Two of the weekend's more visible sports broadcasts featured two on-air personalities in mid-season form -- but that's not necessarily a good thing.
Play-by-play man Brent Musburger, who has perfected that high-volume, over-the-top approach, was in many ways perfect for the Little League World Series. Working games with 11-, 12- and 13-year-old participants requires positive energy because nobody's a loser at the Series and he's the perfect man to deliver that message.
He can talk about the "youngsters" with a jovial, upbeat approach and his presence brings additional credibility to an event that has established itself as a late-summer TV staple and a ratings winner.
In addition, Musburger can pontificate about the state of the sport or the impact of replay on baseball (as he did during the championship game Sunday) and it sounds important, and like he's championing change (which he was for Major League Baseball) without it really making an impact. Likewise, the games provide interesting competition with an international flair but they hardly matter overall.
Ironically, while Musburger gives the Little League World Series additional star power, it was that assignment that helped resurrect his career. After he left CBS Sports in well-publicized maneuver on April 1, 1990 -- he was made aware of the move that morning and hosted the championship game of the Final Four that night -- Musburger's first visible assignment with ABC Sports came covering the Little League World Series four months later.
Since then, he's again established himself as ESPN's lead college football play-by-play man and has hosted numerous other highly visible events.
Still, sometimes he just tries too hard to be the conscious of an event, or a champion for a cause and he did so again Sunday.
First, there was a positive (and correct) nod to the impact of replay at the LLWS and its potential in the big leagues. "It is clear that it can be used, as it has been here, with very little time delay," he said.
But, he later incorrectly lobbied for a coach in the championship game to use a replay challenge in the bottom of the fifth inning on a possibly trapped catch (it was not) that was not able to be challenged. Undeterred, Musburger said: "Well, if they ever expand it, that should be something that's part of it."
Sometimes, he would be so much better if he would just call the action. He certainly deserves room after a stellar career, but that over-the-top approach remains an Achilles heel.
Likewise, Fox Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver made a cliche a reality Sunday night working the Steelers-Broncos game. It was a display of going to a sideline reporter who was apparently close to the action and might have information but the report added nothing.
Specifically, after an injury to Steelers linebacker James Farrior early in the game opened a large cut on his right forehead (he lost his helmet and was hit by an opponent among a of pile of players while making a tackle), viewers waited nearly a quarter to get an update on his condition from the field.
When the report came, Oliver stated only the obvious -- that Farrior had a laceration and would not return to the game.
Really? That's something everyone knew from almost the moment it happened -- and the lack of information provided only the latest example of sideline reporters not actually reporting. While the guys in the broadcast booth had already provided necessary context by mentioning a similar injury to Giants quarterback earlier in the preseason, Oliver was left with little. Especially because the Steelers might not have been forthcoming about the situation.
If that was the case, she should've put off any report that shared nothing. Or the game's producer and director should've ignored the issue if they were not going to get good information. Instead, because the sideline reporter's presence had to be justified, viewers got the same old superficial effort they usually get.
It's not entirely Oliver's fault. All sideline reporters get stuck in the same situation. Maybe someday some broadcast will find a way for them to shine with regularity but that's just not typically the case.