Your announcer in focus this week: Dan Hicks!
Jees, I still think of Hicks as a young announcer, but he has been with NBC Sports for 25 years now. 25! And I think that he is still immune to the snobbery of NBC Sports; it hasn't rubbed off on him. Imagine how smug you could be if you worked with Bryant Gumbel, Bob Costas, and Johnny Miller for 25 years....but Dan still seems down to earth.
Dan grew up in Arizona and started as a local anchor for a Tucson TV station; h
e moved to Atlanta to join CNN in the late 80s. He's one of the few guys we are profiling in this series that does NOT have experience at the ESPN mother ship. (Maybe that explains why he seems so well grounded on air). While at CNN, he was working aside Vince Cellini, Nick Charles and others on "CNN Sports Tonight". Remember that? CNN was going to be a full fledged competitor to ESPN - they had some serious people doing their Sports Tonight shows, and kicked off a 24-hour sports channel in the 90s - CNNSI - but that quickly fell apart.
Hicks then went to NBC in the early 90s and got into golf, NFL and NBA. He is primarily now known as the main host / play by play lead for the NBC golf broadcasts. Yes, working aside Johnny Miller 10 weeks out of the year. I like him as a golf lead, I know other readers of the blog hate him. I think this week is as good a week as any to recall Hicks' best line from his golf coverage - his call of the 72nd hole of the 2008 US Open. Poor Rocco....he deserved a major just for his performance as being Tiger's foil in this event.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFfCpvT_MV8
(You know, 20 years from now when we are all retired and can sit back and reminisce, will we say that the 2008 US Open ranks up there as one of the 5 best golf tournaments in our life? I mean, nothing will top the 86 Masters - but is the 08 US Open 2nd best? )
Hicks had a memorable 2008 - he led the swimming coverage at the Beijing Olympics. That was the year of the incredible US comeback in the 4x100 Freestyle relay - where Jason Lezak was our anchor and overcome an impossible deficit on the last leg to nip France at the wire. France? France was a swimming power?
I can't find the video and audio of Hicks' call - here's the audio....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jW3b7469UI
As for football, Hicks started doing games for NBC right after he started in 1992. Talk about jumping into the fire! He's been doing games since; he did the Chiefs/Colts playoff game in 2014 (the incredible Luck comeback/Andy Reid choke) - game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQskgXwhKI4
He is now the lead Notre Dame football announcer, too, taking over from Tom Hammond.
The earlier Hicks calls I could find for a Browns telecast is this one, from 1992 - against the Chargers at home! 9 minutes of fun here - looking at this film is like looking at the first color movies made in the 1930s. The broadcast starts with Hicks nailing the pronunciation of one of our D-linemen, the great Pio Sangapugatele......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XWRf2ubJM
(and who's his color announcer on this broadcast? That's right - the great Mr. Suzy Kolber himself, Joe Namath!)
And I have to share this - here's a highlight unearthed by the author of one of the great feeds in my timeline - Scott Dryden - this is from 1995. This is the NBC Open to the NFL games and there is our hero, Dan Hicks, with the Browns' nemesis, Bob Trumpy. Look at those AFC Central standings from 1995! Banner year..... I believe this was our last win that year until the season ender at home where we took apart the stadium.
https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/934759644802764802
We all reminisce about CBS's great themes from the 80s and 90s - this was the dreck NBC gave us. The song - unmemorable. Ugh. (And I think we will be talking about Trumpy in future weeks).
Browns today are 14 point underdogs to a team playing in a soccer stadium. That pretty much represents the state of the franchise.
On to the games:
Atl 23, Min 20. I can't figure this game out. I do believe there is some home magic in the new stadium for the Falcons, and their D is getting better; can we trust Keenum or the Falcons?
Bal 24, Det 17. The Ravens are still desperate; the Lions have very little pass D so the Ravens should move the ball, and Bal's pass D should shut down Stafford.
NE 27, Buf 17. I think I have passed on better every single Patriots game this year. And - Julia Roberts best judges that decision from "Pretty Woman": "Mistake. Big Mistake".
SF 17, Chi 16. Look, I know bad football. I think the Bears are quitting on Fox and that regime is coming to an end; the Niners are still playing hard for Kyle and Jimmy G should provide a spark.
TB 30, GB 27. Tampa still has weapons in the air and should move the ball vs. the Pack's average D. Hundley will look good again against a bad Tampa D. Look for the over here.
Jax 23, Ind 13. Watching these teams score will be a struggle. Should be at least one defensive score by the Jags here.
Mia 24, Den 17. Is it Trevor Simien this week? I just have no faith in anything Denver does anymore. Their pass D is getting worse; I think Miami will score enough here to win.
KC 23, NYJ 17. Andy Reid is too good of a coach to let this season slip away. I have to believe they find something here.
Ten 24, Hou 20. Yes, Houston has Savage - but Tennessee's pass D is awful, and Houston's pass rush should keep them close.
LAR 24, Az 20. The Cardinals have enough of a pass D to slow down the Rams, and I'm banking on Arizona's home field to keep them in the game.
Oak 27, NYG 10. Poor Geno. He just has no weapons to work with; how can he be properly evaluated as the future of the Giants?
NO 23, Car 16. Two good defenses here should keep this a close game all the way.
Phi 27, Sea 23. Seattle's pass D is awful; Philly should carve up their secondary. Seattle's home field can only take them so far.
Pit 28, Cin 17. Cincinnati just isn't very good - look at their wins..... Pittsburgh has trouble showing up for inferior opponents, but they will present vs. a divisional rival under the lights.
Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 6-7-1; overall: 86-72-4
Min/Atl under 47.5
Bal -3
SF +3
SF/Chi under 41
TB +2.5
TB/GB over 45
Mia +2
KC -3
Hou +7
Az +7
Oak -8.5
Car/NO under 48
Pit -4.5
Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-1-1; overall: 36-22-2
Bal -2.5
SF +3
Mia +1.5
Az +7
Pit -5
Jees, I still think of Hicks as a young announcer, but he has been with NBC Sports for 25 years now. 25! And I think that he is still immune to the snobbery of NBC Sports; it hasn't rubbed off on him. Imagine how smug you could be if you worked with Bryant Gumbel, Bob Costas, and Johnny Miller for 25 years....but Dan still seems down to earth.
Dan grew up in Arizona and started as a local anchor for a Tucson TV station; h
e moved to Atlanta to join CNN in the late 80s. He's one of the few guys we are profiling in this series that does NOT have experience at the ESPN mother ship. (Maybe that explains why he seems so well grounded on air). While at CNN, he was working aside Vince Cellini, Nick Charles and others on "CNN Sports Tonight". Remember that? CNN was going to be a full fledged competitor to ESPN - they had some serious people doing their Sports Tonight shows, and kicked off a 24-hour sports channel in the 90s - CNNSI - but that quickly fell apart. 
Hicks then went to NBC in the early 90s and got into golf, NFL and NBA. He is primarily now known as the main host / play by play lead for the NBC golf broadcasts. Yes, working aside Johnny Miller 10 weeks out of the year. I like him as a golf lead, I know other readers of the blog hate him. I think this week is as good a week as any to recall Hicks' best line from his golf coverage - his call of the 72nd hole of the 2008 US Open. Poor Rocco....he deserved a major just for his performance as being Tiger's foil in this event.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFfCpvT_MV8
(You know, 20 years from now when we are all retired and can sit back and reminisce, will we say that the 2008 US Open ranks up there as one of the 5 best golf tournaments in our life? I mean, nothing will top the 86 Masters - but is the 08 US Open 2nd best? )
Hicks had a memorable 2008 - he led the swimming coverage at the Beijing Olympics. That was the year of the incredible US comeback in the 4x100 Freestyle relay - where Jason Lezak was our anchor and overcome an impossible deficit on the last leg to nip France at the wire. France? France was a swimming power?
I can't find the video and audio of Hicks' call - here's the audio....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jW3b7469UI
As for football, Hicks started doing games for NBC right after he started in 1992. Talk about jumping into the fire! He's been doing games since; he did the Chiefs/Colts playoff game in 2014 (the incredible Luck comeback/Andy Reid choke) - game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQskgXwhKI4
He is now the lead Notre Dame football announcer, too, taking over from Tom Hammond.
The earlier Hicks calls I could find for a Browns telecast is this one, from 1992 - against the Chargers at home! 9 minutes of fun here - looking at this film is like looking at the first color movies made in the 1930s. The broadcast starts with Hicks nailing the pronunciation of one of our D-linemen, the great Pio Sangapugatele......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XWRf2ubJM
(and who's his color announcer on this broadcast? That's right - the great Mr. Suzy Kolber himself, Joe Namath!)
And I have to share this - here's a highlight unearthed by the author of one of the great feeds in my timeline - Scott Dryden - this is from 1995. This is the NBC Open to the NFL games and there is our hero, Dan Hicks, with the Browns' nemesis, Bob Trumpy. Look at those AFC Central standings from 1995! Banner year..... I believe this was our last win that year until the season ender at home where we took apart the stadium.
https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/934759644802764802
We all reminisce about CBS's great themes from the 80s and 90s - this was the dreck NBC gave us. The song - unmemorable. Ugh. (And I think we will be talking about Trumpy in future weeks).
Browns today are 14 point underdogs to a team playing in a soccer stadium. That pretty much represents the state of the franchise.
On to the games:
Atl 23, Min 20. I can't figure this game out. I do believe there is some home magic in the new stadium for the Falcons, and their D is getting better; can we trust Keenum or the Falcons?
Bal 24, Det 17. The Ravens are still desperate; the Lions have very little pass D so the Ravens should move the ball, and Bal's pass D should shut down Stafford.
NE 27, Buf 17. I think I have passed on better every single Patriots game this year. And - Julia Roberts best judges that decision from "Pretty Woman": "Mistake. Big Mistake".
SF 17, Chi 16. Look, I know bad football. I think the Bears are quitting on Fox and that regime is coming to an end; the Niners are still playing hard for Kyle and Jimmy G should provide a spark.
TB 30, GB 27. Tampa still has weapons in the air and should move the ball vs. the Pack's average D. Hundley will look good again against a bad Tampa D. Look for the over here.
Jax 23, Ind 13. Watching these teams score will be a struggle. Should be at least one defensive score by the Jags here.
Mia 24, Den 17. Is it Trevor Simien this week? I just have no faith in anything Denver does anymore. Their pass D is getting worse; I think Miami will score enough here to win.
KC 23, NYJ 17. Andy Reid is too good of a coach to let this season slip away. I have to believe they find something here.
Ten 24, Hou 20. Yes, Houston has Savage - but Tennessee's pass D is awful, and Houston's pass rush should keep them close.
LAR 24, Az 20. The Cardinals have enough of a pass D to slow down the Rams, and I'm banking on Arizona's home field to keep them in the game.
Oak 27, NYG 10. Poor Geno. He just has no weapons to work with; how can he be properly evaluated as the future of the Giants?
NO 23, Car 16. Two good defenses here should keep this a close game all the way.
Phi 27, Sea 23. Seattle's pass D is awful; Philly should carve up their secondary. Seattle's home field can only take them so far.
Pit 28, Cin 17. Cincinnati just isn't very good - look at their wins..... Pittsburgh has trouble showing up for inferior opponents, but they will present vs. a divisional rival under the lights.
Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 6-7-1; overall: 86-72-4
Min/Atl under 47.5
Bal -3
SF +3
SF/Chi under 41
TB +2.5
TB/GB over 45
Mia +2
KC -3
Hou +7
Az +7
Oak -8.5
Car/NO under 48
Pit -4.5
Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-1-1; overall: 36-22-2
Bal -2.5
SF +3
Mia +1.5
Az +7
Pit -5
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