Video: Brian Billick calls a Seahawks victory after the Falcons win
Plenty was made out of Fox's decision to replace Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa with Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick for a Divisional Round playoff game this year. Unfortunately for Brian Billick, he picked the wrong time to make a mental mistake with the entire country watching. After Seattle's last ditch hail mary attempt was intercepted and the Falcons hung on for a victory, Billick said this:
"This win right here legitimizes the Seattle Seahawks as the number one seed and makes them the team to beat."
D'oh! Of course Billick meant the Falcons, but yikes, bad timing to make that flub... especially right after being given a huge promotion by the network and calling a playoff game. Daryl Johnston surely threw one of his weird looking jackets at the television in disgust. It was reminiscent of this call from Chris Myers earlier this year.
However, it wasn't just that one sentence after the game as it was a rough afternoon for Billick overall, leading to comments like this from around Twitter:
Brian Billick said a lot of really weird stuff during last few minutes of Seahawks-Falcons game.
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) January 13, 2013
Brian Billick had a stroke somewhere in the last three minutes of that game. Only explanation
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) January 13, 2013
Brian Billick has no idea what he's talking about today. At all.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 13, 2013
Perhaps Billick's mind was elsewhere today? This may be the lasting memory of him as an announcer as he may be leaving the booth for a return to coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles.
UPDATE: Via @WorldofIsaac is video of another Billick brain freeze in the closing minutes. In this clip, the analyst suggests Seattle should kick a field goal and then try an onside kick down 6 points with just 44 seconds left. It was a rough Sunday for NFL analysts attempting basic math.
Coach Mike Smith of the Falcons is Billick's brother-in-law. Great guy. He was in my foursome at a Raven's golf outing...Billick brought him into the league as an "extra set of eyes." Smith moved up rapidly, and beat out Rex Ryan for the Falcons HC position. I think as Billick was watching the Falcons meltdown in the 4th, as a former coach himself and as Smith's "B.I.L" Billick was losing it very quickly. Considering the way everything was going, good thing for Smith and Billick that the Falcons had a little bit of magic in reserve!
Yes Mike Baker, Brian Billick did say that the Atlanta Falcons had an 80 play drive yesterday, because i heard him say that too!!! He and Thom Brennaman also said that the Seattle Seahawks had to stop the Atlanta Falcons and force them to punt with 3:00 left in regulation, to even have a chance at winning the game yesterday too!!!
Billick called a 16 point spread a three score game and then later thought that 27-10 would make it a two score game.
Greg Gumbel got confused over a potential penalty against Denver for their celebration after a touchdown. There was considerable talk on whether there should be a penalty which was a reasonable discussion; however, it went downhill after it was said that the penalty would have been assessed on the kickoff. Gumbel then said something about the kick would end up in the second deck which intimates that Denver’s kickoff would have been moved up 15 yards when in fact a celebration penalty against Denver would have been moved their kick back 15 yards.
I've found Billick to be an underrated color commentator, but his performance yesterday was underwhelming, to put it mildly, which was too bad. Moose is a good color man IMO, but being saddled with Tony Siragusa's nonsensical comments hasn't done him any favors.
What i think was funny was that Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick were, i believe, joking for a while that the Seattle Seahawks could have 1 of the biggest comebacks in recent NFL Playoff history and after that the Seattle Seahawks almost came back from losing to the Atlanta Falcons 20-0 at Halftime and 27-7 after the 1st 3 quarters, to just barely losing the game 30-28, after letting the Atlanta Falcons run down the feld and come back from losing 28-27 with 31 seconds left in regulation, to kicking a game winning 49 yard Field Lead with 8 seconds left in Regulation, which helped the Atlanta Falcons just barely win the game 30-28 today too!!
Did anybody else notice that the NFL set a record for points scored in all 4 NFL Divisional Playoff games this weekend too???
What makes that even stranger, is that in 3 of the 4 NFL Divisional Playoffs, both teams combined for 69 or more points too!!!
@CUbsfan It was a "Pepto-Bismol" weekend for all Defensive Coordinators & Secondary Coaches...Even though this was play-off weekend,, some pink slips might start circulating
I deinatly wouldn't doubt that and it wouldn't suprise me if pink slips did start circulating.
The strange thing that i heard JIm Nantz say near the end of today's AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Houston Texans at New England Patriots today was that when he said that the NFL set a record for points in all 4 of the NFL Divisional Playoffs this weekend, was that that was why NFL Divisional weekend is his favorite weekend every year and that he believes that the Defenses didn't step up this week, because he believe that Offenses have so many more ways to score now, than they did when he was younger and for those of you who were curious, the NFL decided to start last night's NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers 10 minutes later and to move the Opening Kick from 5:15 to 5:25 PT, due to the length of yesterday's AFC Divisional Playoff between the Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos too!!!
Team Albert had too much enthusiasm. Can't have that. Replacing Nantz would make more sense.
It started at the very top of the broadcast...Billick was referencing how the Falcons have a highly successful record of 13-7 in the last five seasons at the Georgia Dome. Amazing how quickly an additional 20 wins can disappear.
I forgive Billick for saying Seattle when he meant Atlanta. It was obvious what meant when he said "Number One Seed." What was worse was when he said it was four-down territory for the Seahawks when they were down by 6 with a minute left. Did he think they would punt? Go for a field goal? That was inexcusable.
Absolutely detest Billick. During season I have NFL RedZone and when I find out which game he's doing I mute it each time they show that particular game. He irritates the crap out of me. Talks mostly to hear himself talk. Cannot believe he got this promotion. I was hoping they'd fire him. Now I hear he wants back into coaching. Hope he does so next season I won't have to listen to him every week.
Brent is half right. As crappy as he is in football, he is 1000 times better at football than baseball where he sounds soooo bored. Just an awful announcer riding on the coattails of his superior father.
