Bill Maas

Don't know where to find it on foxsports.com or wherever you would, but I heard on Billy Packer's radio show with Stan Olsen and Darrin Gant that Bill Maas and Sam Rosen would be doing the Rams game this week, so we get a week off. He said two guys names but I forget who they were. Anything is better than those losers.

 

I heard Balldinger and ......maybe Albert?

 

anyone else catch Fowler's piece today?


'Master of obvious' a bit sensitive

SCOTT FOWLER

The e-mail showed up in my inbox at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday. Six hours later, I clicked on it twice.

Bill Maas, the Fox-TV color analyst who has called the past four Carolina Panthers games, had written to me. And he was mad.

I've never met Maas, nor talked to him until Wednesday. But I criticized him in a one-paragraph item on page 6C of Monday's Charlotte Observer after he analyzed the Carolina-Tampa Bay game Sunday. This was the paragraph, in its entirety:

"How is it that Fox television assigns Sam Rosen and Bill Maas to every single Carolina Panthers game? Maas, one of TV's true masters of the obvious, offered a number of pearls of wisdom Sunday. My favorite was this one in the second quarter: 'Historically, in the NFL, the team leading at halftime goes on to win.' Wow! Tell us more!' "

Maas titled his e-mail "Master of the obvious."

He went on to point out four different times in the telecast where, he believed, he told viewers something they didn't know. (Example: Maas said he called out Will Witherspoon for missing a tackle on Cadillac Williams' first touchdown before replays showed it).

And, Maas wrote, I would never criticize a well-known TV analyst like Dan Marino, Troy Aikman and Phil Simms the way I had criticized him.

It was an interesting theory. I thought it was untrue. I had criticized Aikman in a milder way a few weeks before, jabbing him in print for calling Steve Smith "Stephen" throughout a Panthers telecast.

I told Maas that when I replied to his e-mail Tuesday. I also invited him to do a telephone interview with me Wednesday. After all, Maas has visited many Carolina living rooms in the past month and quite likely will again soon. He thinks Fox will assign him to the Carolina-Atlanta game on Jan. 1. Maas is not broadcasting Carolina's next two games, however.

To his credit, he accepted my interview offer.

Maas, who lives in Kansas City, is a former 10-year NFL defensive lineman who made the Pro Bowl twice. He realizes most fans aren't familiar with his NFL career, though, and believes that occasionally hurts him.

"Guys like Marino, Aikman and Simms -- they absolutely get a free pass sometimes," Maas said. "And I understand that. I'm OK with not being a household name. However, I know that if you're not a household name as a broadcaster, people will question you and take shots at you just because they can."

Maas said he is greeted warmly every time he goes into NFL stadiums.

"Every single game, coaches and referees love to see me," he said, "because I know the game, and I know the rules. I go to the referee's seminar every single year -- I'm the only analyst that does. And the coaches like to see me because they understand I talk their language."

I told Maas there were some things I liked about his broadcast Sunday. (I carry a small portable TV into NFL stadium press boxes so I can hear the game's TV broadcast as well as watch it live).

I liked his pun during the fourth quarter. After yet another unsuccessful Panthers play, some Carolina fans booed. Said Maas: "I thought they cut off booze after the third quarter!"

But I believe Maas also talks way too much, and I told him this. During the past four weeks, I've sometimes wanted to make like Roberto Duran and scream "No mas!"

"If you don't talk," Maas responded, "what's the sense of having an analyst?"

OK, Mr. Analyst. Will Carolina make the Super Bowl?

"I think they have the capability," Maas said. "But I'm always worried about a team that has a bipolar look about them."

A "bipolar" look? Now that's pretty good -- wish I'd thought of it.

Maybe I'll give this Maas guy one more chance.

source: charlotte.com

 

I wonder if his tonsils hurt from taking Maas's dick balls deep?

 

Fowler got skeered

 

Well at least Maas seems to care about perfomeing well at his job, unfortunately he has a long ways to go.

Yea and Fowler punked out.

 

I don't care, honestly, if an analyst played the game or not. I only care about 2 things when it comes to NFL broadcasting:

1) Articulation
2) Knowledge of the game and the players

Maas seems to be fairly well spoken (not a mush-mouth), and has an adequate sense of the game itself, but seriously -- he's got to know the starters, especially the playmakers. Guys whose names he'll be calling out during the broadcast. It's actually not that different than gameplanning as a player. You get to know your assignments through film study and other research. Same goes for play-by-play announcers and analysts. Know your craft -- that's why they pay you the big bucks.

 

Hmmm. Nice line, Scott.

 

Every time Maas says "Tootin Rays" name, I laff......