Wanted to get a post up (get it?) on all things associated with the NBA's opening night this evening. Below are a few links, your NBA Announcing Schedule for the rest of the week and also your first look at the new NBA on TNT commercials that they'll be airing this Fall. Make sure you check out the new look NBA TV tonight starting at 5pm and then TNT's pregame gets underway at 7pm. ESPN resumes their NBA coverage on Wednesday with NBA Shootaround starting at 7pm as well.

Here's the schedule, some links and the new TNT commercial staring none other than AA's featured man of the day, Charles Barkley, and Senator and Actor....Fred Thompson!

Announcing Schedule:

Tuesday, October 28th

NBA Tip-Off 2008 (TNT, 7pm)- Boston Celtics Ring Ceremony
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (TNT, 8pm)- Marv Albert, Reggie Miller, Mike Fratello and Craig Sager
Portland Trailblazers at LA Lakers (TNT, 10:30pm)- Kevin Harlan, Doug Collins and Cheryl Miller

Wednesday, October 29th

NBA Shootaround (ESPN, 7pm)- Stuart Scott, Jon Barry, Avery Johnson
Phoenix at San Antonio (ESPN, 8pm)- Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Lisa Salters
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers (ESPN, 10:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Heather Cox

Thursday, October 30th

NBA Tip-Off (TNT, 8pm)- Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber
Houston Rockets @ Dallas Mavericks (TNT, 8:15pm)- Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, Reggie Miller and Cheryl Miller
New Orleans Hornets @ Phoenix Suns (TNT, 10:30pm)- Kevin Harlan, Doug Collins and Craig Sager

Friday, October 31st

NBA Shootaround (ESPN, 7:30pm)- Stuart Scott, Avery Johnson, Jalen Rose
Chicago at Boston (ESPN, 8pm)- Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Doris Burke
San Antonio at Portland (ESPN, 10:30pm)- Kevin Calabro, Jon Barry, Nancy Lieberman

Reading Material:

Field report: NBA Tip-Off Celebration, New York City (Ball Don't Lie)
While You Were Sleeping VII: The FreeDarko EVERY GAME PREVIEW (Free Darko)
The NBA finally has its curves back (Bill Simmons)
SLAM’s Official 2008-09 NBA Preview (SLAM)
Poor Kobe Bryant, the Video (True Hoop)
Celtics Begin Title Defense with Playoff Rematch (Celts Blog)
Game 1 Preview: Blazers vs. L*kers (Blazers Edge)
Superman Don't Need No Robin (Cavalier Attitude)

TNT's New NBA Spot:

Who: Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies
What: Beisbol
When: Tonight, 8:30pm (FOX)
Where: Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Why: So Joe Buck and Tim McCarver can explain the ground rules at Tropicana Field just one more time, even though the game is in Philadelphia....and/or....mean mug the camera while their seats are at awkward and completely different heights (seriously...what is that about?)
How: Ryan Howard in the Laboratory with a Subway Cheesesteak
Weather: All I know is that I'm freezing my ass off and Philly is about 2 hours north of here.

Alrighty people, you've spoken and you want to talk Baseball tonight and what baby wants....baby gets. I'll be starting the live-blog around 8ish, leave your predictions and thoughts in the comments, and I'll see you later on.

So I hit you with the ESPN/ABC NBA preview earlier today, and if you were paying close attention you probably noticed that Greg Anthony is no longer with ESPN. The Basketball analyst has jumped ship over to CBS, and will be replacing Clark Kellogg on the studio team. Kellogg, who recently moved to Billy Packer's empty analyst position after his departure from the network, will of course be paired with Jim Nantz for the 2008-2009 College Basketball Season. That will then make your studio team consist of Greg Gumbel, Seth Davis and Anthony.

The network will tip-off coverage with Memphis at Georgetown on December 13th, and will also carry action from five Conference Championships (MVC, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10 and Conference USA). Other important dates to mark on your calendar are as follows:

March 15, 2009- NCAA Tournament Selection Show
Thursday, March 19, 2009- First-round Tournament action begins
Saturday, April 4- The Final Four
Monday, April 6, 2009- ThChampionship Game

Here's your entire game schedule for '08-'09 on CBS....

Sat., Dec. 13

Memphis at Georgetown (2pm)
Indiana at Kentucky (4pm)

Sat., Dec. 20

Duke - Xavier (2pm, From New Jersey)*
Michigan State-Texas (2pm, From Houston)*
Connecticut at Gonzaga (4pm)*
Purdue - Davidson (4pm, From Indy)*

Sat., Dec. 27

West Virginia at Ohio State (4pm)

Sat., Jan. 3

North Carolina at Florida (4pm)

Sun., Jan. 4

Kentucky at Louisville (4:30pm)

Sat., Jan. 10

Kansas at Michigan State (1pm)

Sun., Jan. 11

Wisconsin at Purdue (1:30pm)

Sat., Jan. 17

Georgetown at Duke (1:30pm)
Arizona State at UCLA (3:45pm)

Sat., Jan. 24

Memphis at Tennessee (3:30pm)

Sun., Jan. 25

Florida at Vandy (1:30pm)
Michigan State at Ohio State (3:45)

Sat., Jan. 31

Michigan at Purdue (1pm)*
Washington State at Arizona (1pm)*

Sat., Feb. 7

Notre Dame at UCLA (1pm)*
Ole Miss at Vandy (1pm)*

Sun., Feb. 8

Purdue at Illinois (1pm)

Sat., Feb. 14

UCLA at Arizona (1pm)*
Kentucky at Arkansas (1pm)*

Sun., Feb. 15

Illinois at Indiana (1pm)

Sat., Feb. 21

Tennessee at Kentucky (1pm)*
Army at Navy (1pm)*

Sun., Feb. 22

Indiana at Purdue (1pm)*
Wisconsin at Michigan State (1pm)*
Illinois at Ohio State (1pm)*
Villanova at Syracuse (1pm)*

Sat., Feb. 28

Georgia Tech at North Carolina (Noon)
Notre Dame at Connecticut (2pm)
LSU at Kentucky (4pm)

*- Regional Coverage

Man, is it me or did NBA's offseason just fly by? Well whether you think so or not, it's starting next Tuesday, and ESPN kicks off their coverage the next day with a doubleheader featuring Phoenix at San Antonio and the L.A. Lakers at the L.A. Clippers. Since there have been a ton of new additions to both the booth and studio, I thought I'd give you a quick preview of what the network has going on for this upcoming season.

NBA coverage on ESPN/ABC is just about as wacky as it gets. There are about forty or so people employed by the network, and they are placed throughout various programs on random nights of the week. The ABC side of things is the most stable, but since they started covering the NBA, the channel has gone through about ten different studio team combinations. This year will be no different as the trio of Stuart Scott, Mike Wilbon and Jon Barry (one of the most random studio teams ever assembled) will be adding Magic Johnson. I honestly didn't think that ESPN/ABC could make that studio show worse, but they've certainly tried their best this offseason.

The booths for both ESPN and ABC will be staying pretty much the same as last season. Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy while be your A-team still, and while the three make an above average team, they still have the tendency to get distracted and fly off on random tangents in certain games. Some of Van Gundy's theories and antics are humorous, they get old when it's under two minutes in a close game, and Mark Jackson's surly attitude becomes draining throughout the season. If they stick to the action on the court they're fine, but that's not always the case. The backup team of Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown also stays the same, but occasionally Dan Shulman will be on a call and work with either Brown or Doris Burke. Additionally you may see Dave Pasch, Mark Jones or new hire Kevin Calabro in some spots. Confused yet? Well we're just getting started.

As far as the ESPN side of things, here's where it gets tricky. The studio show, KIA NBA Shootaround, has just about the arbitrary set of hosts and airtimes that I've ever seen. Stuart Scott is usually the host, but you could also see John Saunders, Mark Jones, or Matt Winer in the role. Add to that the list of analysts which includes: Jamal Mashburn, Jon Barry, Bill Walton, Allan Houston (as soon as he retires again), Jalen Rose, Chris Broussard, Tim Legler, Ric Bucher, Doris Burke, Jackie MacMullan, Heather Cox, Nancy Lieberman, Lisa Salters and Avery Johnson.....and you have approximately twenty people to do a job that can be done by four.

If you ADD TO THAT, two more studio shows in NBA Fastbreak and NBA Coast to Coast, it's almost possible to keep track of things. The network also lost one of their better color guys, Greg Anthony, in the offseason to CBS College Basketball. So that's not helping things either. All in all, ESPN's coverage is just about as tough to follow as this post, so here's my attempt to alleviate that confusion and just give you the "NBA on ESPN/ABC Depth Chart". Just randomly pick any combination of these folks and that's who you could get on any given night....

Play by Players: Mike Breen, Mike Tirico, Mark Jones, Dan Shulman, Kevin Calabro and Dave Pasch
Color Commentators: Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Hubie Brown, Jon Barry and Doris Burke
Sideline Reporters: Ric Bucher, Doris Burke, Heather Cox, Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Salters
Studio Hosts: Stuart Scott, John Saunders, Matt Winer and Mark Jones
Studio Analysts: Jon Barry, Michael Wilbon, Magic Johnson, Avery Johnson, Bill Walton, Jalen Rose, Tim Legler and Jamal Masburn
Reporters: Chris Broussard, Marc Stein, Ric Bucher, Jackie MacMullen and John Hollinger
ESPN Radio: Jim Durham, Kevin Calabro, Will Perdue and Dr. Jack Ramsey

As I see it, that's over 30 people to cover one Sport on a network! Just amazing!!! Now that we've got that out of the way.....here's your ESPN NBA Announcing Schedule for next week (I'm going to go take a nap because my head hurts)....

Wed., Oct. 29

Kia NBA Shootaround (ESPN, 7pm)- Stuart Scott, Avery Johnson
Phoenix at San Antonio (ESPN, 8pm)- Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers (ESPN, 10:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown

Fri., Oct. 31

Kia NBA Shootaround (ESPN, 7:30pm)- Stuart Scott, Avery Johnson
Chicago at Boston (ESPN, 8pm)- Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
San Antonio at Portland (ESPN, 10:30pm)- Kevin Calabro, Jon Barry

Who: Broncos at Patriots
Where: Gillette Stadium
Why: So Tony can think he's a genius for explain how losing Brady, REALLY hurt the Patriots.
Spreads: Patriots -3, O/U 48.5
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser

MNF Links:

Five Things To Watch Tonight (Boston Herald)
Cutler's mobility will give aging Patriots problems (ESPN)
Coaches Shanahan, Belichick set to match wits again (Rocky Mountain News)
Week 7 Preview: Broncos at Patriots (Pats Blog)
Injury Report (Bronco Talk)

Monday Night Countdown Segments:

Dallas Drama

Reporter Greg Garber looks at all the elements that make up the “soap opera” of the Cowboys season.

Titans Defensive Line Unity

The Tennessee D-line keeps a circular chain with each player’s number on it to signify strength in unity. Countdown’s Jackson travels to Nashville to find out what the chain means to the Titans’ “front four.”

Mayne Event: The Helmet Debate

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama held their third and final presidential campaign debate Wednesday night, making their stances known on the economy, health care and national security. In this week’s “Mayne Event,” Kenny Mayne wanted to find out where the two candidates are on the hot-button issue of 2008 – NFL helmet safety.

Countdown’s “Spin The Wheel”

In “Spin The Wheel,” Countdown analysts discuss and debate hot-button NFL topics and issues displayed on a wheel.

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Dwight Freeney vs. Aaron Rodgers

In EA Sports Virtual Playbook, Tom Jackson breaks down Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and the techniques he will use to get to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

AA's Prediction:

Well I was obviously dead wrong last week, so let's see if I can get back on track. I think the Broncos will be just too fast on both sides of the ball tonight, and win a close one on a Prater FG.....

Broncos 24 - Patriots 21

Who: Jets at Chargers
Where: Qualcomm Stadium
Why: Favre, Favre, Favre, Favre, Favre
Spreads: Chargers -8.5, O/U 45.5
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser

MNF Links:

MNF, Let The Game Breathe! (NY Post)
Five things to watch: Chargers vs. Jets (Sign On San Diego)
A must-win atmosphere for Chargers, Jets (LA Times)
Game Preview, Week 3 - Jets at Chargers (Bolt Talk)
San Diego - What the Numbers Say! (Jets Blog)
Chargers try to put 'fumble' behind them (CBC)

AA's Prediction:

I'm with just about everyone else in thinking that the Chargers are going to come out gunning during this game. I think that their defense will finally settle in and Brett Favre is going to have a long night and in turn making Tony Kornheiser cry.

Chargers 24 - Jets 13

But again....this is Brett Favre and he does own on Monday nights. Feel free to leave your predictions in the comments and I'll see you around 8pm or so for the live-blog.

So the plan earlier was to come up with a post on what's new with Monday Night Football this year, but I've just simply run out of time. This will serve as that somewhat, but obviously to a lesser degree. I've collected a few quotes and articles on the changes, but the overall theme for MNF will be "Less Is More". There will be less graphics on the screen, little to no guests in the booth and less chatter that's not Football related. Well, that's the plan at least.

Who: Vikings at Packers and Broncos at Raiders
Where: Lambeau Field and McAfee Coliseum
Why: So we can learn who Tony Kornheiser picked for his fantasy team and/or to check out McFadden and Aaron Rodgers' debuts.
Spreads: Packers -2, O/U 37.5 and Broncos -3 O/U 41
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, Mike Ditka

MNF Links:

2008 Monday Night Football Schedule: Are You Ready for Some Football? (Associated Content)
Changing Approach To Monday Night Football (Washington Post)
ESPN's vision is to streamline visuals (Boston Globe)

Quotes:

“We learned that this show, Monday Night Football, is the football fans’ primetime drama. … Our viewers have clearly told us that they want us to dive deeper into the game to give them more insight, more understanding, more context and perspective. All of those things that we’re certainly capable of doing and do very well, and we’re going to do more of that. So, we’re streamlining the show and we’re going to approach it from that perspective."- Executive Producer, Jed Drake

“I’ve always been an in-depth X’s and O’s guy and that’s how I’ve made my mark not only as a player but even in the broadcast field. It was preparation from an X’s and O’s standpoint and there will be more focus on that. We haven’t shown America some of the new technology that we’ve been working on in the preseason. It is phenomenal stuff. We’ve added some personnel on my side looking at X’s and O’s for me because obviously I only have one set of eyes."- Ron Jaworski

"We recognized in the biggest and best moments of the games we had, Tony always heightened the moment – live columns during the course of the game … and that’s where we’re going to focus with Tony … that intellect and humor that you don’t hear in other booths.”- Senior Coordinating Producer, Jay Rothman

“It got better the second year. I look forward to it being even better this year. I like to think that it’s three guys pretty much sitting down on the same couch or sitting at a bar and watching the same game together and just yapping, and I’ve enjoyed that part of it."- Tony Kornheiser

"To bring Monday Night Football to those cities -- as Jaws and Tony can tell you -- what we saw in Buffalo last year, it’s just a reminder of the 39-year continuum that Monday Night Football has been. When Monday Night Football shows up, people are more excited than they are for another game during the regular season. There’s a sense that all the sports fans around the country are watching your fans, your team and your city."- Mike Tirico
_______________________

I'm on the Packers and the Broncos tonight and feel free to leave your predictions in the comments. It should be a fun night and I'll see you all at 7pm for the live-blog!

I don't know what more needs to be said about TNT's coverage of the NBA, but just know that they are better than ESPN in every facet of their coverage. I'm going to try to make this as quick as possible as there's other items to get to today. Feel free to skip it because as I'm just going to be (mostly) praising TNT for the next few paragraphs.

Let's get into it shall we?

Click Here If You Care To Read The ESPN Announcing Preview

The Studio Team:

I did a sort of case study in NBA Broadcasting as my preview last year, which detailed how TNT destroys ESPN in every facet of their Broadcast. Most importantly was having a likable Studio Show that had actual analysis and was somewhat entertaining. So did ESPN listen to me?

Of course not. They now have a Studio Team of Stu Scott, Stephen A. Smith, and Bill Walton. Perhaps the most ridiculous collection of people to discuss Sports this side of the "Sports Reporters".

The only knock on EJ, Kenny, and Charles is that they are very polarizing. You either love them or you hate them with most of the Basketball Community agreeing on the former. They'll have plenty to talk about in the early part of the season especially given Charles' history of gambling and the Donaghy Scandal that took place in the offseason. Charles is also already pissing of an entire city (last year was Oakland/GS) by stating that the Cleveland Cavs won't make the Playoffs.

The Announcing Teams:

Your lead team for this year is Marv Albert and Reggie Miller as Steve Kerr's departure to work for the Suns opened up that door for Miller. Most of you know me as a "Miller Hater", but I've started to come around on him a bit. The main thing he's got going for him is that he's not Mark Jackson, and working with Marv and Mike Fratello will make anyone instantly better. Pairing Miller with the aging Stockton last year was a huuuuuge mistake. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm giving him another chance, but just one.

As far as the backup team.....I have to be honest and say that I have no idea who it is. TNT does an awful job of getting information out and I guess we won't know who's on the call until tonight's night game. I'm positive Doug Collins will be an analyst, but will it be with Dick Stockton, Kevin Harlan, Gary Bender, or someone else. Rex Chapman was also in the mix last year, but I don't know if he's back again this year.

Update: TNT got back to me about the rest of the crews. Team #2 is Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, "On several select games throughout the season Albert will call games alongside Collins, with Harlan and Miller forming the second broadcasting tandem for TNT’s doubleheaders. Reporting from the sidelines will be Craig Sager, Cheryl Miller and the TNT Insider David Aldridge, while John Thompson will serve as a guest analyst and special contributor."

I'm okay with all of that, but please.....less John Thompson.

The Rest of the Cast:


Again, I'm not sure of who the rest of the players are besides Craig Sager, his loud sport coats, and Cheryl Miller. David Aldridge should be coming back to work sidelines again, and there could always be a Charles "Mangina" Davis sighting as well. God forbid.

2007-2008 NBA Announcing Preview: ESPN (Awful Announcing)
2006-2007 TNT Announcing Preview (Awful Announcing)

(Barkley and Sager Photos via the Screen Grabbingly Awesome Sports Hernia)

I'll get to TNT sometime this week, but wanted to touch on ESPN first because there's a TON of randomness going on over at the "Leader" in regards to the NBA. I do these different every year (well last year since I've only done one), so I'm going to touch on the Studio Show, The Booth Pairings, and lastly the reporters. You can basically stop after the Announcing Teams because the reporters are the same boring ones as last year sans one new addition.


Let's get into it shall we?

The Studio Team:

The rumors are true folks! The studio team is actually Stuart Scott, Stephen A. Smith, and Bill Walton. Just kill me now. This is like the perfect storm of awfulness, and while they'll make your ears bleed....they'll be perfect for this website. I can picture them all just going off the deep end by Mid-December. Walton will be in the corner hitting bongos and repeating "Throw it down Big Man...THROW IT DOWN!". Stu Scott will be reciting Slam Poetry on the other side of the room. And Stephen A. Smith will be the only one at the desk yelling into the camera about how Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony are just NOT GETTING ALONG!

How can one network make so many ridiculous decisions? It blows my mind. They are going to get hammered for this move.

The Announcing Teams:


Your lead trio is the same as last year's playoff team and that's Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy. Mark Jackson should really only be an in-studio reporter, but again....if you're an ex-player you have a seat courtside. I was cold on Breen at first, but I've warmed up to him, and Jeff Van Gundy was a welcome change of pace for the playoffs last year.

The majority of their games will be on ABC's Sunday coverage, but they'll kick off the season Halloween night as the Mavs travel to Cleveland.

Your #2 squad is going to be Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown for the majority of the season, but Dan Shulman will fill-in for Tirico when his schedule has him somewhere for Monday Night Football.

I'm not sure when Hubie Brown's shelf-life expires, but I can't stand him. Never really could actually. As you know there are some people who I give a pass on the site because of their age (Madden, Keith Jackson, etc.), but there's a difference with Hubie. He was never good. Ever. I'm sorry, but he's just one of those Announcer that just grate on my nerves (see: Brent Musburger).

The other remaining teams will feature Mark Jones and Dave Pasch as leads and Walton and Jon Barry as analysts. I have no idea what happened to Tom Tolbert, but I will miss him greatly. Hopefully you end up in the ESPN NBA Announcer graveyard (NBA TV) with Snapper Jones. Keep getting rid of the only good broadcasters you have ESPN.

Sideliners for the year will be Ric Bucher, Doris Burke, Lisa Salters and Michele Tafoya.

The Rest of the Cast:
This is the part you can skip because the contributors to Fastbreak are the same as last year. They've hired Jalen Rose and Rick Carlisle full-time, and the rest of the studio analysts will include Greg Anthony, Tim Legler, Jamal Mashburn and Kiki Vandeweghe, Ric Bucher, and ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Jon Saunders will host NBA Matchup and feature many of the previously listed analysts.

The new person I was referring to is Jackie MacMullan. The Globe Reporter will contribute in some capacity, but I'm not exactly sure how or why.

2006-2007 ESPN Announcing Preview (Awful Announcing)

We're kicking off the NFL Season (get it?) with a live-blog tonight, and YOU'RE invited! Cool right? I thought so. So while I make my two trek through the worst traffic on the face of the earth.....you get your commenting hats on and start preparing for the live-blog.

Here's what you need to know.....

Spread: Colts by 6, O/U 53
Where: RCA Dome, Indianapolis
When: 8:30pm
Weather: It's a Dome you a**
Music: Q: Where do Honeydews and Cantaloupes go to camp?
A: John Cougar's Mellencamp!

Love that joke....also Kelly Clarkson and Faith Hill

What To Look For When Indy Has The Ball:

1. Anthony Gonzalez- The third WR in Indy's system is usually a sneaky MFer....I don't think AG will be any different than Brandon Stokely in this regard.
2. Mike McKenzie- About the only person who can do anything to slow down Indy.
3. Tarik Glenn's Replacement Tony Ugoe- He's protecting Peyton's blindside, and has some big shoes to fill after Glenn retired.
4. Marvin Harrison- Do I really have to say anything else?
5. Peyton- Again....Do I have to say anything?

What To Look For When N.O. Has The Ball:

1. Sean Payton's Genius- I guess you can't really look at someone's genius, but you'll know if it's working right away.
2. Bob "Mother F'ing" Sanders- I nicknamed him this last year when said that if he played the whole playoffs the Colts were a shoe-in for the title. The dude is the only good thing on that defense. I don't care what you say....Freeney is overrated.
3. Reggie Bush- He's not a rookie anymore and everyone is wondering what Payton has in store for the Soph. I'm hoping they cut down on the gimmick plays this, and just let the baller run.
4. Drew Brees' Birthmark- How can you not stare at it?
5. Drew Brees' Receiving Core- I'd take the quartet of Colston, Henderson, Copper, and Meachem over most other team's choices. I can't wait to see them go four wide.

AA Prediction: Colts 31- Saints 20

Leave your predictions in the comments and I'll see you around 8pm folks!

Bang it here for the Live-Blog 1st Quarter

Here are your teams for Week #2. We're spinning the wheel....Hope you luck out!

Thursday 9/7

Middle Tennessee @ Louisville (ESPN2, 7:00) - Eric Collins, Bill Curry, Quint Kessenich
Oregon State @ Cincinnati (ESPN, 7:30) - Chris Fowler, Doug Flutie, Craig James, Erin Andrews

Friday 9/8

Navy @ Rutgers (ESPN, 7:00) - Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, Rob Stone

Saturday 9/9

West Virginia @ Marshall (ESPN2, 11:00 am) - Pam Ward, Ray Bentley, Rob Simmelkjaer
Miami @ Oklahoma (ABC, 12:00) - Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Jack Arute
Nebraska @ Wake Forest (ESPN, 12:00) - Dave Pasch, Andre Ware, Erin Andrews
Akron @ Ohio State (BTN, 12:00) - Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Charissa Thompson
Bowling Green @ Michigan State (BTN, 12:00) - Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Lisa Byington
Miami (OH) @ Minnesota (BTN, 12:00) - Roger Twibell, Mike Tomczak, Becky Haarlow
Nevada @ Northwestern (BTN, 12:00) - Scott Graham, Derrick Walker
Eastern Illinois @ Purdue (BTN, 12:00) - Ron Thulin, Butler By'not'e, MaryRachel Dick
Rhode Island @ Army (ESPN Classic, 1:00) - Eric Collins, Bill Curry
Samford @ Georgia Tech (ESPNU, 1:30) - Clay Matvick, Larry Coker
North Carolina State @ Boston College (ESPN2, 2:00) - Bob Wischusen, David Norrie, Wendi Nix
California @ Colorado State (CSTV, 2:00) - Tom Hart, Trev Alberts
Oregon @ Michigan (ABC, 3:30) - Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire, Bonnie Bernstein
Fresno State @ Texas A&M (FSN, 3:30) - Bill Land, Gary Reasons, Emily Jones
UAB @ Florida State (ESPNU, 5:00) - Doug Bell, Charles Arbuckle
South Carolina @ Georgia (ESPN2, 5:45) - Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Stacey Dales
Notre Dame @ Penn State (ESPN, 6:00) - Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
North Carolina @ East Carolina (CSTV, 6:00) - Carter Blackburn, Brian Jones
BYU @ UCLA (VS, 6:30) - Ted Robinson, Kelly Stouffer, Lewis Johnson
TCU @ Texas (FSN, 7:00) - Joel Meyers, Dave Lapham, Jim Knox
Western Illinois @ Illinois (BTN, 7:00) - Jim Kelly, Richard Baldinger, Dara McIntosh
Indiana @ Western Michigan (ESPNU, 8:00) - Dave Armstrong, Mike Gottfried
Syracuse @ Iowa (BTN, 8:00) - Mark Neely, Glen Mason, Marshall Harris
South Florida @ Auburn (ESPN2, 9:00) - Dan Fouts, Tim Brant, Todd Harris
Virginia Tech @ Louisiana State (ESPN, 9:15) - Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters
Wisconsin @ UNLV (VS, 10:00) - Joe Beninati, Glenn Parker, Krista Blunk
Colorado @ Arizona State (FSN, 10:15) - Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis, Jim Watson

A little bit of Pam Ward to start your day at 11am never hurt no one. See you for the Chronicles bright and early!

College Football Week #1 Announcing Teams!!! (Awful Announcing)

P.S.- Pro Teams to come later this week.

Kudos need to go out to reader and tipster extraordinaire SS for this masterpiece. Our friend took the time (it may or may not have something to do with his job) to compile the pairings for every major network's set of games AND those on FSN, ESPNU, CSTV, VS, and The Big Ten Network!!! That my friends is awesome.

Per usual...cross your fingers, and find your favorite team/current school/alma mater and hope for the best!
_____________________________

Thursday- 8/30

Tulsa @ UL-Monroe (ESPN2, 7:00) - Gary Thorne, Rod Gilmore, Dave LaMont
Murray State @ Louisville (ESPNU, 7:30) - Mike Gleason, John Congemi
Louisiana State @ Missisippi State (ESPN, 7:45) - Chris Fowler, Doug Flutie, Craig James, Erin Andrews

Friday- 8/31

Navy @ Temple (ESPNU, 7:30) - Beth Mowins, David Diaz-Infante
Washington @ Syracuse (ESPN, 8:00) - Sean McDonough, Chris Speilman, Colin Cowherd, Rob Stone

Saturday- 9/1

East Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 12:00) - Mike Tirico, Todd Blackledge, Bill Curry, Erin Andrews
UAB @ Michigan State (ESPN2, 12:00) - Pam Ward, Ray Bentley
Colorado State v. Colorado (FSN, 12:00) - Joel Meyers, Gary Reasons, Emily Jones
Marshall @ Miami (ESPNU, 12:00) - Clay Matvick, Larry Coker
Appalachian State @ Michigan (BTN, 12:00) - Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Charissa Thompson
Youngstown State @ Ohio State (BTN, 12:00) - Roger Twibell, Mike Tomczak
Florida International @ Penn State (BTN, 12:00) - Mark Neely, Glen Mason
Northeastern @ Northwestern (BTN, 12:00) - Scott Graham, Derrick Walker*
Virginia @ Wyoming (VS, 2:00) - Ron Thulin, Kelly Stouffer, Lewis Johnson*
Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30) - Bob Papa, Pat Haden, Alex Flanagan
Washington State @ Wisconsin (ABC/ESPN, 3:30) - Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire, Bonnie Bernstein
Wake Forest @ Boston College (ABC/ESPN, 3:30) - Bob Wischusen, David Norrie, Jeanine Edwards
Nevada @ Nebraska (ABC, 3:30) - Dan Fouts, Tim Brant, Todd Harris
Missouri v. Illinois (ESPN2, 3:30) - Dave Pasch, Andre Ware, Jimmy Dykes
UCLA @ Stanford (FSN, 3:30) - Matt Devlin, Warren Moon, Michael Eaves
Iowa @ Northern Illinois (ESPNU, 3:30) - Doug Bell, Charles Arbuckle
Arizona @ BYU (VS, 5:00) - Joe Beninati, Glenn Parker, Tim Neverett, Krista Blunk
Baylor @ TCU (CSTV, 6:00) - Tom Hart, Trev Alberts
Oklahoma State @ Georgia (ESPN2, 6:45) - Mark Jones, Bob Davie, Stacey Dales
North Texas @ Oklahoma (FSN, 7:00) - Bill Land, Dave Lapham, Jim Knox
Purdue @ Toledo (ESPNU, 7:00) - Dave Armstrong, Mike Gottfried
Kansas State @ Auburn (ESPN, 7:45) - Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham, Holly Rowe
Tennessee @ California (ABC, 8:00) - Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters
Indiana State @ Indiana (BTN, 8:00) - Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Trenni Kusnierek
Bowling Green @ Minnesota (BTN, 8:00) - Jim Kelly, Richard Baldinger
New Mexico @ UTEP (CSTV, 10:00) - Carter Blackburn, Brian Jones
Idaho @ USC (FSN, 10:15) - Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis, Jim Watson

Monday- 9/3

Texas Tech @ SMU (ESPN, 4:00) - Dave LaMont, James Hasty
Florida State @ Clemson (ESPN, 8:00) - Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe

(*- Not confirmed, but will most likely call the game.)
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A few things stand out. First and foremost......Colin Cowherd with Chris Spielman is the Perfect (S**t) Storm. Guess who's going out late on Friday night! Second, Pam and Mike have been told to go to separate corners. That kinda makes me sad. And third.....SURPRISE! Larry Coker got a Miami game!!! Who would have guessed it.

Leave your initial reactions in the comments, and I'll see you Thursday for the Opening Live-Blog of the season! Tulsa at UL-Monroe!!!!!!!

(Just kidding....it's LSU-MSU)

Didn't Do A Preseason Preview for CBS, but here's the Super Bowl Preview from last year.

Other 2007-2008 Previews: ESPN , NBC, FOX

Unlike the NFL on Fox, CBS is actually pretty dependable. They've been covering the NFL for 48 years now, and not much has changed. I consider myself an NFC person, so I don't spend a lot of time over at the Eye (this is mainly because I despise the Ravens, and for some reason they televise all of their games even if you live in Martinsville, VA....look it up on a map). Well that's going to all change this year. I'm all over you CBS for once again burying the saintly Gus Johnson (I don't care what you say Anon commenter #892) and your placement of him at every Browns game.

CBS is also coming off of their Super Bowl year, so the Jim Nantz train has one less stop to make this year. He can go back to his paltry schedule of covering just Golf, The Final Four, Cup Stacking, WWE Hell in a Cell, The Ms. Senior Colorado Pageant, and The Winter Olympics (that joke never gets old....okay maybe it has).

So what's there to look out for this year at CBS? Well AA's focus is going to be on the ever-evolving/mysterious Nantz/Simms feud that has been rumored for years. CBS suits have long been bothered (allegedly) how this spills out onto the airwaves, and I'm banking on it coming to head this year.

The Studio Show is by far the most serious of the bunch, and gets even more intense as Bill Cowher joins JB, Marino, Esiason, and Sharpe. Seriously CBS, do you know how much more credible you'd be if you got rid of Shannon Sharpe? Guess not. Moving on....up until now I had no idea what Charlie Caserlie's title was, but thanks to the CBS Press Release we now know that it is "The Official GM of the NFL Today on CBS" (whatever the hell that means). Good to know

Well look out CBS the AA Eye will be watching (get it? eye like the logo...nevermind). Haikus and grading after the pretty collage, and if you missed the games each pair is getting Weeks 1 and 2....click here.
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NFL Today Preseason Overall Grade: B-

Team #1- Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (Grade B-....and falling)

No Feud Here, What Feud?
Phil Talks Down To Jim Sundays
Jim Leaves, UFC

Team #2- Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf (Grade C-)

Dan Misses Boxing
Gumbel Misses Studio
Booth Fans Empty

Team #3- Dick Enberg and Randy Cross (Grade D+)

Dick Confused Often
Randy Confused Even More
Dick Randy = Porn Star

Team #4- Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon (Grade C)

Kevin Excited
Gannon Has Really Big Feet
Nothing Left To Say

Team #5- Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots (Grade B+)

Eagle Likes To Dance
Solomon Provides Beat Box
Where's Spencer Tillman?

Team #6- Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker (Grade B-)

Patron Saint Gujo
With Special, Special Teamer
Say Hi to Cleveland

Team #7- Don Criqui, Bill Macatee, and Steve Beuerlein (Grade B)

Criqui Hall Of Fame
Beuerlein Always Serious
Bill Likes Ice Dancing
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There you have it.....tell me why and how I'm wrong in the comments.

CBS Releases Announcing Assignments For Weeks 1 and 2 (Awful Announcing)
Your Official MNF Review: Game One (Awful Announcing)
2007-2008 NFL Season Announcing Preview: Sunday Night Is Football Night (Awful Announcing)
2007-2008 NFL Season Announcing Preview: NFL on Fox (Awful Announcing)

I should have known better, and you should have warned me. I'm ashamed of you really (just kidding). This year is completely mirroring last year when I said Tony wasn't that bad after Game #1, Took it back after Game #2 of the preseason, and then completely hammered them after Game #3.

Last night's game was pretty bad, but I kept telling myself that this is the preseason. It's okay to still have hope. But then I started thinking back to last year, and how every week it got worse and worse. You have to think back to every cheesy Kornheiser joke ("It's 5,000 Degrees....It's Indonesia Hot!"), every mistake and stumble by Mike Tirico ("Ben Franklin high above the City of Philadelphia"), and every single one of those in-booth interviews. They haven't even started the interviews yet (Jerry Rice doesn't count).

I then thought about the post from yesterday on the videos that fans can now submit. Shortly after that the emails started flooding the Inbox....

"I liked how three of the four studio analysts were former Cowboys. Who does ESPN think it is? Fox?"- AN

(While this is true I did enjoy the exchange between Keyshawn and Parcells. Berman said it was weird getting used to Parcells at the desk. Parcells came back with, "you better get used to me being here," which was immediately followed by Keyshawn saying, "Yeah, Yeah. We've heard that one before coach.")

"There were entire series of downs, changes in quarterbacks and turnovers that were overshadowed by stories about White House dinners and interviews with players."- MS

"Why is Kornheiser there? He knows he shouldn't be there, the audience knows he shouldn't be there, but somewhere in Bristol is an executive's ego which refuses to admit a mistake was made and will thus force it down people's throats at all expense."- Anonymous Commenter

"I tune in for a football game, not for a circus. While Jaws has to be an improvement, the production, extended interviews, etc, seemed to once again stress how much ELSE there is to watch besides the football game... Ugh. MNF on ESPN sucks."- Anonymous Commenter

" If that is what is going to happen during the regular season, my household will either listen on the radio or rent a movie and read the highlights in Tuesday’s newspaper. The broadcast was awful. I hope [they] will re-think the entire format."- MS

"AA, I love your site and your comments, but I have to put in an intervention. You, my friend, are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Poor guy can't remember what a good broadcast is on that show anymore."- Anonymous Commenter (from Game#1 review)

I think that last one about sums it up. I believe the wool was/is trying to be pulled over our eyes folks. I still love Jaws on the broadcast, but I think once the season finally gets going, he's not going to have a chance to get a word in. He seems to be rushing already.

Over the past three games they've talked about Michael Vick a good 70% of the time. While I understand it was necessary to touch on it a bit yesterday, that's just overkill. I could really care less about Mike Vick now, and I think most people feel that way as well. We all knew he was going to jail and that he wasn't playing this year....you're not telling us anything new.

And guess what? It's only going to get worse. I think this one line from last night summed up next week's telecast for me already......

"We will be in Atlanta next week on August 27th.....the same day that Vick will be in a Richmond Court entering his guilty plea."- Mike Tirico

Ugh. It's like the perfect storm for Monday Night Football. I could do that review now if I wanted too. While I'm not taking back my first review (I did enjoy that game), I'd like to hold back on all other judgements until we get into the Regular Season. I'm just going to hope for the best, but plan on me flipping out during a live-blog around Week #3.

Anyone know who's on Dancing With the Stars yet? ESPN needs to plan some interviews.

Your Official MNF Review: Game One (Awful Announcing)

Say a small prayer, cross your fingers, and find your favorite team......It's Announcing pairing time! Here are CBS' teams and what games they are covering for Weeks 1 and 2:

WEEK 1 -- Sept. 9

1:00 PM, ET starts:
Denver @ Buffalo- Gus Johnson/Randy Cross
Pittsburgh @ Cleveland- Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon
Kansas City @ Houston- Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots

Tennessee @ Jacksonville- Don Criqui/Steve Beuerlein
New England @ N.Y. Jets- Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Miami @ Washington- Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

WEEK 2 – Sept. 16 – DOUBLEHEADER

1:00 PM, ET starts:
Houston @ Carolina- Gus Johnson/Steve Tasker
Cincinnati @ Cleveland- Bill Macatee/Steve Beuerlein
Buffalo @ Pittsburgh- Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots
Indianapolis @ Tennessee- Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

4:15 PM, ET starts:
Kansas City @ Chicago- Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
N.Y. Jets @ Baltimore- Dick Enberg/Randy Cross
Oakland @ Denver- Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon

I thought Gus Johnson and Solomon Wilcots was a pretty good team in the season opener, but it looks like CBS decided to split them up. None of these teams, but Gujo and Tasker in Week 2, really stand out to me. That could just be CBS just spreading their talent around though.


(Source: CBS.com)

Sunday Night Is Football Night! Sunday Night is Football Night!

It's like a cancer.....you will hear that slogan until you want to rip your ears off. To tell you the truth ....I don't even mind it. I don't mind it because NBC could have Jerome Bettis and Peter King strip at halftime and I'd still watch.

Here's all you really need to know.....

1. NBC has the best schedule of teams all year long.
2. Even though Madden and Michaels are old as hell, they get a free pass (to some degree) unless Michaels is complaining about Indoor fireworks.
3. As random as the Studio Show is....it's still the best in the business. It's the only one that actually talks about Football (Frank Caliendo dressing up and making jokes about Bradshaw does not count).
4. The Flex Scheduling

Sure they have about 10,000 people for the Studio Show, John Madden isn't always sure what city he's in, Al Michaels seems bored with life, and Andrea Kramer is way too giddy for my tastes.....But they're still better than any other collection a Network could put together. Who cares if it's a little over the top.
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Overall Network Pre-Season Grade: B/B+

Pre-Season Announcing Team Grade: B- (It will most certainly drop when Al Michaels flips out on the production crew. It almost happened last night when they lost all 12 monitors.....let that happen Week 6.)

9 Folks For One Game
King Takes Dumps On Madden's Bus
Tiki Hazed by Smell
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CBS' preview will be coming at a later date. I only got to watch about 5 minutes of Friday's game. Gus Johnson did seem a little too excited for a Pre-Season game. He's much better in Basketball if you ask me.

Last Year's "Very Detailed" Preview

The NFL on Fox never disappoints. You're guaranteed a stellar effort by Pam Oliver (see: two posts ago), a boring interview from Chris Meyers, at least 10 Philadelphia Eagles games, Robots doing weird things after a touchdown, a ton of bad/smarmy jokes from Joe Buck, and Troy Aikman trying to ignore them and actually talk about Football and the game that's ACTUALLY being played (run-on sentences are for the truly cool).

The Studio Show hasn't changed in years either. The same jokes and the same ribbings are taking place, but this time with Curt Menefee at the helm.

You know what the NFL on Fox reminds me of? That drunk Uncle you have that gets hammered every single family outing. The cool one that bought you Bowman's Vodka when you were young, but now his act is getting kind of boring as you get older. His wife (Pam Oliver) is fed up with the whole thing and is just waiting until he dies (her contract runs out) to move to Fort Meyers, Florida and play golf (work for ABC).

The whole show was pretty fun in the beginning, but now it's predictable and stale (Just like when you're drunk uncle tells that real awkward racist/sexist story at Thanksgiving).

So what's the good news? Well, the best part about FOX is that you can actually tell they care about Football. Every other Network has someone that you could say doesn't even remotely pretend like they like the Sport at all (Al Michaels, Bryant Gumbel, Tony Kornheiser, etc.). And say what you will about Joe Buck (and I have)...he really cares about the sports he is covering. As stupid as that whole "Randy Moss: Disgusting Act" thing was...the only reason he flipped out was because he thought the mooning was belittling the game of Football.

Troy Aikman is probably the best analyst in football, but he needs to lighten up a bit. When a team is up 42-3 in the 4th, it's okay to joke on the Buffalo Fan with no shirt passed out in the first row.

Pam Oliver should be the host of the Studio Show. Nothing against Curt Menefee, but Pamela is the one sideline reporter I wouldn't fire if I was God for a day (sorry Erin Andrews fans). Now I'm not sure if she was offered it and didn't want it, but she should be anywhere but behind the gatorade coolers asking Terrell Owens if he enjoys playing in Dallas.

Chris Meyers....should be sent to NASCAR permanently (I'm just saying).

As far as the rest of the teams, I love Ron Pitts, love Vasgersian (Sorry STL) and Pearson, and I can't understand how Brian Baldinger still has a job. That about sums it up...except for the AA tradition of the "Announcing Preview Haiku". Feel free to add your own in the comments.
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FOX on NFL Preseason Overall Grade: C+

Team #1- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Grade C+/B-...depending solely on Buck)

The Battle of Troy
Buck Into Domination?
Pam O Quits Week Two

Team #2- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa (Grade C-)

Daryl adds nothing
Kenny also a biter?
Goose lost at buffet

Team #3- Matt Vasgersian, JC Pearson, Jay Glazer (Grade B+)

Jay Taps Out Pearson
Matt Thinks Rams Are Still L A
Ozarks Welcome You

Team #4- Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, Terry Donahue (Grade D+)

Fingers Are Missing
I Hear Texans Are Fun
Stock is demoted

Team #5- Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan (Grade C)

Bald Is Beautiful
Tim, Goatees Are Still Awesome
Wait, he'd kick my a**

Team #6- Ron Pitts, Jesse Palmer ((Grade A-)

Pittsy Still Buried
Will You Accept This Rose Now?
Say Hi To Frisco

Team #7- Thom Brenneman or Steve Byrnes or Pat Summerall or Matt Devlin or Josh Lewin, Barry Alvarez or Dale Hellestrae (Grade Incomplete)

Don't Know Where To Start
Largest. Broadcast Crew. Ever
Brenamania!

Team #8- Brad Sham or Dan McLaughlin, Tony Boselli (Grade C)

Voice of the Cowboys
Boselli Is Still Alive?!?!?!
The McLaughlin Group

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There you have it.....tell me where and how I'm wrong in the comments.

UPDATE: Just because an anonymous commenter has questioned the credibility of my information I wanted to provide one more link.....

Breaking News: FOX to Send Dick Stockton To Announcing Purgatory (Awful Announcing)

So, I have Breaking News from a source in at the end of May, and the Wikipedia page is updated with the exact same (cut and paste) in the middle of July. Yep, you're right....I lifted it. The whole thing. Can you figure out why? Because I f'ing wrote it...that's why.

I have this weird obsession with Preseason games. I take them way too seriously and watch as many as I can. I scout the teams and players, and complain when they aren't performing. I also do the same with the announcing teams.

With that said.....beginning tonight/tomorrow (and running through the beginning of next week) I'll be running a preview for each of the major networks and their Announcing Teams. Is that nerdy? Yes. Is it a little over-the-top? Perhaps. But I get a kick out of it, and last year it was a hell of a lot of fun.

I'm going to hold off on the live-blogging for awhile because I haven't been able to incorporate the "after the jump" feature. I wouldn't want you to hurt your scrolling hand. Here's the schedule if you care to follow along.

FOX- 8/9, Colts at Cowboys 8pm- Announcing Preview, Friday 8/10
CBS- 8/10, Bills at Saints 8pm- Announcing Preview, Monday Morning 8/13
NBC- 8/12, Seahawks at Chargers 8pm- Announcing Preview, Monday Afternoon 8/13
ESPN- 8/13, Broncos at 49ers 8pm- Announcing Preview, Tuesday 8/14
NFL-N- ? (Don't have it ordered yet, but I'll find some way to fit it in)

There's also some extra special things happening with ESPN's Monday Night Football this year....let's go to the press release.......

ESPN’s coverage of the game, including an opening essay by Kornheiser, will reflect upon the legendary career of the 49ers’ Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh, who passed away last week. As part of ESPN’s reflections, Jaworski will open his playbook to highlight why Walsh’s “West Coast Offense” was so ahead of its time. “Tony, Tony, Tony” segments will also return to MNF, as fans will be able to visit ESPN.com (beginning Friday) to email questions for Kornheiser to answer on the air during the telecast.

The 49ers-Broncos game will be preceded by the season-opening edition of Monday Night Countdown (7-8 p.m.) with host Chris Berman and analysts Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Emmitt Smith, Steve Young and Chris Mortensen.

Oh...wait. I take it back. There's absolutely nothing new.

Be sure to stop by for the previews next week. If you're sick of reading your 101st NFC East Preview of the off-season then these are for you.

(P.S.- Keep your eyes peeled for the AA Survivor League! Details coming soon)

(P.P.S.- Watched the Chiefs Hard Knocks on HBO last night. If you missed it, you probably missed the most awkward and hilarious dance contest I've ever seen.)