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SAUNDERS: A holiday tradition? Many beg to differ

By Dusty Saunders, Special to the Rocky

Published November 30, 2008 at 9:26 p.m.

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I wouldn't dare attempt to estimate the number of "he does a good (or great) job" comments provided by broadcasters during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Twenty-nine games were aired locally during the four-day period (20 college, seven NFL and two Colorado high school championship contests).

I do estimate that about 50 studio experts, nearly all attired in stylish suits, wide collars and big-knotted ties, voiced a steady variety of football opinions.

Some had insight. Others were meaningless.

One of the most interesting occurred on Thanksgiving, when Bill Cowher of CBS' NFL Today jutted his jaw and strongly advocated the NFL abandon the traditional Turkey Day game in Detroit.

"The game is a tradition," Cowher said. "But it's a tradition that should be shared by everybody in the country."

Cowher's halftime plea, when the winless, toothless Lions trailed the Titans 34-10, was given comedic (if not very funny) support when Shannon Sharpe, with a bag over his head (the invisible tight end), claimed it was "ridiculous" viewers had to see Detroit every Thanksgiving.

The scenario produced a wide variety of pro-and-con e-mail response from many who remembered the Thanksgiving glory days, when Detroit was often matched against archrival Green Bay in key NFL contests.

Any of you old-timers recall the 1961 contest on CBS when Paul Hornung and the Packers beat the Lions 17-9 in a mud-spattered game at Tiger Stadium?

Cowher, whose stature is rising weekly on the CBS show, assumed the role of a "mad scientist" Sunday, providing concoctions he believes would add more drama and excitement to NFL contests.

One logical suggestion: Make the often-automatic field goal more difficult by moving the goal posts closer together. Cowher also advocated giving teams two points, rather than three on close-in, chip-shot attempts.

Makes sense to me.

RATINGS ROULETTE: An ABC programming official recently quipped: "We haven't had Saturday night ratings like this since Lawrence Welk was on the screen."

He was referring to the network's widely watched college football series, mostly featuring Big 12 teams.

Nearly all the games have been the most-watched broadcast attractions of the evening.

The top three games: Texas Tech-Texas, Southern Cal-Ohio State and Oklahoma-Texas Tech.

Early audience reports indicate that Oklahoma's win over Oklahoma State produced a huge Saturday night audience.

Lawrence Welk? Old-time dance hall devotees know Welk, from North Dakota, was a bandleader, not a quarterback.

BROADCASTING NAMES: Bill Walton, who missed most of ESPN's college basketball coverage last season because of a severe back injury, returned Friday to studio work, armed with typical cryptic comments.

Since TNT's Charles Barkley is feuding with LeBron James, it's logical for Walton to start a war of words with another NBA player.

* Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, the analyst replacing the retired Billy Packer, kick off CBS' college basketball season Dec. 13.

Nantz predicts Tiger Woods will return to golf competition in late March, participating in Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Classic, which Woods has won four times.

* Jack Corrigan, known for his Colorado Rockies coverage on KOA Radio, proved Saturday he knows the difference between a line drive and driving a lineman. He worked well with Drew Goodman and Marc Stout during FSN Rocky Mountain's coverage of the Colorado 5A and 4A championship games.

* Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon aren't candidates for sports Emmy awards, based on their coverage of the Broncos- Jets game.

ANOTHER VIEW: The next potential TV upgrade for NFL viewers? How about 3-D?

While fans are still getting used to high definition, the league is experimenting with the system first introduced in movie theaters 55 years ago.

Coverage of Thursday night's Chargers-Raiders game on the NFL Network will be broadcast in 3-D as an experiment in Los Angeles, New York and Boston theaters.

Electronic experts claim viewers will crouch down in their chairs to "catch" the ball as if it's coming into their arms. And viewers won't have to wear those silly cardboard glasses.

Dusty Saunders writes periodically about sports broadcasting. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.

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