Broadcast Is a Hit, but Game Is a Miss

At least the telecast was better than the game. ABC had only a few minor flaws Monday night, leaving the major ones to the teams.

Things looked somewhat promising after the Rams scored late in the first half. As Al Michaels noted, “It was just what the doctor ordered.”

The cure didn’t last long, though, as first a Ram fumble and then penalties and overall poor play took over.

And you thought the 49ers’ 7-3 victory over the New York Giants a couple of weeks ago was boring?

Even Georgia Frontiere apparently became disinterested. ABC caught her signing autographs and having fun with fans while her team was struggling and bumbling.

This game wasn’t exactly boring. Sloppy is what it was.

But play-by-play man Michaels was anything but sloppy. As usual, he was prepared, glib, opinionated, witty, informative and smooth.

Dan Dierdorf may get more ink--some positive, some negative--and Frank Gifford may win the popularity polls, but Michaels is the star of ABC’s “Monday Night” team.

Michaels is already in playoff form, although there are two games left on ABC’s regular-season schedule.

First, it’s Washington at Indianapolis Saturday at 5 p.m. They will be playing Saturday because there is no game on Christmas Eve. Then, on New Year’s Eve, it’s the Rams at New Orleans in another 5 o’clock game.

You can imagine ABC is really excited about that one. The rating might not hit double figures. They could put Madonna in the booth and show her video and still not get much of a rating.

The guys in the booth--don’t you hate it when they call each other “guys?”--sure couldn’t do much about Monday night’s debacle. They had to resort to showing old Frank Gifford football cards.

As the game got out of hand, it gave the announcers an opportunity to talk about John Robinson’s problems with Ram management and the possibility of his going elsewhere.

Michaels and Dierdorf sang the praises of Robinson. Michaels called the other side uncommunicative.

They had a lot of praise for the 49ers, too. They weren’t really sharp against the Rams, but they still won, 26-10.

Michaels opened the telecast by saying the 49ers were as close to perfect as you can get, adding: “This didn’t originate with the 49ers, but they own the patent on ‘Just win, baby.’ ”

Al Davis probably loved that.

No question, the first half was geared toward the 49ers. ABC inserted taped clips of Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Joe Montana. The network got around to one Ram, Jim Everett, in the second half.

But you can’t fault ABC. The 49ers were the headliners Monday.

An example of Michaels’ work came on the kickoff after the 49ers’ first-quarter field goal. As Ram return man Gaston Green started upfield, Michaels said, “He returned one 100 yards against Pittsburgh on Monday night (Oct. 29),” quickly adding, “and he came up 76 yards short on this one.”

It was a small, insignificant moment, but it showed that Michaels was prepared--he remembered Green’s earlier return--and he was quick, witty and smooth.

There was a little audio problem in the second half on a replay of a hit on the 49ers’ Tom Rathman. Viewers heard a screeching noise.

“Sounds like we need a brake job,” Michaels quipped.

Dierdorf also had a good night. Sorry, you Dierdorf-haters, but the feeling here is Dierdorf’s good points, at least lately, outweigh his penchant for sometimes being overbearing.

Dierdorf probably would say he hasn’t changed one iota since Day 1 with ABC, but in subtle little ways he has found a middle ground.

He still can be critical, but, maybe subconsciously, he doesn’t feel he has to beat a point to death to get it across.

One point went without saying Monday night. The Rams, as a television attraction, were a bust.