OT: ESPN's Primetime Live sorta returns

[Rob0729]

From PFT:

ESPN’S PRIMETIME RETURNS, SORT OF

Two years ago, when NBC assumed the Sunday night football package and ESPN upgraded (or, as the case may be, downgraded) to Monday nights, NBC also finagled the ability to have the only extensive early evening highlights show.The effort, awkwardly dubbed “Football Night In America” and staffed with (at last count) 63 talking heads, has fallen short thus far of ESPN’s old “Primetime” show, which featured three things: highlights and Chris Berman and Tom Jackson.

We’re told that, during a Tuesday ESPN media breakfast that we were invited to attend but couldn’t (A.J. Daulerio of Deadspin has a great recap of the event), it was announced that Berman and Jackson, as of the start of the NFL season, will take over the Sunday evening SportsCenter, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The show will include NFL game highlights, but not the extensive packages available to NBC. However, it will be Berman and Jackson (and also Merril Hoge, Mike Ditka and probably Trent Dilfer) offering up their analysis of the games.
Though we wonder whether the apparent intent to conjure a Primetime Light might get the folks at NBC a bit nervous about whether their turf is being invaded, we love this move. For two reasons.

First, we missed Primetime. We suspect many others did, too.
Second, the presence of Primetime Light will likely force NBC to roll up its sleeves and try to make its own show better.

In the end, the viewers win.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/20/espns-primetime-returns-sort-of/#comment-79374

I know isn't cool to say anything positive about ESPN, but Primetime Live was worlds better than Football Night in America. Even with less highlights, I would rather watch Boomer and Jackson run through the day's games than Costas and Olbermann any day.

I am pretty stoked. Last year for the first time in decades I didn't watch football between the hours of 7-8 very often unless a 4PM game I was watching went into overtime. This year I will be watching (yah, kill me for saying it) ESPN.

 

[Disco Volante]

Nothing with Tom Jackson is worth watching for me, personally.

 

[cavtroop]

Nothing with Tom Jackson is worth watching for me, personally.

Seconded. Without Tom, I might have tuned in. No chance now.

 

[Kontradiction]

Rumblin, bumblin, stumblin!

 

[Deus Irae]

This is great news. Primetime and Inside the NFL (Old version, not the new crap) have been the only two highlight compilations worth watching since H.C.'s stint on Monday Night Football.

 

[Rob0729]

Nothing with Tom Jackson is worth watching for me, personally.

I don't particular like Jackson, but for some reason he is watchable when he is one on one with Berman. For some reason when he is on the panel on the Sunday pregame show, he is a lot more obnoxious, homerish, and just plain stupid. He typically drops the act for NFL Primetime. I guess it is because he doesn't have to talk over Ditka, Keyshawn, or Emitt.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

If Jackson can resurrect "Jacked Up", I 'll consider the last 3-4 minutes. Short of that segment, nothing on ESPN is worth it. Here is the suck list:

Hogie- Everything sucks
Jackson- Pats fans hate ESPN talking heads
Clayton- Crypt Keeper is appropriate
Kornholer- See Hogie
Young- "Young is Restless"? How about brainless
Berman- It was cute 20 years ago.

Maybe Jaws and Keyshawn would be OK.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Well Since NBC will now feature Keith Oberman on it's broadcasts, Tom Jackson is looking alot better.

Why is it, that these national networks, can't find any real talent? I mean Bryant Gumbel last year, I thought he was putrid, until we had that ear cancer better know as Sharpe and Faulk.

Phil Simms is excellent, so is Jaws, John Buck, Boomer, Deion, hell I thought that Michael Irvin was very insightful, yet NBC, pulls out Bob Costas, Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, apparently they didn't get the memo about the 80's being OVER!

 

[Rob0729]

If Jackson can resurrect "Jacked Up", I 'll consider the last 3-4 minutes. Short of that segment, nothing on ESPN is worth it. Here is the suck list:

Hogie- Everything sucks
Jackson- Pats fans hate ESPN talking heads
Clayton- Crypt Keeper is appropriate
Kornholer- See Hogie
Young- "Young is Restless"? How about brainless
Berman- It was cute 20 years ago.

Maybe Jaws and Keyshawn would be OK.

Yeah, but what is the alternative:

Costas - For a football analyst, he is one heck of a baseball guy
Olbermann - "I am smug and have contempt for everyone"
Tiki - "I don't have anything interesting to say, but boy do I look pretty"
Bettis - Seems to act like someone told him to sit in the chair and look at the camera without telling him why he was there.
Collinsworth - Ok, but whiney
King - The flag bearer for everything moral and self rightgeous

I'll take the ESPN crew over Football Night in America any day. I don't think the addition of Dan Patrick will even help that show.

 

[Rob0729]

Well Since NBC will now feature Keith Oberman on it's broadcasts, Tom Jackson is looking alot better.

Why is it, that these national networks, can't find any real talent? I mean Bryant Gumbel last year, I thought he was putrid, until we had that ear cancer better know as Sharpe and Faulk.

Phil Simms is excellent, so is Jaws, John Buck, Boomer, Deion, hell I thought that Michael Irvin was very insightful, yet NBC, pulls out Bob Costas, Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, apparently they didn't get the memo about the 80's being OVER!

My dream team would be Jaws, Esiason, Aikman (the best color guy in the business right now for my money eventhough I hate the guy), Rod Woodson, and Howie Long.

 

[lostjumper]

Well Since NBC will now feature Keith Oberman on it's broadcasts, Tom Jackson is looking alot better.

Why is it, that these national networks, can't find any real talent? I mean Bryant Gumbel last year, I thought he was putrid, until we had that ear cancer better know as Sharpe and Faulk.

Phil Simms is excellent, so is Jaws, John Buck, Boomer, Deion, hell I thought that Michael Irvin was very insightful, yet NBC, pulls out Bob Costas, Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, apparently they didn't get the memo about the 80's being OVER!

I won't watch either of these. Can't stand Jackson, and not watching ESPN anymore anyways. :banned:

However, I don't think there is a media personality that I dislike more than Keith Olberman. I've never seen anyone more arrogant in my life. His little piece last year, "worst person in America" or something like that might be the most pointless, negative, hatefilled analysis ever to cross a television screen. Then again, I find Olberman to be pointless, negative, and hatefilled so maybe his peice was really an outlet of his personality.


Either way, I watch the fox show in the morning, and that's it.

 

[patriotspride]

Nothing with Tom Jackson is worth watching for me, personally.

nothing with chris berman is worth watching for me. they both suck. i just wait for the kick off to tune in . i dont watch nbc or espns football pre or post game crap. its good old fith quarter for me. bob lobel will be missed.

 

[Bertil]

Costas - For a football analyst, he is one heck of a baseball guy
Olbermann - "I am smug and have contempt for everyone"
Tiki - "I don't have anything interesting to say, but boy do I look pretty"
Bettis - Seems to act like someone told him to sit in the chair and look at the camera without telling him why he was there.
Collinsworth - Ok, but whiney
King - The flag bearer for everything moral and self rightgeous

Right on the money on every count. Is there a crew of FB analysts currently working that is NOT a bunch of self-serving jaggoffs? I don't get the NFLN (damned Comcast), so perhaps there is. But I hate just about all of 'em these days.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Well Since NBC will now feature Keith Oberman on it's broadcasts, Tom Jackson is looking alot better.

Why is it, that these national networks, can't find any real talent? I mean Bryant Gumbel last year, I thought he was putrid, until we had that ear cancer better know as Sharpe and Faulk.

Phil Simms is excellent, so is Jaws, John Buck, Boomer, Deion, hell I thought that Michael Irvin was very insightful, yet NBC, pulls out Bob Costas, Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman, apparently they didn't get the memo about the 80's being OVER!

:yeahthat: Keith Olberman, Bob Costas are just awful. I can't stand Jackson either but to me Berman's one of the lesser evils. Of course it also says Merill Hodge will be offering up his analysis too, along with a few others-NONE of whom I can stand.

Then there was that God-awful NFLN production Sunday night.

Boomer's my favorite-I wish we'd see more of him.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

From PFT:



http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/20/espns-primetime-returns-sort-of/#comment-79374

I know isn't cool to say anything positive about ESPN, but Primetime Live was worlds better than Football Night in America. Even with less highlights, I would rather watch Boomer and Jackson run through the day's games than Costas and Olbermann any day.

I am pretty stoked. Last year for the first time in decades I didn't watch football between the hours of 7-8 very often unless a 4PM game I was watching went into overtime. This year I will be watching (yah, kill me for saying it) ESPN.

Definitely. My most vivid memory of Football Night In America was the one before our opening game against the Chargers, Spygate had just broken out. It was absolutely awful on every level. The best part was watching them try and save themselves after Kraft announced BB's contract extension. Costas and Collinsworth were sickening-like 2 giddy schoolgirls. :banned:

 

[signbabybrady]

This is great news. ESPN still sucks nut football night in america was awful for the right reasons.

Meaning We hat espn because of their sensational reporting and stupis ex football players that some how forget how things really work in the NFL.

But we didn't like football night in america because they gave crappy coverage of the days football.

Hate Berman all you want and hate Jackson all you want but for some reason the 2 of them got together and were able to create IMO the best football highlight show of all time and maybe the best sports show of all time.
The two compliment eachother and hide eachothers flaws perfectly and gave a great hour that recapped the day of football perfectly.

I am nervous that their new set up which wont give them a great set of highlights will cause them to talk to much without highlights showing and they may fall into the trap of all other shows.

But I know I will be tunning in and hopefully this works and we can get a great football show back.

 

[Fixit]

I think Dilfer is waaaaay underrated as an analyst.

 

[mtbykr]

Well considering I am misplaced and have to rely on national coverage to get highlights, Primetime was easily the best choice. The best version I think is when they had Berman, Jacksom, and Stuart Scott.

To me this is good news, even though Jackson is terrible. If ESPN would replace Jackson with Michael Smith, it would be much better. NBC is just unwatchable....even if it's the pats playing that night I can't tune in until game-time. NBC's show is so terrible, it makes you wonder who sets this stuff up.......it obviously can't be football fans. Example #1 is Olberman's bit each week