Next year, maybe 10 on postgame gig?

Yeah, it got pretty crowded in the ole Pirate's ship on Sunday, no? They could have had about 3 or 4 and been fine. No need to drag Holmgren, Dungy and Millen into the mix. Although, granted, i would happily accept any of them if they REPLACED Jerome Bettis and/or Tiki Barber come next fall.

As for the pre-game, I watch about the last hour while I'm setting up the food/beverage table. That's more than enough. I really don't need to know the whole story about the backup right tackle's grandmother, whose cat died the night before the season opener. 2 hours would be more than sufficient (and also allow NBC to show the Boston-Montreal NHL game earlier in the day).

But I understand it is all sponsor-driven. Too many people wanting to jump on the ad bandwagon and not enough spots during the game itself. And a longer pre-game show --- which viewers can skip --- is preferable to, say, 8 TV timeouts per quarter (the present number is 5).

Because of the massive audience numbers, the Super Bowl (and a few other events) may be more recession proof than other sporting events. But next year it comes less than a week prior to the start of the Olympics, so advertisers may have to ration their ad dollars.

 

It's really just a matter of old practices coming back to the fore. In the early days of television, entire programs were sponsored by one advertiser (Texaco Star Theater, anyone?). That kind of thing was still around to some extent in the late '60s with Fred McMurray and one of the boys doing a Kellogg's Corn Flakes spot right in the middle of My Three Sons.

 

I actually have no problem when an actor comes on at the start of a program (usually cable) and announces that there will be limited commercial interruption thanks to Southern Comfort or Lexus or whatever. It's the the cheeziness of the placement and integrating it into the narrative.

 

You sure he was mute? I thought he was just dumb.

 

Mark2010....yea, i wondered about bringing Millen, Dungy and Holmgrem into the act, too. again, far too many. four, at the most, would have been plenty.
but isn't overloading the norm now for NBC's coverage of the NFL? look at their Costas-led Sunday stuff. Geez. Next thing you know, they'll have Oscar winners as guest announcers.

 

Is Matt Millen smart again?
Did I miss a memo?