The plan to turn Bryant Gumbel into a play-by-play announcer for the NFL Network was always a risky wager that at age 58, he could adapt his broadcasting skills from the studio to the booth.
By the evidence of his eighth and final game of the season, the Giants' 34-28 victory over the Redskins on Saturday night, Gumbel has shown how difficult mastering play-by-play is.
Gumbel's hiring was a surprise, but he is a big name and all the best play-by-play voices were already employed.
Gumbel is far from mastering the job's mechanics, although he's a little better than he was a few weeks ago. But he still doesn't identify players, see penalty flags or describe action with the requisite speed and detail.
He does not seem to see what is happening as well as veteran announcers, which can be attributed to inexperience or aging eyes.
In the third quarter, on a pass that seemed to have been scooped by Carter, Gumbel said: "Manning throws, this time to Tim Carter."
Was it an incomplete pass or not? Gumbel didn't say.
Gumbel also showed poor knowledge of basic football rules.
Late in the third quarter, Eli Manning completed a 10-yard pass to David Tyree, but it was not enough for a Giants first down on third-and-17.
Gumbel said: "Complete to David Tyree, but he's going to be short of the first-down marker and the Giants are going to give it up on downs."
Jeff Feagles then punted the ball 42 yards on fourth down.
Gumbel did not correct himself.
Nor did his broadcast partner.
It is elementary football that when one team surrenders the ball on downs after an unsuccessful fourth-down play, the other starts at the yard line where the previous series ended.
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