THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 30, 1996 TAG: 9608300738
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By Larry Bonko, Television Writer
LENGTH: 90 lines
The dress rehearsals are over. Starting Sunday, it's showtime for Ronnie Lott - he of the gleaming bald head and All-Pro credentials.
Lott replaced Jimmy Johnson as studio analyst, critic and second-guesser on ``Fox NFL Sunday,'' the pregame show that starts at noon on WTVZ. His performance in preseason telecasts: Unimpressive.
Another new face in the studio is former Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham, who joins the Turner Sunday night team.
If Lott and Cunningham thought it was tough playing in the NFL, it was nothing compared to the bloody battlefield of pregame programming. The NFL's 77th season begins this weekend.
Lott and Cunningham soon will learn it's hell out there in the Nielsen trenches with Fox, NBC, TNT and ESPN chasing the same audience of beer drinkers and tire kickers. The rivalry on the pregame shows has never been more intense.
NBC this year increased ``NFL on NBC'' to a full hour starting at noon and brought back heavy hitter Bob Costas after Fox skimmed off about 20 percent of its audience a year ago.
When ESPN got wind of what NBC was doing, the gang in Bristol, Conn., permanently expanded ``NFL Countdown'' to 90 minutes starting at 11:30 a.m.
Fox, faced with losing a marquee name in Johnson, who with his comb and Brylcreme returned to coaching with the Miami Dolphins, signed Lott. The buzz is that Lott and Terry Bradshaw don't get along on the ``Fox NFL Sunday'' set but so what? That Palooka Bradshaw got under Johnson's skin, too.
It makes for great TV.
About accepting the Fox offer, Lott said in a recent interview: ``If I don't do this, I'll lose my edge. I want to stay involved in the game.'' Translation: ``I hope to be an NFL coach one day.''
It's not exaggerating to say there's been an explosion of pregame shows since Fox showed how this programming can be fun and profitable.
The lineup:
Hour-long pregame shows on Fox and NBC Sunday starting at noon. ESPN signs on with its 90-minute pregame special at 11:30 a.m.
``Prime Monday'' on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. precedes ``Monday Night Football'' on ABC (Dallas at Chicago at 9 this Monday). Look for a new face on ABC this season. Chris ``Boomer'' Berman, who's been with ESPN as long as there's been an ESPN, moves over to ABC to co-host the ``Monday Night Football'' halftime segment. ABC and ESPN is one big happy family under the Disney banner.
Home Box Office on Thursday night at 11 p.m. launches the 20th season of what is perhaps the best of all the pregame NFL series - ``Inside the NFL'' with Len Dawson, Nick Buoniconti, shoot-from-the-hip Chris Collinsworth and Jerry Glanville, who replaces Johnson. It takes two men to do the work that Johnson did in 1995 (Collinsworth will also join Costas on the NBC pregame hour).
``Edge NFL Match-up'' on ESPN2 Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and on ESPN Sunday at 9 a.m. More NFL talk, with emphasis on the Xs and Os.
``NFL Preview'' on CNN Sunday at 11 a.m.
``Pro Football Tonight'' on TNT Sunday night at 7 precedes the TNT Sunday night NFL game, which will be on the schedule through Oct. 27. It's Buffalo-New York Giants this Sunday. This pregame show signs off when the Sunday night games move to ESPN in November. Cunningham joins Mark May as studio critic.
And after the last whistle . . .
``NFL Primetime'' carried by ESPN Sunday at 7 p.m., a nicely timed early wrapup of the afternoon games. The show is repeated at midnight with updates of West Coast games and the Sunday night game.
That's 10 pregame and postgame NFL shows. Enough?
Here's more of what awaits weekend couch commandos, who get a first look at the Baltimore Ravens in the 1 p.m. Sunday game on NBC:
Here's a twist on local high school football coverage: WAVY sports director Bruce Rader will anchor ``The Friday Night High School Sports Spectacular'' on Channel 10 and WVBT (Channel 43).
The show begins at 11:30 p.m. on both channels. When WAVY signs on with ``The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno'' at 11:35, Rader continues with high school coverage until midnight on WVBT without missing a beat.
Cool.
If you're a Washington Redskins' fan who thinks the 1995 season is worth re-living - they did beat Dallas twice, after all - check out ``Coming Together'' on ESPN2 Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. It's the 'Skins turn in the ``NFL Yearbook'' series. The Cowboys' story (``Long Road Home``) is scheduled for Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. Set your VCRs.
WVEC on Sunday has two NFL specials - ``NFL Films Presents'' at 12:30 p.m. and ``The NFL Update'' at 3 p.m.
The boys of autumn are back. MEMO: If you have questions or comments about TV sports, call Larry
Bonko on InfoLine: 640-5555, press 2486. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Ronnie Lott replaces Jimmy Johnson as analyst, critic and
second-guesser on ``Fox NFL Sunday.'' by CNB