Editor's Note: Throughout the NFL playoffs, Chris Myers and his research team analyze upcoming matchups, while providing news, notes, and nuggets for inside access to the information an NFL broadcaster uses to prepare for calling a game.
As FOX prepares for its 11th Super Bowl telecast on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, the eighth produced by Richie Zyontz and the sixth directed by Rich Russo, I thought I would take you behind the scenes a bit on what goes into creating these pieces of broadcast history.
The Super Bowl telecast is the biggest of the year for any network. FOX will have approximately 100 cameras at the game. Fifty of them will have manned operators with the rest being stationary cameras along the sidelines, in the pylons and other fixed locations. They are what Zyontz calls "just in case" cameras – ones that might never be used, but also might provide the key, determining replay on a critical play.
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The FOX Super Bowl telecast can be a showcase for new broadcast elements such as the new graphics look that will be introduced on Sunday. "We want to use them wisely," Zyontz said. "They can enhance the broadcast, but we don’t want to lose sight of the game."
To that end, Zyontz and Russo rely on their very experienced team of technical staff including camera, tape and graphic operators — most of whom have worked multiple previous Super Bowls and hundreds of other important games. "We have a lot of continuity of personnel," Zyontz said.
So, a successful Super Bowl telecast involves the instant reaction to events, many of them unpredictable, that sports television crews thrive on, coupled with extensive preparation to be ready for both the expected and unexpected.
An important part of the preparation is the production meetings. There are two kinds of these — one being where the crew meets with key personnel from the competing teams. There might be a temptation to meet with more people for the Super Bowl, but Zyontz will keep it to four for each team — two coaches and two players. Each set of meetings typically last 90 minutes per team. This year, FOX will talk to the Chiefs on Wednesday and the Eagles on Thursday.
FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady took part in FOX Super Bowl production meetings four times in his career. The first was in New Orleans, the scene of Sunday’s game, in 2002 before the final game that Pat Summerall and John Madden worked together.
In 2005, I was there in Jacksonville when the Eagles and Andy Reid, both part of this year’s game, were beaten by Brady’s Patriots.
The last two were among the most famous games in NFL history. One that didn’t go his way in Arizona when the Giants ended New England’s undefeated season in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, the other before Super Bowl LI in Houston when the Patriots staged their great comeback against the Falcons.
As I remember from these meetings, and others that I participated in with him over the years, he was engaged, helpful and relatively open. Even as a player, he had a respect for the tasks of the game broadcasters and wanted to assist as he could.
The other production meeting is the one that takes place the day before the game among the members of the broadcast crew. Zyontz assures me that now, as a broadcaster, Brady is a huge help to the rest of the crew.
Said Zyontz: "We have all found that Tom is a helluva guy and a fabulous teammate. He loves what he does in calling the games, is determined to be great. At some point in the meeting, we just turn him loose and he provides everyone with such valuable insight to inform the broadcast. I’ve seen him get better and better, improving every week. He has really become on point at the line of scrimmage, quickly pointing things out that a quarterback would see.
"I really think he will be even better next year. He prepares like a maniac, and I believe with a season under his belt, he will re-calibrate that preparation a bit to be even more on point and precise with what he needs to enhance the broadcast.
"Kevin Burkhardt on play-by-play has been such a big help to his development as well. Kevin is so willing to share and that makes everyone around him better."
Another part of the broadcast is the role of sideline reporter. Zyontz is quick to point out that the best sideline reporters do more than just submit live on-camera reports.
"Chris, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi, Pam Oliver — they all have been very important to these telecasts. At every timeout, I open their mics and they give us info on sideline activity that we can relay to the announcers in the booth or the cameramen. Some of our best shots have come from tips from the sideline reporters."
I can well remember Super Bowl LI in Houston when the Falcons built a 28-3 lead over the Patriots. Even though they were so far behind, there was no sign of panic or despair on the Patriots' sideline. I sensed a belief there and I was quick to relay it to the truck.
"The Patriots still think they can win," I said. And as history shows, they did.
A sideline reporter can really make a difference after the game. I remember persevering to get comments from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after the loss in Arizona in Super Bowl XLII. And then there was the end of Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots were swarmed after scoring the first overtime touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Normally, postgame on-field interviews are set up a bit in advance. The team’s public relations personnel secures the player to a pre-determined spot where I would be set up with a cameraman, some security, maybe some lights.
That all went out the window with a walk-off touchdown. Brady was swarmed and I needed him immediately.
As I started on my quest to get to Brady, I had a security escort and a cameraman. The security guy was quickly knocked over, causing the cameraman and I to become separated.
"Should we take a break?" said Zyontz.
"No," I said. "Once I get there I don’t know if I will be able to hold him through a commercial."
Like a salmon swimming upstream, an insistent salmon, I manage to get next to Brady. "An interview right now?" was his first reaction, but to his great credit he realized the importance of the matter and gave a good interview that was shot from an overhead camera.
I just watched it back, and it only was four minutes from the end of the game to the end of the interview. Brady was on the ground overcome with emotion, swarmed by dozens of photographers, hugged with Belichick, embraced by teammates as I worked to get position, and then did his three-question interview surrounded by media and team media. All in four minutes, which felt like an hour.
Chris Myers interviews Tom Brady immediately after the Patriots' win in Super Bowl LI.
It was the most memorable moment I've been a part of at a Super Bowl.
Now, this Sunday, history will be made again with Tom Brady calling the action and reaction.
Either the Chiefs will make history with a historic third straight championship and Patrick Mahomes will be the man of the hour.
Or the Eagles will win the third Super Bowl in their history.
But we know there will be emotion and drama, well-chronicled by Zyontz, Russo and their crew.
Chris Myers is an Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer, reporter and studio host for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_ChrisMyers.
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