All announcers: NFL Week 17 (12/31/2023) (NE-BUF: Harlan/Green/Collins) (maps Wed. AM...maybe)

[chongli]

The maps tomorrow may be delayed to the holiday and because a large part of the country is still undetermined on the FOX map.

 

This is the second time we have had Harlan, Green, and Collins this year. The first was when we hosted the Raiders in Week 2.

 

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[Note 1: Doubleheader this week is CBS.]

[Note 2: There is *no* more ManningCast until Super Wild Card Weekend.]

[Note 3: Remember: the TNF game is free and legal to all on Twitch--no Amazon Prime account needed.]

[Note 4: The final MNF game of the season is on Saturday this week, out of respect for college football]

[Note 5: There are no regular season more byes left this year.]

 

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https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-reveals-announcers-for-week-17-games/

 

NFL Week 17, 2023 - December 31, 2023

 

NATIONAL BROADCASTS:

 

TNF - Amazon Prime Video/Twitch (free)

Thursday, December 28 - 8:15 PM ET:

New York Jets at Cleveland

Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung

[simulcasts: WNYW (FOX/5) New York (per zap2it) and WEWS (ABC/5) Cleveland (per TVGuide.com)]

 

MNF - ABC/ESPN

Saturday, December 30 - 8:15 PM ET:

Detroit at Dallas

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters

 

SNF

Sunday, December 31 - 8:20 PM ET:

Green Bay at Minnesota

Mike Tirico, Chris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark

 

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CBS Early

Sunday, December 31 - 1 PM ET:

 

Miami at Baltimore

(B) Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn

 

New England at Buffalo

(C) Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins

 

Las Vegas at Indianapolis

(D) Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan, AJ Ross

 

Carolina at Jacksonville

(E) Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala

 

Atlanta at Chicago

(G) Chris Lewis, Jason McCourty, Ross Tucker, Amanda Renner

 

Blackout Alert:

Houston is exercising its right to enforce a blackout in its DMA on KHOU (CBS/11) Houston in the early Sunday timeslot per TitanTV. [Home teams have to allow the other network to air a competing game in the same time slot on the singleheader network four times a year but can enforce a blackout if that number has been or will be exceeded that season. This will be the sixth time this year in Houston.]

 

Tampa Bay may exercise its right to enforce a blackout in its DMA on WTSP (CBS/10) St. Petersburg for the same reason (and in fact probably will), but this is yet to be confirmed.

 

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CBS Late

Sunday, December 31 - 4:25 PM ET:

 

Cincinnati at Kansas City

(A) Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson 

 

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver

(F) Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely, Tiffany Blackmon

 

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FOX Single

Sunday, December 31 - 1 PM and 4:05 PM ET:

 

Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin

 

 

San Francisco at Washington

(C) Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink

 

 

New Orleans at Tampa Bay

(A) Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi

 

Arizona at Philadelphia

(B) Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver 

 

Tennessee at Houston

(F) Chris Myers, Robert Smith Jen Hale

 

Pittsburgh at Seattle (LATE)

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake

[confirmed by Albert during 12/24 during DET-MIN game]
 

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Byes:

None

 

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Edited December 26, 2023 by chongli

[RiotAct]

I bet the broadcast area for our game is going to be tiny.   CBS knows ain’t no one (besides us!) wants to see the carnage that we’re going to rain down on Mac Jones, or Bailey Zappe or whoever, and the Cheatriots

[chongli]

7 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

I bet the broadcast area for our game is going to be tiny.   CBS knows ain’t no one (besides us!) wants to see the carnage that we’re going to rain down on Mac Jones, or Bailey Zappe or whoever, and the Cheatriots

 

We get the #3 broadcast team at CBS though. Broadcast teams for CBS are assigned on distribution, so it may be bigger than you think. Still, I agree...no one wants to see New England. This also may be Belichick's final broadcast by CBS (though probably not, unless New England gets moved to Saturday in Week 18 or flexed to FOX).

[Taro Nimbus]

I really dislike Harlans voice during a broadcast.  

[beerme1]

2 hours ago, Taro Nimbus said:

I really dislike Harlans voice during a broadcast.  

 

I used to. He's really great though if you allow it. 

[Freddie's Dead]

Awesome that we finally got Harlan!

[JESSEFEFFER]

11 hours ago, Taro Nimbus said:

I really dislike Harlans voice during a broadcast.  

I like his voice.  It's forceful and he can raise the volume of his voice without raising the pitch.  I think Don Criqui was much the same style.  I do not favor the shrieking style unless it's for my team.  Then it's ok.  For the too young to know crowd:

 

 

Don Criqui is an American sportscaster. He holds the record for longest-tenured NFL broadcaster in U.S. TV history, calling NFL football for 47 seasons on NBC and CBS. Wikipedia

Born: 1940 (age 83 years), Buffalo, NY

Education: University of Notre Dame, St Joseph's Collegiate Institute

Sports: American football, basketball, ice hockey, golf, tennis

[chongli]

4 hours ago, Ryan Simpsons said:

what game do you guys think FOX's A-team will get? To be honest, there really are no GREAT games set

 

This is a good question. We'll know more when the early distributions are more clear Sunday, but I would say PIT-SEA and NO-TB seem like the only choices, depending on how they do this week.

 

EDIT: on second thought, they are probably going to do AZ-PHL or SF-WAS, as three of the four teams have big markets. Anything but TEN-HOU, as that involves two small-market AFC teams. But then again, what do I know? The networks, especially FOX, have surprised us before.

Edited December 24, 2023 by chongli

[chongli]

UPDATE:

 

FOX Single:

 

Pittsburgh at Seattle (LATE)

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake

[confirmed by Albert during 12/24 during DET-MIN game]

 

Kenny Albert will be in Seattle the next day, January 1, to call the NHL Winter Classic, so that was a logical choice for FOX.

Edited December 24, 2023 by chongli

[chongli]

Cleveland simulcast just added:

 

TNF - Amazon Prime Video/Twitch (free)

Thursday, December 28 - 8:15 PM ET:

New York Jets at Cleveland

Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung

[simulcasts: WNYW (FOX/5) New York (per zap2it) and WEWS (ABC/5) Cleveland (per TVGuide.com)]

[chongli]

UPDATE:

 

Fox Single:

San Francisco at Washington

(C) Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink

 

 

[Gregg]

I am surprised Nantz and Romo are doing the Bengals-Chiefs game and not the Dolphins-Ravens game being that MIA-BAL is the best game for CBS this weekend.

[chongli]

UPDATE:

 

Fox Single:

 

Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin

 

 

5 minutes ago, Gregg said:

I am surprised Nantz and Romo are doing the Bengals-Chiefs game and not the Dolphins-Ravens game being that MIA-BAL is the best game for CBS this weekend.

 

True, lots of grumbling everywhere, but the Mahommes and Taylor factor...they will draw lots of eyes no matter what, which means money. Plus Baltimore and Miami are both smaller markets and the NFL/CBS did not want to switch and the A team almost always gets the late slot.

Edited December 26, 2023 by chongli

[Charles Romes]

Sending the #2 broadcast team to call the week 17 game between the 1+2 seed is bizarre. 

[Gregg]

4 minutes ago, Charles Romes said:

Sending the #2 broadcast team to call the week 17 game between the 1+2 seed is bizarre. 

 

The Bengals-Chiefs is the national game with the 4:25 start. The Ravens-Dolphins is the game that should be shown around the country. It's the best game for CBS this weekend.

[chongli]

4 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

The Bengals-Chiefs is the national game with the 4:25 start. The Ravens-Dolphins is the game that should be shown around the country. It's the best game for CBS this weekend.

 

To make matters worse, Tampa Bay and Houston are blacking out that game on CBS.

 

EDIT: And a notice: the maps tomorrow may be delayed to the holiday and because a large part of the country is still undetermined on the FOX map.

Edited December 26, 2023 by chongli

[CNYfan]

On 12/22/2023 at 10:28 AM, Ryan Simpsons said:

his terrific enthusiasm beings life to the broadcast even during boring games

Yes, as someone said a two yard dive becomes an enthralling seismic event!!!!

[Whites Bay]

Thank you for the work you put into these broadcast updates, Chongli.  I really appreciate it.

 

The reality of the Bills/Pats* game being directly opposite of the Dolphins/Ravens game just came hammering home.  I'm glad I got that extra beer in me and signed up for YouTube TV/NFL package this past August.  The beer helped the "wince" as I hit Send.  But I love the side-by-side broadcast.  Going to need it this weekend.

[chongli]

UPDATE:

 

Fox Single:

 

New Orleans at Tampa Bay

(A) Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Tom Rinaldi, Erin Andrews

 

Arizona at Philadelphia

(B) Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver 

 

Tennessee at Houston

(F) Chris Myers, Robert Smith Jen Hale

 

All per Barry Werner:

https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-reveals-announcers-for-week-17-games/

 

 

13 minutes ago, Whites Bay said:

Thank you for the work you put into these broadcast updates, Chongli.  I really appreciate it.

 

The reality of the Bills/Pats* game being directly opposite of the Dolphins/Ravens game just came hammering home.  I'm glad I got that extra beer in me and signed up for YouTube TV/NFL package this past August.  The beer helped the "wince" as I hit Send.  But I love the side-by-side broadcast.  Going to need it this weekend.

 

Thanks...the encouragement means a lot!

 

As fot the Bills game being on a normal 1 PM window against MIA-BAL, let's just say a lot of Bills fans are going to be angry with the maps, as MIA-BAL is being featured (and rightfully so, despite getting the B-team). 

[chongli]

5 minutes ago, Ryan Simpsons said:

@chongli 

Also i found per 80forBrady on X that Patriots/Bills week 17 game is a 1:00 window featured game. Technically, wouldn't that be broadcasted nationally over the 1:00 PM window since its on the schedule or would it be Dolphins/Ravens since it is the better game?

 

https://www.google.com/urlsa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F80forBrady&psig=AOvVaw0LSyu1DilPIhzjdB4zNlbs&ust=1703720385589000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCPCy7ZejroMDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 

I couldn't find the tweet you mentioned above, but MIA-BAL is going to almost all of the country, whereas NE-BUF is just going to New York state, New England, NYC, and parts of Wyoming. NYC is expected to switch to MIA-BAL by tomorrow.

[chongli]

33 minutes ago, Ryan Simpsons said:

quick question.... so do all CBS's nationally televised games @ 4:25 get CBS #1 broadcasting team of Nantz/Romo/Wolfson? I get it it that it is broadcasted nationally and these are determined at the beginning of the season but it should go week by week basis. In MY opinion (which obviously means nothing) I think KC/CIN is a good game but BAL/MIA deserved CBS's #1 broadcasting team due to the huge implications of the #1 seed and the AFC East division. 

 

In every game this year where CBS has had a doubleheader, Nantz and Romo have gotten the featured (4:25 PM) game. 

 

https://archive.506sports.com/wiki/2023_NFL_Season

 

I would have to do further research to see if there was a time the A-team for CBS did not get that time in previous seasons.

 

BTW, the NFL is allowed to switch late and early slots on the same network, no permission needed (although they do consult with the network). Apparently, CBS told them they were happy with the way it was.

 

I agree MIA-BAL deserves to get the A-team, but for whatever reason, they didn't. It will be a block buster week for CBS no matter what. 

 

EDIT:,Also, the assignment was made when Cincy was in a four-game when streak and before KC's egg against Las Vegas, but still... it was a bad choice. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by chongli

[Buffalo03]

I'm so glad we graduated from Spero Dedes games. I swear that guy did a Bills game every week at some point and he is awful

[RiotAct]

1 hour ago, Buffalo03 said:

I'm so glad we graduated from Spero Dedes games. I swear that guy did a Bills game every week at some point and he is awful

yep the Dedes-Wilcots duo was a frigging mainstay for the meat of the drought years.  I still have frequent flashbacks to the phrase “Buffalo Beewws”

[chongli]

11 minutes ago, Ryan Simpsons said:

So after further research... the one and only 4:25 national game this year that did not have a #1 crew was on FOX week 6 - Eagles vs Jets - they got the #5 broadcasting crew of Kugler/Sanchez/Okmin

 

Good research!

 

Also, notice how FOX assigned the A-team that week to the best game, which was at 1 (San Francisco at Cleveland):

 

https://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2023&wk=6

 

FOX has a different style. This week, they are assigning the A-team to a small distribution game, New Orleans at Tampa Bay, where they could have given them the game with the second-most distribution at 1 (Arizona at Philadelphia). The game with the biggest distribution is at 4:05 (Pittsburgh at Seattle), with Kenny Albert. FOX gave him that assignment only because he will broadcast the NHL Classic the next day from Seattle.

Edited December 27, 2023 by chongli

[buffblue]

Can't stand Kevin Harlan's voice. Not a bad play by play guy but it's like nails on a chalkboard listening to him

[Gregg]

Here in the NYC/NJ area we get the Pats at Bills on CBS along with the Rams at Giants (like I care about this one) on FOX at 1:00. We get Bengals at Chiefs 4:25 on CBS and of course the SNF game. The Dolphins-Ravens game will not be shown in the NYC/NJ area on the local channels.

[JDubya76]

13 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

I'm so glad we graduated from Spero Dedes games. I swear that guy did a Bills game every week at some point and he is awful

Wait, you don’t like the Zapper?

[chongli]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

Here in the NYC/NJ area we get the Pats at Bills on CBS along with the Rams at Giants (like I care about this one) on FOX at 1:00. We get Bengals at Chiefs 4:25 on CBS and of course the SNF game. The Dolphins-Ravens game will not be shown in the NYC/NJ area on the local channels.

 

NYC switched, AFAIK, to MIA-BAL. Zap2it has changed to them.

Edited December 27, 2023 by chongli

[Gregg]

5 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

NYC switched, AFAIK, to MIA-BAL. Zap2it has changed to them.

 

So, we are getting Dolphins-Ravens in NY/NJ. I would love to watch this game but not at the expense of the Bills game.

[chongli]

2 hours ago, Ryan Simpsons said:

what is a blackout

so if it weren't for Kenny Albert being in Seattle for NHL do you think FOX's A-team would be doing Steelers/Seahawks since it is big distribution?

 

A blackout currently means a network in that time slot is not showing any game. The current rule is home teams have to allow the other network to air a competing game in the same time slot on the singleheader network four times a year, but can enforce a blackout if that number has been or will be exceeded that season. This rule does not apply to the first and last weeks of the season, when both networks show a double-header. Only a few teams this year had that situation (not Buffalo). It used to be for all home games, but in 2019 the NFL allowed two opposite games to be aired, then the current four in 2020 (because of the pandemic). 

 

It used to mean the network could not show your home team if they game did not sell out 72 hours in advance, but that rule was lifted in 2014. The original idea was to incentivize the local fan base to buy tickets to support the home team, but the NFL found they lost more money by the game not being shown on TV than by any loss in ticket sales. Blackouts were common before 2014, especially in Buffalo, with a smaller market and larger stadium. The Wild Card game in 1993 vs. the Oilers was even blacked out.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_television_blackout_policies

 

EDIT to add my second response:

 

As for the Seattle game, I believe Burkhardt and Olsen would have been there, but FOX is always weird. They do what they want to do time in and time out .NO-TB is a big game, but it's the NFC South with small markets and mediocre records. They really could have been assigned anywhere, with the exception of TEN-HOU.

 

These games all involve big markets:
LAR @ NYG
SF @ WSH
AZ @ PHI

 

These are better games with playoff implications, but smaller markets, and one is a mediocre AFC team:

NO @ TB

PIT @ SEA

 

These are both AFC teams and FOX doesn't like all AFC games, especially in small markets:
TN @ HOU

Edited December 27, 2023 by chongli

[Lagoon Blues]

2 hours ago, JDubya76 said:

Wait, you don’t like the Zapper?

Awesome....lol....Death by snu snu!

Edited December 27, 2023 by Lagoon Blues

[chongli]

On 12/27/2023 at 6:02 AM, Ryan Simpsons said:

so if it weren't for Kenny Albert being in Seattle for NHL do you think FOX's A-team would be doing Steelers/Seahawks since it is big distribution?

 

Kenny Albert said in an interview with Chris Bumbaca of USA Today that when the Sunday NYE day game in Seattle was announced on the schedule this spring, he put in a request with FOX to cover this game, knowing he would be in Seattle the next day to do the NHL Classic:m. Of course, at the time, FOX had no way of knowing that game would be FOX's most distributed game and worthy of the A-team.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/12/30/kenny-albert-nfl-nhl-broadcasting-seattle-seahawks-kraken/72050817007/#

 

"When the NFL schedule came out this year, Albert quickly circled the Seattle-Pittsburgh matchup and relayed the preference to his bosses at FOX. Of course, there was the chance the game could have been flexed to another network at this point in the season. But Albert knew he wanted that game, because the other five NFL games on the network that Sunday are mostly on the East Coast, with the next closest being in Houston. 

 

“I’m looking forward to the next couple of years when the calendar shifts and January first will be mid-week,” Albert said. “That will certainly help, as far as logistics.” 

Edited December 30, 2023 by chongli