OT: It needs to be said, the NFL Network has been a disappointment

[RussFrancis]

Did any of you guys just love that HUDDLE CAM? I thought that was kindof funny. The name alone is a gas, but can you imagine NFLN trying to actually get a camera in a Pats huddle? That's gonna last about a minute and a half. About as long as Sharpe and Faulk remain employed as amateur commentators by THE NFL Network. Just horrible commentary of that game last night. It may have actually been worse than the Pats' performance.

 

[JoePats]

Bob Papa , though a giants play by play guy, will be doing the games now and he is very good..

He's excellent, and remember, the regular season games will be done with Cris Collinsworth too. Papa (who is currently calling boxing at the Olympics) and Collinsworth will be a very good tandem. So while some of their other analysts aren't that good and in some cases very annoying, their game broadcasts will be very good during the regular season.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

What exactly could they have said positive about the debacle they were witnessing before them?

They could have said "Matt Cassell just looks lost out there and doesn't appear to be a reliable backup for Tom. Looks like the rest of the team has given up on him"

Instead, they say "The Patriots talk all offseason has been about 'finishing'. Well, they don't appear to be doing that tonight. They look OLD out there."

Add to that all the comments that made it sound like a SB was being played rather than a preseason game.

Stupid comments about the Pats' WRs dropping passes even then it was a play where the QB threw a bad pass that the receiver barely touched before being shalacked by the LB who was watching the QBs eyes the entire time from snap to bone-crunching incompletion.

I guess they were so busy cleaning the jism off themselves from when the TB offense was on the field, that they could give a better effort. M. Faulk is horrible when commentating on a Patriot game. He should be banned from games that we play in... period. Sharpe commentates like he still has a concussion.

I love the NFL network (better than ESPN at least), but those commentators were not good.

 

[RussFrancis]

They could have said "Matt Cassell just looks lost out there and doesn't appear to be a reliable backup for Tom. Looks like the rest of the team has given up on him"

Instead, they say "The Patriots talk all offseason has been about 'finishing'. Well, they don't appear to be doing that tonight. They look OLD out there."

Add to that all the comments that made it sound like a SB was being played rather than a preseason game.

Stupid comments about the Pats' WRs dropping passes even then it was a play where the QB threw a bad pass that the receiver barely touched before being shalacked by the LB who was watching the QBs eyes the entire time from snap to bone-crunching incompletion.

I guess they were so busy cleaning the jism off themselves from when the TB offense was on the field, that they could give a better effort. M. Faulk is horrible when commentating on a Patriot game. He should be banned from games that we play in... period. Sharpe commentates like he still has a concussion.

I love the NFL network (better than ESPN at least), but those commentators were not good.

What was really a little embarassing about their "coverage"/"analysis" is how they didnt bother to identify how New England played 17 plays of defense on the opening drive, without 2 of their most tenacious defenders, Thomas and Harrison, and didnt blitz on a single play(to my knowledge). How do professionals fail to point out something as obvious as that? Ive seen team after team this and most every preseason blitz, blitz and blitz some more. Our guys play straight base and really never waiver. The Faulk/Sharpe Patriot hating tap dance was mind blowing. Very dissappointing.

 

[Alk]

I haven't been impressed with the NFL Network since day 1. Everyone makes such a fuss about watching football 24/7. I may not be a true fan but Football more than 8 hours a week is too much IMO.

 

[Metaphors]

My favorite was the comment that Maroney will never be a lead back because he shared carries in college. Does that apply to Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber as well? I'm sure I could find a handful of other successful lead RBs that split carries in college, but I don't think it is necessary to show how stupid the comment was.

 

[Crowpointer]

My favorite was the comment that Maroney will never be a lead back because he shared carries in college. Does that apply to Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber as well? I'm sure I could find a handful of other successful lead RBs that split carries in college, but I don't think it is necessary to show how stupid the comment was.

That one bugged me too. Eric ****erson (Hall of fame) and our own Craig James split carries at SMU. I'm sure there are lots of other examples as well.

 

[jeffbiologist]

They were pretty sad commentators. Its too bad Faulk is biased and talks ghetto because I think he is really football smart and has alot to offer if he can work on it. Of course, there is no letting go of that Patriot bias, just let him do other games. Charles should do the intro, Sharpe should drive the bus.

 

[borg]

If someone PVR'ed it, please go back and count the times either of those 2 morons (Faulk/Sharpe) indicated that they did not like what they saw from the Pats.

But were they wrong?

 

[jmt57]

Did any of you guys just love that HUDDLE CAM? I thought that was kindof funny. The name alone is a gas, but can you imagine NFLN trying to actually get a camera in a Pats huddle? That's gonna last about a minute and a half. About as long as Sharpe and Faulk remain employed as amateur commentators by THE NFL Network. Just horrible commentary of that game last night. It may have actually been worse than the Pats' performance.

I'm listening to a local (Tampa) sports talk radio show and one of the hosts is talking about the Huddle Cam. He's saying that BB was extremely upset with the huddle cam, venting at somebody (NFL representatives, maybe?) about it as the host was waiting to be allowed in outside the Pats locker room. Predictably, the radio host made a comment about it being ironic that BB didn't like being spied on and having the cameras on the Pats.

On a side note, the host also went on for a bit to comment on how very intimidating BB is. Said that BB just takes control of the room without raising his voice; just the look on his face, and the words that he uses creates a completely commanding presence. The guy then went on to comment that BB's gf is 'smoking hot', and talked a little bit about three Pats players he spoke with - Seymour, Wilfork and Merriweather but didn't really go in to what they had to say.

 

[Fixit]

My favorite was the comment that Maroney will never be a lead back because he shared carries in college. Does that apply to Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber as well? I'm sure I could find a handful of other successful lead RBs that split carries in college, but I don't think it is necessary to show how stupid the comment was.

The best part about that (if I remember correctly), is that Marshling made a comment about Belichick looking for a Marion Barber-type back to carry the load, and then said that Maroney will never be able to do carry the load because he split carries at Minnesota.

I'm pretty sure we all know who Maroney split those carries with.

 

[WhiZa]

Listening to that game was like getting beat up and having your money stolen. Every comment was anti-Pats. Granted they probably deserved some of it the way they played, but it was tough to pay attention to the game hearing Faulk throw his shots at BB and Sterling egging him on.

 

[WhiZa]

My favorite was the comment that Maroney will never be a lead back because he shared carries in college. Does that apply to Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber as well? I'm sure I could find a handful of other successful lead RBs that split carries in college, but I don't think it is necessary to show how stupid the comment was.

The funny thing is said that no back who shared carries in college could ever take the full load in the NFL. "That's what you should expect when drafting a guy like that"

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

The funny thing is said that no back who shared carries in college could ever take the full load in the NFL. "That's what you should expect when drafting a guy like that"

So I guess the Raiders and Cowboys were stupid to draft McFadden and Jones. It's a good thing to share carries in college so you don't wear down before the age of 28 like most backs in the NFL. Yes, I thought those were odd comments by Sharpe and Faulk. Most people fail to understand that the Pats like to throw because it gives them the best chance to score. If the Pats didn't have Moss, Welker and Stallworth, they would have run the ball a lot more.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

The NFL Network is a joke!

 

[mdhprime]

Total Access with Rod Woodson and Steve Mariucci is a good show. NFL Network games with Marshall Faulk and Sterling Sharpe are an abomination. Faulk's undisguised and absolute hatred for anything Patriots is just sad and Sharpe making a pre-season game seem like the end all be all of the entire season was just embarassing. I really hope these two do not do the games this year during the regular season.

 

[Disco Volante]

Indeed, I enjoy Steve Mariucci.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

The funny thing is said that no back who shared carries in college could ever take the full load in the NFL. "That's what you should expect when drafting a guy like that"

Yeah, the Colts (and later on the Rams) really hated when they drafted that guy whatwas hisname, you know, the one who shared the carries at SMU with Craig James...

what was his name.........oh, yeah I remember, ERIC ****ERSON!!!! he turned out to be a "pretty good" everydwon rusher in the NFL.


Wacthing that game last night was like getting a tooth pulled, having to lsiten to those idoits on the NFL Network, was like getting the tooth pulled without the benefit of novacane!!!

 

[Tunescribe]

Like a lot of fans, when the NFL network made its debut I was eager to see it. I b!tched to my cable company about not having it and when they finally added it to their channel lineup, I was pumped.

Three years later the verdict is in: It's been a consistent disappointment.

I'm not sure why anyone would feel compelled to hire Sterling Sharpe as he is only slightly more articulate than his dim witted brother, but against all odds he's carved out a career on TV.

As the Bucs were driving down the field on their opening possession Sharpe predictably quipped "The Patriots sure do look old" or something to that effect. I didn't have my closed captioning function on as I typically do when his brother speaks so I can't be completely sure. But besides being glib, it's factually inaccurate. By my count as many as 9 of the 11 players on defense at the time he said it were under 30.

Marshall Faulk is of course the dumbest of the dumb. And you add guys like Rod Woodsen and that hopelessly obese former lineman that had his own show (or still does, I gave up awhile ago) and suddenly the NFL Network's talent roster is long on former players and thin on anything resembling competent analysis.

I'm not a big fan of Mort or Clayton, but for the love of God, they're capable of thinking and forming their own opinions based on something other than how it was "back in the day". All their synapses are firing.

I like Schefter a lot and Eisen has his moments, but other than those two, I'm just not seeing much in the way of interesting TV. I sense the prevailing attitude is lets just round up some former players, or Bryant Gumbel, turn on the cameras and go. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of effort being put forth to improve their product.

They're all awful (Faulk) to mediocre (Woodson, Dukes). Schefter is spoon-fed info by the league -- they make it look like he digs for inside scoops, but he doesn't. Chuckles Eisen simply is a master of ceremonies and has no insight whatsoever to offer on anything. The others are former players who have no journalistic credibility or credentials. The station has too much repeat programming/commercials.

I share your disappointment. My biggest gripe is the prevailing notion that a player who had a good career is qualified to be an NFL television analyst. Marshall Faulk is by far the worst example of this I have ever seen. I'm sure there are many, many former players and non-player journalists or ex-coaches who could do a lot better job. Because of the emphasis on ex-players as commentators (at least the one's they've trotted out so far), the whole presentation is "dumbed down," so to speak.

 

[piemonade]

Rich Eisen is awesome, and I want you to f*cking acknowledge it.