MYSTERY MANN
Tough to track Eli & Peyton’s erratic MNF schedule
On Tuesday, in a display of corporate cockiness, the National Football League tweeted: “Took one week to make Peyton and Eli’s MNF cast appointment viewing.” Don’t mean to dump on the Manning Brothers ESPN2 house party, but how can the NFL pitch “appointment viewing” when the unwashed masses don’t know when to schedule the appointment?
In their contract with ESPN suits, Peyton and Eli Manning signed up for 10 of the 17 games on the “Monday Night Football” schedule. They will be doing the ManningCast Monday night (Lions vs. Packers) as well as in Week No. 3 (Dallas vs. Philadelphia). After that game, who knows? Guess the Manning Bros., fall into the TBD category. What we have here is a case of disrupted continuity/consistency.
That’s not a good thing whether you are selling the ManningCast or gourmet popcorn. Disrupting the continuity is not a good thing, especially when you are trying to build familiarity with the product and ultimately make it into a hit show.
When the Manning’s start taking their seven weeks off — no matter how that breaks down on the “MNF” sked — it won’t be appealing for viewers who are getting acclimated to the Peyton/Eli product, especially after their fast start where they raised the expectations bar. Now, the Manning Bros., have something to live up to.
The Manning’s delivered the word. They delivered the eyeballs too.
Their debut came with gaga reviews and, most importantly, 800,000 viewers watching. The ultra-successful beginning, which included a blend of football talk, comedy, and two players, who played it close to the vest with the media, reacting uninhibited and spontaneously for three hours during a wild Ravens-Raiders tilt.
The crazier the game became the more you wanted to hear from what turned into three quarterbacks (Seahawks QB Russell Wilson joined the Mannings late in the game) who actually had experienced wacky versions of crunch time. They also were not weighed down by a traditional play-by-play voice who guides the analysts down the stretch of a close game, sometimes to the detriment of the broadcast.
The success of Week 1’s ManningCast should bring even more eyeballs to the proceedings in Weeks
2 and 3. What happens when the music stops and they take their first break? When they were on a roll as players did they want to take a week off? It’s even more risky on this platform. The ManningCast could lose viewers whenever it returns from hiatus.
Some consumers, who were learning to like an alternative to the regular “MNF” telecast, will tune in looking for the ManningCast and leave disappointed when they don’t find it. Others, knowing the Manning’s are off will return to the traditional “MNF” booth featuring Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick and stick with it.
This would not be a bad thing for ESPN suits. When it comes to Monday Night Football, all eyeballs actually fall under one tent. They are seeing the same advertisements no matter what version they are watching.
Yet when it comes to the “ManningCast,” which has delivered desperately needed buzz to “MNF,” it’s a bad idea, a losing proposition, to hit the pause button and leave viewers wondering when to make that next appointment.
EARLY JUDGE-MENT
It’s only going to get worse for Joe Judge.
Even before the 30-29 Giants loss to Washington Thursday night, media seals were flapping closer to the coach. Once again, it was more about his media stylings than his coaching.
Three days before the Giants loss, ESPN’s Rex Ryan was on the radio
chirping. He basically called Judge a fake bad dude, laughingly anointing him as “tough guy Joe.” Ryan, who has a history here, took the media to task, flagging football scribes for fawning, saying: “Everybody was ready to put Joe Judge in Canton [after winning six games last season].”
Gasbags were not holding back either. On WFAN Thursday afternoon, Craig Carton who claims to actually like Judge, sarcastically referred to the coach as “a football savant” then he said: “Joe Judge has an air about him like he has won something. …Sometimes he’s a little too cute for himself . ... He has to dump the coach speak.”
That won’t happen. The question remaining is this: If the Giants are out of it by Halloween who takes the bigger Valley of the Stupid hit?
Judge? Or Dave Gettleman?
EGO BOOTH
It’s got to be damaging to the egos of Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick to wake up Tuesday morning and see all the attention the ManningCast received as they searched for a few words aptly describing their solid performance working the Ravens-Raiders thriller.
That’s what happens when the star system kicks into high gear and, in this case, delivers — big time. The “MNF” trio has been around a long time and knows this. Nonetheless it was sort of comical listening to some astute observers who reached out to the regular “MNF” cast saying the Manning Bros., could actually provide them with cover.
Then again, ESPN suits, who are more renowned for messing things up (especially inside the Bristol Cantina) then getting anything right, came up smelling like flowers after the Manning’s debut. ESPN ostensibly upped the ante in what should be an “arms” race with the Amazon Prime Video enterprise, which is searching for a “different” kind of Thursday Night Football team when it takes over the package next season.
How is Amazon going to top the Manning Bros., who ESPN has under contract for three years?
NO GOOD
The Giants rough ending to Thursday night’s loss in Landover, Md., was mirrored by what happened in the Giants Radio Network (heard on WFAN) booth.
Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins prepared for what would be his first attempt at a game winning field goal. Bob Papa, the radio voice of the Giants, tracked the ball headed toward the uprights before saying: “Good!...It’s good!”
Analyst Carl Banks had jump in and correct his partner: “No, he missed it. He missed it!”
Hopkins would get another chance to win the game when Dexter Lawrence’s offsides penalty negated the miss.
At the beginning of the tilt, Papa explained to listeners that the FedEx Field radio booth is “the worst [positioned] in the NFL.”
Perhaps that fact played a role in his botching the call.
AROUND THE DIAL
In his rookie season, Julian Edelman is tearing it up on Paramount+’s “Inside the NFL.” Funny, insightful and a very likable presence, even when going one-on-one with Phil Simms . ... Evan Roberts might want to stick to being himself. On WFAN, in another interview with Luis Rojas, Roberts reversed field, clearly dialing back his approach and turning the Rojas spot into a snooze fest. Sad . ... No voice, associated with Yankees TV or radio, has been a better barometer of the Yankees inconsistency than John (Pa Pinstripe) Sterling. Down the stretch Pa has wigged over the Yankees 1) Lack of driving in runs 2) Boone misusing his bullpen 3) The team’s lack of defense 4) All the strikeouts 5) etc. etc. Sterling’s frustration is making the broadcasts special. And thumbs up to Sweeny Murti, who meshed well with Pa while filling in for Suzyn (Ma Pinstripe) Waldman while she was observing Yom Kippur.