Costas takes show on the road
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
August 28, 2009
NBC is taking their "Football Night in America" program on the road this season. Bob Costas will host the show from a set at the "Sunday Night Football" game site. He will be joined by the new Sunday Night Football broadcast team of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who moves from the studio to the broadcast booth alongside Michaels to replace the recently-retired John Madden.
During a conference call this week I asked Costas about taking his act on the road.
Costas » "I think it's obvious that when you're at the scene of an event you get a whole different feel. You get to be part of the atmosphere. You're talking about a specific event and it isn't just any game, it is always one of the biggest and very often the obvious biggest marquee game of that particular Sunday. Plus I will be able to do live interviews from site or via satellite if need be. The fact that I am live on site from 7 p.m. till the game kicks off gives us flexibility to a number of things we could not do from the studio."
What about not being at 30 Rock in New York with the rest of the gang?
Costas » "While I've always enjoyed doing the studio show, we have Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, kind of the highlight tag team, and Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy to talk about the events of the day elsewhere and I just think it's a better use of me at this point to have me at the scene of an event."
What does Costas being at an event mean to the broadcast?
Costas » "I think I'm still able to bring something to events by capturing the atmosphere and making it more accessible to the casual fan. The idea is that this is a big event that captures the interest of hardcore and casual fans alike. That's what we try to do on the Olympics as well. I think it was the difference in our Super Bowl coverage. That's really more of what sportscasting is about then being confined to a studio."
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
