After providing the NFL Network quotage, let’s post the notes and quotes from CBS’ dynamic duo of pregame programs.
Also, we note that the SEC on CBS game which was the game formerly known as “The World’s Biggest Cocktail Party,” Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville, FL received a 4 rating with an 8 share making it the highest-rated college football game of the day.
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, BOOMER ESIASON, BILL COWHER, TONY GONZALEZ AND BART SCOTT AND “THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW” WITH ADAM SCHEIN, AMY TRASK, LONDON FLETCHER AND BRANDON TIERNEY FOR WEEK 9 ON NOVEMBER 2
“SEC ON CBS” RATES AS HIGHEST COLLEGE GAME OF DAY
CBS Sports’ broadcast of the SEC ON CBS on Saturday, Nov. 1 (3:30 PM, ET), which saw Florida knock off No. 9 Georgia, 38-20, earned an average overnight household rating/share of 4.0/8, up 18% from last year’s 3.4/8 (Georgia-Florida) in the metered markets. The game was the highest-rated college football game of the day.
QUICK HITS
(On “Manning-Brady XVI”)
BOOMER ESIASON: Let’s put this in perspective. This is Russell-Chamberlain. This is Bird-Magic. It’s Ali-Frazier, Nicklaus-Palmer. Everything we want. Behind the scenes these two guys are as competitive as
there has ever been at the quarterback position. They’re going to have to deal with some weather today. There is snow in New England, a lot of wind when the game gets started. It’s the football playoff atmosphere we all love so much.RICHARD SEYMOUR AND DALLAS CLARK VISIT “THE NFL TODAY” TO TALK “MANNING-BRADY XVI” WITH BOOMER ESIASON, TONY GONZALEZ AND BART SCOTT
RICHARD SEYMOUR (on Brady): Tom has always been a very studious guy. But you could just tell when Peyton came to town, all the other games were like quizzes. But when Peyton came to town, it was like he was preparing for the Bar. You could definitely tell. He tried to keep it all under wraps. And Tom is a total team guy. But when Peyton came to town, you could just tell the laser-like focus. It was infectious to be around.
DALLAS CLARK (on Manning): Very similar that Peyton didn’t want to admit it was different, and we all didn’t want to admit it. But as many times as New England would beat us, we made it personal. And I know Peyton certainly did. But no one wanted to admit it. We all [said], ‘Hey, every game’s the same.’
SEYMOUR: Yeah, no one ever talked about it. It was nothing you talked about as players. But you knew when that week came it was like you said, the biggest of the big.
TONY GONZALEZ (on watching Manning at Broncos practice): Well, I’d never seen anything like that, unfortunately. And you know this player better than anybody, Dallas. The way he was going about his business, I don’t think the ball touched the ground. I watched 45 minutes of this practice, and the way he was getting in players faces during practice, like it was almost a game type situation, in a good way. It wasn’t like he was being a jerk to him. He was saying I need you to go two steps more or I need you to come back to the ball. It was amazing to watch a master, master craftsman at what he does. He’s a master quarterback.
BART SCOTT (on preparing for each quarterback): They’re both hard to prepare for. You talk about masters, they’re like Yodas. They do all the little things well. They catch you with 12 men on the field, they’re going to hike the ball. They catch you scrambling around, and they’ll quick snap it and all the things. Those are small things that great quarterbacks do. But with Tom, with Bill Belichick, you had an idea during the first couple of series we always understood that was the game plan. They’re more about execution. Like Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, everybody knows what’s coming. Can you stop it? Can you out-execute it? With Peyton, the game plan evolved during the game. So you always had to save something against Peyton to show him in the second half. Show him something he didn’t see before.
(On “Battle of Ohio” on THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on Nov. 6)
BILL COWHER: “Battle of Ohio” – unbelievable. For Brian Hoyer, this could be the coming out, and the validation game right here.
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THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS) NOTES
(ON TONY ROMO’S INJURY)
LONDON FLETCHER: (Putting Tony Romo back in the game) was a short-sighted decision. And it was also reckless. The division can’t be won in October or November. But it can be lost in October or November if you lose your quarterback for the rest of the season.
BRANDON TIERNEY: There is a fine line between being a gamer and compromising what is medically ethical. The Cowboys did that. There is no doubt. Their senses were clearly blurred in their desire to get off this treadmill of mediocrity. If it was a different franchise with more (recent) success – I think desperation kind of overwhelmed them. And it could compromise what they are able to do moving forward.
(ON JOHN IDZIK’S FUTURE WITH JETS)
AMY TRASK: There is an important role in organizations for someone who is going to manage your cap, manage your cash and manage your finances. In this instance, that person is not also a drafting whiz, a personnel whiz. You need football men making football decisions.
BART SCOTT: (John Idzik) looked people right in the eye and said, ‘I want to win through the draft. I want sustainable success.’ But you cut half of your draft class. So you have failed on two levels… I think the jury is already out on Rex (Ryan), but Idzik is walking the plank too.
That’s all.
