Who puts on the Best Show, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC

[brady199]

I know everyone complained about the Pats preseason games and rightfully so.

So as I was watching the NBC game thurs. I was getting annoyed that they never updated the players stats during the game. (Maybe cuz I'm a Fantasy Freak)

So I'm wondering who you think puts on the best show, from annoncers, to stats, to replays and whatever else you can think of.

I'm gonna wait to vote until after MNF. But I'm sure it won't be for NBC.

 

[pats1]

Comes down to presentation and theme music.

Personally, I like CBS' the best (Posthumus Zone by E.S. Posthumus), although I liked their older music too from 2003ish. Their graphics makeover last year was a good idea, along with bringing in Brown. I liked it better when NFL Today was outside in NYC. We'll have to see how the 5-man studio (Brown, Marino, Sharpe, Esaison, Cowher) works this year.

NBC's music is OK, but they lost major points after the whole Pink fiasco last year. Their SNF games were in most cases better matchups than those MNF bore-fests.

FOX's presentation and music are both good, but they lose major points for the robot last year (nevermind Scooter in MLB on FOX a few years ago...). Some didn't like their Christmas theme in 2005 for the Bucs game (the snow plow that cleared "snow" from the scorebar with a little side-jingle), but I didn't mind it. They can't do that "roaming pregame show" with Buck as the host again. And for their D team, they have to do a little better than J.C. Pearson and Matt Vasgersian (who?). At least CBS has Harlan and Gannon in the D spot, who did the Texans game last year.

ESPN's presentation is nice, but they just needed some better MNF games to tune in to last year. I'll flip between Patriots Gameday/NFL Today/Fox NFL Sunday/ESPN NFL Coutndown on Sunday mornings. Their commentator talent is severely lacking though, but their studio (actually stadium set) talent (Berman, etc.) is decent. CBS is stacked with Nantz, Simms, and Gumble. FOX has Buck and Aikman. NBC has Michaels and Madden. ESPN has, well, Tirico, Kornheiser, and Jaws. Ouch.

Although I don't have it, I hear NFL Network's presentation and talent sucks horribly.

 

[brady199]

One strike against ESPN is Cornhieser, or however you spell his name, I liked him on PTI, but this guy has been exposed, I think Dennis Miller knows more about football than this guy. I can't stand how every 5 mins. Jaws has to explain the game to him. And last year when Mewelde Moore more returns a punt against us, he says he had him on his fantasy team. If he did have him on his team then he just proves how much of an idiot he is.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

NFL today, CBS owns all. Fox is alright but NBC and ESPN are dead last.

 

[DynastyDriven]

CBS by a wide wide margain. Everything from graphics and sound quality is top notch. I cannot tell you how glad I am that they have the AFC package, I cannot stand FOX games.

ESPN was also very good when they had the Sunday night football games but they have slipped a bit since then.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

CBS - Their music is ok, sometimes it can annoy me because they play it before every commercial. I think they have the best play by play and color commentary analysts. The graphics have really improved and looks similar to the '98 style after they tried new graphics for a couple consecutive years. Does anyone remember the ugly orange box they used for the 2001 playoffs and 2002 season? That was really ugly. Their pregame show is pretty bad with Shannon Sharpe, Dan Marino is ok, but I like James Brown.

NBC - I love Al Michaels and John Madden but they always have a tendency to start rambling about random things when the game becomes lopsided (how can you blame them?). NBC's intro song really got on my nerves with hearing Pink every single week. I thought it was just for opening night, now I'm going to have to deal with hearing Faith Hill for 16 more weeks. However, their theme music is pretty good and the graphics are good.

FOX - What can I say about that annoying robot? Are they going to get rid of that? I love the theme music, it's the best song for football. Troy Aikman is the only color commentary guy I like, everyone else is pretty bad. I used to watch their pre-game shows to find out player updates but that was back in 98-99 because the internet was not as up to date as it is today.

ESPN - Monday night football's theme song is legendary to say the least. When you think about Monday Night Football, you always hear Hank Williams Jr. ask "Are you ready for some football?". However, Monday football just isn't the same because it's not on ABC. Their anaylsts are fine.

So who gives the best presentation? I say NBC and ESPN.

Who do I like to watch the most? CBS, because they get straight to the games and keep the pregame hoopla at a minimum. I don't need recording artist singing theme songs like Pink or Faith Hill, only Hank Williams Jr. can get away with that. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms are pretty good as well.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I watch and listen to NONE of that stuff.

Me, I would just like to SEE the plays including the defensive alignments for more than 10 picoseconds before the snap. My gripe is that they return from commercials or some stupid graphic or scene between plays too late before the ball is snapped. To make it worse, they waste a large part of the screen showing grass BEHIND the RBs instead of shifting the view to show the defensive backfield. Save the QB etc. closeups for after the play if you MUST have them, not while the D is shifting.

/rant

 

[Real World]

CBS by a landslide. The others are ok, but CBS owns. Boomer might be the best, or one of the best football analysts around.

 

[WhiZa]

I think ESPN is the best at everything except the people they pick to run the show. CBS has the best analysts. Fox is OK. NBC and NFLN are horrendous. NBC tries to make the game seem like you're watching the Olympics.

 

[LloydBraun]

For coverage, I like CBS for the Pats games. The pregame, I prefer ESPN.

But my issue is with CBS, their HD coverage is poison. It glitched constantly. FOX has the best HD by far IMO.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I missed on the question. I was thinking pregame show and picked ESPN's.
I don't really like any of the game telecasts.