NBC Sports Producer Fred Gaudelli, who will be producing Super Bowl XLVI Sunday, said that NBC's "most important responsibility is that the broadcast reflect the magnitude of the event," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Gaudelli said, "We must have every play that could be termed as controversial nailed down with irrefutable evidence." NBC Sports Director Drew Esocoff said that he "wants defining looks of every critical play." He "reminds himself to anticipate the spectacular, and wants his camera people in place if something happens, especially on the sidelines." Esocoff: "It would be very easy for a group of camera guys to get caught up in a moment and not be cognizant of whether a player had possession, and had his feet in bounds." Gaudelli said that the event "being streamed live to online viewers and mobile phones will have no impact on the television broadcast." Unlike previous broadcasts on other nets, NBC will "not do a taped package to introduce the players." Instead, the lineup introductions will be "aired as the players leave the locker room for the tunnel." NBC had singer Faith Hill "shoot a new opener for the game and there will also be a change in the display graphic" (SI.com, 2/2).

TEST RUN: DEADSPIN.com's Jeremy Repanich noted this past Monday, two NBC crew members went to Fishers High School, in Fishers, Ind., to "teach the school's football team the Patriots and Giants playbooks, offensive and defensive." On Friday, the Fishers Tigers will "take the field in Lucas Oil Stadium to run a dress rehearsal, so that NBC can work out the camera positions for the whole assortment of formations and plays." Gaudelli said, "I'll have a guy run 100 yards up the near sideline as close to it as he can. I want a guy two yards, five yards, and 10 yards behind him. At every increment, I want to see which camera got the best look." Gaudelli "has watched 30 hours of game film to come up with the formations and plays he wants to rehearse." The planning for Super Bowl XLVI "began back in the summer of 2010, when Gaudelli and his crew headed to Indianapolis to start scouting camera positions." They have returned "three times this year to refine the placement of NBC's 40 cameras" (DEADSPIN.com, 2/2).

IN-GAME INTRODUCTIONS: When asked what viewers can expect from NBC's Super Bowl broadcast, analyst Cris Collinsworth said, "I hope you get a trip around the field. Typically, most fans know the coach, the quarterback, the running back and the receivers, but most games -- and I think this one will be no exception -- are usually decided by the other 18 guys on the field collectively. While we're going to feature all the stars, it's the offensive linemen versus the defensive linemen ... and so I hope at the end of the game, you feel like you're acquainted with, at least, all 22 guys on the field, that you have some understanding of their jobs." Collinsworth added, "I really want people to understand the depth of the game ... there's going to be probably two-thirds of the audience that probably this will be the second or third football game they've watched all year. I don't want to invite people to our party and not introduce them to everybody on the field. I want people to have some comfort level with what's going on because ultimately, we'd like them to come back and watch us on Sunday night next year" (SI.com, 2/2). Collinsworth: "It's all-consuming trying to imagine every possible thing that could come up and be a part of a Super Bowl broadcast. The exciting part about it is you are on the high wire, and there is an element of danger to it" (OKLAHOMAN, 2/3).

BITTERSWEET GIG: In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley noted Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and CB Charles Woodson will "offer pre-game commentary" ahead of Sunday's matchup. Rodgers will be "part of NBC’s six hours of pre-game programming," while Woodson will be "part of the NFL Network’s 8 and one-half hours of pre-game coverage." On not playing in this year's Super Bowl, Rodgers said, "It’s kind of tough, but I have known the NBC people for awhile -- (president, programming) Jon Miller of NBC Sports, (former chairman) Dick Ebersol and obviously Bob Costas,  Collinsworth and Al Michaels and the guys who come and do our production meetings (on 'Sunday Night Football'). I have a great relationship with those men and women. I have a lot of respect for them and the job they do with ‘Sunday Night Football.’ So it’s going to be fun to be able to spend some time with them in Indy" (JSONLINE.com, 2/2).

MAKING TV HISTORY? In Philadelphia, Alex Lee notes the past two Super Bowls were the "most watched in history." NBC has "pulled out all the stops to ensure that trend continues and, according to NBC Sports chairman Mark Lazarus, they expect that it will." Lazarus said, "We've had two great game in to drive viewership, a great rivalry, a great story line. We have two teams from the East Coast that will stay with the broadcast until the end. It has the ability to succeed the last 2 years" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/3). Patriots Owner Robert Kraft said of the Super Bowl, "I hope for NBC it becomes the No. 1 watched program in the history of television.” He added, “It's the largest appointment television product … in America, if not the world. You talk about what people are paying for ads.” The Super Bowl broadcast is a “time to reach a mass audience when families are together, when good things are happening and it's probably the only time that people watch the ads with as much interest as they watch the game. ... The Super Bowl draws so many people it’s the one appointment television where people can attract a large audience” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 2/3).

PIRATE TV: In N.Y., Golding & Li write Patriots QB Tom Brady "copped to enjoying stolen cyber goods yesterday, casually admitting that he watched last year's Super Bowl through a pirated Internet stream." Brady: "Last year, I was rehabbing my foot in Costa Rica, watching the game on an illegal Super Bowl Web site, and now I'm actually playing in the game, so it's pretty cool." As Brady was "gabbing in Indianapolis, federal prosecutors in New York announced the arrest of a Michigan man for allegedly operating some of the most popular illegal sports-streaming Web sites" (N.Y. POST, 2/3).

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The UFC is “dumping its iconic ‘Gladiator’ opening to its pay-per-view broadcasts and live shows and replacing it with an homage to the fighters who helped build the company,” according to Kevin Iole of YAHOO SPORTS. UFC President Dana White has named the open “Evolution.” It was “scored by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer and produced by Digital Domain, a company founded by Academy Award-winning director James Cameron.” The new open includes “moves that represent all of the disciplines that make up mixed martial arts, and concludes by sweeping down a hall of flags from the countries where the UFC has held events, coming to a finish with the faces of the night’s main event fighters on a scoreboard.” White would “not disclose how much the company paid to have the new opening produced, but he said it was ‘an obscene amount.’” Producers culled through “nearly 25 hours of highlights to come up with the finished product, which took six months to make.” The scene “begins with Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, who met at UFC 1 in 1993, grappling in a dojo.” All of the footage from the old UFC fights, “which were recorded in standard definition, were digitally remastered to include minute details” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/2).
 
GET YOUR GLASSES READY: MULTICHANNEL NEWS’ Thomas Umstead wrote for the first time, In Demand and the UFC “will make a pay-per-view event available to cable operators in 3D.” In Demand execs said that Saturday's UFC 143 event between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit “will be offered in 3D to consumers with a 3D-ready TV set and a compatible HD settop box.” The 3D feed "will retail at a suggested price of $64.99, with the standard definition and high-definition feeds retailing at $44.99 and $54.99 respectively." In Demand Senior VP/Programming & Business Development Mark Boccardi said that the company is “talking to the UFC and other event distributors about bringing future 3D PPV events to cable” (MULTICHANNEL.com, 2/2).

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NFL Films was profiled on "CBS This Morning," with co-host Charlie Rose saying since its debut 50 years ago, NFL Films has "turned football into art.” CBS News’ Jeff Glor notes for five decades, NFL Films has "taken an often brutal sport and turned it into ballet.” NFL Films has "always seen football as more than a game," looking at it as an "all-encompassing, emotional experience.” NFL Films Senior Coordinating Producer Ross Ketover said, “We're trying to mirror what went on in Hollywood, not what went on in sports television.” NFL Films President Steve Sabol is the "unmistakable face of NFL Films,” and despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, he is “still at the office every day.” NFL Films Dir of Photography Hank McElwee said, “Steve Sabol has built something here that I don't think will ever be matched again.” Glor said NFL Films shares its highlights “with 21 shows across nine television networks.” Ketover said, “Luckily right now, we’ve found that there’s no shortage of how much football people in this country want to watch.” After airing the taped report, Rose said to Glor, “What a great story, and it is a story of a father and son building what has become an institution.” Glor said, “You can’t overstate the miking and what that’s meant, the access that they have because remember, NFL Films is owned by the NFL, so they get that access” (“CBS This Morning,” CBS, 2/3).

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Roberts left SI after her contract expired Dec. 31

The BIG LEAD's Jason McIntyre noted sports columnist Selena Roberts "left SI on Dec. 31 when her contract expired." Roberts was "most famous for breaking the Alex Rodriguez/PED story" in '09, and now she is "delving into new media." She said, "I’ve been in the corporate media world for 25 years, and I thought, 'why not do something different and shake it up a little bit?'" Roberts has founded Roopster Media Group, and is "in the process of developing a mobile device sports app that fuses longform, original sports journalism and entertainment, among other things." She added that she is "partnering with other journalists, but wouldn’t reveal their names -- they haven’t left their jobs yet -- and she’s going to be speaking to investors soon." There is "no timetable yet for the app to debut" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 2/2).

LAST CHANCE WORKOUT: In St. Louis, Dan Caesar reports MLB Cardinals TV play-by-play announcer Dan McLaughlin "will return for his 15th season in the Fox Sports Midwest booth after spending the offseason trying to rehabilitate his reputation -- and more importantly, his life -- after being arrested during the final week of the 2011 regular season on his second drunken driving charge in 13 months." There has been "public criticism when the possibility of McLaughlin returning has been mentioned in recent weeks," and FS Midwest GM Jack Donovan said that "much thought was put into making the decision." The call "was FSM’s, but Donovan works closely with the team on major issues." Donovan said, "We took our time, we didn’t rush into it." McLaughlin said, "This is as last-chance as it gets, absolutely." McLaughlin is "set to do play-by-play on about 100 games, the same as last year." Fellow broadcasters Rick Horton and Al Hrabosky "are expected to also again have about 100 games each" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/3).

VYING FOR A SPOT: In K.C., Bob Dutton notes former MLBers Rex Hudler and George Frazier "have emerged as the leading candidates to replace Frank White as the analyst for Royals’ telecasts" on FS K.C. Sources said that a decision "appears imminent with many citing Hudler as the leading candidate." Neither Hudler nor Frazier "has any previous connection to the Royals." FS has "final say in the hiring, though the Royals have input into the decision." Hudler became the "Angels' analyst upon his retirement and held that position" through '09. Frazier recently completed his "15th year as the analyst" for the Rockies (K.C. STAR, 2/3).

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