By George Eichorn of The Detroit Monitor
They cannot take away pro football on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit — at least according to a guy who played in the game and two who have announced the holiday tradition.
Frank Beckmann, the former Detroit Lions radio and television announcer who was inducted last February into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame; Jim Brandstatter, the onetime U-M Wolverine who has analyzed Lions games for more than two decades and Luther Bradley, a onetime Lion and Notre Dame Fighting Irish star and now a sales consultant with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, want the tradition of turkey, parade and football to continue in the Motor City. They are the subjects of this Monitor interview.
Q. How do you feel about this Lions Thanksgiving Day tradition?
Beckmann: “Sadly, the Thanksgiving Day game has become the sole positive identification mark of the Lions franchise. Traditions in sports are important in providing a bridge from generation to generation, and the Thanksgiving Day game provides that to Detroit football fans.”
Bradley: “This is one of the best fall traditions in our country. It doesn’t get any better than this in terms of national exposure and having the only game on TV for the entire country to watch. We always looked forward to this event.”
Brandstatter: “I love the tradition here in Detroit. This year more than in years past, this city, this state, this community, needs something uplifting. This tradition is uniquely Detroit. Before Dallas was added, it was only Detroit.
“The parade and the game go hand in hand. I truly believe we as a community feel an ownership of these events. The Lions may have a terrible record but on this one day of the year it’s not all about the Lions. The parade, and the tradition many families have surrounding these events involving visiting family, dinner with friends, etc., are all part of the day. It’s Detroit telling the nation, we are alive and well and while our football team may not be the best, we have not left the human race. We will survive and prosper.
Q. What does it mean to the franchise and city to have this game every single season on national TV?
Bradley: “This is the exposure that this city needs. We are not typically a large market team with a first place team. So this provides us with the exposure for our team and city to show that do have some positive things going on here. We need positive stories here just like any other struggling economic city.”
Beckmann: “Again, the Thanksgiving Day game has become a reference point for the Lions’ franchise. It’s as distinctive as the Honolulu blue and silver uniforms or the lion on the helmet. The Thanksgiving Day game IS the Detroit Lions.”
Q. How much does the Lions 0-11 start diminish the game, the fans or the tradition?
Bradley: “Our awful record does put a damper on this event somewhat, but like any other game; on any given day one team can beat another. So we could very easily be the spoiler this year for the undefeated Titans. You never know! Remember, anything can happen.”
Beckmann: “My biggest fear is that the networks are going to be exerting more pressure on the NFL to remove the Lions from the Thanksgiving Day schedule, not just for their 0-10 record this year, but for their failures during the past eight years. The Lions have been able to defend their turf on this front because of the heavy involvement of the auto industry in NFL advertising but that commitment might be reduced with the current state of the industry, and that could provide the opening sought by those who would like to take it away from the Lions and Detroiters.”
Q. Do you ever see a day when the game will be move from its traditional early-afternoon time slot or taken away all together?
Brandstatter: “I hope the game will never be moved from Detroit or its time slot. The league has always embraced its history and tradition. NFL Films became a huge outfit because it celebrated the leagues history and traditions. Players, rivalries, throwback uniforms — they’ve all been marketed to sell the league. Part of the league’s history and its tradition is the Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit. The league would be making a colossal mistake if they took the game away from Detroit. They would be thumbing their nose and their past.”
Beckmann: “I just think this would be a great loss to our city, the psychological sports equivalent of demolishing the Hudson’s building, or seeing an automaker go out of business. No one ever thought those were possibilities either but one has come to fruition and the other may not be far behind. No one’s life would change if the Thanksgiving Day game went away, but it would strike another blow to our psyche because the game has always identified Detroit as being special on that day.”
Bradley: “No. A few years ago the league (actually the late Kansas City owner Lamar Hunt) tried to take the game away from us but Bill Ford Jr. fought vigorously to keep it. He did the right thing for the city and our franchise. We need our day in the sun just like most Super Bowls are in warm weather cities. Of course this has changed now with these indoor stadiums.”
Q. As a Lions player, one must get pumped to play in this game?
Bradley: “This game is always circled on our schedule. Now matter that we play we wanted to show that we can compete and play with the best of them. Even this year, the Lions will be ready…you can take that to the bank!”
Beckmann: “I’ve heard plenty of players complain, over the years, about the short week or preparation and less time to get over injuries from the previous game. But almost universally, players loved playing in the game because they knew the rest of the league and the rest of the country was watching. They also knew there was a great meal waiting afterwards and a longer recuperation period before the next game.”
Brandstatter: “If you can’t get up for this one you’ve got a problem. The entire league is watching. This isn’t regional TV, this is the nationwide TV. It’s like Monday night football. It’s an event. It may only count as a regular season game but it’s more. It’s why you’ve worked so hard your entire life to reach the pinnacle of your profession and, in this game, you are the only one game football fans can watch. It is your stage alone. How can you not be pumped?”
Q. I find it impressive to name all the local and national broadcasters like Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds, Ray Scott, Curt Gowdy, Pat Summerall, John Madden, Dick Enberg, Jack Buck, Hank Stram, Joe Buck, Jim Nantz, Greg Gumbel, Frank Beckmann and Jim Brandstatter who’ve broadcast this holiday game. Is this not a thrill for you?
Brandstatter: “I have been very lucky to broadcast Lions games. When I first got the job I was honored to follow in the footsteps of the great announcers who preceded me in Detroit. The truth is….I feel all of the guys you mentioned are great names in our business, and yet, if they feel like I do, the game makes the announcer. The announcer doesn’t make the game. We should all be thankful we’ve had the opportunity to participate in NFL football.”
Beckmann: “I appreciate the compliment but have never held myself up to the same caliber as the other announcers you’ve listed. That’s another great thing about the distinct nature of the Thanksgiving Day game. Because of its unique spot on the schedule that day it draws the top announce team from whatever network happens to be carrying the games.
“That’s a big upgrade from some of the crews that are assigned to the Lions on a weekly basis where fans suffer through ‘talent‘ that doesn’t know the players and doesn’t measure up to those great names who have done the Thanksgiving Day game. Of course, one of the reasons these legendary broadcasters have reached that plateau is that they never took the games, the teams, or the players for granted — they treat each game as being important because it is to the franchises, players, owners, organizations, and fans who all feel an attachment and maintain a stake in the game, no matter a team’s record.”
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com. Buy his book, “Detroit Sports Broadcasters On the Air,” for $19.99 now at www.amazon.com or write him at 28822 Los Olas Drive, Warren, MI 48093-7113.
Posted in Uncategorized -- No Comments
By George B. Eichorn of The Detroit Monitor
What a trade, eh? You got to hand it to Pistons executive Joe Dumars for pulling off a stunning move — at a time no one expected. Obtaining all-star guard Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets last week could be a stroke of genius. The price was heavy as popular captain and guard Chauncey Billups was sent packing along with forward Antonio McDyess and little-used center Cheikh Samb.
Iverson is still one of the top guards and gate attractions in the NBA. The Pistons will benefit on the court as well as in the stands as more fans buy tickets to see AI play than would to see Billups.
McDyess’ absence leaves a void. He was the top sixth man off the Pistons bench, along with guard Rodney Stuckey. Without McDyess, the Pistons substitution rotation is lacking the talent and strength they had hoped for. There is hope that McDyess may return to the Pistons after 30 days, provide all other NBA teams don’t offer him a deal to sign.
Don’t look now but the Detroit Lions have lost 16 of 17 games and tasking of winning a game soon is not getting any easier.
Following Detroit’s 38-14 thrashing last Sunday at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Lions have three consecutive quality opponents to close out the cold month of November: at Carolina, at home a week from Sunday against Tampa Bay and on Thanksgiving Day versus undefeated Tennessee.
Woe is coach Rod Marinelli and the Lions. Pity the fans who are not buying the garbage being heaped at them from Allen Park and Ford Field. You won’t hear the word embarrassment heard from the front office or coaching staff yet you will from long-suffering blue- and white-collar fans that still but tickets.
It’s time, Mr. Ford, to sell this team. And if you cannot do that, it’s high time to turn the reins over to your son, in scant hopes he has a clue on how to run
– not ruin – an NFL franchise.The Red Wings are on their way to another wonderful season
– it appears thus far. Thanks to free agent winger Marian Hossa and star Henrik Zetterberg (8 goals each) the Wings are scoring more goals and outlasting most of their opponents en route to a first-place standing in the NHL’s Central Division.Despite a weaker-than-expected defense and not-as-solid goaltending, the Wings appear primed to defend their Stanley Cup title of one season ago. In the 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils last Saturday at Joe Louis Arena, the Wings showed marked improvement in their checking game and overall defense. Again, Hossa led the way with two more goals in the victory.
The question always comes up among friends of mine: Which of the four major professional teams has the best press box food?
In memory of deceased colleague Joe Falls of the Detroit News, who loved writing about this stuff, it’s time to reveal my rankings based on quality and not price. By the way, the Lions and Pistons serve complimentary meals to the media while the Red Wings and Tigers make us pay.
The Pistons get an A-plus. Outstanding quality served by the Palace Restaurant Management Group in Auburn Hills. The main course is always a delicious one with roast pork, a variety of chicken entrees or beef — always served just right. This is complimented by a starch such as potatoes or pasta plus hearty cooked vegetables, rolls, a salad bar and scrumptious deserts like cream puffs topped with Sanders hot fudge.
The Lions food grade is an A-minus. They feature Levy Restaurant’s finest eats such as pork chops, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, meatballs and pasta, steamed veggies, salad and desserts like slices of cake or fresh-baked cookies. An added treat at halftime is chili with hot dogs, potato chips, brownies and a fresh fruit tray.
Give the Red Wings and Tigers both a B-minus. Their food is far less flashy than the Pistons or Lions. A typical entrée at the Red Wings is one meat, one side and one veggie plus a salad bar, slices of Little Caesars pizza and slice of cake or a frozen ice cream bar.
At Comerica Park there’s a bit more variety with typically two hot entrees to select from, vegetables, a soup/salad bar and an occasional ice cream treat for dessert. Another nice feature at the Tigers press box is home-cooked omelets and potatoes at matinee games and the always-popular deep-fried chicken tenders and French fries or burger and fries
– at any game.Personal friend and Monitor reader John Wendler of Westland has again compiled his “dollar battles” list with the Pistons facing the Red Wings at home. There are six such battles this season starting November 26 with the Pistons hosting the Knicks and Red Wings hosting the Canadiens. I bet those two will both be sellouts. The Lions and Pistons have two dollar battles and the Pistons and MSU Spartans (football) one.
As for possible out-of-town visitors to see multiple games in Detroit, he offers these: February 4 and 8: Wings host Coyotes and Pistons host the Suns and April 11 and 13: Wings host Black Hawks and Pistons host Bulls. We are not open for business in regards to ticket sales!
Finally, Wendler adds these possible trips to see multiple teams from here on the road — November 21-22: U-M Wolverines at Miami (Ohio) in college hockey and U-M at OSU football; December 27-28: Pistons at Bucks and Lions at Packers; January 27-28: Red Wings at Columbus and U-M at OSO basketball; February 20-22: U-M at OSU hockey and Pistons at Cavaliers; April 6 and 8: Red Wings at Sabres and Pistons at Rangers; April 11 and 13: Wings at Black Hawks, Pistons at Bulls and Tigers at White Sox (through April 15).
Buy George Eichorn’s book, “Detroit Sports Broadcasters On the Air,” for $19.99 or less at
www.amazon.com. Reach him at geichorn@yahoo.com.
Posted in Uncategorized -- No Comments
Point-CounterPoint (From the Detroit Monitor 11/06/2008)
George Eichorn: Who would have thought that the Lions would find themselves in this woeful situation — starting the season 0-8 — after completing an undefeated exhibition season at 4-0. Boy, there was so much optimism heading into the opener last September and now look at the failure of coach Rod Marinelli and the team.
Scott Morganroth: The 4-0 preseason record meant absolutely nothing. Marinelli is 10-30 has won all of his games with Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator. Someone had to be the fall guy for a team that won seven games in 2007, the most since the 9-7, 2000 season that ended Gary Moeller’s short tenure as coach. Let’s put an SOS out for Moeller. U-M and the Lions need him! Welcome to the failed military club, Marinelli. Former Minnesota Vikings coach Les Steckel finished his only season in 1984 with a 3-13 record. If Marinelli needs a career, he should get a job as a travel agent so he can take same day trips to Oakland, California. His flight crew will consist of all the Tampa Bay Bucs castoffs that moved 20 hours north on I-75.
Eichorn: Yes, but let’s look at the bright side. With Cincinnati’s victory last Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars, only the Lions are now winless. This means Detroit is in the driver’s seat for futility and that translates in the National Football League to the owner of the number one draft choice in April’s college player draft.
Morganroth: Speaking of driving, the road to the top pick of the NFL Draft will either be on the I-75/I-375 Detroit/Windsor border or the I-75 Ohio/Kentucky border with the Bengals (1-8) getting the honor. One thing is guaranteed about the top selection. He better bring plenty of long johns and have a thick skin for losing.
Eichorn: It is so sad to watch the Lions and think about how many draft choices they wasted. They thought Michigan State’s Charles Rogers would blossom into an NFL top-tier receiver. He did not. They thought Mike Williams of USC would bloom. He did not. They had Roy Williams pegged for stardom. He was traded to Dallas earlier this season. Now, it all falls on the shoulders and hands of Calvin Johnson. The supporting cast of Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey must also step it up a notch.
Morganroth: As I watched the Lions-Texans game at Houston recently, it was hard to believe the Lions took Rogers ahead of Miami of Florida’s Andre Johnson. But it’s hard to hammer the Lions on this selection because everyone wanted the highly touted local kid and nobody imagined that Rogers would be the bust that he became. We were hoping that he’d have a productive career like Plaxico Burress of the defending champion New York Giants.
What’s even harder to believe is two star receivers from tradition filled powerhouses failed. Mike Williams and Rogers were a joke. While the Lions salvaged the Roy Williams pick by landing future draft choices from Dallas, and Georgia Tech’s Johnson could be great with a good offensive coordinator, there were too many picks here that haven’t shown better results.
Eichorn: The Lions will drop to 0-9 should they fail to defeat the Jaguars this Sunday at Ford Field. How sadly ironic it is that the Lions will introduce their 75th anniversary team on that same day. The current Lions could learn an awful lot from those guys being honored on Sunday, guys like Barry Sanders, Lem Barney, Joe Schmidt, Charlie Sanders, Lomas Brown, Herman Moore and Alex Karras. Then comes the game that you want to cover at the Carolina Panthers.
Morganroth: As I prepare to see the Lions visit Charlotte for a November 16 contest against the Panthers, the memory I have of my last trip there on December 12, 2003, was watching Detroit set the road losing record of 24 consecutive games. It doesn’t look good this time either. They could be 0-9 headed into this game and likely will be 0-10 when they leave. Even the newly signed quarterback Daunte Culpepper may not be able to bail them out of this misery. I wonder if Matt Millen is going to watch this game let alone the others since he wrecked this franchise.
Eichorn: But what of Marinelli? I have never seen a team keep a head coach with such a losing record for this long. Darryl Rogers went 18-40 and Marty Mornhinweg 5-27 before they were jettisoned, but Marinelli is only 10-30 and also needs to go…now! Make Jim Colletto the acting head coach and get on with the rest of the season. Then, let the new general manager, the guy replacing Millen, make the choice of the new head coach in the off-season. Let all current and former pro and college head coaches and assistant coaches apply who want to. Allow ample time to go through the process of hiring the right man to coach the Lions in 2009.
Morganroth: One suggestion for the next head coach is one guy the Lions and their fans should be familiar with since he has broadcast a few of their games on Fox-TV. Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick would be the logical choice especially with the signing of Culpepper since they both worked together in Minnesota. The man has a Super Bowl ring in 2000, understands the NFC North, and even won the title with Trent Dilfer at quarterback. Wonder if Culpepper saw Johnson as the next Randy Moss and just imagine if Billick had this combination to work with.
The last time the Lions hired a Baltimore-based winning Super Bowl coach was Don McCafferty who went 6-7-1 here in 1973. He never made it to a second Lions season as he died of a heart attack in ‘74. While it may take time for Billick to win, at least there is a decent nucleus in place, and plenty of draft choices of their own and from the Dallas trade. Billick should be able to revitalize Culpepper, plus make the most of his Cental Florida alumnus running back Kevin Smith. The Smith and Johnson combination should give the fans a reason to return to Ford Field. Billick, 54, will also give the media plenty of good quotes in an effort to sell tickets. Billick’s record including the postseason is 85-67 and is a native of Fairborn, Ohio.
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com & Scott Morganroth at scottbullm33@comcast.net.
Posted in Uncategorized -- No Comments
By George Eichorn of The Detroit Monitor
Hoops mania hit the broadcast airwaves this week as the new NBA season is off and running in the United States and Toronto, Canada. There’s plenty of action for roundball fans. A few new wrinkles and some new faces will dot the broadcast schedule yet durable veteran announcers are also back. Here is our annual Monitor preview.
OLocal TV: George Blaha is Detroit Pistons basketball. Now in his 33rd consecutive NBA season, the recognizable Blaha adds another honor to his career when he’s inducted next February into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame joining broadcaster greats like Ty Tyson, Ernie Harwell, Budd Lynch, Van Patrick, Bob Reynolds and J.P. McCarthy.
Blaha calls all Pistons games televised on Fox Sports Net Detroit alongside Greg Kelser (12th season). They make an enjoyable and knowledgable pair. Pregame and post-game shows are handled by the likes of Mickey York, Ryan Field, Trevor Thompson and Matt Shepard. Blaha also hosts a weekly Pistons-produced feature show (shown midnights on WDIV-TV, channel 4).
WXYZ-TV (channel 7) has the ABC-TV slate of NBA action starting December 25. There is a likelihood that games featuring the Pistons could have a locally-produced pre-game show anchored by sports director Don Shane with reporters Vic Faust and Tom Leyden.
OLocal Radio: When Blaha is now doing the games on radio, the very capable Mark Chamopion is in his ninth season of his second stint on Detroit Pistons radio broadcasts. As heard on flagship WDFN-AM 1130, Pistons broadcasts feature analysis with Rick Mahorn at home. Matt Dery and Rob Otto return to host pre-game and post-game shows, many of them live at the Palace.
ONational TV: ABC Sports begins its season coverage on Christmas Day with a doubleheader — San Antonio at Phoenix (2:30 p.m.) and Boston at the L.A. Lakers (5:15 p.m.). NBA Sunday typically airs on Sunday afternoons at 1 or 3:30 p.m. Since its return to ABC in 2002, the production has been packaged by sister network ESPN.
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy serve as the lead announce team for ABC. Mike Tirico of Ann Arbor and Hubie Brown form the second team. The pregame and half-time host is Stuart Scott with ex-Piston Jon Barry, Mike Wilbon and former MSU great Earvin “Magic” Johnson (over from TBT). Mark Jones (play-by-play), Ahmad Rashad (features) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) also contribute.
The NBA on ABC will include several weekend playoff games as well as the entire NBA Finals next June. has a contract through the 2015-16 season. The Pistons are scheduled for two possible games on ABC: February 1 hosting Cleveland and March 1 at Boston.
ONational Cable: ESPN tipped off its NBA season on October 29 with a doubleheader featuring Phoenix/San Antonio and L.A. Lakers/L.A. Clippers. All of ESPN’s NBA telecasts will be available in high definition and simulcast on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV.
Next up on ESPN: October 31 with Chicago/Boston following by San Antonio/Portland. The Pistons are slated for these ESPN dates: November 14 at L.A. Lakers, January 23 hosting Dallas, January 25 hosting Houston, January 30 hosting Boston, February 8 hosting Phoenix, February 22 at Cleveland, March 18 at Houston and April 4 at Philadelphia.
ESPN returns Breen, Jackson and Van Gundy on its top broadcast team with Tirico or Dan Shulman and Brown the next team. Also on play-by-play are Jones, Kevin Calabro and Dave Pasch, analysts are Barry and Doris Burke and reporters are Salters, Burke, Ric Bucher, Heather Cox and Nancy Lieberman, the one-time Detroit Shock coach.
“NBA Shootaround” (generally Wednesdays and Fridays) is hosted by Scott or Mark Jones with newcomer Avery Johnson plus Barry, Bill Walton, Jalen Rose (former Fab Five player) and Jamel Mashburn. “NBA Fastbreak,“ the nightly highlights show, is hosted by Matt Winer with analysts Tim Legler, Lieberman, Mashburn and Rose.
ESPN2 has a single telecast, April 10 for Washington-Toronto. Its Tuesday night NBA highlights show is hosted by Winer and analysts Legler, Mashburn and Rose.
TNT Sports started airing NBA games in 1988. TNT opened its NBA schedule with a twin bill on October 28 featuring Cleveland/Boston and Portland/L.A. Lakers. Next up is October 30 with Houston-Dallas and New Orleans-Phoenix. The Pistons are slated for these appearances: November 20 at Boston, January 19 at Memphis, February 19 hosting San Antonio and March 24 at Chicago.
Marv Alberts has been the top TNT play-by-play man since 1999. He’ll work alongside Doug Collins, the former Pistons coach, and Reggie Miller. Other talent includes David Aldridge (NBA insider and sideline reporter), Charles Barkley (studio analyst), Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (color analyst), Kevin Harlan (p-by-p), Ernie Johnson Jr. (studio host), Dei Lynam (sidelines), Cheryl Miller (sidelines), Pam Oliver (sidelines), Craig Sager (sidelines), Dick Stockton (p-by-p), Kenny Smith (studio analyst), John Thompson (analyst) and ex-Fab Five member Chris Webber (studio analyst).
TNT highlights include the NBA All-Star Friday and All-Star Saturday events in Phoenix, February 13-14, NBA All-Star Game on February 15, NBA playoff games and one of the Conference finals series in its entirety.
In Canada, the following networks have contracts to televise NBA games: Rogers Sports Net National (RSN), The Score (SCR), TSN, Raptors NBA TV (RTV) and Rogers Sports Net operations in Ontario, East, West and Pacific.
ONBA TV is an all-access channel for everything basketball, featuring live NBA and WNBA games, behind-the-scenes access, live HDTV game broadcasts, new original programming and more. NBA TV currently has affiliation deals with digital cable providers Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and others. It opens with a doubleheader on November 1 with the Pistons hosting Washington followed by Portland at Phoenix. NBA TV also has these Pistons games: November 9 hosting Boston, November 16 at Phoenix, December 29 hosting Orlando, April 13 hosting Chicago.
0National Radio: ESPN Radio is back with select NBA broadcasts of key regular-season (primarily Thursdays and Sunmdays), the All-Star Game and playoff games plus the entire NBA Eastern and Western finals and NBA Finals. Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay form one team and Calabro with analyst Will Perdue another.
Sirius Radio carries a minimum of 70 NBA games live featuring the home team’s play-by-play broadcasts such as Blaha or Champion of the Pistons. They opened with a doubleheader on October 29 and return October 31 with Chicago-Boston followed by San Antonio-Portland.
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com.
Posted in Uncategorized -- No Comments