The Nexus of the Universe

I was reminded of the "Seinfeld" episode where Jerry dates his cleaning lady. At some point in the episode, Kramer gets lost in downtown New York. He calls Jerry, crying, and saying he's lost. Jerry asks where he is, and Kramer looks at the street signs. He replies: "I'm on first and first. Wait. How is that possible that a street intersects with itself??? I must be at the nexus of the universe!!!"

Apparently, Donovon McNabb is also the nexus of the universe. Because according to John Madden, he can complete over 100% of his passes.

I flipped on the Sunday Night game tonight, and within two minutes of listening, McNabb rolled out on a pass, and Madden informed the viewers that McNabb "completes over 100% of his passes when he rolls out of the pocket."

I couldn't dial Nort fast enough on the phone. Nort picked up, and upon my inquiry as to if he was watching the game, his immediate response was the Madden quote... and then a few minutes of jokes... "He's 13-of-6 on passes out of the pocket tonight!"

But I don't know what's worse. That Madden is getting so senile that he said it, or that no one at NBC cares enough to correct him. How do the execs at NBC not realize that his shtick had gotten old back in 1996? Is it too much to ask for insightful commentary about the game? Does network management not understand that people will understand and appreciate the game more if you give them indepth analysis of the game? You can talk about pulling guards and rolling coverages without alienating some of your audience.

Why do networks continue to roll out the same old tired announcers? In another lifetime, I think that I would have made a good announcer. I'm sure there's lots of other qualified people out there that could do a good job. So why do they keep recycling the same crap year after year? People watch for the sport, not for the announcers. Announcers can enhance the experience, and they should be given more credit for that.

It's stupid to try to 'create' something with an announcing team. It's chemistry, and it's not hard to find. Adding Dennis Miller to the MNF crew was done for all the wrong reasons, but they still did it. Same with Rush Limbaugh on ESPN. Sure, they might be football fans, but they didn't add to the chemistry, and they reduced the quality of the broadcast ( and the experience ) for the fans.

I can only hope that it's not too much longer that NBC realizes they're spending seven figures on a shell of a former man, and realize the error of their ways. Madden used to be good. Now, he's a cartoon. We're not five-year-olds watching football.