Throwback Thursday: How Would Social Media React to This Pat Summerall Call?
1. Over the past week or two, I have spent too much time consuming a TikTok account that posts highlights mainly from 1980s and ’90s NFL games.
A recent clip from the feed features Marcus Allen’s ridiculous 74-yard touchdown run against Washington in Super Bowl XVIII.
The Raiders’ running back had to reverse his field when it looked like he was going to get tackled by two defenders before sprinting up the middle, eluding another tackle and hitting the end zone.
What struck even more than Allen’s magical moves was the call by legendary CBS play-by-play man Pat Summerall.
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Given some of the backlash against Al Michaels recently for supposedly not being energetic enough on big calls, I can’t help but wonder how Twitter would’ve reacted to Summerall’s extremely calm call of Allen’s spectacular touchdown run in a Super Bowl game.
I don’t say this is any way, shape or form as a criticism of Summerall. Anyone who would ever dare say a bad word about Pat Summerall should be punished. He’s all all-time great. The sound of his voice automatically makes an NFL fan feel good. His style should never be questioned.
I point out Summerall’s low-key call to show that broadcasters have it very tough today in this social media era when everyone wants screaming and yelling and over-the-top calls.
I can assure you, given the venom and awful people on Twitter, that Summerall—PAT FREAKIN’ SUMMERALL—would’ve been bashed for not going wild over Allen’s run.
2. A brand-new SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped this morning, and it features an outstanding conversation with Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt.
Brandt talks about the strong ratings for GMFB, how he feels about the NFL season winding down, the AFC and NFL championship games, the great story of the Lions and Jared Goff, what a Super Bowl in Las Vegas means for people in sports media, why he doesn’t love talking about the Cowboys, why he avoids the social media game, his unique segment for CBS’s NFL Today, his experience on Wheel of Fortune and much more.
Following Brandt, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we talk about Doc Rivers leaving ESPN after the network fired Jeff Van Gundy, CBS’s upcoming special on the NFL Today, the best potato chips and more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel.
3. During the podcast above, Kyle and I spent some time discussing how we’re rooting for Jared Goff, who seems like a really good dude. Goff showed off why he’s so likable Wednesday during an exchange with a reporter who made the claim that the Niners have more superstars than the Lions.
Hilarious exchange between Jared Goff and @bobwojnowski, who was trying to say how NFL fans may not know the Lions stars.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 24, 2024
Wojo: "You have a lot of really good players"
Goff: "Thank you"
Wojo: "But maybe not viewed as superstars like the 49ers"
Goff: "Alright, never mind" ???? pic.twitter.com/yDKdffPjwi
4. Mike Breen had the perfect way to let audiences know that Doc Rivers was no longer part of ESPN’s No. 1 NBA broadcast crew during the opening of Wednesday’s Suns-Mavericks game.
Mike Breen and Doris Burke pay tribute to Doc Rivers, who left ESPN for the Milwaukee Bucks, with Breen quipping, "We thank him for all his many weeks of service." pic.twitter.com/spTFRFnHjN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 25, 2024
5. This report claims that Peacock added 2.8 million subscribers thanks to the NFL putting the Dolphins-Chiefs wild-card game on the streaming service.
New on the Antenna Insights Blog: Peacock's NFL Wild Card Game Experiment. Antenna estimates 2.8M sign-ups to Peacock over Wild Card weekend. It was the single biggest subscriber acquisition moment ever measured by Antenna. https://t.co/Oex5BFoFgx
— Antenna (@AntennaData) January 24, 2024
6. A new report says that any of the players in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl are banned from all casinos. The NFL's hypocrisy when it comes to gambling never ceases to amaze.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy 71st birthday to one of the best old-school, ’80s WWF heels, The Honky Tonk Man.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.