I'm normally not a fan of pre and post-game shows, particularly football, whether college or pro, but I was eager to watch, (entirely), the after-game program, (following Stanford-Oregon), on KGO-TV, (ABC7), with anchors, Larry Beil and Mike Shumann. (And down on the field, steady ex-PIXer, Rick Quan.)The game itself was not exciting, (unless you're a Ducks fan), but it registered as one of the biggest college football games of the year, certainly in Bay Area history, and KGO's post-game show was pretty much first-rate. We don't usually expect so we were surprised.
Part of the nice touches go to Beil and Shumann themselves. It's amazing what can happen when two regular guys talk about the game without any histrionics and shouting. Just plain, occasionally funny, insightful and real, genuine talk and analysis. And we didn't even need to go to the video--imagine that.
Beil and Shumann followed the ESPN, (ABC), nationally-televised contest with astute assessments of the game, and were mightily assisted with post-game player interviews direct from the field from the solid Quan. Quan was able to snag key players, including Stanford's suddenly mortal, Andrew Luck, who provided un-banal answers to various questions by Quan. Nice touch. Timely too.
But Beil and Shumann run the show and make it work. It's free-flowing and nicely paced. A tight-fitted video package of the day's games add the obligatory highlight element to the program, all with decent fluidity.
Beil's personality shines well; it's a shame his "guy-at-the-bar" demeanor is usually devoid off-camera. Either way, he, Shumann and Quan make the post-game affair a quality sports program for KGO.
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