College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 5

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 5 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not.

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 5

 

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com, Fox Sports Go, and BTN2Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3”, “FS-Go”, and “BTN2Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, SoCon, WCC, NEC (Front Row), CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are sometimes listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams, though an occasional stream with that description is actually free.

– The local affiliates for the ACC Network “national” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Virginia-North Carolina State

– The regional sports networks carrying the ACC Network “regional” games of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Bowling Green-Georgia Tech, Rice-Wake Forest

– The regional sports networks carrying FSN games can be found in a note in the document, and here:   Oklahoma State-Kansas [link when available]

– Links to games carried on the Stadium platform can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Bucknell-Holy Cross, Central Connecticut State-Lafayette, Marshall-Western Kentucky

– Links to games streamed on Facebook can be found in notes in the document, and here:  FAU-Middle Tennessee State, Morehead State-Butler, Marshall-Western Kentucky

– ESPN College Extra games:  Bowling Green-Georgia Tech (blackout map), Virginia-North Carolina State (blackout map), Mercer-VMI, Massachusetts-Ohio, Rice-Wake Forest (blackout map), Florida A&M-North Carolina Central, Youngstown State-Western Illinois, Bethune-Cookman University-Savannah State, Samford-Kennesaw State, Alcorn State-Southern, Houston Baptist-SMU

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 4

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 4 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not.

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 4

 

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com, Fox Sports Go, and BTN2Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3”, “FS-Go”, and “BTN2Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, SoCon, WCC, NEC (Front Row), CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are sometimes listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams, though an occasional stream with that description is actually free.

– The local affiliates for the ACC Network “national” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Pittsburgh-North Carolina

– The regional sports networks carrying the ACC Network “regional” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Louisville-Virginia

– The regional sports networks carrying FSN games can be found in a note in the document, and here:  Akron-Iowa State

– Links to games carried on the Stadium platform can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Lafayette-Colgate, Central Connecticut State-Fordham, Dartmouth-Holy Cross, Illinois State-Colorado State, Columbia-Georgetown

– Links to games streamed on Facebook can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Central Connecticut State-Fordham, Columbia-Georgetown, Davidson-Dayton

– ESPN College Extra games:  Pittsburgh-North Carolina (blackout map), Louisville-Virginia (blackout map), Robert Morris-Bryant, Hampton-Northern Iowa, McNeese State-BYU, North Texas-Liberty, Alabama State-Grambling State, Southeastern Louisiana-Lamar, Furman-East Tennessee State, South Alabama-Memphis

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 3

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 3 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not.

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 3

A significant number of games this week have been rescheduled and/or postponed, all due to Hurricane Florence. I have indicated games that have been completely postponed (or canceled, in some cases) on the spreadsheet.

It is likely that more moves will be made during the week, including some changes involving broadcast outlets (i.e. games moving from ESPN3 to ESPNU, etc.). I will adjust the spreadsheet to reflect any and all alterations as quickly as possible.

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com, Fox Sports Go, and BTN2Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3”, “FS-Go”, and “BTN2Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, SoCon, WCC, NEC (Front Row), CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are sometimes listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams, though an occasional stream with that description is actually free.

– The local affiliates for the ACC Network “national” game of the week can normally be found on a link in the document, but this week’s game (East Carolina-Virginia Tech) has been postponed.

– The regional sports networks carrying the ACC Network “regional” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Georgia Tech-Pittsburgh

– The regional sports networks carrying FSN games can be found in a note in the document, and here:  Rutgers-Kansas, UTSA-Kansas State

– Links to games carried on the Stadium platform can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Yale-Holy Cross, Wofford-Wyoming,                                       Stony Brook-Fordham, Bethune-Cookman University-FAU, Monmouth-Lafayette, Prairie View A&M-UNLV

– Links to games streamed on Facebook can be found in notes in the document, and here: Tennessee Tech-Utah State (Thursday night), Tulane-UAB, Wofford-Wyoming, Bethune-Cookman University-FAU, Stony Brook-Fordham

– Blackout map for Nicholls-McNeese State

– ESPN College Extra games:  Rhode Island-Connecticut (blackout map), Georgia Tech-Pittsburgh (blackout map), Northern Arizona-Missouri State, North Dakota-Sam Houston State (blackout map), Abilene Christian-Houston Baptist

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 2

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 2 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not. (This week, every game is televised and/or streamed.)

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 2

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com, Fox Sports Go, and BTN2Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3”, “FS-Go”, and “BTN2Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, SoCon, WCC, NEC (Front Row), CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are sometimes listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams, though an occasional stream with that description is actually free.

– The local affiliates for the ACC Network “national” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Samford-Florida State

– The regional sports networks carrying the ACC Network “regional” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Georgia State-North Carolina State

– The regional sports networks carrying FSN games can be found in a note in the document, and here:  South Alabama-Oklahoma State, Lamar-Texas Tech

– Links to games being carried on the Stadium platform can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Campbell-Georgetown, Villanova-Lehigh, Lafayette-Delaware, Sacred Heart-Bucknell, UTEP-UNLV

– ESPN College Extra games: Georgia State-North Carolina State (blackout map), Buffalo-Temple, Jacksonville-Mercer, ULM-Southern Mississippi, Texas Southern-Texas State, Samford-Florida State (blackout map), Cincinnati-Miami (OH), Nicholls State-Tulane

– ABC coverage map for noon ET (Arizona-Houston and Georgia Tech-South Florida)

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 1

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 1 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not. (This week, every game is televised and/or streamed.)

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 1

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com, Fox Sports Go, and BTN2Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3”, “FS-Go”, and “BTN2Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, SoCon, WCC, NEC (Front Row), CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are sometimes listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams.

– The local affiliates for the ACC Network “national” game of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Furman-Clemson

– The regional sports networks carrying the ACC Network “regional” games of the week can be found on a link in the document, and here:  Alcorn State-Georgia Tech

– The regional sports networks carrying FSN games can be found in a note in the document, and here:  Southern-TCU, Abilene Christian-Baylor

– Links to games being carried on the Stadium platform can be found in notes in the document, and here:  Portland State-Nevada (Friday night), Holy Cross-Colgate, St. Francis (PA)-Lehigh, William & Mary-Bucknell, SMU-North Texas, Western New Mexico-San Diego

– ESPN College Extra games: Furman-Clemson (blackout map), Alcorn State-Georgia Tech (blackout map), Massachusetts-Boston College, Albany-Pittsburgh, Delaware State-Buffalo, North Carolina A&T-East Carolina, Kentucky Christian-Lamar, Grambling State-ULL, VMI-Toledo, Northern Arizona-UTEP, Incarnate Word-New Mexico

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 0

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 0 of the 2018 college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school. All games are listed, televised or not. (This week, every game is televised and/or streamed.)

For the streamed/televised games (only live broadcasts are listed), I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable). I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2018, Week 0

Obviously, there are not many games this week (hence the “Week 0” usage). There will be a full slate of games next week.

Additional notes:

– I include games streamed by ESPN3.com and Fox Sports Go; they are denoted as “ESPN3″ and “FS-Go”, respectively. This season, I will also list streamed games for NBC Live Extra, CBS Sports Digital, and WatchESPN.

– I also list digital network feeds provided by various conferences. For some of these feeds, the audio will be a simulcast of the home team’s radio broadcast. Other online platforms have their own announcers.

For now, the digital networks I am including in the listings are those for the ACC, CAA, Big Sky (Pluto TV), Big South, OVC, NEC (Front Row), SoCon, WCC, CUSA, Mountain West, and Patriot League (the last four of those being on the Stadium platform).

Occasionally individual schools (almost always at the FCS level) provide video feeds. When that is the case, I list those as well.

– This year, thanks mostly to the proliferation of ESPN+ games, I am including pay-per-view telecasts and streams. These matchups are often listed as “PPV” telecasts or (in the case of feeds from individual schools) “All-Access” streams. Of course, ESPN+ is also a premium service.

– BTN (formerly Big Ten Network) “gamefinder”:  Link

– AP Poll (FBS):  Link

– AFCA Coaches’ Poll (FCS):  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s staggeringly comprehensive and simply indispensable site College Sports on TV, a must-bookmark for any fan of college football and/or basketball. It is also well worth following the weekly schedule put together by lsufootball.net, particularly for devotees of the central time zone.

As always, I must mention the relentless information gatherers (and in some cases sports-TV savants) at the506.com. I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2010, Week 9

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 9 of the college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school.  All games are listed, televised or not.  For the televised games, I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable).  I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2010, Week 9

Additional notes:

— I include the ESPN3com games, even though technically they aren’t “televised”.

— I’ve listed the satellite affiliates for the SEC game of the week (Tennessee-South Carolina) in a comment on the document.  There are numerous local affiliates, a listing of which can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the Raycom production (now branded as the “ACC Network”) of the ACC game of the week (Clemson-Boston College) can be found here:  Link

— I’ve listed the satellite affiliates for the Big East game of the week (Louisville-Pittsburgh) in a comment on the document.  The local affiliates can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the MAC game of the week (Northern Illinois-Western Michigan) can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the Southland Conference game of the week (Southeastern Louisiana-Central Arkansas) can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the OVC game of the week (Murray State-Eastern Kentucky) can be found here:  Link

— Also listed on the document as a comment are the regional nets carrying the following games:  Oklahoma State-Kansas State, Arizona-UCLA, and Baylor-Texas.

— There are comments in the document with additional information for several other games.

— ABC/ESPN coverage maps for the 3:30 pm ET/8:00 pm ET games:  Link

— Big Ten Network “gamefinder” for this Saturday (although there is only one BTN game this week):  Link

— BCS Standings:  Link

— FCS Coaches Poll:  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s great website (College Sports on TV) and the fine folks over at the 506.com.  I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences; this week, I would like to particularly thank staffers at Buffalo, Dartmouth, Eastern Kentucky, and Idaho State.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

College Football TV Listings 2010, Week 7

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Sandlapper Spike

This is a list of every game played during week 7 of the college football season involving at least one FBS or FCS school.  All games are listed, televised or not.  For the televised games, I include the announcers and sideline reporters (where applicable).  I put all of it on a Google Documents spreadsheet that can be accessed at the following link:

College Football TV Listings 2010, Week 7

Additional notes:

— I include the ESPN3com games, even though technically they aren’t “televised”.

— I’ve listed the satellite affiliates for the SEC game of the week (Vanderbilt-Georgia) in a comment on the document.  There are numerous local affiliates, a listing of which can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the Raycom production (now branded as the “ACC Network”) of the ACC game of the week (Maryland-Clemson) can be found here:  Link

— I’ve listed the satellite affiliates for the Big East game of the week (Pittsburgh-Syracuse) in a comment on the document.  The local affiliates can be found here:  Link

— There are two WAC Network games this Saturday (Boise State-San Jose State and Nevada-Hawaii).  Local affiliates carrying those games can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the MAC game of the week (Miami University-Central Michigan) can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the Southland Conference game of the week (Central Arkansas-Stephen F. Austin) can be found here:  Link

— The local affiliates for the OVC game of the week (Southeast Missouri State-Austin Peay) can be found here:  Link

— Also listed on the document as a comment are the regional nets carrying the following games:  Kansas State-Kansas (Friday night), Missouri-Texas A&M, California-Southern California, and Iowa State-Oklahoma.

— There are comments in the document with additional information for several other games.

— ABC/ESPN coverage maps for the 3:30 pm ET games.  Texas-Nebraska is the national game, so viewers in areas receiving that game on ABC will get Iowa-Michigan on ESPN in HD:  Link

— Big Ten Network “gamefinder” for this Saturday (for the third week in a row, not relevant because there is only one game on the network):  Link

— USA Today Poll:  Link

— FCS Coaches Poll:  Link

—

A lot of the information I used in putting this together came courtesy of Matt Sarzyniak’s great website (College Sports on TV) and the fine folks over at the 506.com.  I am also assisted on occasion by helpful athletic media relations officials at various schools and conferences; this week, I would like to particularly thank staffers at Penn and Gardner-Webb.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Complaint to ESPN, c/o The Sports Arsenal

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Sandlapper Spike

From time to time I get e-mail responses to things I’ve written on the blog.  They tend to run the gamut, from words of encouragement to criticism to spam (plenty of spam).  However, I got an e-mail on Saturday that I think is worth sharing.  I won’t include the name of the lady who wrote it, because I don’t think that would be fair.  

First, some background.  On Saturday afternoon Michigan played Indiana in a game televised on ESPNU.  The announcers for the game were Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Danny Kanell (analyst).  I didn’t see it, as I was at Johnson Hagood Stadium watching The Citadel’s game, but apparently the matchup in Bloomington was an exciting contest that featured very little defense.  The Wolverines prevailed, 42-35.  Shortly after the game ended, the following e-mail was sent to me:

If Pam Ward was the announcer for the U of M game today (Saturday, 10/2/2010) at 3:30 p.m., you should be ashamed of yourselves.  Aside from the mispronounciation of Denard “Dernard???!!!” Robinson’s name, could you please find an announcer who’s excited about the game?  She’s boring and uninformed, maybe why she falls back on the criticism she’s ridiculed everywhere for?  There are so many awesome sports broadcasters in the industry – please get creative!  We hate every game she announces and we’re sick of being forced to listen.  Not as agonizing as watching the Lions play every Thanksgiving… BUT CLOSE.  Thanks!

This is, obviously, a fantastic e-mail.  That last line about Pam Ward as an announcer not being as agonizing as watching the Lions play on Thanksgiving puts it over the top.

Some points:

— While she criticizes Ward, the e-mailer doesn’t seem entirely certain it was actually Ward doing the announcing (“If Pam Ward was the announcer…”).  However, that doesn’t stop her from blasting Ward anyway.

— More importantly, to me anyway, is the notion that I might somehow be affiliated with ESPN (“you should be ashamed of yourselves”, “could you please find an announcer who’s excited about the game?”).  I am guessing that the e-mailer googled Pam Ward’s name and found this post I wrote about ESPN’s announcers for 2010, and assumed I was a publicist for the network or something.

I found this amusing, because while I do write about things that involve ESPN on occasion, so would anyone who writes about sports in this country, given the pervasive nature of the network.  I haven’t always written favorably about ESPN, either (see this post or this post, just for a couple of examples).

— The e-mailer is apparently a Michigan fan.  She is sick of “being forced to listen” to Ward, but to be honest I don’t think Ward has done a whole lot of games featuring the Wolverines.  When she was calling the noon game on ESPN2 the past few years, she usually called Big 10 games  — but the two schools I always associate with a Ward call are Michigan State and Northwestern.  Michigan usually was televised on ESPN (or the Big Ten Network) if it drew the noon slot.  At least, that’s how I remember it.  I could be wrong about that.

Incidentally, Ward now wants to call NFL games.

— I couldn’t agree more with the e-mailer about the Lions, though.  Why should the entire country be subjected to that franchise every Thanksgiving?  Can’t they rotate host teams?  I’m tired of the Cowboys too, but at least Dallas usually has a good team.  The Lions are almost always bad and boring.  This year, turkey day at Ford Field will include the visiting New England Patriots, so at least one of the teams involved should be good.  Of course, that means the score will probably be something like 47-10 or 34-12 (the score of the last two games played on Thanksgiving in Detroit, both losses by the Lions). 

That game will be on CBS.  I suppose Phil Simms will give away a silver iron again.  It’s a lame gimmick, but not as lame as the thing Fox hands out to its game MVP.

To sum up, I’m sorry I can’t do anything about Pam Ward (or any other ESPN announcer) calling your team’s game(s), but I’m not affiliated with the four-letter.  If I’m going to field complaints about ESPN, though, the least the folks in Bristol could do is send me some free stuff. 

I’m not asking for an ESPY gift pack or anything; I would settle for a College Gameday t-shirt (size XXL – I’m fairly tall).  I would ask for a hat, but I doubt ESPN carries a lot of promotional caps in size 7 ¾.  If they did, Mark Schlereth would probably grab all of them anyway.  He looks like he’s got a large noggin.

—

As always, thanks to the e-mailers (and commenters) for all their feedback.

Filed under: Football | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

« Previous Page