I’m no NFL fan, but I just spent a week in Missouri and visited a few sports pubs along the route of the Tour of Missouri. Either college or NFL games were on most of the time, including last Sunday night on ESPN.

Chris Berman, ESPN announcer

The sports pub in the hotel had about 20 flat screen televisions, most broadcasting the NF pre-game show. There was Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, all long-time NFL broadcasters, sharing opinions and then asking for the opinions of Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter.

Five guys reporting on the pre-game show? What could all five possibly have to say that three guys couldn’t say or most likely what two guys couldn’t say?

And as if the five NFL opinion-makers (all trying to outdo each other with their respective suit-and-tie coordination), didn’t have enough to say, the producers opted to go to a Stuart Scott, a sixth broadcaster, who was stationed on the stadium sidelines. He had an opinion, too.

Six announcers, not one down played yet, lots of opinions. That’s one good reason I gave up watching Monday Night Football years ago and now Sunday Night Football, too — unless, of course, I’m on the road in a hotel sports bar with nothing better to do.