TOP OF THE MORNIN'
Head to head, Phelps even beats the Chiefs
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star
A s it turned out, the big ratings showdown of the Chiefs vs. the Olympics on Saturday night was really no contest at all.
Or maybe it was more the Chiefs vs. Michael Phelps.
At any rate, Phelps and the Olympics pulled in an 18.3 rating on KSHB Channel 41, winning the head-to-head matchup with the Chiefs-Cardinals game, which had a 13.4 rating on KCTV Channel 5. (See chart lower left).
“I think we got a little assist from the historical element and Mr. Phelps going for his eighth gold medal,” said KSHB general manager Craig Allison. “But regardless, I think that we would have done well. The Olympics have really been gaining momentum.”
Earlier last week, Allison said he wasn’t sure if the Olympics would be the hands-down ratings winner against the Chiefs.
“Guess I should have bet the farm,” he said. “But that Chiefs number wasn’t bad. A lot of other NFL franchises would kill for a 13 rating in preseason.”
KCTV general manager Kirk Black said he wasn’t too discouraged by the Chiefs’ rating.
“Let’s face it: The Olympics are a great draw,” Black said. “I’m sure we had some viewers pulled away by the Olympics, and that was especially the case as the game wore on. People probably tuned in to watch the first half of the Chiefs and Brodie Croyle, and then the game kind of slipped away and viewers went to the Olympics.”
Say this about the Chiefs and Olympics, however: The Chiefs’ final regular-season game last season, that meaningless game against the Jets, drew a 27.4 Nielsen rating in Kansas City.
The best Olympic rating last week came Tuesday night — a 25.4.
KC ranks well
Kansas Citians are definitely into the Olympics. Of the top 56 metered markets in the U.S., Kansas City ranks 17th in Olympic viewership, with an average rating of 20.4 so far.
Minneapolis ranks first, with an average rating of 24.6, while Denver is second at 24.5. Baltimore, home of Michael Phelps, has a 22.8 average rating.
Fouts on CBS
Former Chargers great Dan Fouts, for years paired with Keith Jackson on ABC, is returning to the NFL as a game analyst on CBS.
Fouts will do selected games, including some with Dick Enberg and Randy Cross.
Former Chief Rich Gannon, who is developing into one of the best game analysts in the biz, will again be paired up with Kansas City’s Kevin Harlan.
Here are the other pairings: Jim Nantz-Phil Simms; Greg Gumbel-Dan Dierdorf; Dick Enberg-Randy Cross-Dan Fouts; Ian Eagle-Solomon Wilcots; Gus Johnson-Steve Tasker. On the roster for selected games will be Don Criqui, Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein and Fouts.
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