I have to tip my cap to CBS/Turner. They promised us four national telecasts of the NCAA Tournament and they delivered. They provided a scoreboard bug on top of the screen informing viewers of scores of other games and what network they could be found. In addition, the use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter alerted viewers of close games, potential upsets and buzzer beaters.
As far as the game production, it’s about the same as in the past, but the graphics adopted more of a Turner Sports feel. The scoreboard bar included a shot clock, something that was sorely missing from CBS’ scoreboard. Statistics and fast facts were used to accentuate a point made by the announcers. They did not intrude and were welcome additions.
Additions from Turner, Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller gave the announcing bench some added depth. Sideline reporters, missing for the last few years, returned and were able to provide viewers with ample updates, solid features and decent interviews. It was nice to see Lesley Visser again. I did pick on her appearance on Thursday on Twitter, not just once, but thrice, and I really should not have. She’s a solid reporter and one of the best out there. She did a very good job with Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery in Denver on Thursday and Friday, but I’ll grade each of the announcing teams later.
The studios in Atlanta and New York were quite solid. Great hustle award goes to Turner for bringing the National Director for Officiating, John Adams, onto its set following the wacky Butler-Pittsburgh game on Saturday, which had two foul calls in the last 2.2 seconds. Adams explained why the fouls were called and why they were fouls to begin with. He also came on Sunday to talk about the five second call against Texas in another Fantastic Finish.
I liked having two studios, the main one in New York City with Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson, Jr. alternating as hosts with CBS’ Greg Anthony and TNT’s Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. While some of my blogging brethren have criticized Barkley’s performance, I think he was spot on and gave the studio some extra juice. He called The Big East conference overrated before its teams collapsed during the Second Round and even had the gall to say it while Louisville coach Rick Pitino was sitting two seats to his right. Kenny Smith added some good perspective, but adding Pitino on Saturday and Sunday made the studio crowded. My suggestion is to keep the analysts at three. If you’re going to bring in a guest analyst, have it be for a segment or two, not for the entire day. While Pitino added some decent points, he wasn’t a warm personality on the set.
Barkley was also funny as truTV and TNT signed off making statements about their programming following the games. As Barkley stated before the tournament, he was good at talking about coaching and game play, but talking about brackets, not so much and this came to fruition throughout the tournament. I thought he gave the studio a much needed humor injection and knew when to get out when necessary. As it’s already been discussed, Chuck will probably not appear on the NCAA Tournament Selection Show in 2012 as he showed a big weakness in discussing the teams going into the Big Dance. Talking during halftime is his strength so Barkley would be better utilized in that manner next year.
In Atlanta, Matt Winer was very good. Seth Davis went all haywire dominating the studio and talking too much. Steve Smith was decent and I liked having St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli as a guest analyst. I liked him over Indiana coach Tom Crean who guested in Atlanta from Wednesday through Friday.
Without having to cut to other games, the studio allowed for more time for discussion and highlights among the analysts. I thought this was good as in the past, Davis and Anthony would have to get their points out in three to five second bites. However, an extended 20 minute halftime dragged. If CBS/Turner could reduce the halftime to 15 minutes, that would better for the teams, viewers and game flow as a whole.
I’ll now go over the studios, announcing teams and sideline reporters:
STUDIO
Hosts:
Ernie Johnson, Jr. – A. Let’s face it, is an Emmy Award-winning studio host and this is where he shines. He did a fantastic job in the studio from New York as he handled the night sessions throughout the tournament. Very funny and he knew how to dish the rock to Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley and incorporated them very well into the mix. One of the best hosts today.
Greg Gumbel – B. Greg was solid during the afternoon sessions, however, he slipped by inexplicably confusing ESPN for CBS on Sunday. Don’t know where that came from, but overall, he did a decent job distributing the ball to his analysts.
Matt Winer – B. Matt is a good nuts and bolts host and did quite well with the “B” studio from Atlanta.
Analysts:
Greg Anthony – B. He’s grown into a very good analyst. Solid sitting next to Ernie or Greg.
Charles Barkley – B plus. Can’t give him an A over his slow start last Sunday, but he ramped up on Tuesday and got his sealegs on Thursday.
Seth Davis – C. Freed from New York, Seth went all Wu-Tang on the Atlanta studio interrupting Matt Winer, interjecting too much and forgetting that on a five second call, you can all timeout at the count of four. You have to know these things if you’re going to be an analyst.
Kenny Smith – A. He’s great on the NBA on TNT and he was great during the NCAA Tournament. I give him a high grade as he kept it straight and also was able to keep Barkley in check throughout the weekend.
Steve Smith – C. He was ok. Gave some solid points, but wasn’t as strong as the other analysts.
GAME ANNOUNCERS
Play by play:
Marv Albert – A. It was a triumphant return to college basketball, a sport he had not called since 1990. One of the best at calling basketball, Marv was on top of trends and gave analyst Steve Kerr plenty of opportunities to shine. Great to hear his classic “YES!” back on the tournament.
Tim Brando -B minus. Tim had a weekend of Butler barnburners including the wild game against Pittsburgh. When he doesn’t get caught up in cliches, Tim is very good. He kept them to a minimum, but I prefer Tim in the studio.
Spero Dedes – C. Still young and has the opportunity to grow into a very good announcer, but he was quite dry and didn’t show much humor during his games. Granted, you don’t want an announcer who yuks it up, but there were opportunities during blowouts to show some personality. Dedes did straight play-by-play instead.
Ian Eagle – A. Ian had a quiet tournament, but he shined at big moments especially during the Kentucky-Princeton game. Did you know that he and Jim Spanarkel are the NCAA Tournament announcing team with the longest tenure? That’s right. They just finished their 14th season together. Hard to believe. Ian is very good.
Kevin Harlan – A minus. Kevin had his share of barnburners this weekend and while we did not get to hear, “WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE“, we heard plenty of “Dagger” calls. He and Gus Johnson have become two of the more popular announcers on the tournament.
Gus Johnson – A. Gus is Gus. He had a couple of barnburners in Cleveland and he stepped up. He’s Mr. March Madness and he’s the People’s Announcer. Looking forward to hearing him call BYU-Florida on Thursday.
Verne Lundquist – A. I saw tweets criticizing Verne saying he doesn’t know basketball or he’s better suited for SEC football. I don’t see it. He and Bill Raftery are a very good team and it’s not like Uncle Verne came along last year. He’s been calling the tournament for a long time and also did the NBA for CBS and TNT. He’s one of the best out there.
Jim Nantz – A minus. Jim is solid as always. Gives you the nuts and bolts and while many criticized him for not being Gus Johnson, he doesn’t have to be. Yes, he’s better known for being The Masters voice, but don’t forget, he’s been doing on the NCAA Tournament as the lead voice since 1992. Next year will be his 20th season. That’s consistency.
Analysts:
Dan Bonner – C. I’d like to give Dan a higher grade and he was pretty good with Reggie Miller this weekend, but there were times when he made some head scratching points and deferred too much at times.
Len Elmore – A. Teamed with Gus Johnson, Len doesn’t yell or scream. He gives an incredulous, “Are you kidding me” when he sees bad play and as one of the best centers of his generation, Len knows bad play. Very solid analyst. I would love CBS to steal him away from ESPN full-time.
Mike Gminski – B. Teamed with Tim Brando not only on the NCAA Tournament, but also on the ACC Network and Fox Sports Net, they have formed a very likable pair. Very good on analysis and doesn’t force his opinions. He gives you solid analysis and knows when to get out.
Clark Kellogg – A. I’m seeing more criticism of Clark and again like Verne Lundquist, I don’t see it. Sometimes Clark can speak in tongues, but as the game wears on, you understand what he means. He’s on top of trends and lets the game come to him. Not as abrasive as Billy Packer, he’s a nice fit with Jim Nantz.
Steve Kerr – A. Steve reluctantly returned to TV after losing his GM job with the Phoenix Suns, but once he came back to TV, he jumped all in and is doing a great job on the NCAA Tournament. Whether it was working on the FIRST FOUR® games with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg or with Marv, Kerr was on top of trends and was strong throughout the eight games he worked in the first week. Looking forward to his work over the next two weeks.
Reggie Miller – B. I had not liked Reggie on the NBA on TNT, but he made very good points throughout the weekend. He did have a tendency to talk on every break in the action instead of letting games breathe. However, Miller surprised me by discussing shooting methods and strategy. He shined. However, I still don’t know why Reggie is joining Gus Johnson and Len Elmore for the Southeast Regional games.
Bill Raftery – A. Raft is a national treasure. He’s quick with one-liners (“Seton Hall alumni had a dream that I would be broadcasting games,”) and his “ONIONS” call came quickly in the second round. And while he can be humorous, Bill can also provide very good analysis. I’ve seen people call for Gus Johnson to be teamed with Raft, but he’s best with Verne Lundquist.
Jim Spanarkel – B. Jim is a very good analyst and provides sharp, concise thoughts.
Bob Wenzel – C minus. Very annoying. Tried to shout his way through his analysis. Even imitated Bill Raftery as Turner went to break. Leave that to Raft, ok?
Sideline Reporters:
David Aldridge – Incomplete. Did not see him enough. Only saw him once.
Lewis Johnson – B. Lewis expanded his multimedia empire to the NCAA Tournament. I seem to see Lewis on the NBA, track & field, horse racing, college football, Australian Rules Football, rugby, cricket and now the NCAA Tournament. Not complaining, he did a decent job. Didn’t use the platform to say, “Look at me!” Also did a good job as he was assigned to the Washington, DC subregional and pursued the officials who worked the Butler-Pittsburgh game, but could not get an on-camera interview.
Jaime Maggio – A. Breakout star of the Tournament. Gave solid reports, interviews and also provided some humor during the games. We want to see more of her on national broadcasts in the future.
Sam Ryan – A. Nice to see Sam Ryan once again. Like Jaime, she was solid her on her reports. Also used Twitter during the games to provide pictures and compliment her on-air reports. A great example of how social media can accentuate television.
Craig Sager – B. Craig and his suits were on display during the NCAA Tournament, but once you got past rubbing your eyes, Craig was teamed with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. That comfort level showed as you had Sager pursuing stories and being the solid reporter that he is. Those suits. Man.
Marty Snyder – B. Did ok his in his stint working with Gus Johnson and Len Elmore.
Lesley Visser – A. Was back on the Tournament where she belonged. She knows college basketball and Lesley was able to find some little nuggets that complimented the broadcast. If I can get past Craig Sager’s suits, I can get past Lesley’s bun that he had on Thursday night.
Tracy Wolfson – B. Tracy can ask some head scratching questions and of course, will never live down Cammy Cam Juice, but it was good to see her with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg. I thought she did well in her return to the Tournament.
GAME AND OVERALL PRODUCTION
A plus.
Bringing in Turner meant some slight changes to the CBS coverage of the NCAA Tournament. Graphics were different. The open was reworked and the theme was remixed. Those changes I liked.
In addition, the scoreboard bugs as I previously mentioned worked. They told us which games were playing where and that helped. While the cut-ins to live action were down considerably from last year, I would have liked to have seen some more during halftime and in between games. I understand that all games are nationally televised, some people don’t want to switch over. Some more cut-ins would be welcomed.
I like putting the camera over the backboard instead of past practices of shooting through the backboard. Too often, you would see glare or reflections and that shot did not make for good replays. Over the backboard led for better pictures.
I also liked having live games on the first Thursday and Friday played at 5 p.m. Too often, CBS ended the afternoon session to go to local news. Now with Turner Sports, we had games go continuously from 12:15 p.m. until the conclusion of the action. This was welcomed.
And instead of having games end to go to 60 Minutes on Sunday, we had games go until midnight. Fans want basketball and while the contests were spread out over four networks (CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV), it was proven from the ratings that you liked the freedom of switching from game to game instead of waiting for CBS to switch for you. After watching the first week of basketball, it’s rather obvious that this is how the Tournament was meant to be presented. The question is, why wasn’t this done sooner? As we say, it’s better late than never.
