Ed Reed, contemplating the ways he'll try to pick off Kerry Collins on the rare occasion he does drop back to pass.

I can't get excited about today's at all, so it's open threads. It's not fair to say that because this first one will be a defensive struggle, and that's still good football, but it's not anything I can say is worth live-blogging and I'd like to watch the games today like you guys without looking over my shoulder at the computer and join you all in the comment thread from time to time. I'll be live-blogging both of tomorrow's games. Now, watch as one of these two turns into the barn-burner of the playoffs.

Game: AFC Divisional Playoff #1
Teams: Baltimore Ravens (11-5, 2nd in AFC North) vs. Tennessee Titans (13-3, AFC South Champs)
Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN
Start Time: 4:30 PM EST
Announcers and Network: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf, CBS
Miscellany: Vince Young mentions, talk about the rookie QB Joe Flacco, Jeff Fisher's longest active tenure in the NFL with one team, Albert Haynesworth going from face-stomper to insanely dominant nose tackle, and of course, Ed Reed.
Favorite: Titans (-3)
S2N's Pick: Baltimore. This goes against the rookie QB rule, but why do I have the sense that the Titans are limping in and won't be able to run as well on the Ravens? I just do.

Well this is an interesting piece of news. Dan Dierdorf is this years Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award winner and will receive a second spot in Pro Football's Canton Hall of Fame. Via Pro Football Weekly....

Dan Dierdorf will be entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, for a second time after being named the winner of the 2008 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

He began his broadcasting career in 1984 and is a three-time Emmy Award nominee as Outstanding Sports Analyst. He served as an analyst on "Monday Night Football" for more than a decade and has filled a role as game analyst on "The NFL on CBS" since 1999.

Dierdorf, a star offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals during his 13-year NFL career, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1996.

He will receive the Rozelle award on Friday, Aug. 1 at the Enshrinees Dinner in Canton.

I personally was never that big of a Dierdorf fan, but the guy definitely has a great body of work. Here are some of his accomplishments via Tom Hoffarth's FOTW...

*Immediately after retiring as a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals (the football team, not baseball) for 13 seasons, he started behind the mike in 1984 as the St. Louis Cardinals (football, not baseball) analyst on KMOX radio.
*He also did color commentary for the St. Louis Blues (yes, the NHL team).
*He was the sports director for KMOX TV in St. Louis.
*He did play by play on CBS Sports Radio NFL games in 1985. The next year, he switched to an analyst.
*He started on ABC's "MNF" in 1987, added to the Al Michaels-Frank Gifford team. He lasted 12 seasons, spending one of them with a Michaels-Boomer Esiason booth, but then left after 1998.
*He did Super Bowl XXII in 1988, XXV in '91 and XXIX in '95, each with Michaels and Gifford.
*He did boxing for ABC starting in 1989.
*He went to CBS to do NFL games in 1999 with Verne Lundquist. In 2000, he was paired with Dick Enberg. Since 2006, he's been with Greg Gumbel.
*He is referenced by George Carlin in his 1996 "Back in Town" album. Carlin is talking about capital punishment and wonders how a crucifixion would fly as a halftime show during a "MNF" game: "Wouldn't you like to hear Dan Dierdorf explain why the nails have to go in at a certain angle?"

I personally think Dan Dierdorf was one of the pioneers in making networks think they had to hire ex-players as analysts, but I'm sure most people in the business see that as a positive. Either way he's a Broadcasting Hall of Famer now.

Dierdorf is Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award winner (PFW)
Dan Dierdorf: Broadcast Hall of Famer (Farther Off The Wall)

Hi folks. Here's an open thread for Bolts-Colts, as you watch the douchebag Philip Rivers, LDT, and the greatness that is NORV! take on Peyton & Co. in the RCA Dome. (I think I've already made it very clear who I'm pulling for.) Your announcers today are the CBS 2nd team: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf; while much more tolerable than Nantz and Simms, they are capable of doozies and some nice cliches.

Things worth counting/drinking to, if you are so inclined:
1) NORV! Face
2) Manning Face
3) LDT stewing in the corner of the Chargers bench
4) Peyton ads during the game
5) Mentions of Shawne Merriman's size without noting his roid use

I'll be around in the comments and I'll see you for the Giants-Cowboys live blog. Also, enjoy this fine animated parody of the Manning ads with the douchebag Rivers. (Hat tip to KSK's Christmas Ape.)

Onto the 2nd Round Folks, and just like we predicted Buck and Aikman to Dallas and Nantz and Simms to New England.

Saturday, January 12

Seattle at Green Bay, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Jacksonville at New England, 8 p.m. (CBS)- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Sunday, January 13

San Diego at Indy, 1 p.m. (CBS)- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
NY Giants at Dallas, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Not that you would expect him to, but Tony Kornheiser is aware of his detractors and doesn't seem to be bothered by them at all. In an interview with the Rocky Mountain News the MNF analyst had this to say about the bad reviews....

"I don't read most of the criticism," Kornheiser said while sipping water in a coffee shop near the Denver Newspaper Agency. "I don't want to end up hating someone because of what is said or written."

"I know where Dan's [Dierdorf] coming from. He's a purist when it comes to broadcasting football," Kornheiser said. "Part of my job is to entertain fans. That's why Howard Cosell, who was marvelous, was in the booth.

"That's the element ABC and now ESPN want on Monday night." Kornheiser believes he's "improving" as his second season rolls on. 'Jaws' (Jaworski) and I communicate well with Mike (Tirico). I'm learning not to interrupt the flow of the game."

Um actually you're really not, and would you really hate someone if they wrote poorly about you? That seems a little petty if you ask me. And it doesn't appear as if he'll be hating the author of the article at the RMN who described Tony by saying, "His agile mind is several levels above the jock mentality of many NFL announcers."

Jock mentality? Like actually caring about the play on the field???

Kornheiser at ease with his p's and q's on 'MNF' (Rocky Mountain News)

From time to time (well, only twice now) I'll get enough emails about the NFL coverage to share a few with you. There are some people I believe think that I'm the complaint department for ESPN, which makes me chuckle, but most are just people fed up with one thing or another. I don't have the NFL Package and can't flip through all of the games, (streaming online doesn't always work) so these emails/rants are a good way for me to keep up with the rest of the announcing teams throughout the league. Please keep any and all rants/quotes coming.....I'd love to make this a regular feature.

Let's get into them......

Keshawn at it early in countdown today.

"Also, Andre Johnson not playing for the Texans, it could be a long day for David Carr and that cast." - breaking down the Tennessee - Texans matchup. Do you think Michael Irvin would have at least known the Carr is no longer with the Texans?

Good start to the day.

- AlCantHang

It's moments like these that make me regret my statement that Keyshawn was great during the NFL Draft. I feel like I contributed to his full-time hiring, and I want you to know....I did a bad thing....I did a VERY bad thing.

After Tom Brady's touchdown pass to Donte' Stallworth in the 1st quarter vs the Dolphins:

"Tom Brady's touchdown passes are having babies, he went from 22 to 23." - Dan Dierdorf

Erhm...what??!!

- cstamat1

This could be the dumbest comment ever or the most hilarious. Anytime you use Brady and Babies in a broadcast it's gold. Sadly I don't think that was the case with Dierdorf.

With 2:14 left in the Ravens/Bills game with the Bills leading 19-14, thats FIVE POINTS not 3, Rich Gannon brings up the point that it was foolish to run the ball and elect to punt becasue "The Ravens have a guy...Matt Stover 5 field goals last week, special teams player of the week, he can really hurt you here." NO HE CAN'T RICH! HE CAN'T KICK A 5 POINT FIELD GOAL!!

- Dane from Minnesota

This one made me laugh not for the Gannon comment but Dane sent this comment to me Simmons style. I guess we could turn this into the AA Mailbag if we want to.

What the hell is CBS doing? Why not just carry the end of this particularly interesting game live? I mean, it's fun watching four overpaid boobs stare at an off-camera TV monitor, but call me crazy. I'd rather watch the game play out myself.

- Bruce

Here's the thing Bruce, they are called "talent" for a reason....they want them to be on-air. Shannon Sharpe is not concerned about you wanting to see the game and he wants you to know that Ray Lewis is the BEST PLAYER IN FOOT BALL!

And now a Buck supporter wants to weigh-in.....

I know they are favorite targets of your website and they do make mistakes, but they, by FAR, are better than any other baseball announcing team out there. I still get chills thinking about Dave Obrian and his espn crew last year (Sutcliffe and someone else) , where there was not one second of dead air time to listen to the crowd. Morgan and Miller aren't bad, until Joe starts completely ignoring the game and talks about 1970 while a play is going on.

Also, did you happen to catch the only 3 people at the Ohio State-MSU game this weekend? Thats all you could hear as they turned the crowd way down and all you could hear were Nessler McGuire and Griese. Not one second of dead air. Is the game about them or the players? For those of us who have great sound systems, we truly appreciate the fact that Joe Buck learned something from his old man. Sometimes silence on air says a mouthful. That way you can enjoy the ambiance of "almost being there"

Basically I have said all this to point out that there are plenty of us who think Joe Buck is terrific. Especially when you consider who else is out there covering games.

- Harold

That is the one and only thing about Buck that I enjoy. He lets the crowd tell you how the play turned out and then is dead quiet as they go to commercial. Here's the thing....90% of the time they are completely off base and don't really seem to know what's going on. Maybe you're just not listening hard enough, and my ears have been trained to do so, but here are some quotes from last night's game that you may have missed...

"These teams have played over 243 games this year"- Tim McCarver (162 x 2 = 324)

"Keys to the game: "The team that breathes easiest wins."- Tim McCarver (Could you elaborate a bit Tim?)

"Two nations hanging on every pitch from Daisuke Matsuzaka.....Red Sox Nation and Japan."- Joe Buck

"In a two-strike count...the advantage goes to the pitcher."- Tim McCarver

"Catchers don't catch pitches that get hit."- Tim McCarver

No offense to our friend Harold, but if that's the best team out there....Baseball has problems.

A week or so ago it was Dan Dierdorf, and now another one of Tony Kornheiser's peers is trashing him in the media. Joe Theismann via the Miami Herald had this to say about his replacement Ron Jaworski....

"Ron is a terrific football guy but he happens to work on Tony's show. It has become a three-hour Tony Kornheiser show. When I was let go, they explained they wanted more of an issue show and less about football. They've accomplished that.''

Seriously, if you had to pick between Tony and Joe....who would you go with? That's probably harder for me to choose between which kid I had to kill (if I had kids).

AROUND THE DIAL (Miami Herald)

(Thanks to Odessasteps for sending the tip)

Last year it was Bryant Gumbel letting one go on National Television......this year it's the partner of his brother Greg, Dan Dierdorf burping into the mic. Here's the audio courtesy of ProFootballTalk.com.....

Dierdorf Burp

Not only did our friend Dan have that little mishap, but he had this gem as noted by GM yesterday....

"If Webster's had a definition for competitiveness, it would be Trent Green."- Dan Dierdorf

I haven't checked lately Dan, but I'm pretty sure Webster's would define a commonly used word like that. I could be wrong though.

Far be it from me to bash Tony Kornheiser (sarcasm folks), but now his peers are taking the Monday Night Football Analyst to task. CBS' Dan Dierdorf was on the Fox Sports Radio program "Out of Bounds" today and had the following to say about his counterpart at ESPN....

“I think people tune in to watch a football game because they want to watch a football game. If they wanted to watch a stand-up comedy show on HBO, that’s where they’d go” – Dan Dierdorf (Quote via SBD)

Burrrrn. You have to take note when people in your same industry are getting soundbytes at one of your employee's expense. Or do you? I guess any press is good press in this regard.

Or as some pointed out in the comments....it's pretty bad when a terrible announcer calls out another one. Can we let them just eliminate each other?

Out Of Bounds (Fox Sports Radio)

Think again.....

CBS will air the Pro Bowl for the first time in 35 years this Saturday, and it will be a grand ole' time!

Your Announcers....

The Booth: Three man team....Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf, and Phil Simms
The Sideline: One man...one mouth.....Shannon Sharpe

NOOOOOOOOOOO! On SBL they asked me what my ideal team to call the Super Bowl would be.....well this would be the opposite. I couldn't pick a worse team if my life depended on it.

Shannon Sharpe on the sidelines should be fun right? Him interviewing Belichick at halftime would be awesome.

Sharpe: Flabbity Flab Flab Flab Flabbiddy Flab
Belichick: (silence)
Sharpe: Flab.........Flabbers........Flab Flab Flab
Belichick: I think both teams played hard.
Sharpe: Flab....thaflabnks coach.....flabbers