For years the NFL has had a rules expert to provide an instant analysis on questionable calls throughout the network’s various matchups. Mike Pereira and Dan Blandino have served that role for Fox. With ESPN, CBS, NBC and Amazon have all implemented a rules analyst to their broadcasts. When you consider that play-by-play commentators and color commentators don’t know the analysis the rules. That’s where the rules analysts come in handy. All NFL broadcasts lack credibility in injuries, that’s where injury analysts may come in handy.
Broadcasters have used speculation for awhile and when Travis Kelce suffered an injury, it looked bad. Though, there was no true explanation of the injury from the broadcast. After halftime, CBS commentator Tony Romo speculated to over 20 million viewers and then called it “likely” that Kelce endured a “high-ankle sprain.”
Romo cited his past experiences and a text message from his dad for the analysis. If you had watched the play, that analysis didn’t make sense. Sports Medicine Physician Jesse Morse said the same thing in a tweet.
Later, Ian Rapoport had tweeted that it was a “Low-Ankle Sprain.” The Chiefs tight end later returned to the game and caught a touchdown. So the analysis that CBS signed off on from Romo turned out to be wrong. That’s where having Injury Analyst at least on call for NFL broadcasts could come in handy. Viewers wouldn’t have to wait until halftime to find out the injury.
During the week 1 ESPN broadcast of Jets-Bills game the injury was scattered. There was no discussion or update until halftime. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman might not have the expertise to analyze the injury so they repeated the line “we hate to speculate on injuries, but it looks bad.” They then brought in Adam Schefter at halftime and he cited doctors from around the industry, stating that the belief is Rodgers tore his Achilles. If Injury Analysts were available for live NFL broadcasts, the fans watching could have heard directly from the doctors that Schefter cited.
Click here for more NFL news.
Follow Fantom’s Twitter!!!
Subscribe to Fantom’s Youtube!!