CBS NFL announcer pairings

RedOctober3829

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The following are the Network’s NFL announcer pairings for the 2017 season (play-by-play/analyst//reporter):

Jim Nantz/Tony Romo//Tracy Wolfson*

Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts//Evan Washburn

Greg Gumbel/Trent Green//Jamie Erdahl

Kevin Harlan/Rich Gannon

Andrew Catalon/James Lofton*

Spero Dedes/ Adam Archuleta*

Tom McCarthy /Steve Tasker/Steve Beuerlein*

Beth Mowins/Jay Feely*

Beth Mowins becomes the first woman to call NFL games for CBS.

https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-sports/releases/view?id=48308

The Patriots will see the following pairings for the first 3 weeks

Week 1 vs KC(NBC): Al Michaels/Cris Collingsworth/Michele Tafoya
Week 2 at NO 1:00: Jim Nantz/Tony Romo/Tracy Wolfson
Week 3 vs. Houston 1:00 : Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts/Evan Washburn
 

E5 Yaz

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Do the asterisks note changes from the year before?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Hooray for no more Phil Simms and all, but I have to wonder if it grates on guys like Trent Green and Rich Gannon that the new, unproven guy gets put right into the A-team booth while they still toil on the B/C teams?

Not that they're any great shakes or anything, but unless Romo is a pure natural talent, there are going to be some bumps in the road as he learns the job. Bumps they've had a chance to put time in and work through already. It's not like they're being passed over by the hot first round draft pick straight off a Rose Bowl win...it's by a guy who's only qualification for the job (his name) has very little to the ability to do the job well.

Or maybe they actually prefer working meaningless Dolphins-Jets games in mid-November.
 

Ale Xander

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From the admittedly little I've seen of him, Romo is a pure natural talent, certainly more natural than a Simms or Fouts or Beuerlein.

I do think Gannon deserved that top spot, but maybe no chemistry with Nantz? Then again, it's Nantz.

My ears prefer Gannon/Harlan over the other CBS teams.
 

TheBoomah

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I'm pleased to see that Mike Mayock's name is nowhere to be found on that list.

Disappointing not to see Solomon Wilcots' name on that list. He was pleasant to listen to, and along with Spero Dedes they weren't grating on the ears.
 

wibi

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You know if you guys would just root for an NFC team you wouldnt have to worry about listening to Wilcots or Romo :fonz:
 

BigJimEd

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I found Romo very mediocre. Not horrible but was expecting better after the praise I heard last week.
 

Bowhemian

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I found Romo very mediocre. Not horrible but was expecting better after the praise I heard last week.
100% agree. As the game went on, it seemed like he was trying to hard to come up with stories or anecdotes about things. That whole vegan thing was dumb.
I am sure Romo will be fine eventually. I just didn't particularly care for him.
 

Number45forever

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I thought Romo was pretty good. He's still in the very excited, trying a bit too hard phase of this. I think he's going to be fantastic once he gets some more experience. I loved the prediction of plays that seemed to be based just on formation. The jokes were a bit forced to say the least, but Nantz isn't helping with that either. Fully on team Romo, I bet by late season he's a lot better at this and I already think he's good.

Simms has been horrific for like 5-6 years now. Romo was so much better.
 

soxfan121

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FWIW, this morning on T&R, Boomer Esaison said that "me and Phil" could both call plays pre-snap the way Romo is doing but that it "isn't encouraged" by coaching staffs who let the announcers into walk throughs and pre-game planning. Boomer predicted that Romo would soon stop doing that - which I found to be the best part of his performance - soon.
 

Dotrat

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I enjoyed Romo, though the stat talk was pretty annoying. Otherwise, though, I thought he was pretty insightful and amusingly goofy when he tried to be funny. By early in the 3Q of a blowout, it's hard to find things to discuss that might keep a casual viewer interested, and I thought he did well with that aspect of the job as well. He also seems to have brought out the best in Nantz, who I normally can't stand. But he sounds more energized and engaged with the game than he has in years. I think that has to count in Romo's favor, too.
 

NortheasternPJ

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It was interesting, Boomer was on T&R this morning and they asked him about Romo and how he could predict things etc. and Boomers' response was basically "we all could sit there and do the exact same thing, but we don't for a variety of reasons" I'm not sure if it was against the code to reveal that stuff they saw or talked about (see what I did there??) during the week or if it just becomes annoying
 

TheoShmeo

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I love the indirect or even direct crap that Simms is getting as a result of Romo's performance. Simms made my ears gush for years and while he was hard to hate personally, he was also horrendous as a color man. I cannot recall a single time when he provided an insight. I don't think I learned a single thing from him over the years. And his unwillingness to take a stand or criticize was beyond annoying. Romo may wear off and revealing what he has been told may result in him being told less. It probably will. But if this also leads to more being expected of color guys, and less of the likes of Phil Simms, then thank you thank you thank you.
 

NortheasternPJ

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I love the indirect or even direct crap that Simms is getting as a result of Romo's performance. Simms made my ears gush for years and while he was hard to hate personally, he was also horrendous as a color man. I cannot recall a single time when he provided an insight. I don't think I learned a single thing from him over the years. And his unwillingness to take a stand or criticize was beyond annoying. Romo may wear off and revealing what he has been told may result in him being told less. It probably will. But if this also leads to more being expected of color guys, and less of the likes of Phil Simms, then thank you thank you thank you.
I personally found it distracting when he'd go "RUN TO THE LEFT COMING HERE" then there was a run to the left. I'd much rather have him tell us why after, much like when watching a movie someone not go "HERE COMES THE VILLAN BEHIND THAT DOOR".

I think overall he was really fine. I don't get what the orgasm over him was in week 1 like he was something revolutionary.
 

mauidano

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I personally found it distracting when he'd go "RUN TO THE LEFT COMING HERE" then there was a run to the left. I'd much rather have him tell us why after, much like when watching a movie someone not go "HERE COMES THE VILLAN BEHIND THAT DOOR".

I think overall he was really fine. I don't get what the orgasm over him was in week 1 like he was something revolutionary.
Expectations were high for Romo. He's insightful but FFS, he's no Troy Aikman. His voice is a little "tinny". He has a lot of potential but still green so yeah, hold off on the orgasms.
 

8slim

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I thought he was great, largely because he was unpolished and genuine. It won't take long for that to be stomped out of him, so enjoy it while it lasts.
 

MyDaughterLovesTomGordon

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Expectations were high for Romo. He's insightful but FFS, he's no Troy Aikman. His voice is a little "tinny". He has a lot of potential but still green so yeah, hold off on the orgasms.
Agree on the tinny, and I think it's mostly because he has bad mic control and has a hard time with modulating his volume correctly. It sounded to me like the producers were often scrambling to make sure he didn't swerve up and down in volume when he got excited, etc. That should get better as he learns how to "broadcast."

He also had some times where it was clear he was listening to a producer and sort of stopped what he was saying or lost his train of thought.

In general, though, I actually learned some stuff, which is more than I can say for Simms. I liked his pieces on Brady's footwork, thought his predictions were solid and interesting, and thought he had some Eck qualities where it was clear he really enjoyed and appreciated the players' performances.

Made for a pretty good broadcast, in general.
 

GeorgeCostanza

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The bloom is off the rose. I thought Romo was dreadful today, and I say that as someone's who thought his first two weeks were fantastic. Just a bump in the road I suspect, which is no surprise considering the lack of experience going into it.
 

Hendu for Kutch

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I personally found it distracting when he'd go "RUN TO THE LEFT COMING HERE" then there was a run to the left. I'd much rather have him tell us why after, much like when watching a movie someone not go "HERE COMES THE VILLAN BEHIND THAT DOOR".
See, I go the opposite way. There's so much going on in every play, and your eyes can only focus on so much - for most it's wherever the ball is, so typically the QB. But with a heads up like "run to the left coming here", I can actually focus on the LT and/or TE on that side and watch as the edge is sealed or the DE funnels the runner back inside.

As long as it's just an educated guess, I'm totally cool with it, and I think it gives an insight into what the defense might be expecting as well. It just gives an untrained eye an important place to focus on instead of the generic QB focus that usually happens.
 

mauf

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See, I go the opposite way. There's so much going on in every play, and your eyes can only focus on so much - for most it's wherever the ball is, so typically the QB. But with a heads up like "run to the left coming here", I can actually focus on the LT and/or TE on that side and watch as the edge is sealed or the DE funnels the runner back inside.

As long as it's just an educated guess, I'm totally cool with it, and I think it gives an insight into what the defense might be expecting as well. It just gives an untrained eye an important place to focus on instead of the generic QB focus that usually happens.
I'm with you.

I watch RedZone on Sundays, so yesterday was my first extended exposure to Romo (he called one of the three late games), and I thought he was terrific. Even when he gets things wrong, he adds insight. For example, when he wrongly predicted a run to the right on a play-action pass play, his call helped me understand why that play was so successful. Likewise, when he called for a fade in the end zone and the QB ended up throwing the ball away, I understood what the QB was looking for and why it didn't materialize -- which I could probably see for myself in the all-22 (or if I was at the game), but which most announcers fail to help the TV viewer "see."
 

Clears Cleaver

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I have no idea why they don't show the games in all-22 mode all the time. It's significantly better
 

DourDoerr

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I have no idea why they don't show the games in all-22 mode all the time. It's significantly better
I like when they use all-22 for replays, but wouldn't want to watch a whole game that way. One of the reasons why football's been so popular on tv is the way it's shot and edited on the fly. Networks used to broadcast games that looked a lot like all-22 and it's so distancing. It's a little like seeing a movie of a play. NFL films brought the cameras closer - right up into the faces of the players and coaches and that's where the drama is. Cuts from long shots to closeups to replays, etc. keep the pace moving and, as viewers, we're swept up and are privy to moments happening all over a 100 yard field as well as within a giant stadium. It's pretty impressive.

That said, too many games are covered very similarly and it can get stale. I like the quirky and unexpected and it's too bad that it's quashed relentlessly. Think of Namath's "I wanna kiss you" or Dreith's (or was it Jimmy Cagney?) "He was giving him the business" and it's funny to think of how NFL execs would prefer they'd never have happened.

My favorite angle is the skycam just behind the QB looking out at the defense before the snap. Almost never get to see it.
 

NortheasternPJ

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That said, too many games are covered very similarly and it can get stale. I like the quirky and unexpected and it's too bad that it's quashed relentlessly. Think of Namath's "I wanna kiss you" or Dreith's (or was it Jimmy Cagney?) "He was giving him the business" and it's funny to think of how NFL execs would prefer they'd never have happened.

My favorite angle is the skycam just behind the QB looking out at the defense before the snap. Almost never get to see it.
To me the real issue is CBS is terrible at broadcasting games. They don't have enough cameras, their producers are terrible (or told that vanilla coverage is the only thing to accept) and their commentators leave a lot to be desired. I'd much rather watch games on FOX, NBC or ESPN, but the Pats are very rarely on there. I love watching NFC games when the Pats aren't on because FOX's coverage is so much better. Plus their mic'ing of the crowd makes it feel much more immersive as well. So many CBS broadcasts are the Wonder Bread of sports coverage.
 

DourDoerr

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To me the real issue is CBS is terrible at broadcasting games. They don't have enough cameras, their producers are terrible (or told that vanilla coverage is the only thing to accept) and their commentators leave a lot to be desired. I'd much rather watch games on FOX, NBC or ESPN, but the Pats are very rarely on there. I love watching NFC games when the Pats aren't on because FOX's coverage is so much better. Plus their mic'ing of the crowd makes it feel much more immersive as well. So many CBS broadcasts are the Wonder Bread of sports coverage.
This is very true! Before Fox got involved in the NFL, it used to be CBS that had the NFC and the better productions and NBC's were worse. Then Fox bought in and took CBS' production teams and the NFC when CBS was left out in the cold. After CBS got back in, they took NBC's crews and here we are. And so the Patriots have always been stuck with the inferior crews and commentators. It's weird that CBS doesn't just copy Fox and try to be even better. There's hours and hours of lessons on hard drives.
 

edoug

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This is very true! Before Fox got involved in the NFL, it used to be CBS that had the NFC and the better productions and NBC's were worse. Then Fox bought in and took CBS' production teams and the NFC when CBS was left out in the cold. After CBS got back in, they took NBC's crews and here we are. And so the Patriots have always been stuck with the inferior crews and commentators. It's weird that CBS doesn't just copy Fox and try to be even better. There's hours and hours of lessons on hard drives.
I watched the Seahawks/Packers game on Fox a couple of weeks ago. Fox showed some different angles and views that I've never seen for a football game before. It looked terrific.
 

loshjott

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To me the real issue is CBS is terrible at broadcasting games. They don't have enough cameras, their producers are terrible (or told that vanilla coverage is the only thing to accept) and their commentators leave a lot to be desired. I'd much rather watch games on FOX, NBC or ESPN, but the Pats are very rarely on there. I love watching NFC games when the Pats aren't on because FOX's coverage is so much better. Plus their mic'ing of the crowd makes it feel much more immersive as well. So many CBS broadcasts are the Wonder Bread of sports [edit] news, entertainment, everything [/edit] coverage.
 

Ale Xander

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Fox is great in every way except the presence of Joe Buck and only showing 2 Pats game a year.

I'm happy that Tirico found a better deal with NBC, but Seanie M over him is a big improvement at ESPN too.
 

kenneycb

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Fox is great in every way except the presence of Joe Buck and only showing 2 Pats game a year.

I'm happy that Tirico found a better deal with NBC, but Seanie M over him is a big improvement at ESPN too.
Is McDonough actually awake for the games? It sounds like he couldn't be less excited to be there.

I'm a fan of Buck. I think it's just gotten to the point where it's cool to hate on him when in reality, he doesn't suck. Probably not the greatest PBP guy ever, but there are far worse.
 

Average Reds

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Is McDonough actually awake for the games? It sounds like he couldn't be less excited to be there.

I'm a fan of Buck. I think it's just gotten to the point where it's cool to hate on him when in reality, he doesn't suck. Probably not the greatest PBP guy ever, but there are far worse.
I think a lot of the crap he takes is because he is presumed to be biased (for the Cardinals) in baseball and because he tries so hard to be a "personality." (Remember "Joe Buck Live" on HBO?) Also, he has some quirky elements to his personality. I mean, the jokes about hair transplant addiction write themselves.

Putting all that aside, I agree that he's a very solid play-by-play guy in both football and baseball.
 
I watched Super Bowl LI last night - not Buck's best performance by any means, but I did enjoy his commentary when the Patriots punted at the end of their first possession, and Buck said, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history." Weems caught the punt and made about five yards on the return, and then Buck just repeated, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history," completely deadpan. Aikman chuckled, as did I...and that is one of Buck's strengths, deadpan humor in unexpected situations.
 

NortheasternPJ

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I watched Super Bowl LI last night - not Buck's best performance by any means, but I did enjoy his commentary when the Patriots punted at the end of their first possession, and Buck said, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history." Weems caught the punt and made about five yards on the return, and then Buck just repeated, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history," completely deadpan. Aikman chuckled, as did I...and that is one of Buck's strengths, deadpan humor in unexpected situations.
I’d take 20 Joe Bucks vs the rest of these clowns. The only thing that still irks me is the faux outrage over the Randy Moss mooning. He pulled a major Bob Costas on that one. It was like 20 years ago so I probably need to let it go.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I’d take 20 Joe Bucks vs the rest of these clowns. The only thing that still irks me is the faux outrage over the Randy Moss mooning. He pulled a major Bob Costas on that one. It was like 20 years ago so I probably need to let it go.
Is it weird that I hate Joe Buck as a baseball announcer but like him quite a bit for football? Like, 100% different visceral reactions to hearing him in one vs. the other.

Edit: I think part of this may be related to usually seeing him cover non-Pats games on Fox, in which case I'm much less likely to experience the same severe agitation and defensiveness I feel anytime an announcer appears to criticize them or favor an opponent. If I'm hearing him on a baseball broadcast, on the other hand, it's almost certainly a Sox game.

Either way, for some reason he just hits my ear differently depending on the sport. I don't have the same feelings regarding Kevin Harlan, for example.
 
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joe dokes

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I’d take 20 Joe Bucks vs the rest of these clowns. The only thing that still irks me is the faux outrage over the Randy Moss mooning. He pulled a major Bob Costas on that one. It was like 20 years ago so I probably need to let it go.
Its true. That's really the only tangible thing I can think of. I enjoy his game calls well enough in football. He still seems to have a healthy appreciation for what the players do, but at the same time, his tone (self-deprecating or whatever) suggests that he understands that he's not broadcasting the Normandy invasion and that the NFL is *not* actually a proxy for "America." He's broadcasting a sporting event.
 

The Needler

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I watched Super Bowl LI last night - not Buck's best performance by any means, but I did enjoy his commentary when the Patriots punted at the end of their first possession, and Buck said, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history." Weems caught the punt and made about five yards on the return, and then Buck just repeated, "Nobody has ever returned a punt for a touchdown in Super Bowl history," completely deadpan. Aikman chuckled, as did I...and that is one of Buck's strengths, deadpan humor in unexpected situations.
The thing is, that's what many of us hate about him. I remember that very well, and didn't think it was funny at all. One man's deadpan is the next's self-satisfied, smarmy, and unfunny. I just don't think his "humor" or personality are at all appealing. He's got a good voice, delivery, and knowledge, but it's there where he loses me.
 

riboflav

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Is McDonough actually awake for the games? It sounds like he couldn't be less excited to be there.

I'm a fan of Buck. I think it's just gotten to the point where it's cool to hate on him when in reality, he doesn't suck. Probably not the greatest PBP guy ever, but there are far worse.
I take it you did not grow up in the mid-80s/early 90s with Sean as the voice of the Red Sox? This is an almost sacrilegious comment for me.
 

Vinho Tinto

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McDonough is low energy for a majority of his broadcasts. Never liked that about him, but he does a 180 when the game gets to a dramatic moment. He’s about as good as it gets at calling a walk off or a last second bucket.
 

shaggydog2000

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Its true. That's really the only tangible thing I can think of. I enjoy his game calls well enough in football. He still seems to have a healthy appreciation for what the players do, but at the same time, his tone (self-deprecating or whatever) suggests that he understands that he's not broadcasting the Normandy invasion and that the NFL is *not* actually a proxy for "America." He's broadcasting a sporting event.
Well, for a long time when you saw Buck doing a baseball game, he was doing them with Tim McCarver, who deserves all the hate you can heap on him. He brought out the worst in Buck in terms of douchiness, Yankees ball-washing, and pompousness.
 

Gorton Fisherman

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McDonough is low energy for a majority of his broadcasts. Never liked that about him, but he does a 180 when the game gets to a dramatic moment. He’s about as good as it gets at calling a walk off or a last second bucket.
McDonough's a good play by play guy, but I think his style just fits baseball better. I really liked him as the Sox PBP guy back in the day, but I find his MNF calls pretty dull. I greatly preferred Tirico on MNF.
 

tims4wins

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McDonough was tremendous during Pats-Ravens MNF last year. Go back and listen to his calls on the safety and the Hogan TD. Asleep my ass