Movies

For Super Bowl broadcasters, game ‘boards’ are an indispensable booth secret

BBG News

NEW ORLEANS — The story of Super Bowl LIX is in the cards.

Instead of cards, envision a sizable piece of sturdy paper that serves as a repository for various details such as player names, numbers, statistics, and occasionally interesting trivia. This information-packed sheet is easily accessible to the commentators who are providing live coverage of the game.

These are often referred to as “game boards,” and they’re painstakingly prepared by the commentators (play-by-play and color analysts) prior to a match. They serve as comprehensive reference materials, offering a wealth of details that a commentator can quickly refer to during critical moments in the game.

On Sunday, Fox is airing the matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, but despite the network’s array of camera angles, no one among the over 100 million viewers will have a crystal-clear view of the booth’s boards used by Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady.

It’s uncertain what the boards specifically resemble, as Fox declined to provide their Sunday game announcers for interview by The Times.

It’s probably the case that their boards share a resemblance with those used by other Super Bowl commentators, who find these sheets less about following a script and more about having a safety net.

As a seasoned movie critic, I’ve always found it crucial not to rely on scripts during my commentary; this was echoed by the esteemed Jim Nantz, a CBS veteran who’s graced seven Super Bowls, such as the one held in New Orleans where Baltimore triumphed over San Francisco. On-air, we don’t recite our dialogue verbatim; instead, we use subtle prompts to guide us through the performance.

During a break in the action, I’ll take a peek at the commercial to check for any hints or clues about the plot that might guide me further – absolutely, I wouldn’t want to miss out on that!

As a devoted cinephile reminiscing on the past, much like the nostalgic tones in my favorite film scenes, I too preserve memories of every sports game I’ve commentated. At my humble abode nestled in Pebble Beach, you’ll find a collection of boards from each football and basketball game I’ve called, meticulously organized despite the occasional coffee ring or ketchup smudge from a halftime hot dog. With 502 NFL games under my belt, including last month’s thrilling AFC championship match between Kansas City and Buffalo, I’m proud to say that every game script in my career has been carefully penned and kept close to heart.

He explained it as if they were: “All the assignments from your elementary school years through high school and college are mine. They’re neatly organized by year, each stack preserved perfectly, as though I had assembled them moments ago.

Sports

In simpler terms, since Dick Vermeil maintains connections with both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, his recommendation for the closely contested Super Bowl LIX is that everyone should relax and appreciate the game.

Compared to other boards, some are more tidily arranged. For example, Troy Aikman’s writing is so meticulous that it appears close to calligraphy. As for Dick Vermeil’s boards, they were well-organized enough to be hung as artwork.

According to Fred Gaudelli, the longtime producer of “Sunday Night Football”, if there was an artist as exceptional as Michelangelo working with wooden boards, then Dick was certainly that master craftsman. He compared his work to priceless pieces of art.

In my critique as a movie critic, I must say that Vermeil’s game-day preparations were nothing short of a vibrant Mardi Gras spectacle. Each board, akin to the colorful layers of a Bourbon Street king cake, was meticulously adorned with various shades representing different aspects of the team.

Green, our team colors, dominated prominently. Then, the past season’s statistics were boldly painted in red, contrasting starkly against the black representing this season’s stats. The career statistics, a testament to the players’ enduring legacies, were delicately brushed with blue.

Academic achievements, symbolizing the intellectual prowess of our athletes, were elegantly penned in purple hues. Lastly, the injury status, a crucial aspect of game planning, was gently highlighted in pink. Crafting one of these masterpieces would consume an entire day, but it was a labor of love for Coach Vermeil.

Instead of crafting each board from scratch at the beginning of the week like Nantz, Vermeil preferred to use small strips of white tape to mask outdated statistics and write new ones on top. Moreover, he kept a separate smaller board for every team in the league – for example, one for the Eagles, another for the Chiefs. During matchups between these teams, he would combine the two boards. This method was all about streamlining the process for him.

Vermeil stated that many individuals continue to use them since he distributed them freely to anyone who requested them. He had approximately 100 copies of them printed at once.

VIDEO | 01:20
Joe Buck shows off his Super Bowl 45 ‘board’

NFL play-by-play announcer Joe Buck shows his broadcast “board” from Super Bowl XLV (45).

Joe Buck’s initial Super Bowl signage was penned in blue, symbolizing blunt or colloquial language. He scrawled an informal version of “Forget it” repeatedly on his first board as a reminder to maintain a lighthearted approach and remember that the game, despite the entire nation watching, was still just a game.

Buck explained that he began keeping his personal notes a bit tidier since he would eventually pass the board to someone else. He didn’t want any careless phrases like ‘forget it’ appearing if it was going to a school auction.”

“He started organizing his personal reminders more neatly because he knew he’d eventually hand over the board, and he didn’t want anything casual or forgetful like ‘forget it’ written on there, especially for a school auction.”

“Buck shared that he started to clean up his personal notes because he’d eventually pass them on, and he didn’t want any sloppy phrases such as ‘forget it’ showing up, especially if they were going to a school auction.

Mike Tirico no longer employs physical boards, instead opting for a digital tablet as his primary source of information. This device enables him to effortlessly navigate and access any required details. As an added precaution, he also has a secondary tablet at the ready should the first one malfunction.

However, when he was working with paper, he’d manually enter information and then head to a local print shop to get his boards printed on card stock. In case of inclement weather while he worked in an open-air press box, he would take the additional precaution of having them laminated.

Once, his ornate spreadsheet sparked the curiosity of a person asked to print it.

The fellow manning the photocopier inquired, “You seem like a professional gambler of some sort, don’t you?” To which I responded, “Not quite. I’m more of a gaming enthusiast who keeps a close eye on the action.” Eventually, they came to realize that my frequent visits were likely connected to the live broadcast.

Al Michaels might be the most seasoned professional when it comes to calling ballgames, but he doesn’t fabricate the boards himself. Instead, he relies on “Malibu” Kelly Hayes, who has been his assistant for every football game since 1978.

A spotter employs a distinct board compared to the announcer and serves as an additional pair of eyes. They stand beside the person on-air, and during specific plays, they tap names to identify key players such as the intended receiver, defenders who intercepted the ball, defenders who disrupted the play by knocking it away, and defensive ends putting pressure on the quarterback.

Michaels mentioned that he has multiple sources of information available to him. This includes communicating with our research team during a game, as well as having hard copies of materials that he can refer to if necessary,” said Michaels, a longtime presence on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday evenings.

To make it simpler and more conversational: “On the board, we focus on the basics like which school someone attended, their current league year, height, weight, and perhaps a notable achievement in their career. We don’t overload it because most of the time, Kelly is highlighting who made tackles, caused fumbles, or are entering/exiting the game. To save time, we’ve streamlined the information displayed.

In the beginning of his career as an NFL Europe play-by-play commentator, Curt Menefee employed a basic approach at Fox studios.

Sports

Tom Brady expresses that he still has much to learn in his broadcasting career, yet he’s delighted by the process. As a part-owner of the Raiders, he also holds the role of analyst for Fox during Super Bowl LIX.

He arrived in Amsterdam with a makeshift contact list. He had taken a brown paper bag, torn it in half, and used it as a makeshift notebook, scribbling names and numbers on it. Brian Baldinger, a color analyst, commented, “You know that’s not how it works, right?” It was a long process, but he started from the beginning.

Previously professional NFL running back Daryl Johnston, currently a commentator for Fox, demonstrates exceptional skill in creating well-structured teams or strategies.

But once… fumble!

He mentioned that he was watching a Giants game while staying at the W hotel in Hoboken. After having breakfast, he placed his board off to one side and forgot about it. Later, he paid the bill, left the hotel, drove to the stadium, and had someone go back to retrieve his forgotten board, hoping it was still there.

“I’ve left them at home one time and had to have my wife FedEx it.”

For some, that’s the stuff of nightmares.

Nantz emphasized the importance of taking good care of his football boards, stating they’re as valuable to him as his phone, wallet, and Rolex watch. He ensures each item is safeguarded properly, although not necessarily in the order he mentioned.

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2025-02-09 01:33

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