Weekend Tube Review: Final Primetime Games Set

By Brian Powell
NBC Pulls It’s Final Flex of the Season
NBC has decided to call in it’s last Flex Game of the season to replace the dreadful originally scheduled Jets-Chiefs match-up. Because each team can only appear in primetime a maximum of six times, many of the popular teams were not able to be picked. So, the Peacock decided to go with the Titans-Colts for Week 17. A win and the Titans are in, and it will likely come against Indy’s second team. Peter King has already talked to Tony Dungy and the coach said that Peyton Manning would only play a half at most.
NFL Network Gets The Game They Wanted (And Needed)
In its never-ending battle with cable television the NFL Network got the game it wanted as the 15-0 Patriots will travel to the Meadowlands and try and make NFL History against the Giants Saturday night. The Patriots picked up their league leading 15th win against a plucky Dolphins team with their personal announcing team calling the game. CBS’ No. 1 team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms called what seemed like their tenth Patriots game of the season and did a pretty good job. The whole game wasn’t about Tom Brady, as usual, and the two actually mentioned the Dolphins a couple times.
ESPN Without Emmitt for Tonight’s MNF Broadcast?
The Worldwide Leader sent out a Press Release late Friday Night stating who would be on-site for the Broncos-Chargers game and one name was noticeably missing while one was added. Emmitt Smith isn’t listed in the release while new comer Colleen Dominguez is there in his place. I’m not entirely sure what role Dominguez will be playing on the set, but she’s sure to add a little bit of spice to the boys club that dominates Monday Night Countdown every week.
Worst Announcing of the Weekend
It could honestly go to this team every game they call, but I like to spread it around. Pam Ward and Ray Bentley called the PapaJohns.com Bowl on Saturday and completely butchered the telecast. Pam Ward was so out of sorts that she was referring to her partner as “Ron” Bentley. It has to be tough to remember the name of someone who you worked with every Saturday for 5 months.
Best Quotes From the Weekend’s Telecasts
“The tiger is fast, but the owl sees at night.”- Mark Jones comparing the FAU and Memphis mascots
“Santa said he was going to leave a lot of points under the tree for us in this game and if there is a Santa, which I still believe in, I think he did.”- Mark Jones
“I read they can’t find HD TVs in Hawaii because of the Hawaii Rainbows.”- Bob Davie not realizing that Hawaii changed their mascot to the Warriors years ago
“Show me those legs again … I want to see those calves.” - Mark Jones on FAU running back Charles Pierre
“The BYU players, with their Mormon faith, reminds me of one joke I heard: They bring a Bible with the Ten Commandments and a 10 dollar bill, and they don’t break either one.” - Paul Maguire not knowing what he’s talking about
“Where they head the eight men, nine men, and they got what they wanted: the backoff. And they threw to the backoff.”- John Madden confusing himself once again
Video of the Weekend:
All that needs to be said: Cris Collinsworth, a Model and a Tab:

-------------------------
Read more of Brian Powell’s work at Awful Announcing, which is updated daily with tons of sports media goodness. ↵