Join us here for live commentary of the Cowboys-Giants 2012 season opener.
| R | 20 | Jim Core |
| U | 101 | Bob Shoulders |
| HL | 69 | Greg Maxwell |
| LJ | 119 | Joshua Thurow |
| FJ | 34 | Thaddious Foster |
| SJ | 110 | Brian Stropolo |
| BJ | 6 | Larry Babcock |
| Alt |
Sorry for the lack of updates here through the night. There was not really much to cover. Cowboys had 13 penalties, Giants 4 (and I think an additional two that were declined). No replay challenges by either coach or by the replay official, so it was an easy check for Dale Hamer.
There also were no long processing delays of administering penalties and spotting the ball that were the essence of the 2012 preseason experience. We noted that Core had a lengthy delay between downs during the Buccaneers-Redskins preseason closer that included two trips to the replay equipment.
The NFL knew which crew scored the best, so placed them in the primetime kickoff slot. It was Jim Winterberg’s crew — minus Jim Winterberg. (In fairness, Winterberg may have been scheduled to work as an alternate this week.) Expect the Sunday night game and the Monday night doubleheader to have the top rated crews from preseason.
There were a few collegiate mannerisms that bubbled up in the game and some sloppy microphone work that sounded like it came from a diner cook off some New Jersey highway. But in the long run, that has absolutely no effect on the game.
Overall, a fair and square game. It could have hurt the NFL’s collective bargaining position greatly, but it did not move the needle in either direction.
We shall see what Sunday has in store for us.
Jim Core has improved his announcements for the second half. The first call of the 3rd quarter was penalty, uniform number, offense, yardage, succeeding down. Apparently the game supervisor reviewed microphone presence with him during halftime.
Now’s as good of a time as any to pull this stat out: Tonight’s game is the 5th Wednesday NFL game since 1940. The last, 1948 New York Yankees (yes, a football team, too) at the Los Angeles Dons. http://pfref.com/tiny/QLUK7
Line judge Joshua Thurow just called a completed catch in bounds. Good, professional call.
A classic horse-collar tackle called on Dallas during the interception return.Giants settle for a FG, so it kept 4 points off the board.
Minor quibble, but it’s a professional thing. Penalty announcements are: penalty, number, offense/defense, yards, succeeding down. Not one announcement has had all these.
If the replay that NBC showed was the “clipping” penalty, then that wasn’t clipping.
Jim Core called a clipping penalty, but did not announce a uniform number. With all of the problems getting the right number announced in the preseason, maybe they are not even going to identify penalized numbers?
Tonight’s referee, Jim Core, was noted for going back “for another look” at a replay in the final week of the preseason.
Jan. 30 • 
Jan. 29 • 
Jan. 29 • 11 Alive News WXIA/Atlanta (
Jan. 28 • 
Jan. 15 • The John Murphy Show, WGR 550/Buffalo (
•
3 
0
Hope these guys can do a good job..tons of pressure on them
•
0 
2
Ticky-tack DPI on the Cowboys #42 on the Bennet TD late in the 4th quarter. Moot since the play went for a TD but it didn’t rise to the level of DPI, IMO.