CBS Exec Producer Terry Ewert "called an audible" on
"The NFL Today" on Sunday, as "information man" Mike
Lombardi "took the seat of soft-spoken" George Seifert, who
was in San Francisco reporting on the 49ers, according to
USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke. Martzke: "Lombardi's increased
presence paid off doubly. The former Browns executive
helped spark livelier debate with colleagues, a la Fox's and
ESPN's shows." Another change saw "outspoken" analyst Brent
Jones moved next to host Jim Nantz (USA TODAY, 11/30). In
Houston, David Barron writes, "I'm starting to warm to the
idea of keeping Jones on the set with Lombardi and Seifert
and using Allen elsewhere when 'The NFL Today' undergoes its
inevitable retooling after the season." Barron also writes
that Lombardi "provided a spark that has been lacking from
the low-key group" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/30).
BAD INFORMATION? In DC, Leonard Shapiro examined
Lombardi's insider reports and wrote that Lombardi "is not a
journalist, and while CBS insists that there is a safety net
of producers and executives to vet his work, I'm not so sure
that's good enough." Shapiro wrote that Lombardi "is not
experienced at news gathering, verifying information or
confirming stories with all sources involved." But Shapiro
added that Fox "also makes a mistake in not devoting a
minute or two to pure news, delivered specifically by the
person who gathers it" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/27).
OVERALL: In Toronto, Rob Longley reviews CBS's return
to the NFL and writes, "As comebacks go, CBS has earned a
passing grade this fall, but still falls short of the NFL
standard set by Fox." Longley writes that CBS "is searching
in vain for its own identity," and while pre-game host Jim
Nantz is the net's "strongest suit," lead game analyst Phil
Simms has become "dull" (TORONTO SUN, 11/30).
