Sports: Fox now NFL veteran

Fox now NFL veteran

By ERNEST HOOPER

Remember when Fox acquired the rights to the NFL in 1994 and everyone feared Bart Simpson would do color commentary and Christina Applegate would be a studio analyst?

Funny how times have changed. Back then ABC was still spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety in sports, while Fox was a hot-shot newcomer that people thought would interject too much entertainment in its coverage.

Now ABC has a comedian doing analysis on Monday Night Football and CBS has a studio show that will broadcast with an outdoor audience from 59th and Fifth in New York City. Meanwhile, Fox has practically evolved into the place where you find traditional coverage.

"It's rather amazing after six years we're veterans in a way," Fox sports president Ed Goren said.

Goren is not quibbling over the results, however. Fox NFL Sunday increased its ratings advantage last season.

Of course, Fox can't exactly claim to be that staid because it has comedian Jimmy Kimell predicting games. Analyst John Madden notes, however, that there is a difference between a funny man in the studio and a funny man in the booth.

"Before the kickoff, it's a show," Madden said. "After the kickoff is called a game. There's a big, big difference between a show and a game."

TOM TERRIFIC: Of course, the network really carrying the NFL banner for the serious sports fan is ESPN. Chris Berman likes to say they take football seriously, but not themselves.

Tom Jackson shares that philosophy as he enters his 14th season as analyst for ESPN's NFL Countdown and Primetime shows. While his name does not instantly come to mind when you think great analysts, it should.

The Fox studio crew, each with Emmys, certainly can boast. Craig James' value at CBS is so great, he was shifted from the college show to NFL Today.

But Jackson is right up there with the rest, and it's not solely because of longevity. The former Denver linebacker brings a passion to the studio, but he doesn't bring a passion to putting himself in the spotlight. Partner Berman says Jackson is not a self-promoter.

"I don't want to sound like I never open a newspaper or never read a column . . . ," Jackson said. "But 99.9 percent of the time I'm concentrating on getting information out, and having fun doing it.

"I've been so fortunate in my life. I sound overly sentimental, but I got to play the game 14 years and I played with a team that I love and a place that I love. For the last 14 years, I've been on another great team and I get to talk about the game. I don't think it gets any better."

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: CBS Sports president Sean McManus is convinced having an audience for NFL Today will pay huge dividends for the production. Much like CBS' Early Show and the more successful Today, analysts will spend at least part of the show trading barbs with on-site fans.

"We had a (technical) rehearsal (Monday) and 75 people stopped by wanting to ask questions," McManus said. "There's vitality and energy on the set far more than we would have inside the studio. No one knows what's going to happen Sunday afternoon and that's great. It's going to be really unpredictable and fun things are going to happen."

CHECK IT OUT: Up All Night with Todd Wright is up on the Tampa Bay airwaves in its entirety. Before this week, listeners could hear only the first hour of Wright's 2-6 a.m. show on WDAE-AM 620, but the complete show is being carried instead of J.T. The Brick.

Brick fans may not be happy, but I think you'll find Wright's show appealing. It is, as he likes to say, a show that deals with topics sports fans like to discuss. Consider this: recent guests include Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath and King of Queens star Leah Remini.

FINE TUNING: Pam Ward debuts as the host of NFL on ESPN Radio Sunday. Former Cowboys and Panthers guard Nate Newton debuts as an analyst. ... St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner will appear on the Disney Channel's The Jersey at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. ... Buccaneers Insider with Bob Alvarez and former Bucs defensive coordinator Doug Graber makes its season debut with a one-hour preview at 6 p.m. Saturday on Channel 44.