Football Night in America

infobox television | show_name = Football Night In America


format = Sports
runtime = 75 minutes
starring = Bob Costas
Keith Olbermann
Dan Patrick
Cris Collinsworth
Jerome Bettis
Peter King
Tiki Barber
country = USA
network = NBC
picture_format = 480i (SDTV),
1080i (HDTV)
first_aired = September 10, 2006
last_aired = present
website = http://www.snfonnbc.com/

"Football Night in America" is the studio show preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League (NFL) games starting in the 2006 and 2007 National Football League seasons.

how title similarities

The show's title closely resembles CBC Television's long-running "Hockey Night in Canada" franchise. Also, NBC (along with ABC and Major League Baseball in a joint effort called "The Baseball Network") had previously (1994-1995) aired baseball games as the similarly-titled "Baseball Night in America".

Radio version

Al Trautwig hosts an abbreviated radio version of the pregame called "NBC's NFL Sunday", which is co-produced with Westwood One and airs before that network's coverage of "Sunday Night Football".

Personalities

* Jerome Bettis: (Studio Analyst), (2006–present)
* Cris Collinsworth: (Studio Co-Host and Analyst), (2006–present)
* Bob Costas: (Studio Host), (2006–present)
* Peter King: (Reporter), (2006–present)
* Andrea Kremer: (Sideline Reporter), (2006–present)
* John Madden: (Color Commentary), (2006–present)
* Al Michaels: (Play-by-Play), (2006–present)
* Sterling Sharpe: (Studio Analyst), (2006)
* Tiki Barber: (Studio Analyst), (2007–present)
* Keith Olbermann: (Studio Co-Host), (2007–present)
* Dan Patrick: (Studio Co-Host) (2008 - present)

For the 2006 season, Bob Costas was the host, Cris Collinsworth, Sterling Sharpe, and Jerome Bettis were the analysts, and "Sports Illustrated" columnist Peter King was the special "insider" reporter.

On September 7, 2006, Jerome Bettis arrived on the exterior set in a school bus. His nickname as a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers was "The Bus." That night, in addition to analysis, Bettis received his ring for winning Super Bowl XL.

Bettis missed the December 3 show to prepare for the funeral of his father, Johnnie, who had died of a heart attack the previous Tuesday. Bettis was replaced by Marshall Faulk of the NFL Network (who at the time was technically still an active player in the NFL, although the St. Louis Rams eventually cut him after a series of injuries).

At the end of the 2006 season, Sharpe's contract was apparently terminated, and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber replaced him in 2007. [An [http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/news-20070213000000-tikibarberjoinsnb.html NBC press release] announcing Barber's signing specifically says he will join Costas, Collinsworth, Bettis and King on "FNIA". Sharpe's name is omitted from the release.] MSNBC "Countdown" anchorman Keith Olbermann was named as another co-host. [An [http://nbcumv.com/sports/release_detail.nbc/sports-20070416000000-keitholbermannname.html NBC press release] announcing Olbermann joining host Bob Costas and co-host Cris Collinsworth, and analysts Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber.] [ [http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/260944.html NBC: Keith Olbermann, Tiki Barber and an innovative new approach have transformed the pregame show from a dull, meandering exercise into a model highlights show that blends humor, news and reasoned commentary without all the bluster and bombast. Olbermann's wit has enlivened the show, and Barber -- poised, polished and thoughtful -- has been a huge upgrade over Screaming Sterling Sharpe. By placing Bob Costas and Olbermann on one set to narrate highlights, and Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis and Barber on another to analyze them, NBC has effectively eliminated the temptation for the commentators to shout over each other during highlights. What a novel, and welcomed, concept.] ]

In addition, Costas and Collinsworth hosted the halftime show of the Georgia Tech-Notre Dame game on September 1, 2007. This turned out to be a one-shot promotional appearance.

how format

2006

how sets

During the 2006 preseason, the "Football Night" team appeared at halftime from an exterior set at the site of that night's game. This is because the set at Rockefeller Center, where the show is based, was still being prepared. It now originates in Studio 8G of NBC's New York headquarters.

Original format

The show changed its format by the end of the first half of the 2006 season. Originally, the program began with a video package in which a football seemingly flies throughout the country. Several landmarks were featured in the introduction, including the Gateway Arch, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building. After a welcome, the day's scores were read off, before a first visit from the game announcers Al Michaels and John Madden.

The simulated landmark flyover was eventually removed and the reading of the game scores was replaced by a round table discussion called "The Week (number of NFL week) Buzz". The scores flash on the bottom of the screen during this discussion. Al Michaels and John Madden were now shown only once, on the later segment, "Drive to Kickoff". Just before the first highlights are shown, a rundown is on screen with the order in which the highlights will appear. This is similar to the list shown on "FSN Final Score".

Originally, the second segment featured several field reports from the day's games, more analysis, and inside information about the NFL from Peter King.

Reworked format

The field report segment was eventually eliminated and field reports on the show were limited, supposedly due to cutbacks at NBC Universal.

The second segment now contained an interview conducted earlier in the week, usually by Costas.

In the third segment, the studio team moved to a screening room, in which highlights of the daytime games were reviewed. This is the only show allowed to carry long-form highlights (up to three minutes, twice as long as the usual allowance). Because of Game Two of the 2006 World Series, and the preferrence that no NFL game goes up against Major League Baseball's Championship, a one-hour edition aired from 7 PM to 8 PM on October 22. Additionally, as the NFL spurns Christmas Eve contests (which was revoked in 2007), another one-hour show aired December 24.

"GMC Drive to Kickoff"

Shortly before 8 p.m. Eastern time, a segment begins called "GMC Drive to Kickoff" (sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet brand in 2006 and 2007). Michaels and Madden are shown, followed by closing analysis of the upcoming game. Within minutes, "Football Night" ends and game coverage begins with the theme sung first by P!nk in 2006 and currently by Faith Hill, who replaced the former Alycia Moore in 2007.

2007

Some major changes were effected for the 2007 season. Once again, Michaels and Madden are seen in the first segment. The second segment brings in Barber for some analysis. Starting in the third portion of the program, Costas and Olbermann take turns reading the highlights, while Barber, Collinsworth and Bettis are isolated in the "players' room" on another part of the set. After each set of highlights, the analysts comment on what has been shown. King also chimes in from a location on the main set.

For the last 30 minutes, Collinsworth emerges from the room and joins Costas on the large screen for highlights and analysis of two pre-selected "marquee matchups" (in Week 1, they were New England Patriots at New York Jets and Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers).

At the end of the show, the panelists reunite for a one-sentence summary before kickoff.

The roundtable segments and screening room have been eliminated entirely. Interviews continue to be run on occasion; for the September 23 show, Chicago Bears star Devin Hester spoke to Costas.

On the other hand, two features have been added: "TKO Report" (the letters stand for The Keith Olbermann) is a mini-commentary by Olbermann on a topic related to the game. "Monday Morning Headlines" summarizes the big stories of the afternoon, according to the panel.

At halftime, a shortened version of this show appears and Olbermann presents a new segment called "Worst Person in the NFL," modeled after "worst person in the world" on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann". His first "honoree" was himself, for advocating a light prison sentence for Michael Vick on his debut August 26 during a preseason game (The next day, Vick pleaded guilty to dogfighting). On the regular season debut, Olbermann pilloried Jets fans for cheering as Chad Pennington limped off the field with an ankle injury.

On September 16, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appeared live to discuss the videotape scandal that enveloped the New England Patriots and their head coach Bill Belichick. In the interview, Goodell revealed that the Patriots were asked to turn over all videotape and still photography from previous games and that the team could face further punishment than what had been announced. Olbermann missed this program due an emergency appendectomy, but he returned the following week.

A one-hour version of the show aired on October 28 as Game Four of the 2007 World Series was played that evening, and the NFL decided not to schedule a game that night. The show aired at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. This turned out to be the last game of the baseball season as the Boston Red Sox completed its sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Wild Card Saturday

Prior to the Wild Card Saturday doubleheader a half hour version of Football Night in America is aired with in depth preview of the first game, during the afternoon halftime a version of the Sunday Night Football halftime show is shown. After the conclusion of the afternoon game and before the kickoff of the night game, a version known in 2007 as the Diet Pepsi Bridge Show is shown. At this point, the format becomes very similar to the traditional "Football Night in America", with Faith Hill singing a special playoff version of the intro, Al Michaels and John Madden working the booth, and Olbermann doing a segment during halftime. Also, a horse trailer player of the game is named for the night game as well. In 2007, Miami Dolphins player Jason Taylor filled in for Cris Collinsworth in the player's room as Collinsworth was in Seattle commentating for the afternoon game with Tom Hammond.

2008

It was announced on July 7, 2008 that Dan Patrick was reunited with Olbermann on television for the first time since their days on ESPN's "SportsCenter". Also getting tweaked was the highlights package at the end of the show that was called "Olbertime", and renamed "The Little Big Show", a reference to the 1997 behind-the-scenes book "The Big Show" written by Patrick and Olbermann. Olbermann quipped "We tried 'Sportycenter', but that didn't work out." Save for Patrick and Olbermann, the format has been unchanged from 2007.

Again, as in the past two years, a one-hour edition is scheduled for October 26 from 7 PM to 8 PM due to the scheduled Game Four of the 2008 World Series, as no NFL game will be telecast.

uper Bowl XLIII

Since NBC is the rightsholder to Super Bowl XLIII, a four hour show, with the expected title "Super Sunday in America", will be telecast at 2 PM US EST/11 AM US PST before the game.

ee also

*"The NFL on NBC Pregame Show"

References

External links

* [http://www.snfonnbc.com/ NBC Sunday Night Football official web site]
* [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11452491/ Announcement of Bettis' arrival at NBC]
* [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6329128.html?display=Breaking+News News of King's hiring]