From CBS Sports

- CBS SPORTS' ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR DRIVES INTO THE MOTOR CITY FOR NETWORK'S 28th CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR ON SATURDAY, APRIL 4

North Carolina, Connecticut, Michigan State and Villanova Vie for College Basketball's National Championship

Clark Kellogg CBS Sports' Lead Analyst Calls His First Final Four and Championship Game

North Carolina, Connecticut, Michigan State and Villanova are on the road to Detroit as CBS Sports culminates its 28th consecutive year as exclusive network broadcaster of the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and Final Four with live coverage of the national semi-final games on Saturday, April 4 (6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and the National Championship game on Monday, April 6 (9:00 PM, ET-conclusion) from Ford Field.

Saturday's Final Four features Connecticut versus Michigan State, with tip-off scheduled for 6:07 PM, ET. Forty minutes after the game concludes North Carolina takes on Villanova to determine the final participant in Monday night's championship game. For the first time in 28 years, CBS Sports' basketball coverage has a new lead analyst as Clark Kellogg becomes only the second analyst in CBS Sports history to call the Final Four and Championship games. Kellogg teams with lead play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, who is covering his 24th Final Four.

CBS Sports' coverage tips off on Saturday with THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR®: OUTSIDE THE GAMES (3:30-4:00 PM, ET). Seth Davis hosts as CBS Sports examines the impact the current economic crisis is having on higher education, both in the classroom and on the playing field. The show also explores commercialism in college sports. The show features interviews with NCAA President Myles Brand, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson and University Presidents, Chancellors and Athletics Directors from a variety of schools.

Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and Davis host THE FINAL FOUR SHOW (4:00-6:00 PM, ET) featuring tournament highlights, analysis of the four participants and interviews with coaches and players. Contributing to the program are Dick Enberg and Tracy Wolfson. Included in the broadcast are features on:

* 30th Anniversary of the Indiana State/ Michigan State 1979 NCAA Championship Game - CBS Sports take an intimate look back at the 1979 NCAA Championship Game between Indiana State and Michigan State, one of the most historic games in NCAA history. Players from both teams reflect on the 1979 season and the "Game that changed the Game," and their lives over the last 30 years. The piece features interviews with Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird reminiscing about their memories and the lasting impact of the 1979 NCAA Championship. The feature is narrated by CBS Sports' Dick Enberg who was the play-by-play announcer for the game. Deb Boulac produces.

* Spirit of the Game - In 2006, Jason McElwain, an autistic boy from Rochester ,New York, and team manager of his high school basketball team, captured the nation by not only getting to play in his team's final regular-season home game, but scoring 20 points in under four minutes. Three years later, Jason's story has inspired two other boys to follow in his footsteps, Josh Titus, a senior at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine who is autistic, and 20 miles down the road in Portland, Maine, Patrick Thibodeau, who has Down syndrome attends Greely High School. CBS Sports tells the stories of Josh and Patrick, as they were both given the opportunity to play in their teams' final home games. Neither disappointed their teammates. Josh scored nine points with two rebounds, and Patrick hit two three pointers, one right before the end of game buzzer. In the aftermath of these incredible events, both boys were given the Spirit of the Game Awards by the Maine Association of Basketball coaches, which were presented by Jason, uniting these three incredible stories on one magical night. Actor Joe Mantegna narrates and Pete Radovich, Jr. produces.

* Tyler Hansbrough - Tyler Hansbrough has spent the past four years at North Carolina. During that time, his game and his on-court demeanor have become legendary. Tyler credits his older brother Greg with his drive and intensity. When Tyler was five, Greg, at the age of seven was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. After successful surgery the Hansbrough's were told Greg would most likely never walk again. Tyler watched his older brother push himself everyday, learning to talk again and eventually leaving his wheelchair and learning to walk. It is that adversity that shaped Tyler into the player he is today. Deb Gelman produces.

* A.J. Price - Senior guard A.J. Price has endured a tremendous amount of adversity throughout his tenure at the University of Connecticut. Price overcame a brain hemorrhage as a freshman, and a suspension during his sophomore season for stealing and re-selling laptops. During his junior year he tore his ACL less than 10 minutes into the Huskies first-round NCAA Tournament game. Now as a senior, Price explains how he has overcome three years of adversity to lead his team to the Final Four. Ironically, 30 years ago, Price's father, Tony, led his 1979 Penn team to the Final Four to play Michigan State. Saturday, A.J. leads his Huskies as they take on Michigan State at the Final Four. Jeff St. Arromand produces.

* Scottie Reynolds - It has been a long journey for Scottie Reynolds to Villanova. The standout guard was named the 2009 NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player and hit the game-winning shot against Pittsburgh to put the Wildcats in the Final Four As in infant he was put up for adoption by his 18 year-old birth mother and adopted by Rick and Pam Reynolds. He spent his youth in Virginia and Illinois. As a McDonald's High School All-American, he originally signed a letter of intent to attend Oklahoma University but was released from that obligation when head coach Kelvin Sampson accepted a position at Indiana University in April 2006. Three years later, Reynolds has a chance to lead Villanova to their second NCAA Championship. Alanna Campbell produces.

* Willie Johnson - Willie Johnson grew up in Morehouse Parish, La. where he was taught many positive life lessons at Mr. Lucky's house, a commonplace for himself and other neighborhood kids to go play and socialize in a safe and secure environment. Willie took those lessons with him to Detroit, where he and his wife, Norma, raised their five children. In a time when drug dealers and danger ruled the Detroit streets, Willie built a full basketball court in his yard to give the local children sanctuary. Twenty-eight years later, the basketball court has proven to be a haven for generations of Detroit's own. Every child is welcome, as long as they follow the rules: no profanity, no bad grades and no fighting. Recognizing his efforts, the city of Detroit, along with the Detroit Pistons, recently updated the court in an effort to prolong the message that Willie has dedicated his life to spread. Pete Radovich, Jr. produces.

* Michigan State Homecoming - When the NCAA announced the 2009 NCAA Final Four would be held in Detroit, it became the dream and goal of Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans to play in this year's Final Four. Over the last 11 seasons, Izzo has led Michigan State to five Final Fours and a National Championship in 2000. No other Final Four may mean more to a team, a school, and a city than the one being played on Saturday, as the Michigan community, in the midst of the recession, rallies around the Spartans. Could this year's Spartan team find some magic 30 years after their first national championship? Sarah Rinaldi produces.

PRELUDE TO A CHAMPIONSHIP with Gumbel, Anthony and Davis precedes Monday evening's National Championship game.

Bob Dekas, coordinating producer of CBS Sports' NCAA basketball coverage, produces the 2009 Final Four and Bob Fishman directs. Eric Mann produces the preview and halftime programs, and Bob Matina directs. The NCAA Tourney Production Team also includes Vin DeVito and David Winner.

CBS Sports
Sean McManus, President
Ken Aagaard, Executive VP, Operations, Engineering, and Production
Harold Bryant, VP, Production
John McCrae, Director, Field Operations



- CBS SPORTS' NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME COVEREAGE TO TIP-OFF WITH WORLD TELEVISON PREMIERE OF GREEN DAY'S NEW SINGLE 'KNOW YOUR ENEMY'

The opening tease of CBS Sports' 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game on Monday, April 6 (9:00 PM, ET) will feature :90 seconds from the song "Know Your Enemy," the first single from the long awaited new album 21st Century Breakdown, due out Friday, May 15th, from Grammy Awarding winning band Green Day.

The music montage previewing the contestants in the 2009 NCAA title game will be the world television premiere of "Know Your Enemy." Pete Radovich produces.

Green Day - vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool - were loud, snotty, scrappy kids from working-class backgrounds who came of age in the underground punk scene in Berkeley, California. Even though they had released two records prior (1039 / Smooth Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk), they announced their arrival with 1994's Dookie, a dynamic blast of exuberant three-chord punk-pop that spoke to bored teenagers everywhere. The album eventually sold 15 million copies worldwide, earned the band their first Grammy Award and inspired a raft of imitators. Over the years, Green Day continued to top the charts with their subsequent studio albums Insomniac, Nimrod, and Warning while entertaining millions of fans with their frenetic live shows. But it was their landmark 2004 album American Idiot that launched Green Day into the stratosphere. American Idiot debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and went on to sell more than five million copies in the U.S. and 12 million worldwide. It spawned five hit singles, earned seven Grammy nominations (winning two including Rock Album of the Year) and raised the bar for modern rock and roll. On Friday, May 15, 2009, Green Day will release their long awaited follow up - 21st Century Breakdown - and launch a world tour soon after.

From NCAA News, By Greg Johnson

- New configuration opens camera angles for CBS Final Four format presents a more dramatic story

When Bob Fishman, who has directed every Men’s Final Four since CBS began broadcasting the event in 1982, and NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball and Business Strategies Greg Shaheen meet, the former usually accompanies the standard greeting and handshake with a “Gator Chomp.”

It was on display again in December during CBS’ three-hour walkthrough at Ford Field, site of the 2009 Final Four.

Fishman doesn’t have emotional ties to the University of Florida, but the school’s traditional hand gesture that celebrates Gator success became one of the signature shots in the recent broadcast history of the Final Four.

In 2006, Florida 6-11 center Joakim Noah stood on a table in front of the Florida fans and celebrated the team’s national title with the chomp. The sweeping shot – the end in fact to “One Shining Moment” that year – was taken by CBS’ Jib camera that is attached to the end of a long mechanical arm.

“That is one of the best Jib shots ever in any sporting event,” Fishman said. “The movement and the excitement of the shot with the juxtaposition of the player to his school was as classic a shot as you could have. You could only get that from a device like the Jib.”

That’s in part why Fishman is excited about the layout at Ford Field, which was “tested” December 3 when Michigan State hosted North Carolina. The new format places the court at the 50-yard line, which allows additional room for the Jib.

“That camera will be on the end of a 40-foot arm,” Fishman said. “It will give you dramatic sweeping shots of relationships to the cheering sections and to the court, and dramatic sweeping shots of players running out onto the court. It will also give you dramatic sweeping shots of free throws, which we’ve used in the past. We have the ability to move that Jib because of its base being on wheels. It will give us different perspectives throughout the telecast.”

In the past when Final Fours were played in domes, the court was placed in one of the corners, temporary stands were constructed and a curtain blocked the view of the rest of the arena not being used.

In 2009, the entire arena will be used. Risers will be constructed from the ground level and will go as high as the first 20-25 rows of the lower-bowl stands. Fans seated higher than those rows will have unobstructed views of the action.

An octagon-shaped video board will also hang at center court. Fans, particularly those in the upper bowl, will see close-up live shots of the game and replays.

“We want those who are attending to feel like they are a part of something special, regardless of where their seat is,” Shaheen said. “I personally went to the corner seats and the highest seats in the center sections. Between the video boards that are (already in Ford Field), and the video board we’re going to hang for the Final Four, we think we have something extraordinarily special.”

Even though the attendance is expected to exceed 70,000, the plan for the setup calls for a more intimate atmosphere. About 3,000 students from the four competing institutions will sit in the end zones.

CBS studio set will be built on a platform near the student section in the south end of the stadium. It’s something the NCAA’s network partner has discussed with the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in the past.

“It adds atmosphere, particularly during the pregame show,” said CBS Senior Producer Eric Mann. “Here we’re going to try to create some spirit. It is the heart of college basketball. You want to see the students, the cheerleaders and the band – that makes it unique.”

The configuration also raises the court 29 inches off the ground.

All of the changes provide a blank canvas for broadcasting.

“This reminds me of the old jigsaw puzzle you did with your family,” Shaheen said. “There are several people involved and a bunch of pieces are turned right-side up and some turned upside down and in different directions. It’s a matter of several people coming to fit it all together.”

During the December 3 walkthrough, the CBS production team discovered some of the nuances that can take the viewer places they’ve never been.

CBS will deploy a robotic slow-motion camera, called a slash camera, on both corners where the team benches will be located. This could never be done before because the cameras would obstruct the spectators’ view. Conversely, the shots from the CBS camera could also be obstructed by cheerleaders and still-photographers positioned along the baseline.

With the raised court, the site lines are clear for everyone.

“We will get some tremendous replays with the slash camera,” Fishman said. “This year, for the first time, we are going to have that camera right on the floor itself. It will make all the difference in the world. It is a 5,000-percent improvement on what we’ve had in the past.”

Viewers are going to see more interesting low-angle replays from a center-court hand-held camera positioned near announcers Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg.

The announcing duo will be sitting a few feet off the raised court on a small riser 12-18 inches high. Feedback from the announcing teams in Houston and Detroit, where the South and Midwest regionals were held in 2008, was that the raised floor made it difficult for them to tell if a shot was a two-point or three-point attempt. The higher angle will give Nantz and Kellogg the ability to call the game without checking the monitor for accuracy.

With the benches being below court level, the robotic slash cameras can show reactions of coaches and players from that area, players entering and departing from the game, and capture the drama of winning and losing.

CBS’ cameras aren’t allowed in the team huddles, but the new angles will take viewers closer to the action.

Since the stadium was built primarily as the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, the CBS crew will take a close look at the lighting in the building. In layman’s terms, they want to see how much reflection appears on the court from the video boards and how to set the cameras that will be taking close-up shots, because those images require more light.

Fishman said he heard numbers from the Ford Field technical staff that the illumination of the court will more than CBS has experienced.

Normally, the walkthrough of the arena takes around 45 minutes, but this one took three hours because of the uniqueness of this particular broadcast.

When he heard about the new configuration in domes, Fishman admits he was skeptical. He wasn’t sure if it would be good for the viewer.

“Now it is not the case,” said Fishman, who will have 17 cameras at his disposal for Final Four game coverage. “I did the regional finals in Houston last year. I thought the presentation of the game itself really didn’t suffer at all. When the ball is in play, you are worried about action and not the crowd.”

While the walkthrough was lengthier than in recent years, it prompted participants to feel good about the possibilities.

“Bob Fishman, after all these years of directing the Final Four, said this is the most excited he’s been walking away from a set up,” Shaheen said. “We want him and his CBS colleagues to help us figure out how to tell the story of the Final Four. The new configuration will provide the chance to have powerful images, and that is great news for everybody.”

When he heard about the new configuration in domes, Fishman admits he was skeptical. He wasn’t sure if it would be good for the viewer.

“Now it is not the case,” said Fishman, who will have 17 cameras at his disposal for Final Four game coverage. “I did the regional finals in Houston last year. I thought the presentation of the game itself really didn’t suffer at all. When the ball is in play, you are worried about action and not the crowd.”


I don't like the floor being placed in the middle of the stadium and on a raised level. It makes the angle of the sidecourt camera look odd and out of perspective. I have seen several games played there and the angle is horrible. Same with last week's games in Indy. The depth perception is off.

I don't like the floor being placed in the middle of the stadium and on a raised level. It makes the angle of the sidecourt camera look odd and out of perspective. I have seen several games played there and the angle is horrible. Same with last week's games in Indy. The depth perception is off.

Why not wait until you see it until passing judgement?

I am going out there for the frozen 4 next year I can't imagine there will be good seat in the house for that but like Ken says lets wait and see.

Why not wait until you see it until passing judgement?

They played one of the regionals there last year and have played several Michigan State games there. The camera angle is awful. I don't expect them to change it.

I don't expect them to change it.

I'll bet you they do. :D

They played one of the regionals there last year and have played several Michigan State games there. The camera angle is awful. I don't expect them to change it.

I do remeber that and you are right it was awful. Lets hope it being the finals they have found a way to fix it

Just don’t get carried away with all of the new toys, guys, and forget to show ALL of the game. THE most important part of the event.

I'll bet you they do. :D

Well I didn't want to say anything, but, MRM4, don't take that bet.....

6:07 PM UConn vs. Michigan State

40 minutes after 1st game Villanova vs. North Carolina

Please post how you are watching (cable, sat, OTA) and your location.

no HD in nashville digital channel 92.1

Nashville WTVF-5 OTA no HD.. WTH is going on? Anyone know? Anyone call the station? :(

looking excellent here in Detroit on WWJ. There is no problem with the camera angles stated earlier by other members. Having the court in the middle of the stadium looks great.

I don't like the floor being placed in the middle of the stadium and on a raised level. It makes the angle of the sidecourt camera look odd and out of perspective. I have seen several games played there and the angle is horrible. Same with last week's games in Indy. The depth perception is off.

You're kidding, right?

Watching on WWJ in Detroit via Comcast, picture and audio look excellent. A really like the use of the aerial camera for free throws and beauty shots, it does not work well for showing half court action. The jib showing the student section works really well.

Watching on D* in Miami. Gotta agree with homcom. PQ and AQ are excellent.

Lots of pauses and freezes and dropouts in Novi via Brighthouse. Switching to OTA.

Yes, the first-time-ever overhead camera looks great. Glad they're not overusing it.

Doc

Fios feed in the DC area looks like crap. Way too much pixelation and artifacts. Anyone else seeing this?

No audio here in Augusta, GA

using D*

Fios feed in the DC area looks like crap. Way too much pixelation and artifacts. Anyone else seeing this?
WCBS-DT via Cablevision. PQ during the whole tournament has not been on par with CBS' usual quality. Tonight is no exception.

WCBS-DT via Cablevision. PQ during the whole tournament has not been on par with CBS' usual quality. Tonight is no exception.

It is not a CBS issue. Looking great going out on the network. Cablevision must be destroying the signal.

broadcast has been crap in nashville

WCBS-DT via Cablevision. PQ during the whole tournament has not been on par with CBS' usual quality. Tonight is no exception.Looks great here. WWJ-DT (O&O) OTA. Floor swims a little on my 1080i set but not on my 1080p set.

I also concur that the PQ wasn't up to par on WCBS via Cablevision.

The bug was annoying, covered the right basket too much. The camera angle was to low and the high camera was awful. Every time they showed Izzo's wife "Lupe" all I could think about was George banging the cleaning lady in his office on Seinfeld. Was she cleaning offices at State?

The result sucked too.

KTVT Dallas via FiOS. Villanova vs. UNC is up to the usual CBS standards, with a bit of noise on the court because of the grain. Closeups and crowd shots are all clean.

Really enjoyed the skycam shots. I suppose that's one advantage to using a football stadium as the venue.

The camera angle was to low and the high camera was awful. I thought the main game camera had a great angle, just as good if not better then any previous final four venue.


The result sucked too.
I disagree.

Really enjoyed the skycam shots. I suppose that's one advantage to using a football stadium as the venue.

There were a few times that the sky cam was used and it didn't have the edges of the court in frame. One was Kalin's 3 with 3:58 left in the 2nd half. Other than that, top notch stuff.

Hey homcom, no fair making bets that you know the answer too ;)

Second game of the night looks great as well. Have not seen as much of the aerial camera this game.

WCBS-DT via Cablevision. PQ during the whole tournament has not been on par with CBS' usual quality. Tonight is no exception.

Same here, I think it is the CBS local here in NY, because both on CV and on my OTA antenna, the picture is just not up to its usual par.

I'm seeing a stuck pixel on one of the main game position iso cameras. I'll try to get a screenshot.

Here are some screenshots of the stuck pixel. I have put a yellow box around the picture.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8523/stuck1.th.png (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stuck1.png)http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8167/stuck2.th.png (http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stuck2.png)

Did anyone else see this? Considering I'm only seeing it from one camera I don't think it is a local issue.

Here are some screenshots of the stuck pixel. I have put a yellow box around the picture.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8523/stuck1.th.png (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stuck1.png)http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8167/stuck2.th.png (http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stuck2.png)

Did anyone else see this? Considering I'm only seeing it from one camera I don't think it is a local issue.

No, but I noticed a stuck pixel in a different location for about a minute.

I thought the PQ was STUNNING OTA on WWJ. The sound was great too. I'm not a big basketball fan but watched since it was in Detroit and it was State. For me, the uninitiated, the camera work was excellent, every aspect of the game was covered well enough for me.

As an aside, of the 3 CBS outlets I receive, WWJ looks and sounds the best. WLNS Lansing is second now that they do DD 5.1 and WNEM as usual pulls up the rear. They have been doing DD 5, somehow lost the .1 a few weeks ago and are blissfully unaware. Plus with the sub channel running the picture is very soft.

I thought CBS did a great job no problems here in Boston with D*. The only problem I had was my HR20 700 changing channels automaticaly on me even though I was watching it via recording.

I watched the game on 2 CBS affiliates (WKBN and WOIO) and both had terrible artifacting. The game very well could been broadcast in 720 the way it looked.

Final Four ratings up 7 percent

Michigan State's win drew an 8.7 rating and 18 share
CBS' overall rating for the NCAA tournament is 6.1 with a 13 share

DETROIT (AP) -- Television ratings for the Final Four are up 7 percent from last year.

Overnight ratings released Sunday show CBS earned 9.0 rating and 18 share for the national semifinals, up from an 8.4 rating and 16 share.

Michigan State's home-state win against Connecticut in the first game drew an 8.7 rating and 18 share, up 12 percent from last year's UCLA-Memphis game. North Carolina's win against Villanova drew a 9.3 rating and 17 share, up 2 percent from last year's Kansas-North Carolina game.

CBS' overall rating for the NCAA tournament is 6.1 with a 13 share, up 7 percent from last year.

A ratings point represents 1,096,000 households, 1 percent of the nation's estimated 109.6 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of all TV sets in use at the time.

That North Carolina ratings has to be up some in part because last year they were getting thumped early (before making a comeback) vs Kansas.

I watched the game on 2 CBS affiliates (WKBN and WOIO) and both had terrible artifacting. The game very well could been broadcast in 720 the way it looked.

The artifacting was horrible. It was like a halo of garbage around moving players.

both games looked great via local cbs provided by e*.

some signal interruptions but nothing to get upset about

I watched the game on 2 CBS affiliates (WKBN and WOIO) and both had terrible artifacting. The game very well could been broadcast in 720 the way it looked.
WKBN is broadcasting at 720p, and WOIO is throwing away a pretty good portion of their available bitrate on the weather subchannel. The overwhelming opinion is that it looked great on the subchannel-free CBS O&Os, so you might consider trying to pick up KDKA out of Pittsburgh if you want better-looking CBS.

Games were top notch via WLNS in Lansing. If you were seeing macroblocking, it was prolly due to your local affiliate.

Games were top notch via WLNS in Lansing. If you were seeing macroblocking, it was prolly due to your local affiliate.

Yes, just watched it via Comcast DVR, WWJ-DT CBS Detroit. Hard to fault.

Only watched the Carolina game but it was pristine here with WRAL and TW. The only video that was subpar were the on location reports post-game and I would guess that's because they didn't take their regular equipment with them.

Their HD chopper flying over Franklin Street for the post-game celebration was the usual high quality too.