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."
Back at 30 Rock ….
Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, who together created “The Big Show” at ESPN, successfully reunited last year on "Football Night" and will continue their partnership. They are joined by two new additions to the show Tony Dungy, the historic Super Bowl coach whose teams made the playoffs each of the last 10 seasons he was an NFL coach and the outspoken two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison.
Returning will be Sports Illustrated's Peter King as the NFL Insider and "Football Night's" Tiki Barber who will report from the site of one of the NFL's big games as he did towards the end of last season.
The NFL regular season begins on NBC Thursday, Sept. 10, as the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers host the Titans, 8 p.m. ET. In the first "NBC Sunday Night Football" matchup of the season on Sept. 13, Cutler and the Chicago Bears visit historic Lambeau Field to take on their archrival the Green Bay Packers. "Sunday Night Football" is preceded by "Football Night in America" each Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET.
HIGHLIGHTS OF "NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" SCHEDULE
· All 12 NFL playoff teams from last season are featured.
· Fourteen of NBC's 16 scheduled games involve at least one playoff team from last season.
· Giants at Cowboys opens the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium, "the 8th Wonder of the World." It's a rematch of the most viewed game ever on "Sunday Night Football."
· Three appearances a piece from six marquee teams: this year's Super Bowl champion Steelers, last year's Super Bowl champion Giants plus Dallas, Indianapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia.
· Six games involving one of the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli.
· Quarterback duels between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Peyton and Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb and Jay Cutler.
· Four matchups among bitter NFC East rivals: Giants-Cowboys, Cowboys-Eagles, Eagles-Giants and Cowboys-Redskins.
· A rematch of last year's hard-hitting AFC Championship game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore and last year's AFC divisional playoff game between the Steelers and the Chargers.
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