Inside the NFL

"Inside the NFL" it's hard to believe is now in it's 30th season, it's very rare that a program runs that long being three decades. The show has lasted this long, due to it's great success and the popularity of the NFL and the hosting and the award winning highlights from NFL films have kept it around. "Inside the NFL" came to HBO in 1977, actually a year before I was born, I always had heard about the show growing up as a kid, I finally got the show when I finally got an HBO subscription in 1998 and I've been hooked since then. The show airs every Wednesday during the season all the way thru the Super Bowl featuring the latest NFL news and highlights from NFL films of the previous weeks games, plus interviews with players and reports from Peter King come in handy. The show takes a look at the upcoming games before anyone else, and I love the pick segment it's fun to win more games than the crew! During the highlights since the show's beginning the games are narrated by the legend himself Harry Kalas his voice is so smooth and professional, it just brightens your day to hear that voice. The shows host have came and gone it was best when the classy and legendary Len Dawson and Nick Buoniconti hosted, only they finally left in 2002 and newcomers Bob Costas and Dan Marino and Cris Carter took over with Collinsworth staying. The change was OK even though Costas is smart with vocabulary and well educated to me he's more a baseball mind as for Marino and Carter they are OK but fall short to Dawson and Nick. One good change was Jerry Glanville leaving who was a mediocre broadcaster just as bad as his coaching days. Still the king is Cris Collinsworth who knows his stuff who's not worried about voicing his opinions and making people mad, and he analyzes the games so well. The show is still running strong I watch it every week, but I miss Len and Nick and the highlights have watered down some for instance every game is not shown and the clips focuses now on to much behind the scenes stuff like family members of coaches, pr. people, cheerleaders, and fans in the stands. Also the show needs to bring back the NFL storybook, and where are they now segments, and focus less on comedy and more on the games. Still great though if your an NFL fan.

Brandon Marshall is super cringe and is a Homer. The show isn't nearly as great as it once was. I'm sad to see just how far this show has fallen from Grace. I used to be so excited to watch this show every week when I was younger bc it was a fun recap of week to week NFL action. We used to have fun pick 'em segments and every game and almost every team was discussed and the analysis Was more detailed and enjoyable. Now we have half baked arguments, segments that aren't entertaining in any way shape or form, and I will never again watch this show or support it in any fashion as long as a murder (Ray Lewis) is not only on the show but getting payed to be. He "found Jesus" and that makes all his last transgressions evaporate. Got it.

For HBO viewers, "Inside the NFL" has brought detailed analysis and game recaps every week of the season and postseason for over 25 years. Dramatically edited and narrated game films are the main reason to watch; after all, you can't see every game every week, and unless you're satisfied with the 15-second recaps on ESPN, you can't get a feel for out-of-market teams any other way. The game films are balanced with commentary, analysis from the hosts and from experts on both the game and the business, some great interviews, and occasional "where are they now" segments.

However, it seems to me that the current line-up is a step down. First off, Bob Costas was brought in to host the show, replacing Len Dawson after 25 years. Maybe Dawson wanted to retire, and Costas is a terrific sports presence. However, Costas is mostly about baseball and seems lost in discussing game elements of football. (He is outstanding on business matters.) Dan Marino is a good but not spectacular addition, replacing Nick Buonoconti, who was also good but not spectacular. Cris Carter replaces Jerry Glanville, which can only be a step up, but not by much. Carter is not suited for this format -- he just seems out of place here. He's much better on the sidelines or in a game situation as a third man. The only continuing presence this season is Chris Collinsworth, an erudite, knowledgeable, and supremely annoying egomaniac. He was easily #3 in the old lineup (only Glanville was more annoying) and has an attitude that he should be #1 in this lineup. He talks over people, talks down to people, and talks around people.

However, Inside the NFL is still heads above the pregame shows on Fox, CBS, and ESPN. The only thing that it gives up to those three is that it's taped on Thursday, so any breaking news after that will be missed. If you already have HBO, you should be watching this if you are a football fan. If you don't have HBO, try catching this on one of their free recruiting weekends (it's repeated several times until game days). It may be a factor in deciding whether to subscribe. Hopefully, by next year there may be another lineup change.

The show, in the 2008/9 season, is terrible. I've watched it, on and off, since the beginning, with the Dawson and Company group. It was a great show back then, during the early years of cable. Even into the 90s, it had not lost that much. But these days, this season, no expertise...nothing. Dialogue is uninteresting. Game commentary is, quite frankly,adolescent at best. If the program's objective is to record the largest, most offensive idiot on the field, and play back his edited vulgarities, this excuse for a sports program succeeds. On the up-side, Inside the NFL does fit in nicely with a lot of the erosion prevalent today. Yes, it's a fitting show for today's youth ... that college educated group who believe the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in Baja California, during the Vietnamese conflict. Take a hike Inside the NFL.

I've been watching this show since Len Dawson and Nick Bonticanti hosted Inside The NFL. The 2019 cast is just OK. James Brown is a great host, but the show goes off the rails with Brandon Marshal's constant uniforminant rants. Brandon Marshall brings this show down, and actually has to look on his phone for stats during the show (horrible). Ray Lewis tries very hard. I appreciate that it looks like he prepares before the show. Phil Simms is very knowledgeable, but is too often cut off by Brandon Marshall. As my title to this review stated, Less Ego More Football. There must be a ton of qualified exfootball players that can articulate a weeks worth of football without making it about themselves.