BIG BOO, CBS ... YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER

 How long has CBS been carrying the NFL … close to 65 years? You would think by now the network would know not to cut away when it’s obvious something is going on as a result of the previous play. You would think … but late in the first half of Sunday’s Bills/Broncos playoff game, following a Buffalo punt … in which Denver’s punt returner MARVIN MIMS JR should have called for a fair catch and was lucky he held on to the ball when hit immediately … we got a brief glimpse of the kicking team’s CHANDLER REID FERGUSON standing over the downed Bronco, taunting him … when CBS decided a brief replay and a shot of the Bills’ celebration were more important than remaining live and showing what happened next … By the time they resumed regular coverage we saw players from both teams in something of a confrontation … Uh, oh … “Now the teams are out here with a little fracas,” said JIM NANTZ, calling his 500th NFL game … It was left to analyst TONY ROMO to explain what happened: “Wow! You could hear it from up here when he got hit … and Mims did not like it and then they tried to stand over him, and you saw the chippy-ness start,” Romo said.


Naturally, he thought the flag would be on Buffalo’s 

Ferguson. So, when the referee told the world 

“Personal foul, receiving team number 19 .. half the 

distance to the goal … time out.” … there was 

momentary silence in the booth while you could 

imagine Nantz and Romo looking at each other, 

bewildered by the call … and, whatever Nantz said 

was drowned out in a musical background as they cut 

away to more words from our sponsors.



Which reminds us … once upon a time, many moon 

ago when we were young and foolish … we put a 

stopwatch on the amount of action – snap to whistle – 

in a typical NFL game. Would you believe … about 

15 minutes? … 



Also … why do people who should know better think 

TV commentary is enhanced by a proliferation of 

noise in the background? Here’s one viewer whose 

interest in NBC’s coverage of the English Premier 

League has waned – in part -- because of music 

accompanying the studio crew’s rundown of the 

game lineups … which makes it all but impossible to 

follow … especially the quaint British accents … 

OK, that’s a minor reason … a distant second to the 

constant diving and wining on the field of soccer’s 

best. The use of VAR, in the guise of “getting it 

right,” likewise has become a deterrent … mostly 

because it allows for too many goals 

disallowed by a silly millimeter or less … It says here 

instant replay (all sports) has become a nightmare. 

How often have you seen them get the makeover 

wrong? Too often, that’s for sure … I know, I know, 

technology has made officiating more difficult. But, 

if they keep getting it wrong, replace them. That’s 

what happens to coaches and players, isn’t it?


Until next time …




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