Mute Is the New Black

by John Morgan on Oct 5, 2009 8:01 PM PDT Comment 37 comments

My truce on moronic announcing is over. I thought the subject played out. That play-by-play men and color commentators were prima facie incompetent and that ridiculing them is piling on. I got a taste too much with Brian Billick, and then Dick Stockton and Charles Davis piled on. Announcing is not a privilege and announcers should not be able to spout nonsense and lies because no one is there to check them.

In back-to-back plays, Stockton and Davis misguided fans to false conclusions. The first was forgivable, but frustrating. Deion Branch made an incredible move to beat Tim Jennings' press and slide into the right flat for an easy 22 yard reception. The move was sick. The pass was a little too high to a wide-open man, but, all in all, not noteworthy. Davis, a former defensive back, did not credit Branch for discarding Jennings to get wide open. Davis did not criticize Jennings for taking too long looking in the backfield after he was beat. He credited Wallace for his throw. Every NFL quarterback could and should routinely make that throw.

The next play blew my mind, though. Wallace didn't throw the pass away. I wish he had, but he didn't. I don't wish he had because it would have been smart, it would have been stupid, but I wish he had because then this would be a case of bad decision making instead of bad play. No, Wallace targeted Houshmandzadeh, as he should have, but the pass was uncatchable. Stockton said he had to throw it away. Davis said Stockton was exactly right.

About this.

Seattle's multi-millionaire possession receiver beats the press and gets a step on Jennings to the outside. Housh has six inches and twenty pounds on Jennings. Jennings is behind Houshmandzadeh on an outside route and has no help. This pass isn't a gimme, but it also is one of the easiest passes a professional quarterback can make. A possession receiver isn't going to get more open in the red zone, so you target his outside shoulder and throw a bullet. Wallace didn't mean to, but he threw it away.

Davis and Stockton didn't need to credit Housh, though they should have, they didn't need to discredit Jennings for having his press beat back, though they should have, but they have to identify when the quarterback screws up. They didn't. They sung Wallace's praises for smartly throwing the ball away. And too many NFL fans believed them.

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Welcome to the light.

by abender20 on Oct 5, 2009 8:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I thought that too (the TJ play)

When they showed the replay they talked about the smart throw away, and I was thinking, fuck! Housh was wide open! Well, not wide open, but you lead him and that’s an easy touchdown. So it was just a terrible pass. What a bummer.

Seneca is so inconsistent, and usually more-so when it really matters. It’s like he’s playing with the jitters. Get this guy some ritalin already.

I’m beginning to think Seneca is the worst backup, not because he’s a terrible player, but because he takes forever to get going. Last excuse I heard was “well it takes Seneca a few games to start playing well” and I thought, then why the hell is he the backup?? You need a backup to come in and play right away (or a few games) and give you a shot to win. Oh well, we have no options this year, Teel would get eaten alive, but it almost feels like since we’re gonna lose anyway why not get him some experience? I guess it depends on how badly we wish to lose the non-Hasselbeck games.

by B.B.Finnegan on Oct 5, 2009 8:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I once thought Seneca is a great backup

I think he’s a pretty average backup now. Some skills, a giant divide between him and a starter.

by John Morgan on Oct 5, 2009 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I kept thinking that he'd be to Matt Hasselbeck as Steve Young was to Joe Montana

It’s perhaps the dumbest thought I’ve held onto for the longest time and on many levels.

Part of me thinks it’s not his fault, that Seneca’s problem is that Holmgren was way too cautious with him. One thing that could make Seneca a quality backup would be his legs, but he’s been trained to not use them. He also seems so afraid of risking an interception, he barely attempts the mid to long rang passes. Another thing that was drilled into him last year, “just don’t lose the game.” But then again, maybe Seneca consistently fails at those passes in practice, too. It’s not like Holmgren didn’t know anything about quarterbacks, perhaps he made Seneca into just as good as he’ll ever get.

But the problem with someone who doesn’t lose the game is they won’t win the game either.

Maybe I’m being overly critical for a backup qb: the run game still ain’t much; beyond the shutout to the Rams, our Tim Ruskell all-star defense has looked exactly how Seneca looks fumbling around in the pocket; and if it weren’t for the refs and a little luck we’d be 2-2. It’s just been a frustrating start and 1-3 is a bad hole to be in.

by B.B.Finnegan on Oct 5, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Stockton is starting to sound like Summerall in his last days as an announcer.

Though maybe a bit less asleep at the wheel. I did’nt mind Davis, though I wonder if he is brand new to being in the booth. I’ve enjoyed his commentary during the Combine, and thought it would translate. I don’t know enough about him to really say, but from the limited time I spent listening to him during the game, I could do worse.

Maybe JM will continue the illumination.

Talking about announcers reminds me of being a kid and listening to my Dad yell irately at the television, most always screaming at the announcers let us know what was happening in the game.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Oct 5, 2009 9:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Davis has been doing the national title game the last 3 years

And was a college football regular on TBS.

He’s not new. He just sucks.

Take last year’s BCS Title Game for example.

Oklahoma is stopped on a 2nd down, Thom Brennaman thought that was a 3rd down play. He asked Davis if they should go for it on 4th and goal. His response?

“Go, go, go, go, go.”

Oklahoma got stopped on 3rd and goal.

THEN once it was 4th down Brennaman and Davis realized they had the wrong down all along.

Seattle is cursed. For life.

by SSreporters on Oct 6, 2009 6:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fox's BCS coverage is so so bad.

They have no familiarity with the teams or players its just frustrating.

[DELETED ZOMG NO POLITICS]

by bluemax on Oct 6, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Housh has got to be pretty bummed, as he sits and watches the Vikings tear it up and go 4-0.

by GriffinNW on Oct 5, 2009 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is what I noticed about this game.

Seneca left points off the board. Easy points. I am not a fan.

"Hey, guess what? Nobody cares who would win in a crazy fantasy fist-fight between Anne Frank and Lizzie Borden." The Monarch

by crushedoptimist on Oct 5, 2009 9:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I find that muting the broadcast and watching the game and playing Sam Spence music in the background instead

is significantly less infuriating.

by BrianL on Oct 5, 2009 9:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I haven't been able to listen to these hacks for years

Even with what must be a 12 second delay (radio and DirecTV), I’d rather listen to Raible and Moon than whatever the network idiots throw at me. It’s actually not bad. I can listen to the radio guys describe the play, and then watch it unfold on TV. It’s not bad at all. The old 7 second delay wasn’t enough. With 12 seconds or so, you have time to really look at what happens on the play.

As for Seneca, I am done with him. Not just for bad play, but for having no fire at all in him. He sat there sulking on the sideline by himself when his team was down, rather than rallying the troops. That is not what winners do. Starting NFL quarterbacks must be motivational guys and leaders. Seneca is neither. He gave up. Screw him. Cut him tomorrow and it won’t hurt my feelings. He quit with his body language and his lack of leadership. I will boo him the next time I see him on the field. He’s a loser, and he should go play for the Raiders or he Rams or some other team I hate.

I’m sick of backup QBs for other teams having 300 yard, 4 TD games against the Seahawks, while our backup can’t even hit the damn open receiver. If Seneca did nothing but hit the guys who were wide open, we’d be 3-1 right now and own our division even with all our injuries and our crappy play. There are starting QBs in Atlanta and Baltimore that were rookies last year, and there’s a rookie QB in NY who’s 3-1 and this is the best we can do for a backup QB? Wallace and Teal?

It’s Jeff Garcia time. He’s played in this offense in several different places, and if nothing else he can win games throwing the ball to open men. Bring in Garcia and lets win some games while Matt is healing. The hell with Seneca. We aren’t going to win any games with him at QB.

The receivers are open, and the QB is getting enough time to throw the passes, even with our banged up line.

Jeff Garcia. Do it. Knapp and Mora were with him in San Fran, it’s a no-brainer. Cut Seneca, put him in on special teams, or as Buddy Ryan would say, trade him to St. Louis for a six pack, and it doesn’t even have to be cold.

by lordtd on Oct 5, 2009 10:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you on some points

But I have to disagree with you on one. In my opinion, no matter how much you disagree with your own player, you never boo the guy wearing your colors. The game has little enough honor as it is.

As for commentators, Dick Stockton is the absolute worse I have ever heard, and that’s saying something. These pedantic fucks need to be dragged into a Colombian drug market and sold as trafficking mules.

There is one I do actually enjoy listening to though. John Lynch, I learn at least one thing every time I watch a game he works.

by DJ C-Raig on Oct 5, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with this.

you never boo the guy wearing your colors

Yes! yes! yes! Booing your own team is just wrong. It serves no purpose, it doesn’t help your team win. It ticks me off when fans do that.

by Fear on Oct 6, 2009 2:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Teel.

Right now.

by Strictnine on Oct 6, 2009 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

At least put him in the last quarter of a complete blowout. See if he’s got potential to be the next franchise QB.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Oct 6, 2009 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's probably not the best way to judge potential

Putting a rookie 6th-round pick into a blowout behind a 2nd-string line is not a good idea. You rush the guy too quickly and he’s going to develop a case of happy feet.

""I wanted to be a quarterback, but I got hungry."
-LG Rob Sims

by ninjasocks on Oct 6, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would also worry

that he could end up doing exactly what Wallace did on his last two drives. A lot of fans would recognize the difference between meaningful stats and garbage stats, but I’d worry that there are to many that wouldn’t. Then if Matt comes back in the next few weeks and struggles a little bit, all of a sudden you have people booing and calling for Teel.

I think Seattle has a great fanbase, but I guess I just don’t really trust them to be smart about this kind of thing. And going back to what fear said, I’d be really pissed off if the crowd turned on Hasselbeck the way it did Alexander.

by Mind of no mind on Oct 6, 2009 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I wouldn't really Boo

You’re right, I wouldn’t really “boo” him, I was venting. I will groan when he comes on the field. I might also yell “Put in Teal” when he misses another wide open receiver.

I’ll be booing him in my head though, and it’s the thought that counts ;)

by lordtd on Oct 6, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I figured that was the case

I understand the feeling all too well. Also, I wasn’t trying to judge at all (not my place) I was just putting my thoughts out there.

I’ll confess, I boo’d the shit out of Marcus Pollard in my head every time he…well, did anything.

by DJ C-Raig on Oct 6, 2009 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trafficking mules

Nice. That comment is a classic. “sold as trafficking mules”.

Sweet.

by lordtd on Oct 6, 2009 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

Bring in Garcia. He’s mobile enough to play behind our patchwork line, has decades of experience in the WCO, and is a saavy veteran who can win you games.

This also gives us flexibility for next year, if (God forbid) Matt is just too expensive for his production or too hurt to keep playing. A guy like Garcia or Matt is great to have around to tutor whomever we end up drafting (I’m assuming here, of course).

by djafrot on Oct 6, 2009 1:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Oct 6, 2009 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You can get around the audio delay

If you have Tivo, just sync the TV broadcast up with the radio audio – pause, rewind or whatever works for you. As long as the radio announcers are easier to stomach, it works well. I enjoy Moon and Raible.

by John Edwards on Oct 6, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

p.s.

I enjoyed John Lynch’s commentary during the first game. Dunno if he’s “good” or “bad”, or “elite” =D, but I liked the insight he provided on different plays.

by John Edwards on Oct 6, 2009 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

by DJ C-Raig on Oct 6, 2009 8:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Moon is out of this world bad

Seattle is cursed. For life.

by SSreporters on Oct 6, 2009 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But not eclipsed by most national TV commentary.

by Groundhog on Oct 7, 2009 2:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hope you like Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots this weekend

Seattle is cursed. For life.

by SSreporters on Oct 6, 2009 6:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You Get Upset at Poor Play Analysis

And that’s fine. But these guys are selected more for their ability to speak on the fly without cursing than their analytical skills, so I usually just tune out that part of it.

What I can’t forgive are the premeditated insults to our intelligence. What in the holy hell was all that Hannibal Lecter stupidity? And Dick Stockton needs to pick one pronunciation of Olindo Mare and stick to it, he had two weeks to figure it out after all.

by Santolina chamaecyparissus on Oct 6, 2009 12:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Olindo mar-AY!

by Groundhog on Oct 6, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like that you use proper capitalization rules in your subject lines.

I found the alternating ma-Ray/Ma-ree(s) funny.

by John Morgan on Oct 6, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously

Hannibal Lecter? It just might be physically, mentally, and spiritually impossible to think up a more contrived comment than that. I forget exactly what he was talking about now, was it Sen’s play? I just remember thinking “Edward Norton needs to hit this guy in the face with a brick…”

by DJ C-Raig on Oct 6, 2009 8:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't remember what play it was either

probably because it made no sense and didn’t have anything to do with what was going on on the field.

by Nate Dogg on Oct 6, 2009 9:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

there's an easy way to get around bad commentary

watch the game at a bar where you can’t hear the audio. this has the happy side effect of allowing you to drink heavily during the game without fear of running out of your beverage of choice.

by bitterguy on Oct 6, 2009 3:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's generally my method.

Not that I have a choice….WA ex-pat and all.

by thebyron on Oct 6, 2009 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bad commentary infuriates me because:

I need to have commentary to watch a football game. I cannot just watch a game without the defenses and offenses being described to me. We are at the mercy of cameramen, and can only look where they point us, I require the commentary to know what is going on outside the frame.

The reason I like Lynch is because he tells you what is going on with out all that 1984 euphemism bullshit you get from most commentators (IE: Everybody on that field is a friend and they all love each other!). Lynch says things like “This is what I see. Were I one of those Defenders this is what I would do. I would like to blast tackle that RB because I could still play if I wanted to.”

by DJ C-Raig on Oct 6, 2009 8:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs