In N.Y., Phil Mushnick notes NBC's Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth last Sunday "were bemused and amused" that Steelers WR Antonio Brown would “'celebrate' (i.e., showboat) a touchdown by slowing to a trot, spreading his legs then, with a leap, trying to mount the padded stanchion that holds the goal posts." Collinsworth, laughing, said, “They will replay that 10,000 times during the film session.” But Mushnick writes pandering to such acts "is a prime reason we are where we are." NBC "replayed Brown’s 'celebration' six times." Mushnick: "That’s what TV does, and why players take such extraordinary paths to stand out for behavior that not only has nothing to do with their sport, but leaves it badly diminished, vandalized" (N.Y. POST, 12/11).
QUIET TIME: In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes there "was frustration" in Giants radio analyst Carl Banks' voice last Sunday when Giants QB Eli Manning’s pass was intercepted by Jets S Rontez Miles. This was all about WR Rueben Randle, who in Banks’ opinion "cut the route short." Listening to Banks Sunday, as well as on subsequent radio appearances, he "left a distinct impression his reaction was not solely based on Randle messing up a particular play." Banks "sounded like he had more to say about Randle but put the brakes on his mouth." He said, “I just had to stop myself (from further criticizing Randle) because it (the criticism) was starting to border on what I would say if I was holding a teammate accountable when I played -- or if I was still playing.” Banks said that, as a broadcaster, he has "never reached a similar point with any other Giants player." Giants execs "have never mandated anything from their broadcasters other than not making it personal while criticizing a player." Banks: “We can tell the truth about a player. But we don’t trash him in the process" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/11).
TO BE QUITE FRANK: In Florida, Greg Hardwig noted ESPN's Chris Berman and Fox' Joe Buck had some "travel challenges" around this weekend's Franklin Templeton Shootout golf event. Berman "did his segment during ESPN's Monday Night Football, arrived in Naples and got three or four hours of sleep overnight, then played in the pro-am Tuesday morning." Buck, who is broadcasting the tournament, "came in from New Orleans on Sunday, and will leave after Saturday's final round for Green Bay, where he'll call the Cowboys-Packers game on Sunday." Buck said, "I do the Naples-Green Bay shuttle. It's rarely been done. It's like climbing Everest" (NAPLES DAILY NEWS, 12/11).
LOCAL RATINGS: Nielsen figures show that an average of 17.7% of homes with a TV in the St. Louis market "were tuned in" to last week's Rams-Cardinals telecast after the team drew a 16.0 rating the previous week for its loss to the Bengals. St. Louis TV viewers "apparently decided this time that they like to watch a disaster, as Nielsen said the rating for the final half hour of the telecast Sunday was 18.1." That is the "opposite of the previous week, when the rating for the 30 minutes was 10.9" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/11)....Dolphins-Jets two weeks ago "produced a season-low 14.9 rating, equaling 14.9 percent of Dade/Broward TV households." Last Sunday’s Dolphins game "did even worse, a 14.4, which is pretty dismal for a home team’s NFL game." That is "below last season’s 16.9 average Dolphins rating, which was worst among markets with one NFL team." One local ratings point "equals 16,562 homes" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 12/10).
