Rose Bowl Game pulls in big ratings for ABC-TV

ABC-TV's coverage of the 2007 Rose Bowl game, which began at 4:30 p.m. EST and ran through 9:00 p.m., delivered 19 million viewers and a 6.6 rating/15 share between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. yesterday. By way of comparison, the Fiesta Bowl on FOX peaked at 15.7 million viewers between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The numbers for the Rose Bowl broadcast would have likely been even higher had Erin Andrews been doing the sideline reporting. Go Blue!

Post for Brent Musburger: Nothing to see here.

In the 4th quarter of the Rose Bowl game, Brent Musburger repeatedly referred to "bloggers" calling for Coach Carr to be fired because of Michigan's inablility to beat OSU and/or win its bowl games for three consecutive seasons. Despite his assertions to the contrary, Mr. Musburger was trying to throw a lit match into a gas can. As for this "Michigan Blog," there will be no calls by this webmaster for Coach Carr to be terminated. As far as I'm concerned, he has earned the right to stay here as long as he so desires. I hope he decides to stay for several more seasons although realistically he probably will not coach more than another three years. So Mr. Musburger, there is nothing controversial for you at this blog. Try my links. Maybe UMGoBlue.COM. Go Blue!

P.S. If you are reading my blog, Mr. Musburger, please do what you can to have Erin Andrews on your crew next season. Thanks. Much appreciated.

ABC-TV set to use same broadcast crew for Rose Bowl that it used for M/OSU game

The Rose Bowl game is being broadcast by ABC Sports Television and will feature the same broadcast crew that worked the Michigan/Ohio State game. As before, it will be Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Bob Davie (analyst) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) in the booth with Lisa Salters (USC sideline) and Bonnie Bernstein (U of M sideline) on the field. Once again, I must strenously protest on behalf of college football fans everywhere the fact that Erin Andrews will not be part of the crew working the game. Ms. Andrews, as noted in previous posts, is the preeminent sideline reporter in the game bar none. If Ms. Andrews were to work the Rose Bowl, ABC would not need two sideline reporters for the game as Ms. Andrews can do more covering both sidelines on her own than Bernstein & Salters can do together. Ms. Andrews is widely hailed as the best prepared sideline reporter in the game. Michigan fans only had the privilege of seeing Ms. Andrews work one of its games this season. A sideline reporter needs to add something to the broadcast. Ms. Andrews accomplishes that. She lights up the screen every time she appears on camera and leaves viewers waiting for the next time they cut to her. ABC Sports should put Ms. Andrews on the Rose Bowl broadcast team. It would improve the broadcast immensely. Go Blue!

ABC-TV Broadcast team set for M/OSU game

The announcing crew for the M/OSU game will consist of Brent Musburger (play-by-play); Bob Davie and Kirk Herbstreit (color analysts); Bonnie Bernstein (OSU sideline) and Lisa Salters (M sideline). Although Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Salters are both excellent journalists, their combined talents do not equal the talent of the one and only Erin Andrews. Ms. Andrews should rightfully be doing the sideline reporting for both teams during The Game. As for the crew in the booth, I think those guys do a good job but I prefer to listen to announcers prone to pro-Michigan homerism. Therefore, I'll be watching the television picture but turning off the sound so I can tune in to the call of Frank Beckmann and Jim Brandstatter on the radio. Click here to find out where to tune the dial in your area to listen to the broadcast from the Michigan Sports Network. Go Blue!