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Monday, December 03, 2001

That must've sounded a little unnerving. Imagine Francisco Cabrera and John Smoltz announcing a Pirates series. Picture David Volek and Tom Fitzgerald working a Penguins playoff telecast. For that matter, envision Saddam Hussein providing CNN war commentary.

Yeah, it had to seem a tad disconcerting for Pittsburghers to hear Super Bowl XXX Cowboys alumnus Troy Aikman and Daryl "Moose" Johnston analyze the Steelers yesterday on Fox.

Now hear this:

Aikman predicts the Steelers will reach the AFC championship game.

Whereupon, he adds, they will lose to the Raiders.

"I really like them," Aikman said of the Steelers after the home side's by-their-fingertips, 21-16 outlasting of the Vikings. "I like the job the coaches have done. And it seems to be a very unselfish group of players.

"Obviously, they have a great defensive team. They run the ball extremely well with Jerome Bettis. There are people out there who would disagree, but history has shown -- with the exception of last year -- that, even with great defense and being able to run the ball, you still have to be able to pass the ball. That's something Pittsburgh's doing a better job at. Kordell Stewart is getting more confidence in what they're doing and in his young receivers.

"I see Pittsburgh and Oakland in the championship game. But right now, in my mind, the nod would go to Oakland because of their ability in the passing game."

What's that, you say? It's Ache-man's concussions talking? Oh, be nice.

Listening to Aikman and Johnston yesterday wasn't as blah as I expected. Neither was an overly electrifying personality as a player, especially compared to, say, teammates "Neon" Deion Sanders and Michael "Swervin' The Authorities" Irvin. This reporter never before devoted an afternoon to listening to the old Dallas quarterback and fullback on Fox, and yesterday they were insightful and enjoyable.

Johnston used Robert Griffith's first-quarter interception to announce to his audience about the Minnesota safety telling the broadcasters a day earlier that Stewart was still telegraphing passes, still staring down receivers. Aikman quickly added, "He should have thrown three [interceptions] last week."

Fox provides a couple of extra doodads to be appreciated. It was neat to hear the field microphones, which captured Bettis and Stewart beforehand calling themselves Batman and Robin. It was even more neat to listen to Kris Brown's point-after attempt thunking off the goal post. It was beyond neat that Fox statboys keep such statistics as Chad Scott's burn marks, 11 completions in 11 throws his way and 198 yards.

But the subject at hand is the pleasant surprise that are these ex-Cowboys broadcasters.

Aikman and Johnston praised the Steelers' offensive line and Troy Edwards' many contributions, though we must award Moose demerits in math: He subtracted the Vikings' three points from the Steelers' 21 and concluded that Minnesota was "down 14." The normally stoic Aikman even cracked something of a joke, saying that pass tipped from Minnesota's Randy Moss to Joey Porter back to Moss was like a gadget play taken from Mike Mularkey's playbook.

The old quarterback was correct in his criticism of the Steelers in the fourth quarter: Leaving cornerbacks in single coverage, keeping potential third-down conversions out of Stewart's mitts (although Oliver Ross' right hip pried the football from there once).

"You've got to be pretty efficient throwing the ball, and they were a little hesitant there at the end of the game to put the ball in Kordell's hands," Aikman said later. "I said it during the game, there are so many people who say, 'This quarterback does a good job of managing the game.' I don't think that's what the position is about. Your job is to win football games. That's the next level that Kordell Stewart has to get to.

"And I still don't understand allowing Randy Moss to get behind you when you have the lead in the fourth quarter. But, to Pittsburgh's credit, the defense made a stand. That kind of game makes good TV."

Look at it this way: It could have been worse for Steelers fans.

Fox could've put Larry Brown and Neil O'Donnell in the booth.

In addition to The Big Picture, Chuck Finder writes a general-sports column exclusive to the http://www.post-gazette.com/ every Tuesday. He can be reached at cfinder@post-gazette.com