There are so many broadcasting awards out there, that it's hard to figure out which ones are the most respected in the business. Obviously winning an Emmy is at the top of the list, but the individual sports broadcasting awards go as follows: Curt Gowdy- Basketball, Ford C. Frick- Baseball and Pat Summerall- Football.

Doug Collins won the Gowdy last year, Jon Miller was given the Frick last week and now Cris Collinsworth has been awarded the Summerall for contributions to the NFL....

Former Florida Gator Great and current NFL sportscaster Cris Collinsworth will be honored with the prestigious Pat Summerall Award on Thursday, Feb. 4, at the annual Legends for Charity Dinner. Each year, the award honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sports field. Past recipients include James Brown, Greg Gumbel, Jim Nantz and Chris Berman. The event will take place at the NFL Headquarters Hotel at the Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

During his time at UF from 1977-80, Collinsworth was a three-time All-SEC and two-time All-American performer at wide receiver. As a Gator, he caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards and 14 touchdowns, ran for two other touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another score. He was inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2001.

Collinsworth played eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and the 1981 Rookie of the Year was also selected to play in three Pro Bowls. Following his NFL career, he became a sportscaster and has since won nine Emmy’s for his work as a sports personality and football analyst. In 2008, Collinsworth covered the Olympic Games for NBC and currently joins Al Michaels as the host of NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

A well-deserved honor to be sure. Usually when you try to replace a legend like John Madden, you either fail completely or it takes a few years to get the chemistry down. Collinsworth made the transition seamlessly and kept NBC rolling throughout the season. Bravo Sir!

Former Gator Cris Collinsworth To Be Recognized (WCTV)

All of us watched NBC's coverage of the Super Bowl, and I think most (if not all) of us can agree that Rodney Harrsion's performance as an analyst was less than stellar. Sure there was a great segment on the "David Tyree Catch" involving him, but for the most part he didn't really blow me away with his "analysis".

Well today comes the news, that not only Harrison is being considered by multiple networks, and could even replace the rumored to be fired Jerome Bettis at NBC. Via the Boston Herald....

Harrison represents a trickier case. He has not played a full season since 2004. He turns 37 in December and appears to be paying the inevitable price that comes with his take-no-prisoners style of play.

Because he’s feisty, fearless and opinionated, Harrison has drawn interest from the broadcast networks and could easily land a studio role. Anyone who saw him on the NFL Network during Super Bowl week knows he’s a natural in front of the camera. But Harrison has not yet publicly shut the door on another comeback, and for the time being he appears to be limiting his options to the Patriots, though the Atlanta resident’s hometown Falcons always could be in play.

Before we get into this, it needs to be noted that this rumor is coming from John Tomase. He who claimed the Pats were involved in walkthrough tapings of the Rams. So I would tread lightly when taking it as fact. However, this wouldn't necessarily be a bad move for NBC.

Yes, I've said that NBC need not hire anyone to replace Bettis. But, that was before we learned that Cris Collinsworth was heading to the booth to replace Madden. With just Costas, Tiki, Olbermann and Patrick (and the random appearances from Peter King), the set would seem rather empty. Harrison might be worth a tryout.

D-Day Looms For Rodney Harrison, Jason Taylor (Boston Herald)

Imagine the shock and horror on my face, when I turned on NBC's pregame coverage Saturday, and Matt Millen was on the TV staring back at me. It's not the fact that he was in an analyst chair (he has been there before), but rather that NBC already employees what seems like thirty people for their pre and postgame shows.

I then thought....okay....maybe it's a one time thing, and they wanted to bring in a new voice for Wildcard Weekend. Ummm no....he's actually going to be on-air for the network's coverage of the Super Bowl as well. Via Watchdog....

NBC plans to announce Monday that former Lions president Matt Millen will participate in the network's Super Bowl coverage Feb. 1 - not as a member of the game booth featuring Al Michaels and John Madden but in some other capacity.

Millen was much more competent in his earlier life as a TV analyst than he was running the Detroit club.

Asked by Dan Patrick on NBC Saturday whether he would have fired himself from the Lions if he were making the decision, Millen said, "I would have, actually. Probably not this year until after the season. I think when you start having changeover in an organization it filters down into the locker room. That's tough to do. I thought that was a tough position for Rod Marinelli to be in. Rod's a stud. Rod's an outstanding football coach."

Ummm, are you really going to expect us to listen to the thoughts from someone who just destroyed a franchise, NBC? I mean sure, Millen was one of the better analysts out there when he retired from Football. And he's been on both CBS and FOX, as well as the radio side of Monday Night Football. But using someone who gave us the first 0-16 season ever to provide intelligent analysis during the Playoffs?

Whatever you think will help, I guess. At least he took the blame for destroying the Lions, so you've got that going for you Detroit....

Matt Millen to join NBC's Super Bowl XLIII coverage (Watchdog)

NBC is going "green" yet again this year and shows like "Lipstick Jungle", "Kath & Kim", "My Own Worst Enemy", "Knight Rider" and "Law & Order" will all feature "green" plot lines during the week of November 16th. The whole event kicks off with the Sunday Night Football broadcast and I wanted to share some of what NBC plans for the pregame and halftime shows, as well as the game itself (DAL-WAS). Via NBC PR....

Green week officially launches on NBC's "Football Night in America during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins game. Commentators, including Bob Costas, Chris Collinsworth, Dan Patrick, Jerome Bettis, and Tiki Barber, will discuss how they each personally green their own routines.

On November 22, NBC will air a carbon neutral Notre Dame and Syracuse game, but the competition won't just be on the field. For the entire month of November, both campuses will participate in the NBC Universal Green Your Routine challenge, hosted on Carbonrally.com. Students, alumni, faculty, and fans will have the opportunity to take eco-challenges and help reduce carbon emissions and save energy. NBC Universal will donate $10,000 to the winning school, which will be designated to their campus sustainability efforts.

In addition, NBC Sports will host an online video contest, in which students from Notre Dame and Syracuse will produce short commercials promoting sustainable practices. The best submissions will be displayed on the NBC Sports website, www.NBCSports.com.

I poked fun at NBC last year when they went "green" because all they essential did was turn off the lights but leave the graphics and screens running.I'm not an expert on energy, but I think about five HD screens and random scrolling signs might actually use MORE electricity than studio lights.....but I could be wrong. While it might just be a publicity stunt, it ultimately doesn't hurt anything, and it's pretty fun to watch Keith Olbermann try to do highlights in the dark.

So Did You Turn Off Any Lights Last Night When Bob Costas Told You To? (Awful Announcing)

A very odd moment from Football Night in America took place on Sunday night, that until now I wasn't going to highlight. Keith Olbermann used an, "I can see Russia from here," joke during the Trent Edwards hit and apparently some people took notice. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but now NBC is denying that it was political charged at all. Via Watchdog....

Here is what NBC's studio wiseguy said, jokingly putting words in the mouth of the Bills' Trent Edwards, who had been knocked woozy: "He was OK otherwise, but he said, 'I can see Russia from here."'

Some supporters of Gov. Sarah Palin took it as a barb aimed at the Republican VP candidate, knowing how Olbermann feels about her from his role as an MSNBC political commentator. (Disclosure: I might have made a joke or two at the governor's expense on my blog.)

Said an NBC spokesman: "He was making a pop culture reference, not any kind of political statement."

Well that's nice and all, but I'll let you all be the judge....



Seems pretty obvious to me. Again, the joke isn't that big of a deal, but I think we've learned that Politics and Sports just don't mix at this point. Spare us next time, Keith.

Did Keith tweak Palin? (Newsday)

(Thanks to MVL for the clip)

I was trying to come up with a way to do a video highlight with clips from each of the pregame shows for each Monday, but I'm still working out the kinks. In the meantime, I wanted to share my thoughts (and get yours) on each of the pregame shows. I'll get into each network individually, but I thought as a whole every show seemed to lose a bit on their fastball and only one really has improved (see below). It's not that Strahan and Patrick were necessarily bad, but all of the new teams seemed a bit dull compared to last year. The only crew that even came across as slightly excited that it was the first weekend was that of the Sunday Countdown team. The three network groups really didn't wow me and in the case of NBC....made me want to change the channel. Let's get into them network by network....
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NBC: I still just can't get past the amount of people on the show and all of the switch overs and moving around of the analysts gets distracting about ten minutes through. While I thought Dan Patrick was good in his first showing, I personally think Keith Olbermann despises his role on the show. He seriously makes me want to change the channel and I think he's so polarizing that other people probably feel the same way. Bob Raismann of the Daily News even went so far as to call Olbermann an "agenda-driven punk" and that he should have "better things to do".

Now I don't necessarily agree with the term agenda-driven punk, but I can understand Bob's frustration. As far as the rest of the program goes, I really think that Peter King should be getting all of Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis' airtime. Sure he plays to his favorites, but he has more relevant information than Barber or Bettis could ever come up with combined. I feel bad for Cris Collinsworth when he tries to start up a discussion with those two.

The show should really just be Costas, Collinsworth and Dan Patrick with Peter King providing reports, but every network seems to think they need an ex-player to provide nothing these days.

CBS: The only difference between CBS and NBC is that with the peacock I get mad an say I'm going to change the channel, and with CBS I actually do. I just don't get a sense that any of the participants, outside of JB, are that into their roles.

Also, if you saw the halftime show you probably lost your mind just like I did. I tuned in to catch any information on Brady's injury and they spent the whole time airing a glorified commercial for the new CBS building that Robert Kraft built outside of Gillette Stadium. I understand that there needs to be time fillers occasionally, but they really should have scratched it and talked about one of the most important injuries in the history of the league. Maybe CBS wanted to ignore it in hopes that people will still watch Patriots games this season on the network, and not hurt them in the ratings game (thank god for Brett Favre right?).

FOX: I really thought Michael Strahan was going to wow me during his first show, but he too came off as lackluster. I can't stand the whole Terry Bradshaw "dumb redneck" schtick they put us through every Sunday and with Strahan now on-set, it's only going to get worse. It really takes away from the genius of perhaps the best analysts the Sport has (minus Jimmy Johnson). Although I did chuckle when Howie Long said, "he brings our Championship total to eight and our divorce total to six," about Strahan.

Menefee is getting better though and it's still my go to pregame show in the morning. Well, until Frank Caliendo shows up and then I switch to ESPN. Speaking of which....

ESPN: I don't know what it is about this group of people, and I hate to say this in their presence (Hi Bristol!), but when Emmitt isn't on the show....Countdown is actually not bad. Sure it's a bit cheesy, and both Ditka and Key are a little bit over-the-top, but the analysis is there and they seem to be genuinely excited that early in the day for Football. If you can get past all the chuckling every 10 minutes, they actually have a lot of good points and gameday information. The show is especially good for you fantasy freaks out there because they update injuries and starter info just about every 15 minutes or so.

I'm not saying it's the best, but it somehow became tolerable in the offseason.
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All in all, I'm just not overwhelmed with any of the shows or the new hires. Outside of ESPN, the other three have regressed, and in one case even became almost completely unwatchable. I really hope for NBC's sake that they get rid of some of that ridiculously large cast of characters, but that doesn't seem likely to happen in the near future.

No place for partisan Keith Olbermann on NFL show (NY Daily News)

If you're a frequenter of the convenience store 7-11, you'll be noticing an overhaul of their stores in the next few weeks. Much like last summer, when "The Simpsons Movie" took over the stores before it debuted, NBC is using Slurpie Cups and Big Bite containers as promotional vehicles for Sunday Night Football games on the network. Via Mediaweek....

Mike McCarley, vp, marketing, promotions and communications, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, is hoping the partnership and promotion will not only reach avid football fans and regular SNF telecasts, but also "millions of casual fans."

"Sunday Night is Football Night is not just for die-hard fans but for their friends and family who gather around the TV and watch the game as a social occasion," McCarley said. "Partnering with with 7-Eleven allows us to reach millions more avid and casual football fans each week and allows those fans to stock up for Sunday night's big matchups."

In-store promotions in more than 6,000 7-Eleven stores will include special cups and hot dog containers that are preprinted with the 2008 NBC Sunday Night Football game schedule. Customers will also be able to enter a sweepstakes and each week, a customer will be randomly selected to win a trip for two to New York City to visit the pregame show.

That seems like a lame prize to me if they're trying to target casual Football fans. Most people would have used tickets to the Super Bowl, but hey....whatever you think will work. Other than that it seems like a great idea depending on the money involved. I can't imagine that it's cheap to turn over 6,000, 7-11's into a giant advertisement for a network, but the amount of traffic seeing the ads is probably worth the price.

NBC Sports Teams Up With 7-Eleven (Mediaweek)

(Photo via Sports Business Daily)

I'm still trying to figure out what NBC is trying to do with their Football coverage on Sunday nights but in the meantime, MSNBC decided to give us a glimpse at what the new "Big Show" would look like come September....

I know NBC is banking on this combo, but I'm still wary about the decision. Don't get me wrong, I loved "The Big Show" but for some reason I just don't think it will have the same impact with about ten other people trying to fight for airtime. Again, folks.....less is always, and I mean ALWAYS more (see: MNF's Halftime Show).

(MNF review to follow)

Hey, why don't we follow up ESPN's "Manny Socks" with yet another ridiculous idea/PR move? NBC Sports has decided to put a Sunday Night Football Cookbook out and it features recipes from top chefs but Faith Hill and John Madden himself!

Completely authorized by NBC Sports, The Sunday Night Football Cookbook marries two great American institutions--food and football. With more than 150 delicious recipes from America's top chefs, NFL players and alumni, and NBC Sports' all-star on-air team, the book is an easy-to-use playbook for making the ultimate football meal.

Team by team and city by city, The Sunday Night Football Cookbook celebrates the special dishes, unique flavors, and most famous chefs of the NFL's 31 cities (and Honolulu, where the Pro Bowl is held.. Recipes range from local favorites like Seared Tequila Chicken from Eddie Matney's Restaurant in Phoenix to decadent desserts like Chef Tobin McAfee's Double Loving Chocolate Spoonful served at Sir Edmond Halley's in Charlotte, NC.

Among the all-star chefs contributing recipes are Daniel Boulud, Jean-Robert de Cavel, Christopher Wilson, Susan Goss, and others. Also adding their favorite recipes are former NFL players--including Green Bay Packer Brett Favre, Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis, and Minnesota Viking Carl Eller--and stars from the NBC Sports team, including John Madden, Tiki Barber, and Bob Costas.

These aren't your run-of-the-mill tailgating recipes, though: The Sunday Night Football Cookbook redefines football food, transforming traditional dishes into super-tasty recipes and adding the nation's regional tastes to the game-day table.

Seems like a winner. I was trying to come up with a few ideas for the SNIFNIA gang and all I could come up with is: John Madden's Maple Syrup coated Turducken with Mini Donuts and mashed potatoes and Tiki Barber's "Throw Your Teammates Under The Bus" Cheese Fries (ketchup on the side to be used as blood). If you can do better, feel free to try in the comments.

If you want the book, you can find it at a bookstore near you on September 2nd for the low low price of $27.95!

NBC Sunday Night Football Cookbook (Amazon)
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I don't know why I found this ad so funny, perhaps it caught me off guard, but I couldn't stop laughing following this "anything you can do" inspired commercial with the Manning Bros....

Awww! So very cute. I had also planned on doing a review of NBC's preseason opener, but there were so many elements and folks missing that I decided against it. With that said, I thought the broadcast was as good as you can get for your first of the year. They didn't go overboard talking about the Olympics or Brett Favre until the fourth quarter (understandable to do so then) and Michaels and Madden really didn't seem to make any big mistakes. I was also a huge fan of the bump music choices which included Journey, Jay-Z, Peter Gabriel and Guns N' Roses.

Also, Adam Schefter of the NFL Network stood in for Andrea Kremer, who is in Beijing, and did a stellar job. It wouldn't be a bad idea to add him full time, but I think that'd put the on-air talent count at about twenty six. Expect more reviews and recaps as the preseason goes along, and get ready for the return of the Pam Ward Chronicles later this month.

Interesting NFL angle this weekend as Sports Business Journal passes along the news that NBC will be streaming their Sunday night games online. Seventeen games will be able to be viewed online and will start with the Skins-Giants on September 4th....

Starting with the NFL Kickoff game on Thursday, Sept. 4, between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, the league plans to stream NBC's prime-time schedule on NFL.com and NBCSports.com as part of a plan being engineered by NBC Olympics President Gary Zen-kel and Brian Rolapp, NFL senior vice president of digital media.

The online video will consist of NBC's broadcast feed, with the call by Al Michaels and John Madden. The league has not decided how to treat the ads, but the most likely scenario will strip NBC's ads out of the broadcast, with the NFL and NBC selling new online ads and sharing the revenue.

The move is significant for the NFL, as it continues to ramp up its digital offerings and open its content on more platforms. The league always has been extremely protective of its game action, doling out limited use of highlights and vigorously safeguarding the television broadcast. Two years ago the league took management of NFL.com in-house, and last year that site was the only place on the Web where users could find limited game highlights.

I still don't understand why they don't do these process for all games similar to what MLB does. How many fans would pay at least $20 a month to watch out of market games? The NFL Network did this last year (sort of) but there's a big difference between a cable channel and network television. I don't know who would care about watching a game online that everyone in the country gets already, but I guess it's a step in the right direction towards streaming all of the games on Sundays.

(Via SBJ's Monday Edition)

Wow. How about this little bit of breaking news for a Monday afternoon? NBC is going to bring on Dan Patrick to work with Olbermann during his highlight section during halftimes of the network's Sunday night games....

Dan Patrick, who left ESPN last year to create his own syndicated radio program and write a column for Sports Illustrated, will join NBC Sports where he will be reunited with Keith Olbermann to call the N.F.L. highlights on “Football Night in America.” NBC is scheduled to make the announcement at 2 p.m. Eastern.

NBC is looking to recreate the chemistry and quirky humor that Patrick and Olbermann demonstrated when they were co-anchors on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” which they dubbed “The Big Show.” Olbermann joined “Football Night” last year, but is best known now as the host of MSNBC’s nightly “Countdown” program.

I love the two together as much as the next person but it just makes zero sense to hire more people for that studio show. This hire makes seven employees that currently work on the show and that's just way too many cooks in the kitchen. I wish nothing but fun times for the two, but I don't know how they're going to get to say what they want with Costas, Collinsworth, Bettis, Barber and Peter King vying for airtime as well. It'll be interesting.

Patrick and Olbermann Reunite on NBC (NY Times)

People have been ragging on the New York Post for years, but this piece just made me laugh. Via The Realests comes news that the Post says NBC could be interested in Michael Strahan for coverage next season. There's only one problem. The Strahan they're referring to is a Hall of Fame Linebacker....

Even NBC is getting in line to talk to the Hall of Fame linebacker, who can turn on the charm and talk like a college professor about football. "It's not what he's used to being paid," says one insider familiar with the trajectory of Strahan's new broadcasting career. "But at least he can be assured that he won't blow out his knees on a Sunday morning."

I know it's tough when a TV guy tries to write about Sports but you've got a whole stable of Sports guys that can help you out with that one. I also love how he quotes "an insider", but can't even get the guy's position right.

Also, if NBC hires Strahan to make him the 20th person on their coverage, and puts him with Tiki Barber, I'm going to throw up.

The New York Post: Still Morons (The Realests)
The Courtship of Michael Strahan (NY Post)

So the full schedule for the NFL was released today and we get our first look at some of the great weekends for the upcoming season. I broke out all of the primetime games for you here, so you know how to plan ahead of time.

ESPN Monday Night Football

Monday, Sept. 8- Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers 7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 15 - Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 22- New York Jets at San Diego Chargers 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Monday, Sept. 29 - Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 6 - Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 13 - New York Giants at Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 20 - Denver Broncos at New England Patriots 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 27 - Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 3 - Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10- San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 17 - Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24 - Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 1 - Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 8 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 15 - Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 22 - Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears 8:30 p.m.

NBC Sunday Night Football

Thursday, Sept. 4- Washington Redskins at New York Giants 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 7 - Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14- Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns 8:15 p.m. NBC
Sunday, Sept. 21- Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 28 - Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5 - Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 12 - New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19 - Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26- No Game
Sunday, Nov. 2 - New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9 - New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 16 - Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23 - Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30 - Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 7 - New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 14- New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 21 - San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 28- TBD

NFL Network Thursday Night Football

Thursday, Nov. 6- Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 13- New York Jets at New England Patriots 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 20- Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 27- Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 4- Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 11- New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 18- Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:15 p.m.
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NBC once again gets a boatload of great games while ESPN is left to pick up the pieces and somehow the Browns and Bears each got 5...count them 5 primetime games! Neither team even made the Playoffs last year. NBC gets 3 Patriots games while the other two networks get a lone game. One of those games is even the Pats-Colts which was a ratings goldmine for CBS last year.

Should be a fun year. Outside of the 9ers and Cardinals there's not one MNF live-blog I wouldn't want to do and I may even be starting up a full time Sunday Night one as well.

AFC Team By Team Schedule (NFL.com)
NFC Team By Team Schedule (NFL.com)

The rumor earlier this week was that the NBC Analyst was going to be dropped from the Today Show, but that didn't pan out. Instead they're sending Tiki to Bejing to be the show's Olympic correspondent.....

Tiki Barber, last seen by many sports fans interviewing former teammates for NBC after Super Bowl XLII, will be part of the "Today" show contingent at the Beijing Olympics.

So SportsWatch learned yesterday from a person in the sports TV industry, and so Barber's agent, Mark Lepselter, confirmed last night.

When Lepselter called, he was furious about a rumor posted Sunday on ProFootballTalk.com, a blog widely read in the football world, that speculated Barber might be out as a "Today" correspondent.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Lepselter, who added that in addition to his Olympics assignment, Barber is working on projects for "Dateline," "NBC Nightly News" and MSNBC.

Well then. Not only is Tiki not being dropped, he's getting even more work on the network. Greaaaaaat.

Tiki To Bejing (Newsday)

It was announced last week that the Redskins and Giants would be kicking off the NFL season on Thursday, September 4th, but the NFL announced today that the first Sunday Night game of the season will be the Chicago Bears at the Indianapolis Colts.

Why the felt the need to give us a rematch of the 2006 Super Bowl is beyond me, but Indy will be opening up Lucas Oil Stadium that night. I'll be adding the rest of Week One's game in this spot when released.

Hey, ESPN added three so you knew NBC had to follow suit and add their 14th talking head. NBC has tabbed Dolphins DE Jason Taylor to provide analysis for at least the first round and possibly longer...

Dolphins star Jason Taylor won't be playing in the postseason, but he will be working this weekend anyway.

Taylor landed a marquee gig -- guest studio analyst on NBC's coverage of two wild-card games Saturday. He will be substituting for Cris Collinsworth, who is working the Washington-Seattle game with Tom Hammond on NBC ( Al Michaels and John Madden will call NBC's second game -- Jacksonville-Pittsburgh).

Taylor will appear alongside Bob Costas, Keith Olbermann, Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber.

''I'm excited . . . ,'' Taylor said. ``Obviously, I wish I was playing this week. Jerome talked about playing some teams that embarrassed you. If I had to do that now, we'd be taking a whole 'nother year to do it.''

Again, current players and coaches aren't my favorite choices, but Jason Taylor will probably be okay. I mean if he can talk Zach Thomas into marrying his sister he should be able to talk on TV.

Taylor reaches playoffs, but will line up in the booth (Miami Herald)

A young Tony Dungy as a Steelers coach with Chuck Noll and future Colts O-coordinator Tom Moore.

New rules for this half: given the propensity and probability that this half will consist mostly of three and outs, I will, rather than try to get the game action, catalog the myriad of non-Colts or Titans related subjects John and Al touch on. Of course, big plays and scores will still be noted, but these may be few and far between right now. If you'd like to help out, please do so in comments (like you don't already.)

"I always look forward to a big implosion. This building will be torn down, but not exploded." - JM. He must love his trips to the restroom in the Madden Cruiser.

Also, a 2nd half three and out count will be used. That #1 for the Colts this half. They're now talking about the Colts' new dome, of course. I think John just called the RCA Dome a pimple. Colts recover a fumble by LenDale White. He'd never have dropped it if it were a sandwich.

Apparently if Sorgi gets hurt, Peyton comes back in. Cleveland is hoping Albert Haynesworth stomps on Sorgi's face.

Players from the Ivy League -- apparently Clifton Dawson is a Hah-vahd man. TOUCHDOWN COLTS -- Sorgi rifles it to Craphonso Thorpe. Kick is good, 10-7, Colts.

Chris Henry (not the Bengal) just got DESTROYED on that kick off return. That's gonna leave a mark. "If that was a heavyweight fight he'd have to take a standing eight count." - Madden.

No three and out this time, VY picks up a first down, but comes up limping a bit -- and he's taking himself out of the game now after the next play. Here comes Kerry Collins. Drink, people, because you know Kerry did today. Penalty-fest: false start, delay of game, then offsides on the Colts, yeesh.

Madden said reid was pointing to the top of his head and he didnt know why. John he was pointing the name on his back because like all athletes today he wanted everyone to know who he is because he made a play. - Steve

Nice.

Truly AMAZING stuff on NBATV in the Celtics vs Lakers game. The Lakers are going "old-school" and this ain't your regular old school. They have super short shorts on like shorter then John Stockton. You have to see this. - Brett

I'm in SoCal, so it's on the Fox Sports here -- and all I can say is, "I see London, I see France, I see Kobe's underpants."

Bironas kicks a FG for the Titans after the Collins-led drive stalls. 10-10 all.

The other good part about Fox Sports here is that there are two channels: one is showing the regular game feed with announcers while the other is just using the sideline cameras and such; they call it "Lakers Sideline." All you get are these cameras and the P.A. announcer -- with a sideline reporter doing dorky interviews with Andy Garcia and Lakers VP Jeanie Buss before the game (and she sounds less like an exec VP than a total Laker groupie.)

VY ain't coming back with that strained calf, people -- no matter how questionable Andrea Kremer says he is. Third quarter over.

Take notice-that could be the only time you ever hear a "Let's go Sorgi" chant in an NFL stadium - Sam

It must be nice to be Jim Sorgi. Get paid a good salary, don't have to do jack shit of consequence ever because Peyton's never hurt at all. Now, there's shots of Peyton playing offensive coordinator on the sidelines with Sorgi. That's the only part that's gotta suck, and the look on Sorgi's face was priceless; "Dammit, I don't wanna listen to this asshat" while saying "Yeah, Peyton, you got it." I dare say Jim Sorgi had Eli Manning face on him while getting a priceless pep talk from Peyton.

"They're not saying 'boo', they're saying 'Luke', aren't they?" - JM

Three and out #2 this half for the Colts.

Vince Young injured in a game John Madden commentates......now there's a coincidence ;) Madden jinx!!! - Mark B
The only NFL job easier than Peyton's backup is the Patriots' punter. - Jet City Gambler

JM: "There are some things you can do in the locker room on a table that you just can't do on the field." - (via False Rumour Monger)

(shivers in fear) VY's running back to the sideline now, but I doubt he's getting back on the field at all.

Via The Sporting Blog comes a replay of the Reid hit on Henry

Damn, AA -- it's tough to watch that again. I'm awaiting the Kerry Collins that never fails to throw a timely pick, and he's been close to it with the past two passes. Here comes Bironas for a field goal to go ahead. It's good, 13-10, Titans.

So, Browns fans, your hopes lie on the shoulders of Jim Sorgi. Might as well get ready for the off-season now. Antoine Odom just teabagged Sorgi. After an incomplete and a pass that's short, that's #3 three and out for the Colts. Titans have it at the Colts 47.

The Titans are trying to eat clock right now by running the ball. Well, they were. Collins is gunslinging it down the field for first down after first down.

If you missed it, Andrea Kremer talked about text-messaging Willie McGinest, who's apparently waiting with baited breath to see if he goes to the playoffs. My guess is that Kremer got McGinest's number, hoping he still had Tom Brady's. Bironas nails another field goal, 16-10, Titans.

How much of a "fuck you" would it be if Peyton, Clark, and Wayne came back in right now to get a game-winning touchdown?

"It's the month of the Collinses." - AM. I smell conspiracy -- two square-jawed dudes named Collins in their late thirties come in to replace young, black quarterbacks in VY and Jason Campbell -- Collinses don't care about black people.

The receiver should have come down with that Sorgi pass, and we get "Another One Bites the Dust," presumably for Browns fans. This sucker's over, Titans will get into the playoffs with a 16-10 victory. I'm going over to Celtics-Lakers, and I presumably will see you next Saturday once AA and I work out who's live-blogging what for Wild Card Weekend.

Vince Young, making the rounds at an ATP men's tennis tour stop in his hometown of Houston. I will be live-blogging this game while participating in EDSBS' drinking game with the Independence Bowl. Wish me luck!

OK, here we go with John and Al, and let's see how much Peyton is actually playing tonight. John's talking about the "two games" tonight. Is that anything like John Edwards' "Two Americas" speech or anything?

Colts kick it off, and the Titans will start deep in their own territory. VY hands it off to LenDale White, who garners 10+ yards on the first rush from scrimmage. White busts it again for another 15 and a first down at midfield. A small victory for the Colts early, they stop White after only two yards. VY hits Bo Scaife on third down for another first. Chris Brown barrels through for another 1st in Indy territory after a VY pass for eight on the previous play. VY is slinging it to Byron Ealey now. Another catch, this one by Justin Gage, and it's first and goal.

Chris Brown barrels right in on first down for a touchdown, Titans. Kick is up and good, 7-0 Titans.

Not a good way for the Colts to start -- like they care. Kicked off to T.J. Rushing, and he goes back to the 22 yard line, which is where we'll say hello to Peyton Manning. Peyton hits Joseph Addai on the swing for eight yards. He then hits Reggie Wayne for a first down. Incomplete on the next play. 2nd down catch by Wayne gets a few yards. Manning to Wayne for another first down with extra yardage after the catch into Titans territory. Peyton to Clark, 3rd and 1, Peyton to Unpronounceable Receiver Not Marvin Harrison for another 1st. Wayne FUMBLES!!! on the swing out pass, and Tennessee's got it back.

More rushing for the Titans on the start of this series. Chris Brown gets another first down on the second play.

"He gets that penetration, gets in the backfield." - JM

VY looked really weird sliding on that bootleg out when there wasn't any sort of pass available downfield. It'll be 3rd and 12 here, and not enough on the play. 4th down, here comes the punt team. Indy brings the punt back to the 18.

JM: "That time Joseph Addai got what you call a real chip. That was chipping off a big, old hunk. It took Vandebosh right down."
AM: "Put him in the woodchipper." - via False Rumour Monger

Addai busts a big run past the 30 on the first play for 15 yards. Another one past the 35 for Addai, 2nd and 6 coming up. Peyton to Fletcher to close out the quarter. More Addai, more first down for the start of the second. Swing out to Wayne, which he doesn't drop this time. Short of the first down. Another shortie to Wayne, and that's a first down. Another pass to Wayne, another first down. Peyton is a machine right now.

"He's big and strong and he's physical." - JM, talking about Titans defenders. Another 4-yard pass to Wayne. Addai gets stuffed on the next play, but 3rd and 16 at the Titans 19 is coming up. Manning's arm gets smacked while throwing, and here comes Viniateri to kick a field goal. Kick is up and good, 7-3, Titans.

Really, NBC? Couldn't you have gotten Don Henley's original instead of the Ataris' cover of "The Boys of Summer"?

VY gets it out to the tight end for 27 yards, and this Colts team is sucking on defense right now. One yard gain for Chris Brown. 3rd and six is caught by Gage across midfield for a first down. Vince Young just steps up and makes the big plays, people. Pass interference on a bomb thrown by VY against Marlin Jackson. Ball is loose on the next play inside the 10, and the Colts get the fumble recovery!!!

IT'S SORGI TIME!!!!

Is Al going to mention Cleveland everytime something exciting happens in the game? - Rick.

Yes. Yes he will. Sorgi, out to the fullback at the 14 yard line. He then hits Reggie Wayne for a first down, and now has the most receiving yards in the league. Another pass to Wayne to a first down, and "he learned this from Peyton Manning." I bet he did, John. I think someone should name their band the Jim Sorgi Experience. An incompletion on 2nd, and the pass to Craphonso Thorpe is short of the first. Punt time. Returned to the 25, but will come back with a penalty flag.

3 and a half left in the first half, everyone. VY incomplete on 2nd down, and it's stalling again. Incomplete on third down, and it's another punt. A good punt return is negated by a block in the back. Sorgi at his own 30, and knocked down by the Titans. He then throws incomplete with a flag on the play -- it's on the Colts, and declined. Sorgi throws another incompletion, punt time.

"This has to be so agonizing for the Cleveland Browns right now." - AM

2:13 left in the half. White gets nothing on first down, time for the 2 minute warning. VY's 2nd down pass bounces off of Bo Scaife and lands in the arm of another Titans receiver somehow. John and Al are bored -- they're now talking about the Immaculate Reception for some reason. Another pass to Gage for a 1st down, and 1:42 and a first down at the Indy 41.

Sorry. Browser crashed. Tennessee punted again, and the half ran out. Titans, 7-3 at the half. I have to decide whether this is worth blogging the 2nd half.

"It used to be clipping on the return team, now it's block in the back"-Madden
"I miss clipping"-Michaels - Via Sam

"There's more Colt jerseys at a Colt game than any other stadium."- John Madden - (Via AA)

S2N back with you again, and you won't be seeing too much of this guy above in Titans-Colts tonight. This game, despite the likely viewing of Jim Sorgi for much of it, means something, as everyone in Cleveland is officially a Colts fan for the next four hours. Titans win and they're headed to San Diego, otherwise, the Browns will be headed to the Whale's Vagina, Tijuana's Hat, or any other nickname you have for the city.

So, let's document this week's atrocities from Costas and Co. in the comments, and I'll see you for the first half.

AA Here......had to jack S2N's thread with this hilarious clip of Jon Gruden inventing a new word.....

Irrelative? Oooookay.