Notes from the Ravens telecast
Some things scribbled into a notebook during CBS' Ravens-Jaguars telecast Sunday:
*Was Randy Cross not in the booth or was his microphone turned off at the beginning of the game? We heard only Dick Enberg for about five minutes.
*Cross on the backfield combination of Le'Ron McClain and Lorenzo Neal: "With Lorenzo Neal as his fullback, you knock down walls with these two."
*Cross noted how the strong running game featuring a big back such as McClain forces opposing safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage, opening up space downfield for passes.
*Enberg wasn't at his sharpest in the first half. Once, he said McClain "moves the pile," but there was no pile; the running back had come through a hole and was tackled in the secondary. Then, he introduced a highlights break by saying: "What's happening in New York? Is it Miami or is it the Jets?" It was neither. The highlights were from the Cowboys-Eagles (though maybe Enberg got some bad information from his production crew). On an interception by Ed Reed, Enberg initially called Reed's lateral to Haloti Ngata a fumble. Enberg did correct himself as the replay showed Reed clearly pitching the ball, as is his wont.
*On the roughing the passer call in the first half -- when Terrell Suggs shoved David Garrard -- Cross and Enberg shared this exchange on the reaction by the Jaguars' quarterback: Cross: "You got to admit, that was a pretty good acting job by Garrard. He looked wounded. ..." Enberg: "Did he think he was a kicker?"
*Cross in the second half: "One thing about this Baltimore defense: They will test your heart."
*Cross on Ray Lewis' approach to football: "I was just impressed with the joy."
*This is the kind of sequence that is so annoying for a viewer: Near the end of the third quarter, the Ravens called a timeout just before the Jaguars punted. CBS went to commercials, came back for the punt, then went back to commercials after the end of the quarter. At least that gave me time to enjoy a few minutes of Talk Talk's "It's My Life" on VH1 Classic.
*Cross on the football and the hands of drop-prone Jaguars receivers: "It's like putting two positive sides of a battery together. They repel."
*Enberg at the end of the game, when the Ravens' backups were moving the ball instead of just running out the clock: "This isn't pouring it on. ... It's just young kids having fun."
Comments
What's the point of these random quotes from the telecast?
Posted by: Glenn | December 29, 2008 8:42 AM
Glenn, you were expecting, maybe, politics?
Posted by: WJS32246 | December 29, 2008 11:05 AM
Ray, I always enjoy your tidbits from the game because "I WAS THERE CHEERING FOR THE RAVENS!" and thus I don't get to hear what the announcers say about my favorite team.
Though sometimes I don't remember to record the game, many times (though not this time), the Ravens game isn't on a local TV station in the Washington area when going up against the Deadskins.
There are many Ravens fans in the Washington area. Many love attending Ravens games as the quality of the entire game experience (especially the game itself) is so superior to that at FedEx Field.
Posted by: Dewey Elvis | December 29, 2008 12:03 PM
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WOW, WHAT A YEAR! AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF WAITING FOR 'BILLICK BALL' TO END, WE HAVE AN OFFENSE TO HELP OUR GREAT DEFENSE. WHAT FUN WE ARE HAVING.THANKS FOR ALL THE COACHES & PLAYERS FOR A FUN YEAR,THAT COULD LEAD TO TAMPA, WOW, WHAT A STORY.FORGOT TO MENTION OZZIE, WHAT A JOB DRAFTING & FREE AGENTS.
ON TO TAMPA
Posted by: Joe Carper | December 29, 2008 1:00 PM
I happen to to enjoy this blog. It's very useful. For someone like myself who is either at the game or at a bar watching the game, I never get to hear some of the positive/negative/stupid things the announcers say during the game. Given the lack of national media attention, it's nice to hear what others have to say about the team, even if they are supposed to be objective parties.
Posted by: phil | December 29, 2008 1:28 PM
To me, Dick Enberg is like hearing from a long, lost friend. And yesterday I especially appreciated all of the kind words he had to say about Baltimore and its fans.
Posted by: patrick | December 29, 2008 1:54 PM
Glenn, the blog is about sports media. I always enjoy reading these notes because I am at all of the home games and never get a chance to hear some of the things the commentators say. There is a point to them.
Posted by: Will | December 29, 2008 2:14 PM
Really, what's the point, or are you practicing for your next career as a court stenographer?
Posted by: Paul | December 29, 2008 3:21 PM
I agree, what is the point of this blog and these random quotes from the telecast? Anybody that watched the game on TV heard these. I can't believe Ray Frager gets paid to write something that a 10-year-old kid could write.
Posted by: Ralph Totoonchie | December 29, 2008 3:25 PM
Thank you Glenn!!! I just wasted two minutes of my life reading.....well nothing. Pointless quotes from an AWFUL broadcasting duo.
Was there really a point that I missed?
Here - I'll make a point - on the roughing the passer, it looked to me like he went down pretty hard on his shoulder.
Posted by: Jeff | December 29, 2008 3:47 PM
Was anyone else watching the game outside the Baltimore market, on DirectTV???
The Washington market CBS switched to the Jets/Dolphins game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Then when I switched to the NFL Ticket channel for the Ravens game, it says it's blacked out. My friends and I missed the about 20 minutes of the fourth quarter before I realized we could at least listen to the game and see a tiny bit of it on the Game Mix channel.
Anyway, this is the second time this season the local switched off the Ravens, while the NFL Ticket (which costs hundreds of dollars a year) keeps the game blacked out.
IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!!!
Posted by: eberlett | December 29, 2008 3:50 PM
eberlett-
I watch on the Sun Ticket from Los Angeles, and you should take that issue up with DirecTV. The policy as I understand is that the game should be available on the ticket if it switches on local TV. It has happened a few times out here where the Ravens game was the network game, and then switched late, and it was available on the Ticket.
Contact DTV, maybe it is a card issue.
Posted by: Paul Diem | December 29, 2008 5:29 PM
Interesting... I am a Ravens' fan living in Montreal, with the Canadian "Star Choice" satellite service. They have a 29 buck a month NFL package that gives you all NFL games regardless of your local U.S. network feeds. In Montreal it is usually the Bills, Pats or one of the New York teams from the U.S. nets.
Hence, I haven't missed a Ravens game all season. It sucks that you guys in the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area cannot see the Ravens' games without problems.
Anyway, looking forward to a decisive victory by the Ravens on Sunday.
Posted by: Dick | December 29, 2008 6:15 PM
Um, what is the point of rewriting quotes from the game? None of them is funny or interesting. A few are mistakes by sportscasters, but who cares? There's three minutes of my life I'll never get back. Can I deduct that next month for taxes?
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Ray replies: Though you might want to check with your accoutant, I'd suggest reading more of my blog entries and Friday columns for a bigger deduction. I kind of like to think of myself as an economic stimulus package.
Posted by: CD | December 29, 2008 6:51 PM
Ray
I too go to the games and enjoy checking up on some of the announcer comments...thanks!
steve
Posted by: steve | January 2, 2009 2:11 PM