Editorial:  ESPN dropped the ball by taking Chris Spielman out of the booth.

There are more than a few seasoned viewers that would tell you that Chris Spielman is one of the most knowledgeable players in OSU history. And he did a very solid job last year as the color guy for ESPN college football games.  Having done several years of football color of both high school and college football for a major radio station in Northeast Ohio, I may be a little better than many at making a comment on his work.

By Bill Smith

            In my opinion, the job of a radio color announcer is to help the listener visualize what happened.  However, on TV, the job is to explain why something happened and what should have been done.  Spielman did that well.  He was able to translate his knowledge into a clear analysis that even non-football people could understand.  I will be the first to admit that Spiels is not the best looking guy in the world. But that shouldn't matter. The camera should be on the field most of the time and not in the booth.

            Spielman did a very good job on the sideline during the Ohio University v Ohio State Game last Saturday.  But we didn't hear nearly enough of his analysis during the game.  He should be put right back in the analyst seat.  This is just another case of ESPN opting for style over substance.  That is too bad.  We have enough of that in politics.

            That is what I think.  Tell us what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams and has scouted talent.  He is a senior writer for http://BrutusReport.com.  He has also published several novels on http://ebooks-library.com/index.cfm and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com