Last Thanksgiving afternoon, on the flat-screen TV in the living room, was WGAL TV Channel 8, an NBC affiliate from Lancaster, PA. It is always shown in my grandparent’s house at night. They were showing NFL football that night– the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers – a game that broadcasters were dubbing it “the football event of the year” when the real event isn’t until late January/early February (Super Bowl 49). I couldn’t decide if I either wanted to watch the game with my brother Nathan (he’s more into football than me) or throw up in the bathroom.
Eventually, I took some Pepto-Bismol and decided to watch as much of the game as I possibly could. The whole family was not dressed for the game, but then again, they didn’t have to be. Nausea aside, my family and I were having a decent Thanksgiving. WGAL’s broadcast of the game wasn’t groundbreaking whenever it came down to graphics, but it successfully got the message across. The presentation was strong, with sharp visuals (a normal for football games on high-definition TV), and NBC used plain but clean backgrounds for their transitions from game to advert, advert to game and so forth.
Speaking of adverts, they had some big movie trailers, one of them being the upcoming film Jurassic World, which was throughout the day, even during the game. It had me excited and I felt quite nostalgic, something I wish I could say about that dreary final Hobbit film. And the less I hear about “Peter Pan LIVE”, the better. When it came down to showing certain players, they often used pictures of the players (i. e. Richard Sherman, Colin Kaepernic, etc. ) digitally imposed with the half-color/half-chrome backgrounds at the bottom of the screen, while the game (highlights and all) took up the rest of the screen.
In some cases, their statistics were displayed. The camera rarely moved much, except for when someone caught the ball, made a touchdown and such, which works because it helps me see the game easier. The commentators had a strong, upbeat tone to their burly voices, as they made some tasty comments on different plays by each team. But most of the time, they were talking about how the Seahawks managed to win against the 49ers. Their commentary, along with the clean photography (and the Jurassic World trailer) helped make the game more appealing.
As for the game, the Seahawks soared through the 49ers’ defense to a final score of 19-3, holding their opponent to 164 yards. Their first step in domination was having Steve Hauschka kick four field goals and holding the 49ers in check. Say what you want about fellow Seahawk Richard Sherman’s behavior, but there’s no denying the cornerback can set up a good touchdown and a well-calculated defensive play, as demonstrated in his performance here. Sherman, in the team’s only touchdown that night, intercepted 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s third-down pass (intended for Brandon Lloyd) and returned it five yards to the 49ers’ 45, a smart move.
Sherman’s preparation for plays was always better than his athleticism. What do y’all think about his pass rush? ‘Cause I thought it was well timed, well executed and nothing short of crushing. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passed for an impressive 236 yards, completely nailing Kaepernick and fellow 49er Michael Crabtree to the wall. In comparison to Wilson, Kaepernick was only 16 for 29 for 121 yards! Thanksgiving and Black Friday, they say’sadness for San Francisco, I say.
