique way he calls games. His words deserve to be used as a harbinger of what's to come this NFL season, especially with the debut of so many new broadcasting faces.
In the insightful and open interview, Collinsworth, an eight-year NFL veteran who appeared in two Super Bowls with the Cincinnati Bengals, seems as genuine and likeable as ever. A knowledgeable analyst who had the full support of his predecessor, the late John Madden, Collinsworth shows both his football and communicative expertise without a sniff of arrogance. What he describes in answers about his past, present, and future are items that, for a sports media novice, shouldn't go without notice.
"When I call a game, I don't watch the ball," Collinsworth relayed to Curtis. "10 times a year you get burnt doing that, but after a while the ball eventually comes into the picture and you know how it got there."
This blind-faith tactic of how to call an NFL game is not possible without the work of an analyst's surrounding team, which included Michaels and Collinsworth together on NBC for 12 years and the mostly underemphasized EP Fred Gaudelli, who adopted the "1st & Ten" technology that paints the virtual yellow line onto your TV screens. Gaudelli embarks on a new role as the head man at Amazon Prime's exclusive coverage of Thursday Night Football.
The biggest change to come to NFL broadcasting since the league's move to then-unknown FOX in 1994, Amazon's broadcast of TNF came with a massive investment from the e-commerce giant, reportedly paying north of $1 billion as an annual rights fee. The broadcast will come free to the 150 million Americans currently subscribed to Amazon Prime; for those looking to purchase, Amazon announced a price hike in February to its membership fee to $139 per year. Last week, they announced a deal to provide bars and restaurants that use DirecTV with access to stream Thursday night's action, so non-Prime subscribers can frequent their local watering hole to watch the game. Unfortunately, some chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings are unequipped to handle streaming video.
"Sports fans need to develop a different muscle memory. We're feeling very confident that over the term of our deal with the NFL [10 years] fans will become more accustomed to coming to OTT," said Marie Donoghue, Amazon VP of Global Sports Streaming via the Athletic. Donoghue's optimism may be necessary for her position, but don't be surprised if a ratings dip comes for TNF in short order. Football viewers in an older demographic cannot develop that muscle memory as easy as intended.
This investment does not exclude its voices getting a slice of the pie. Michaels signed on for a reported $15 million annually. Who will he share the booth with? ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, who will still man his post as the analyst for Saturday night college football games for the network. Kaylee Hartung will return to the sideline, a notable pickup for Amazon after Hartung's prior successful stints in reporting at ESPN, CNN, and ABC News. A talented studio desk includes a familiar face in Charissa Thompson and a wealth of player experience (and education!) from Tony Gonzalez (Cal!), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard!), and yes, "Stanford graduate" Richard Sherman.
But Michaels having a new partner for the first time since 2009 begs one must-answer question: what happens to the slide-in?
"I think it's probably going to get retired," Collinsworth said, "because Al always opened the broadcast by himself, and that's sort of where it started."
What an admission. Just as the slide-in likely retires, so do the NFL's broadcasting lineups that viewers snuggled up to in 2021 so closely. The four major TV networks with NFL rights have as much on the line as Amazon in this ever-changing media circus. Here's the most burning question for each of those four booths.
FOX: Can Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen gel quickly enough before this year's Super Bowl?
This would already be a burning question for the new #1 duo at FOX's NFL coverage, but then Tom Brady happened.
How many times have you heard that before?
In July, after returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a brief 40-day retirement that only Jesus Christ could appreciate, the seven-time Super Bowl champion signed a reported 10-year, $375 million contract to become the #1 analyst once he (finally) steps away from football.
That certainly creates resistance on Burkhardt and Olsen, a pair who worked games for the first time together last season. However, in a small audition studio with monitors playing an old game, the rookie impressed the veteran enough.
"He was the best audition I ever had," Burkhardt said of Olsen Wednesday on The Press Box. "I called his high school football games, so talk about coming full circle."
Add on the Brady pressure to the fact these two are calling their first Super Bowl together come February, and you have a blender of uncertainty surrounding FOX's future. The presumed strong connection Burkhardt and Olsen share have the ability to overcome a situation like this one. Being Olsen's first and only broadcast partner to date, Burkhardt spent plenty of time last season on phone calls and at dinners with the former tight end, finding him a fast learner, and a fast friend.
NBC: Can Mike Tirico shake off the stench of the unsuccessful Drew Brees?
Gaudelli's and Michaels' departures leave a gaping hole at NBC, which has made Sunday Night Football the most-watched TV program in America for 11 years running, per Nielsen.
Can they make it a dozen? Replacing Michaels with Tirico is a natural fit, taking from the large NBC roster of SNF personalities that includes the likes of Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth, Maria Taylor, Tony Dungy, and the newly-acquired Jason Garrett, among others. No longer part of this group is Drew Brees, who left after just one season and a lot of disappointment to his name. Brees' performance in NBC's AFC Wild Card game last season soured fans' expectations, and he ultimately walked away. Who was right next to him in that booth? Tirico, who has called over 200 primetime NFL games as the prior voice of Monday Night Football on ESPN.
The play-by-play mainstay doesn't seem to have any nerves, especially working with Collinsworth.
"He's won 17 Emmys; that's not a made-up number," Tirico said Tuesday on 106.7 The Fan's The Sports Junkies (Washington, DC). "Maybe on the outside, somebody might think, 'Oh, this is new and different,' and for me it just feels like I'm back home."
A decline in production value sans the best EP in the business and without the nostalgic value that Michaels brings, this broadcast may take a slight ratings hit, but don't expect this crew to take too many unnecessary deep shots down the field.
ESPN: How will Joe Buck and Troy Aikman change ESPN, and how will ESPN change them?
The longtime FOX voices both bolted for the Worldwide Leader, with Aikman departing first in March and Buck following shortly thereafter.
"The reason that I am no longer at FOX is mostly due to a lack of communication," Aikman said last week while appearing alongside Buck on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast. "I never had a conversation with Eric Shanks [CEO of FOX Sports] until he called to congratulate me on the ESPN contract. I asked him specifically for some comments that I had heard that had circulated and had gotten back to me, and he refused to answer those questions."
It was confirmed on that podcast that Amazon pursued Aikman to pair with the already-signed Al Michaels, but nothing materialized. Buck, however, seemed destined to either stay on at FOX or follow his partner to ESPN.
"From where I sit, once he was gone and out of the door, it was kind of my objective to join him where he went, and that was ESPN," Buck said. "I never talked to Amazon. The only time I talk to Amazon is because of my kids' 100 packages that show up at my front door every day."
Aikman had somewhat of a renaissance year in 2021, reestablishing himself in the conversation for America's best analyst. How did he do it? He became more critical of quarterbacks, and this will be the number one reason Aikman changes ESPN. The network has been known to be ultra-protective of its cushy relationship with the league, and especially Commissioner Roger Goodell. Aikman's growing objectivity will make ESPN immediately more credible in its football analysis, and viewers should hope the Disney-paid executives give their shiny new broadcast team a longer leash.
It sounds like the see-saw of creative expression will shift in favor of Buck and Aikman, as ESPN has committed to giving them plenty of freedom.
"To ESPN's credit and to our specific producer, Phil Dean, he's like, 'Hey, whatever you guys have been doing, keep doing it and we will adjust to you,'" Buck said. The voice of the World Series since 2000 and having the chance to call six Super Bowls, Buck seemed content with leaving baseball and FOX to continue to work with Aikman. ESPN does broadcast the Super Bowl in 2026, the final year of Buck's and Aikman's current ESPN contracts.
The attention ESPN puts on its one Monday night game, as opposed to FOX's or CBS' weekly conference packages, will give this seasoned partnership the chance to blossom, and vice versa.
"With ESPN it's one broadcast, so it's one game a week on their network, and they have the resources to throw a lot at it," Aikman said. Expect a ratings boost on Monday nights (and possibly less eyeballs pointing towards the Manningcast).
CBS: Is America sick of Tony Romo?
Ah, yes, the one mainstay in NFL broadcasting after this tumultuous offseason: Jim Nantz, the avid donor of his Vineyard Vines custom neckties, and Tony Romo, who the author of this article once met at a church in Wisconsin. The true and full story is here.
As considerate as he was that September morning in 2018, Romo finds his hot streak slowly growing colder, just as the temperature dwindles on American thermostats this fall. His act of predicting plays has gone stale with some parts of the football-watching audience, and he must become more relatable to return to good favor. This season carries major pressure for Nantz and Romo being the NFL's only #1 broadcast team to stay constant; they have only been together since 2017, Romo's first year as an analyst.
With the rise in sports gambling across the U.S. - which is a glorified exercise in making predictions - more consumers will come to appreciate Romo's prophetic style of calling games. For better or worse, the former Dallas Cowboys QB will never lose his excitement, which paired with the gracefully-aging Nantz will make for a steady broadcast.
Whether it's new faces or new places, NFL media consumers will have plenty to stay in tune with in 2022. If there's any place to be on the edge of your seat this season, it's your living room couch. Just remember to set up Prime Video for your technically challenged family members on Thursday nights.
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