Television Analysis : Pregame Show Didn’t Add Much : When All Is Said and Done, Two Hours Is Too Much Time

If NBC’s two-hour presentation, “Super Sunday An American Celebration,” proved anything, it was that 120 minutes is too long for a pregame show.

NBC’s approach to the telecast became clear at the outset of the show. Dick Enberg’s introduction was far too serious, almost overbearing. It was followed by a short Bob Giraldi film that told us what we already knew--that the Super Bowl grips the American public more than any other sporting event. It was entertaining but basically pointless.

Pregame-show host Bob Costas performed his chores well, particularly when he followed the Giraldi piece with the important news concerning the game--that Patriots quarterback Tony Eason, despite battling the flu, would start.

Costas also noted that this game could be the culmination of the year of the upset. In 1985, he noted, Villanova shocked Georgetown in the NCAA basketball finals, Michael Spinks took Larry Holmes’ heavyweight boxing title and the Kansas City Royals stunned the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Several portions fell short of the mark, particularly Bill Cosby’s look at The Refrigerator, and Rodney Dangerfield’s monologue which had virtually nothing to do with the Super Bowl.

Then again, there was a lot of time to fill.

Strangely, Larry King’s interviews with coaches Raymond Berry and Mike Ditka revealed little about these men of contrasting personalities. Yet, when King told Costas about some other things said by the coaches--comments we never saw--we got some of that insight.

Bill MacAtee’s interview of Patriot owner Billy Sullivan was poignant and informative. Sullivan noted that the Super Bowl offered “60 minutes to erase 26 years of frustration.”

Also worthy of praise were videos featuring the music of Jimmy Buffet and John Cougar Mellencamp. Pete Axthelm’s look at Super Bowl quarterbacks through the years was backed by Buffet’s “Changes in Attitudes.” Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” offered a look at football as a part of Americana.

A tribute to Vince Lombardi included statements from his former players as well as clips of Lombardi in action. It was clear from the comments by the former Packers just how much they respected the man.

Just prior to the “minute of silence” intermission, Costas mentioned all the hype surrounding the game and wondered if it was time for a little reflection amid the hoopla. What Costas didn’t mention was all the hype concerning the 60 seconds of blank screen, a brainstorm of NBC Sports executive producer Michael Weisman. If anything was overblown regarding NBC’s coverage of the Super Bowl, it was the “minute of silence.”

Tom Brokaw’s chat with President Reagan included some reminiscences by the former guard at Eureka College. The President also had this view of the Super Bowl:

“It’s typically American that we can be diverted from our serious problems. It’s so much a part of American life, our personality.’

Unfortunately, a lengthy, sometimes unfocused pregame show also seems to be a part of Super Sunday. At least this year it was.