I always catch the Fox pregame, even when my team isn’t playing or is playing on another channel. The guys just seem like they are having fun and like they genuinely like each other. And of course Jillian Barberie isn’t too bad too look at either. What do you watch?
I’m partial to ESPN myself, mostly for the “Mayne Event” which always has me rolling in laughter.
ESPN does a good job of covering the actual game issues. Fox panders to its audience; Jillian Barberie is just “look at Me!” for her segment, and they spend too much time on fake banter and competition. Bradshaw was a great quarterback, as far as Super Bowls go, but he doesn’t analyze games well.
Next year, everything will be different with the new TV contracts in effect.
I pretty much think they all suck, so I just stay in bed until kickoff and don’t watch any. If forced to choose, I’d probably go with ESPN since they do a little actual reporting with guys like Hammerin Hank Goldberg and John Clayton. Also, I like watching the Inside the NFL guys on HBO, though it’s not technically a pregame even though they always replay it on sunday mornings.
I’m with Omniscient - I would rather have an extra hour’s sleep than watch any of those inane pregame shows.
If I have to choose, I’ll go ESPN. I like the guys and I like the reporters. It hasn’t been the same since Sterling Sharpe was replaced with Michael Irvin.
Irvin annoys the hell out of me and ruined the brotherhood chemistry.
But still, Tom Jackson and Steve Young are the best in the biz.
Most of the time though, I watch Meet the Press and Wolf Blitzer until game time.
I definitely sleep 'till about 12:30 on fall Sundays, get up, shower, do my picks, and settle into my spot on the couch at about 12:58 or so.
(well, except for this morning, when I woke up at 1:10 massively hung over and realized that all of my 1pm pick’em games were screwed, dammit!)
ESPN, until Michael Irving begins to, um, speak if you can call it that, and then I switch to another channel. I flip back every 2 or 3 minutes or so and see if Michael Irving is done (and if Steve Young is still glowering at him).
Any that don’t have Shannon Sharpe.
I’m rarely up in time for pregame – one of the drawbacks of living on the West Coast is that the games start so freakin’ early.
ESPN’s Countdown.
Though during commericals, I can switch to Fox’s. NEVER though, will I watch CBS’s. Their’s sucks badly.
The CBS show is so painful that only the Clockwork Orange treatment could get me to tune in. Honestly, I had kind of forgotten they even did one.
I watch ESPN’s, which is far and away the best one out there IMO. Of course, it’s still a bit sucky, so it isn’t saying much. I will periodically flip to FOX to try and catch the weathergirl segment, but that’s the only wandering I do.
Generally I just spend the time cooking up a big huge breakfast. As an added bonus, eating a big meal and then having the three hour adrenalin rush of watching my G-Men kick ass lulled me into a nap around 20 minutes after the Giants game ended, so I blissfully slept through the trainwreck that is the New York Jets.
Ah, Sundays. They really are holy days.
Which is a shame because I really like Jim Nantz.
None really. Since I’m going to be watching TV for the next 10 hours, I try not to turn it on until 1.
If any, ESPN. They seem to have a little more X’s and O’s and a little less bullshit about some poor with leukemia, or some kicker who lost a brother when he was 8. I hate that crap.
That said, I’m no longer getting ESPN. I really don’t like either FOX or CBS. I do find Frank Caliendo funny from time to time. CBS’ show is LOST. Every year it’s some new gimmick. Outdoor studio. THose talking cartoons that all look the same. What the hell?
Countdown
It’s all about Chris Berman for me. I love the guy. It also seems to be the most informative of the three.
Does anybody watch the regional ones? Buffalo Bills have one and I’m assuming there are others.
I’ll start off with ESPN because of the aforementioned Steve Young and Tom Jackson. I still like Berman too, although that might put me in the minority.
At 11:00 though, I’m all FOX. James Brown, Howie, Jimmy… what’s not to like? Oh… Terry. Eh, I’ll suffer.
Yesterday I somehow managed to stumble across CBS; Sterling I like, but Shannon is a blithering, unintelligible, idiot. “Cuts like a fire though a canefield in a high wind”? Apparently altitude sickness can be chronic.
I think they need to ratchet back the ex-Player/ex-Coach ratio on a few of these shows. Throw a color guy or two in there who can speak as a fan as opposed to some posturing “expert” who happened to play for one of the teams they are commenting on :rolleyes:.
I love Jackson, Berman and Young like the rest of you guys. Jimmy Johnson tends to be the most astute of anyone on any of the channels IMHO, not always that charismatic, but he seems to be correct more than anyone else anywhere.
I would love to see less laughing and gibes from clowns like the Sharpe Brothers, Irvin, Howie and Terry. Replace one of those tools with an uber-fan who actually watches every minute of the games, has a fantasy team at home in his personal life, and won’t punctuate every point by saying “back when I was playing”. Then I’ll get back on board. Of course this doesn’t mean bringing in a self-important wind bag like Limbaugh or a self-promoting gimmick like Dennis Miller.
I gotta admit… I’m a Howie whore. That guy is such a stud; reasoned, intelligent and a freakin’ riot when he’s bustin’ Terry. PLus, how bad have you got to be to make the Raiders look classy?
I completely agree on all points.
I hate Jimmy Johnson. Hated the Cowboys when he was coach (and still do), couldn’t stand him when he was at UM, I just think he’s way too smarmy for my tastes…but goddamnit if he’s not spot on with most of his analysis. He certainly knows his football, no doubt.
Boom. Couldn’t have said it better.