This week's announcer in focus: Mike Patrick!OK, I have to admit something. I like Mike Patrick. I think the team of Patrick and Paul McGuire was brilliant. I know this opinion is not very popular in many circles - especially as Mike Patrick gets up in age now and his mistakes are becoming more common. But he brought energy to the play by play broadcast and then set up McGuire excellent so McGuire could do his Tony Romo-like cheering. (The addition of Theismann in the booth with them - well, not so much).
Patrick is a native of Clarksburg, WV - which is actually the hometown of one of my friends in college, so I actually know where that is. He got his first job as a sports director in Jacksonville in the 70s and then quickly moved up to WJLA - Channel 7 - in Washington.
Patrick became one of the lead voices for the Jefferson Pilot broadcasts of college sports in the 80s. The 80s were a time when some college football and most college basketball games were independently produced and syndicated to all sorts of oddball stations. For instance, the Terps B-ball games that I remember were shown on Wednesday nights on channel 45 or 54 or something. (God forbid WJZ was going to pre-empty Knots Landing for Adrian Branch.)
(Was Channel 54 - WNUV - formed in the 80s just to be able to show ACC games and I Love Lucy re-runs? I need an answer to this....)
To be honest, I never really know what Jefferson Pilot was when I grew up. Was it a two-bit broadcasting company headquartered in Greensboro that had a good-ol-boy hold on the ACC broadcasts? Some international conglomerate set up in Switzerland to pay off officials and ensure the Terps would always lose every close game to good teams? (That was always my thought). Just now, I am learning the Jefferson Pilot was in insurance and was bought out by Lincoln Financial in the past 10 years. Who knew?Anyway, Mike Patrick became a staple of those broadcasts and was a voice in our house every Wednesday night during the winter. Here's a clip of an intro from those Jefferson Pilot broadcasts. Watch the whole thing to understand mid-Atlantic sports and why Lefty had no hair....( watch the first 2:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLhXbHnBv0c
(HOLY crap!!! For us Ohio folk, look who shows up at the 5:10 mark of that above clip....Wow...)
Mike joined ESPN and in the late 80s became the voice of the new Sunday Night football broadcast on ESPN. We'll get to the important Browns game on SNF in a minute. He did Monday Night football broadcast for 18 years - 18! - ending in 2005. His trademark catch phrase - "Holy Cow!" was used on almost every routine 15 yard catch multiple times each quarter.
The most famous broadcast he did was in 1999 - a Wild Card playoff game for ESPN/ABC. I don't even have to set this up - just click on the link. It's amazing what your opinion is when you see this play live and how it changes when you see the replay....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfz4JViRkoA
In 1989, the Week 16 Sunday Night game happened to be Cleveland at Houston - and the two teams were tied for the division lead going into the last week. ESPN hyped it up as "the AFC Central Championship". And it was! Kosar! Moon! Slaughter! Givins! Mike Patrick was there...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TcH3wNn7g8
And it provided a heart attack moment for Eric - this was a play during the game at a key moment. Tight game, Moon goes back, sacks, and fumbles! Clay Matthews picks it up - and - what??? What does he do? IBM takes it from there....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqeOFMW6Xqc
(Boy, I miss "IBM presents You Make the Call" and "Alcoa's Fantastic Finishes!")
Ok, yeah, yeah, Browns at Houston this week. Boy, I wish we were in a position in a draft to take a young quarterback like Carson Wentz or Deshaun Watson. But we never seem to be in the right spot in the draft to take one. We're just unlucky, I guess.
On to the games:
Atl 31, Mia 13. How does Miami have 2 wins? Their offense seems to be as bad as ours. Atlanta should - should! - come off ready to play off their bye.
Bal 20, Chi 17. Just don't know how Baltimore scores without help from the other team...and this is Mitch's first road game. Have to believe Fox will be ultra conservative with the game plan..
GB 28, Min 24. Packers usually struggle in Minnesota, and their defense has holes. I know Diggs is out, but Minnesota still has some weapons and there will be points here.
NO 27, Det 24. Not sure about this game at all. How banged up is Detroit's O line? How good are each team's defense?
NE 28, NYJ 16. After watching the debacle last week - and other Jets games - I just don't see how they can sustain drives against anyone.
Was 30, SF 16. SF has come close 3 straight weeks - and now is on their 3rd straight road game. I see Washington coming out and dominating; I'm sure I'll lose this one by the back door.
Az 27, TB 20. Looked at Tampa's stats - they are very weak against the pass, and that's the one thing Arizona can still do. I think the Cards pull this out.
Jax 23, LAR 20. What a great, unexpectedly interesting game. Be interested to see Gurley vs. the Jags questionable run D.
Pit 20, KC 17. Pit has the Chiefs' number, and their backs are against the wall. They circle the wagons here and get the win. How many big games can KC show up for in a row?
LAC 26, Oak 24. Just not impressed with the Raiders, even if Carr plays. When the Ravens can move the ball downfield on you, what is Rivers going to do?
Den 20, NYG 13. Classic Milton Berle game here; Denver will do just enough to win the game - and their offense isn't dynamic enough to cover a huge spread like this.
Ten 23, Ind 13. The more I watch Brissett, the more I don't like his footwork. Can LeBeau take advantage of this? The Colts D is bad enough that it doesn't matter who the QB is for Tennessee.
Best bets: 12 of them. Last week: 10-4; overall: 43-29
Atl -13
Chi +6.5
GB/Min over 44.5
NE -9
Was -11
Az +1.5
Pit +4
Pit/KC under 47
LAC +3.5
NYG +12.5
NYG/Den under 39
(Ten -6.5)
Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2; overall: 15-10
Was -10
Az +2.5
Pit +4.5
LAC +3.5
Ten -6.5
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