CBS on Saturday drew a 5.6 overnight rating for Army-Navy, marking the football contest's best figure since a 6.5 overnight in '94. This year saw Army defeat Navy for the first time since '01. The 5.6 overnight from 3:00-6:30pm ET also is up 10% from a 5.1 overnight last year, and up from a 4.5 rating in '14. Army-Navy on Saturday peaked at a 6.9 rating as the game was concluding from 6:00-6:30pm (THE DAILY).
RAVE REVIEW: In Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote Army, Navy and CBS "delivered an outstanding afternoon of college football Saturday." CBS "went all out to deliver as much of that spectacle and add a bit of its own emotion as anyone has a right to expect of any TV sports operation." CBS "started strong with its pregame show," but the "real power of the pregame show was a report that looked back" at the '01 game after the attack on the World Trade Center. It "focused on graduates who had played in the game, graduated and went on to serve and die in combat." There was also "extra emotion in the booth," because it was the last game for CBS' Verne Lundquist after 17 years of calling college football. Zurawik: "It was a typical Lundquist call -- steady, easygoing, occasionally whimsical and never-ever self-serving or hot-dog. I thought his parting words to viewers after the game were also in keeping with his straightforward, unadorned style of broadcasting." CBS' Gary Danielson "hit a nice tone in his goodbyes to Lundquist as well," and he was "mostly on the money in his analysis" (Baltimore SUN, 12/11).
EMOTIONS RUN HIGH: In DC, Marissa Payne noted Lundquist "got a little emotional" on the broadcast. He "held it together at first, recalling the first time he saw a college football game" in '52. Lundquist: "Today, after hundreds of Saturday afternoons on the air, it’s time to step aside with a grateful nod to all of you who’ve been watching over the decades." Lundquist "ended his sign off by welcoming Brad Nessler, the man who will fill his position after several years at ESPN and ABC, and reminding his fans that he’s not going 'into hiding.'" Lundquist "reiterated that he plans to continue covering college basketball and golf for the network" (
WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/10).
