By: Jim Williams
The Examiner
OK let’s start with the former HBO must see “Inside the NFL,” it is moving to Showtime where it will be seen every Wednesday night at 8p.m. just like the old days. However Showtime will have CBS Sports as a partner.
James Brown will serve as the host of the show and he will be joined by Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth who is the only broadcaster left over from HBO talent pool.
“Phil Simms told me via conference call that he excited about getting a forum for his views: “As a color analyst I have been able to give some of my thoughts but my real role is to comment on the game. Now that I have this forum I will be able to have some fun talking about coaches and quarterbacks – who is doing a good job and who isn’t. I really think that with Cris (Collinsworth) we can have some great arguments that I feel the fans will enjoy.”
Meanwhile, Dan Patrick is now part of the Football Night in
During a media conference call this week Patrick on his new role: “I wanted to work for Dick Ebersol; I wanted to work with Bob Costas; and then you combine that with working with Keith; I’ve got Collinsworth who is the best analyst in the business, so I was walking into a table that was already set. We’ll have fun but we’ll have fun because I know all of these people. I covered Collinsworth when he was a rookie for the Bengals.”
Obermann on working with Patrick his old ESPN partner: “I know he still gets this and I still get this, people say all the time that ‘we wish we could see you guys working together.’ As good as he is and as good as I am as opposed to as good as I think I am, when we work together, we’re as good as any five people in the business, I think. That’s the magic that is clearly not going to be created in any way, shape or form, it just happens. I feel very fortunate that Dan chose to do this and that Dick and Bob and everybody else signed off on it. It’s very fortunate to get a second chance to make the proverbial first impression.”
One more final media note and that is New York Giants play by play man Bob Papa will be announced within the next week to be Bryant Gumbel’s replacement at the NFL Network. It has been one of the worst kept secrets in broadcasting.
Papa is a talented play by play man and should fit in quite well with Cris Collinsworth on the Thursday and Saturday broadcasts.
