One thing we’re probably not nearly aware enough about, as fans, is how complicated it is to broadcast any sport — but especially one as intricate as football.
You’d probably be flabbergasted by the cost of the equipment and the sheer number of people involved in bringing you a game. Or the amount of time spent preparing to make those few hours on Saturday happen on your screen. Because on your end, the experience is usually just two people in a booth and one on a sideline. It seems simple.
Yet a snafu in Saturday’s Alabama-LSU game show just how delicate the whole operation is — and forced sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl to react quickly after the men calling the game, Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson, were dropped from the broadcast.
Here's Erdahl returning play-by-play to Nessler once the booth came back. pic.twitter.com/XWOc6o8SGb
— The Comeback NCAA (@TheComebackNCAA) December 6, 2020
Erdahl took over the call for about two minutes of game time, which is an enormously difficult task. Unlike Nessler and Danielson, she’s seeing the game from the sideline, which is the absolute worst vantage point for describing what’s going on in football. The reason she’s down there, after all, is to capture the emotion of the players and describe the goings on on each sideline. She supposed to be in the weeds a bit, not seeing the game clearly.
Besides that, Erdahl presumably did not have rosters and notes in front of her, and had not prepared during the week for the role she found herself in. She had help from the production truck, sure, but if you’ve ever had a voice literally in your ear while trying to think and react you know how hard that can be.
Erdahl was quick to credit what she’s learned from Nessler, Danielson and other mentors — and to use this as a teachable moment for sideline reporters.
Just a few thoughts.
pic.twitter.com/kp70yeVSy7
— Jamie Erdahl
Buckman (@JamieErdahl) December 6, 2020
The internet loved Erdahl’s work under pressure:
Jamie Erdahl carrying the broadcast solo pic.twitter.com/Vd7S9fp66q
— Matt Scalici (@MattScalici) December 6, 2020
Jamie Erdahl is essentially doing play-by-play right now bc the CBS booth audio went down during Bama-LSU. and she sounds great!
— Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) December 6, 2020
Props to @JamieErdahl. I can't imagine how hard it is to try to do play by play from the sideline. .. Brad/Gary back.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 6, 2020
Fantastic from @JamieErdahl, cool under fire, getting the job DONE! https://t.co/CRxnVMXDsJ
— Tammi Gaw (@tammigaw) December 6, 2020
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