Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 5, 1994 TAG: 9409060067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Fox Television made its NFL regular-season debut Sunday, and the network used Bradshaw - and the horse - to introduce ``a new day for the fan, a new day for Fox and a new day for this ol' country boy'' during its hour-long pregame show.
Bradshaw, a cut-up in his studio days at CBS, apparently will have the same persona in his role as studio co-host. In the opening segment, it wasn't long before Bradshaw mounted his horse and galloped down Rodeo Drive to a Hollywood parking space equipped with a hitching post.
``Time to go to work,'' he said. ``Time to go to work.''
So began television's new era of NFL coverage. Fox, with a $1.58 billion, four-year bid last December, took NFC games away from CBS, which had them for 38 years.
On Sunday, while CBS aired paid programming from 12-12:30 p.m., then began its U.S. Open tennis coverage, many of its former employees helped Fox kick off the biggest day in its eight-year history.
After quick, highlight-driven previews of the day's NFC games, Bradshaw continued the opening with a high-energy tour of the spacious studio: from the research area to introductions of co-host James Brown and analysts Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson, to the artificial football field just off the set.
Brown turned almost immediately to John Madden, another jewel plucked from CBS, with ``John Madden's Insight,'' a segment taped aboard Madden's moving bus in which he addressed what players and coaches think about on opening day.
The rest was standard NFL pregame fare, although a report on Sterling Sharpe's return to Green Bay after a walkout was supported by ``exclusive'' tape of Sharpe's reunion with Packers' teammates on Saturday night.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: There was perhaps no one in the Roanoke area more upset than Stan Marinoff at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, which was just about the time the Dallas-Pittsburgh game on Fox was replaced by color bars.
Marinoff, vice president and general manager of Fox's Roanoke/Lynchburg affiliate (WJPR/WFXR Fox 21/27), was on the phone to the network's trouble shooters immediately, but said by the time the problem was resolved 15 minutes later, the game was over.
Basically, Marinoff said, Fox misprogrammed one set of the station's call letters into the computer which controls the satellite for all games. Confused, the computer dropped the feed altogether. Marinoff said WJPR/WFXR was the only affiliate affected.
``All I can say is we're sorry,'' Marinoff said. ``Fox assured me they've corrected the problem. It won't happen again next week.''
Fox has the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints on tap next Sunday.
SOME TRIVIA: Bill Belichick, the Cleveland Browns' conservative head coach, surprised the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday by going for - and making - a two-point conversion.
The Browns became the first team to go for two under the NFL's new rule this season. After Vinny Testaverde's 11-yard touchdown pass to Leroy Hoard with 1:22 left in the first quarter, the Browns lined up for an extra-point kick.
The Bengals bought the ploy. Holder Tom Tupa took a direct snap from center, ran through a huge hole on the left side of the line and dove into the end zone, putting the Browns ahead 11-0.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB