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As a broadcasting partner, Michaels is a Madden bruiser

Sporting News, The, Nov 22, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

I love John Madden.

I love his knowledge. He flat-out knows football, and he explains it in a way anyone can understand. That's Job 1.

I love his prescience. Early in a game, he'll identify a trend or player or development that will be key to the outcome, and sure enough, that's how the game unfolds. Nobody sees the game the way John does.

I love his ability to spot no-name players with big-time talent. Over the years, he has identified so many blue-collar guys--Nate Newton, Bill Bates, Edwin Mulitalo, Gilbert Brown--who helped their teams win, yet were anonymous until John highlighted them. He'd tell you their stories and analyze their games. By the end of the game, you'd say, "Wow, that player is fascinating. I'll watch him every chance I get."

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I love his sense of humor. He's Seinfeld-funny, the way he makes observations on life. One minute he's detailing the intricacies of the Bucs' cover 2, the next he's wondering why anybody would give kids an apple on Halloween. I love the way he can make you smarter and make you laugh in the same game, with seamless transitions in between.

I love John Madden. But Al Michaels is killing him.

Al is one of the best play-by-play guys around. He knows the stats, the facts, the background, all the detail that's necessary to describe a game. But Monday Night Football has become the AI Michaels show, and he dominates the air time. Al simply doesn't let John be John.

Pat Summerall did. Pat was John's partner at CBS and FOX for years, and he knew he wasn't the show. Pat could have carried a broadcast with his wit and insights, but he subjugated himself to let John be the star. Pat would keep the game moving by describing the action in his trademark abbreviated style, and he'd step back and give John the leeway he needed to do his thing. Pat made it possible for John to become the most entertaining and informative NFL analyst ever.

Now that John has a national audience every week, it's much harder to see evidence of that. I love John Madden, and it hurts to see him stifled to the point he can't be himself anymore.

I don't mean this to be a knock on Al Michaels. He's very good at his job, and he deserves center stage. But so does John. That's why this pairing isn't working.

Brian Baldinger, an offensive lineman for 12 NFL seasons, can be heard on Sporting News Radio and seen on FOX Sports. Listen online at radio.sportingews.com.

SCOUTS' VIEWS

Observations and opinions from two NFL pro scouts, one from each conference

You can make a case for the Colts having the top wide receiver unit in the league. Marvin Harrison is a No. 1 who runs excellent routes and can score from anywhere on the field. Reggie Wayne has become a lot more consistent in terms of being a big-play guy for them. And when Brandon Stokley is healthy, he's one of the better No. 3s in the NFL. As a group, I don't really see anybody who has three receivers who are that good.... Grady Jackson helps the Packers so much at defensive tackle. He can change directions, plug the gap, take on the double-team block and split it. And when they allow him to get upfield and penetrate, he can disrupt things in the backfield. If he ever got his weight under control, he'd be a household name.... I think the Dolphins should hire Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli as their general manager and allow him to bring (offensive coordinator) Charlie Weis or (defensive coordinator) Romeo Crennel with him to be their coach.... There are a lot of signs that point to the Giants as being a team that could flame out. They've lost their two starting defensive ends (Michael Strahan and Keith Washington), and the media is starting to ask questions about Eli Manning. I think that will become a distraction. Although you could make a case for Tiki Barber being the league MVP halfway through the season, he tends to wear down a little bit in the second half.... The Steelers' offensive line is playing better than any team's line right now, and that includes the Chiefs'. Those guys have just been blowing open huge holes for whoever they have back there, Duce Staley or Jerome Bettis.... The Rams have three defensive tackles who were first-round picks (Damione Lewis, Ryan Pickett, Jimmy Kennedy), and none of them has turned out to be any kind of an impact player. You see flashes of playmaking ability once in a while, but there's no consistency series to series, let alone game to game, from those guys. They have to be disappointed with them.... The Jets will be fine without Chad Pennington. People forget Quincy Carter was 10-6 last season with the Cowboys, a team that probably had less talent than the Jets. I think there's a chance Carter can come in there and spark them.... You'd have to consider Drew Brees the most improved player in the league. He's not forcing things. If the first option isn't there, he's checking off to the second or third option. He's making good decisions, moving them down the field, and they're scoring a lot of points.

As a broadcasting partner, Michaels is a Madden bruiser

Sporting News, The, Nov 22, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

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