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One Sign Your Favorite NFL Team Has Had a Rough Time For a Few Seasons

Preface: TV networks slot their announcing teams by market size and a game's national appeal. Here in New England, we're used to having the Pats' games called by the Dierdorfs, Gumbels, Simms, and Aikmans of the world, not to mention Al and John. That wasn't always the case, right, Beasley Reese?

Lesser-known or new-hire announcers are assigned games between lousy teams shown to smaller sections of the country. This has the odd effect of making them MORE familiar with and knowledgeable about the clubs they cover over and over than the stars who hopscotch to a different marquee matchup every Sunday.

The Punchline: While dial-twitching yesterday, an NFL team to be named later booted a punt into the end zone for a touchback. The announcer then said. "Punter X has had a lot of touchbacks this year. Last season he did a great job of avoiding them and keeping the ball inside the 20."

I shuddered. Even with my eyes closed, that statement meant a) the team in question uses its punter often enough that his performance is a big part of their game, which can't be good, and b) said punter is having a bad year, bad enough to make his downtrodden club's situation worse than before.

Don't believe me. The team in question was the Detroit Lions.

posted by Michael Gee @ 10:52 AM