NFL Week 4: Bill Macatee

This week's announcer in focus is CBS's Jack of all trades, Bill Macatee!

Every sports network needs one of those announcers that are so versatile, they can be called on at any moment to do any sports needed. In the past, this role was held by people like Tim Ryan at CBS (who seemed to always be on some random mountain in the Alps for a World Cup ski race) and Al Trautwig for NBC (who had the 8th position in the draft for Olympic coverage, and gets biathlon/water polo).

Bill plays that same utility player role, but now for more premier events.

He started back in the 80s for NBC and was a host for NBC Sportsworld. Remember that? I didn't until yesterday. Sportsworld was NBC's answer to "Wide World of Sports" - except no one actually watched it. Here's a clip of what would be shown on Saturdays - boxing, auto racing, and a golf retrospective of the 1968 US Open (why?). Other sports in other clips include Sumo and figure skating....
(our hero is seen at the 0:35 mark).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykkUjUPm6lY

Bill went to the USA network in 1990 - USA, at the time, was the home for the early rounds of the PGA tour and the US Open tennis tournament. He then joined CBS in 1995 and did - well, almost everything. Most hard core golf fans know that he is the stand in for Jim Nantz in the tower at 18 when Nantz isn't there; I do believe that Nantz has a contract that states that Nantz will not do any sporting events that are held within 50 miles of Iowa or Arkansas. That's why - every single year - Bill Macatee is the main play by play guy for the John Deere coverage in Iowa. Nantz won't step foot in the Hawkeye state.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjadfYXScQo

Bill also was the lead announcer for the US Open tennis tournament from 2010-15, the last years that CBS had the rights to it. He was actually very good at this, building on his USA experience to call the men's final for 5 years. He worked that for CBS for 15, and I think I heard his voice 12 hours straight in August-September 2008, when we had CBS's US Open coverage of the middle weekend on in our hospital TV for the 2 days after Martin was born.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ39mDYWEqA&t=8s

So Bill is a great addition to the CBS football team; whenever they needed a 4th or 5th announcer, he always filled in. Of course, he wasn't going to get the premier games - that was for Nantz - but they keep sending him to Buffalo, Nashville, Jacksonville and Cleveland to fill in spots. One of those games he did was a predicted yawner in 2010, when New England came to Cleveland as a double digit favorite. It was the "hoodie", Bill Belichick, vs. his student/disciple, Eric Mangini. And then a legend was born......the future cover boy of Madden.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ39mDYWEqA&t=8s

Even now, I ask - how did that game happen? Did I dream that? How did we beat the Pats by 17? Even those years - in 2010 - we actually won games in convincing fashion while going 5-11. Now, we just hope to stay within single digits. It's sad......

Let's try not to get blow out today, ok?

On to the games:

NO 31, Mia 27. Neither team has a defense - last week NO got lucky and played an awful Carolina team on O.

Atl 20, Buf 17. Love Buffalo's D; the home field for Atlanta will just be enough to get them across the line here.

Pit 19, Bal 16. No idea. I'm not sure either of these teams are good.

LAR 27, Dal 24. I'm starting to be a believer in the Rams. And what has Dallas showed so far that is impressive?

Hou 28, Ten 20. Tennessee's pass defense is vulnerable - and I think Watson is slowly improving and will take advantage.

Det 24, Min 20. Min's outburst last week was mainly due to turnovers; if Stafford holds on to the ball, the Lions win.

NE 24, Car 17. We will see how bad NE's defense is with this game. If Carolina gets in the 20s, then Pats fans can truly panic.

Jax 23, NYJ 13. I know this is a big trap - but the Jax Run O should dominate the game.

Az 23, SF 17. I wanted to pick the upset here, but SF's defense is just too weak.

Phi 31, LAC 28. Can't pick the upset here. Can't trust the Chargers until they play 4 complete quarters.

TB 30, NYG 26. Just not understanding all the Giants love in this game. They still don't have an offensive line.

Oak 24, Den 17. What is so impressive about Denver? If Oakland can stop the run, they should win comfortably.

Sea 24, Ind 16. The line is 13 on this game....Seattle has trouble scoring 13 points in a game.

KC 23, Was 20. Should be a great Monday night game. Was's defense should keep them well in the game.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 10-6; overall: 25-19
(in no order)
NO/Mia over 50.5
Buf +8
Buf/Atl under 48.5
Pit/Bal under 42.5
LAR +6
Hou +2.5
Car/NE under 49
Jax -3
Phi +2.5
Phi/LAC over 47.5
NYG/TB over 44.5
Oak +3
Ind +13
Was +7

Supercontest: 4-1 last week; 10-5 overall:
LAR +6.5
Hou +1.5
Jax -3.5
Oak +2.5
Was +6.5