Pity Andrea Kremer
It isn’t even 10 o’clock Sunday morning-more than seven hours before the start of the Super Bowl-and here’s the ESPN reporter standing in a nearly deserted Georgia Dome to tell viewers the Bills were down to their final preparations. Again. She’d just been seen nine hours earlier saying much of the same things.
Pity Chris Berman.
It’s nearly noon and already he’s quoting his millionth rock ‘n’ roll lyric. Berman, Jackson, Joe Theismann and Chris Mortensen have been in residence in the same Atlanta hotel lobby so long, they probably could vote in the next Fulton County election.
Bulletin, bulletin: ESPN continues its pregame programming after “NFL Gameday” with “The Making of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Calendar.” Definite Peabody Award material.
Back to reality: By 2:30, NBC is offering a half-hour promo for the 1996 Summer Olympics, which take place in-my what a coincidence-Atlanta and will be televised by-again, what a coincidence-NBC. In a clever piece of counter-programming, ESPN repeats a “Monday Night Matchup” Super Bowl preview from last year. After all, it’s the same two teams, right?
At 3 p.m., it’s time for NBC’s “Super Bowl Live,” which, unlike all the pregame programming on ESPN, seems aimed more at the casual fan than the hardcore NFL viewer. More entertainment (Bill Cosby, Computer Bowl II), less X’s-and-O’s. Also, there’s the touchy-feely features about Super Bowl III (Joe Namath: “It was a kill-or-be-killed situation”) and the ’70s Vikings as well as the sympathetic O.J. Simpson interviews with Leon Lett and Bruce Smith (“As far as my father’s health is concerned, I’m powerless”).
At least, executive producer Tommy Roy is smart enough this week to put Mike Ditka, Joe Gibbs and host Jim Lampley in a glass-enclosed area, away from the shouts and taunts of Bills fans. At halftime, while the much-touted Wynonna and Naomi Judd reunion is mercifully short, Will McDonough is forced to shout his Cowboys report over some screaming teenagers in the background.
It’s gametime: A pretentious teaser-comparing the game itself to a Greek morality play-finally opens the game telecast at 4:58. By 5:25, and after Eddie Murray’s field goal gives Dallas its first lead, it’s time for Chrysler Corp. to introduce its new toy, a car called Neon. That spot is followed in the first quarter by the first Bud Bowl VI spot (featuring Marv Albert, Mike Ditka and Bum Phillips), Pepsi (Cindy Crawford, Michael Richards and Rodney Dangerfield), Converse (Larry Johnson and a former Munchkin) and Lipton tea (Bo Jackson).
Between quarters, we’re treated to the new Doritos ad with Chevy Chase (so far, the funniest). With an estimated 133 million viewers, it’s no wonder ad agencies are willing to pay the $900,000 for a 30-second slot on the Super Bowl.
The second quarter is filled with newcomer Alamo’s 90-second spot, the first of two new Nike ads (Michael Jordan as “Johnny Kilroy”), the latest McDonald’s campaign (Charles Barkley joining Jordan and Larry Bird) and Reebok (Shaquille O’Neal rapping). The highly-promoted Wavy Lay’s potato chip spot with Dan Quayle finally arrives at 6:43 as the country-music halftime show begins.
The third quarter and as the Cowboys take control, it’s more Pepsi (Woodstock reunion parody), Lipton tea (David Carridine) and Bud Bowl VI. By the fourth quarter, the only new ads seen are the second Nike spot, the end (mercifully) of Bud Bowl VI and the Reebok spot shot during the game with Emmitt Smith.
Almost lost in this cornucopia of American commerce is the game telecast itself. Producer John Faratzis juggles replays as quickly as he can through the Bills’ hurry-up offense. Analyst Bob Trumpy sometimes lends a false urgency to the proceedings. “Buffalo can’t play a defense like this,” he says after only two plays. But play-by-play man Dick Enberg is his usual solid self. “Almost single-handedly, Emmitt Smith goes down the field,” he says as the Cowboys regain the lead in the third quarter. By the end of the game, the entire NBC crew-from camera operators to announcers-is dwelling on the fate of the four-time losing Bills and the dunking of Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson (which is missed because it happens while the Bills are running a play).
Postgame jitters: Just about the only drama (outside of whether the phone hookup with the White House would work) on the postgame show is whether NBC’s O.J. Simpson would get any interviews with the Bills. Coach Marv Levy and Thurman Thomas do show, although Levy is on tape.
More Top Picks Best Canon Lenses For Wildlife
And with 10 straight wins by the NFC, the Super Bowl is fast becoming just another football telecast.
Programming note: “Front Page,” the Fox Network’s newsmagazine, claims to have “never-before-seen” footage of Babe Ruth’s “called-shot” home run against the Cubs in the 1932 World Series. Correspondent Josh Mankiewicz interviews Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle and NBC’s Bob Costas about the film at 8 p.m. Tuesday on WFLD-Ch. 32.