In what may be one of the better live broadcasting follies of the year, CBS focused in on/borderline stalked San Diego Chargers kicker Nick Novak as he prepared for a potential game-winning kick in the final minute. And by preparing, I mean taking a covert leak with the help of a wingman/equipment trainer. While it's possible there is another explanation, the footage below seems to be pretty convincing:

Novak was not called upon to kick a field goal at the end of regulation, but did miss a 50+ yard try in the waning moments of overtime, setting up the Broncos and you-know-who with great field possession. The Broncos and Tebow ended up capitalizing, setting up an interesting blog chatter showdown as TebowMania will now have to fight for attention with Novak's whiz.

With guys not wanting to go back to the locker room (especially the kicker) and not wanting to just piss in their pants (probably hard to pass off as "sweat" when you're the kicker), Novak improvised. Frankly, if it wasn't for CBS, I think he would have gotten away with it. Alas, it didn't work.

I would imagine a lot of us can sympathize with the scenario, although the ridiculous need to urinate is typically the problem of the elderly or drunken man. I guess that Gatorade was just too damn good to pass up and Novak was apprehensive about attempting a very important kick with the thought of desperately needing to pee on his mind. 

The announcers never acknowledged the scene and I am guessing they just didn't see it because it's too funny to really ignore without even a chuckle.

The million dollar question: Is he just unleashing the stream on the grass, dirt, or drain, or was he containing with a cup?

(Photo via Sports Grid)

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With all the football on Black Friday, Screengrab Snafus move temporarily to Saturday this week. And yes, Skip Bayless and First Take's obsession with Tim Tebow is just as creepy on the weekends too.  Let us never speak of #WhenSkipMeetsTebow again.  *shudders*

In case you didn't know, the Harbaughs coached against each other on Thanksgiving night.  With it being the most hyped coaching matchup in NFL history (OMG!  THEY'RE BROTHERS!!!  AND THEY'RE COACHING AGAINST EACH OTHER!!), you'd think ESPN could at least tell Jim and John apart...

Reader Will Law sends this snafu and note via e-mail (cheap plug: you can send us tips through the e-mail links in the left sidebar!)...

"After Ed Reed intercepted Andy Dalton at the end of the first half for a TOUCHBACK, CBS ran a box at the bottom of the screen noting that it was Reed's fourth career TOUCHDOWN against Cincy.  It would have been his fourth, had he taken it the 100+ yards. But instead we had a funny error on the screen.  Keep up the good work."

And now for this week's section devoted to mistaken identities, the man below is not Christian Ponder.  Instead it's Kyle Boller.  Ironically, this isn't the first time Boller has been accused of impersonating an NFL quarterback.  Boom, roasted...

Secondly, I don't know who this is, all I know is that it isn't Connor Barth...

Connor Barth...

Not Connor Barth...

The facial hair is just all wrong.

And finally, ESPN shows us why they're the worldwide leader in sports, and not geography... unless Wisconsin has annexed Minnesota and I missed it somehow...

That was your Thanksgiving week in Screengrab Snafus, next time be careful out there!

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In the middle of the night last night, after a marathon negotiating session, the NBA and its players came to an agreement to end the 149 day lockout.  The agreement is tentative, but all signs point to the deal being finalized and professional basketball returning on Christmas Day.  Training camp will open in early December and there will be a 66 game season.  Here's more details from Howard Beck of the New York Times:

As a frantic Black Friday gave way to a sleepy Saturday morning in Midtown Manhattan, the biggest deal of all was consummated in a law office tucked between F. A. O. Schwarz and the Apple Store.

With handshakes, sighs and weary smiles, the N.B.A. and its players resolved a crippling labor dispute, allowing them to reopen their $4 billion-a-year business in time for the holidays. A 66-game season will start on Christmas Day, ending the second-longest lockout in league history.

The deal was reached at about 3 a.m. Saturday, on the 149th day of the lockout, after a final 15-hour bargaining session at the law offices of Weil, Gotshal and Manges.

All hope appeared to be lost when talks broke off recently and the players rejected the "final offer" of the owners.  However, in spite of the pending legal entanglement, the two sides apparently continued to work together towards an agreement.  However it came into being, the season appears to have been rescued at the 11th hour.  Let's celebrate with the help of our friend Kevin Harlan...

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Yesterday, we asked several members of the AA fam which announcer or announcers they were most thankful for.  Today, we stay in that thankful mood (we're a jovial kind of people, really) and shift the focus to innovations in watching sports that make our lives better as fans.  What elements of watching sports are our writers most thankful for?

Brady Green: Youtube. Perhaps nothing has enhanced my fandom and knowledge of sports more than Youtube. Today, if something remotely interesting happens, heroes from around the world will likely have uploaded the video to Youtube within minutes of it taking place where I can watch it for free an unlimited amount of times. The open sharing of new and classic sports clips along with cat videos is all the evidence I need to know that modern-day humanity is still decent at its core.

Ben Koo: I am thankful the United States government cracked down on online poker and not online sportsbooks. Kidding aside (kind of), this one is easy. The NFL Sunday Ticket is a luxury that has now become a necessity of mine similar to air conditioning, high speed internet, and HD. The Red Zone Channel allows me to consume a copious amount of football in the most efficient way possible. With the package as well as a second television, Sundays are a huge event for me and I can't imagine suddenly not having it in my life. The best part is that if you have a pair, you can get the package for free and some other bells and whistles by threatening to leave DirectTv so it's not as if I am doling out tons of money to enjoy this great service. As I like to say, I can't tell if it's good or bad that I work 80 hours a week and watch 20 hours of football a week.

Dave Kelsey: I would have to say that I'm most thankful for the advances in technology/Web 2.0.  Where else can you come together with so many like-minded individuals and discuss ad nauseum your favorite players, teams, sporting events, etc.  Feedback and conversations with fellow fans are instantaneous and can be incredibly fulfilling and gratifying.  No matter where you live, and as long as you've got an internet/satellite connection, you can always follow and discuss your favorite teams.  It doesn't get any easier for people to enjoy sports than we've all got it now.

Matt Yoder: This one is easy for me - NFL Sunday Ticket.  As a Saints fan in the middle of Ohio, I rarely ever got to watch an actual Saints game growing up.  Maybe there was a Sunday night game on TNT or ESPN once during the year and one other on network television.  That was it.  The Saints never played on Monday Night Football.  Since I was plugged into Sunday Ticket though in 2000, I've been able to watch almost every game.  It's changed my life for the better (in a sort of sad, total-lack-of-reality sort of way).  I'm most thankful though to watch 16 games of Drew Brees every year versus only a couple games of Billie Joe Hobert for my Who Dat experience.

Ryan Yoder: I'm thankful for a feast of choices in these days of sports on TV.  From expanded freedom to watch online (ESPN3 and others) to a renewed commitment by ESPN and others to live telecasts, there's never been more sports to consume.  As someone who is happy watching football, futbol, Aussie Rules, and many more, it's like every day is its own Thanksgiving feast for sports fans. And no manufactured debate can ever replace the real life drama and emotion of live sports.

What about watching sports are you most thankful for?

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Happy extended Thanksgiving weekend.  This is the last full week of the college football regular season so make sure you bring the nominees throughout Friday and Saturday.  You can check the full sked and updated standings at the links below.

Week 13 announcing schedule

Week 12 results and updated standings

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"I know a lot of Aggies who are happy they aren't blowing out (Texas)." - Craig James (via sctvman)

"Look for Shipley to try to get open." - Craig James (via HawkeyeNation)

"If you're going to stop a guy like Johnson you have to get some penetration" - Craig James (via Wiginator)

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A full slate of games on Friday and Saturday for you to enjoy a feast of college football.  #1 LSU hosts #3 Arkansas on Friday afternoon while plenty of rivalry games dot the Saturday schedule.  Urban Meyer's crew will be in Ann Arbor for Ohio State-Michigan, but Urban will be in the Bristol studios instead.  I wonder why...

Friday, November 25

11 AM- Louisville at USF [ESPN2]- Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley

11 AM- Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois [ESPNU]- Justin Kutcher, Tom Luginbill

12 PM- Iowa at Nebraska [ABC]- Bob Wischusen, Bob Davie, Jeannine Edwards

12 PM- Houston at Tulsa [FSN]- Ron Thulin, J.C. Pearson, Jeremy Bloom

12 PM- Bowling Green at Buffalo [TWCS Buffalo]- Howard Simon, Marlon Kerner, Brian Koziol

2 PM- Toledo at Ball State [ESPN3]- Michael Reghi, Jerod Cherry

2:30- Arkansas at LSU [CBS]- Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson

3:30- Boston College at Miami (FL) [ABC]- Rob Stone, Danny Kanell

3:30- Colorado at Utah [FSN]- Craig Bolerjack, Joel Klatt, Petros Papadakis

7 PM- Pittsburgh at West Virginia [ESPN]- Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore

7 PM- UTEP at UCF [CBSSN]- Dave Ryan, Rich Rodriguez, Kaylee Hartung

10:15- California at Arizona State [ESPN]- Mike Patrick, Craig James, Samantha Steele

Saturday, November 26

12 PM- Ohio State at Michigan [ABC]- Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman, Quint Kessenich

12 PM- Georgia at Georgia Tech [ESPN]- Mark Jones, Ed Cunningham

12 PM- Rutgers at UConn [ESPN2]- Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti

12 PM- James Madison at Eastern Kentucky [ESPNU]- Pam Ward, Dan Hawkins

12 PM- Iowa State at Oklahoma [FX]- Gus Johnson, Charles Davis, Tim Brewster

12 PM- Rice at SMU [FSN]- Ron Thulin, J.C. Pearson, Jeremy Bloom

12 PM- Michigan State at Northwestern [BTN]- Eric Collins, Chris Martin, Dionne Miller

12 PM- Cincinnati at Syracuse [Big East Network]- Mike Gleason, John Congemi, Eamon McAnaney

12 PM- Tennessee at Kentucky [SEC Network]- Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano

12:30- Maryland at NC State [ACC Network]- Tim Brant, Dave Archer, Mike Hogewood

1:30- Norfolk State at Old Dominion [ESPN3]- Jim Barbar, Jay Walker

2 PM- Nevada at Utah State [WAC Sports Network]- Barry Tompkins, Joe Glenn

2 PM- Wyoming at Boise State [mtn.]- Todd Harris, Todd Christensen

2 PM- Albany at Stony Brook [ESPN3]- Shawn Kenney, Rob Harley

2 PM- Southern vs. Grambling State [NBC]- Paul Burmeister, Shaun King, Anthony Herron, Lewis Johnson

3 PM- Central Arkansas at Tennessee Tech [ESPN3]- Dan Gutowsky, John Bunting

3:30- Auburn at Alabama [CBS]- Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson

3:30- Oregon State at Oregon [ABC/ESPN2]- Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard, Shelley Smith

3:30- Virginia Tech at Virginia [ABC/ESPN2]- Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore, Lisa Salters

3:30- Penn State at Wisconsin [ESPN]- Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Tom Rinaldi

3:30- Vanderbilt at Wake Forest [ESPNU]- Rob Stone, Danny Kanell

3:30- Missouri vs. Kansas from Kansas City [FSN]- Joel Meyers, Brian Baldinger, Jim Knox

3:30- East Carolina at Marshall [CBSSN]- James Bates, Aaron Taylor, Brooke Collins

3:30- Purdue at Indiana [BTN]- Matt Devlin, Glen Mason, Jon Jansen

3:30- Illinois at Minnesota [BTN]- Tom Hart, Derek Rackley, Lisa Byington

3:30- Duke at North Carolina [ACC Regional Network]- Rich Waltz, Keith Jones, Jenn Hildreth

4 PM- Memphis at Southern Miss [CSS]- Craig Ackerman, Chuck Oliver, Maria Taylor

4 PM- New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech [ESPN+]- Trey Bender, Jay Taylor

6 PM- Air Force at Colorado State [mtn.]- Ari Wolfe, Blaine Fowler, Darius Walker

7 PM- Florida State at Florida [ESPN2]- Bob Wischusen, Bob Davie, Jeannine Edwards

7 PM- Ole Miss at Mississippi State [ESPNU]- Clay Matvick, Brian Griese, Allison Williams

7 PM- Texas Tech vs. Baylor from Arlington [FSN]- Bill Land, Dave Lapham, Emily Jones

7:30- Washington State at Washington [Versus]- Ted Robinson, Glenn Parker, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila

7:45- Clemson at South Carolina [ESPN]- Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe

8 PM- Notre Dame at Stanford [ABC]- Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Heather Cox

10 PM- UCLA at USC [FSN]- Craig Bolerjack, Joel Klatt, Petros Papadakis

10 PM- San Diego State at UNLV [mtn.]- Bill Doleman, Jay Leeuwenburg, Molly Sullivan

12 AM- Tulane at Hawaii [ESPN3]- Robert Kekaula, Darren Hernandez, Rob DeMello, Lori Santo

H/T Daniel!

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Happy Thanksgiving!  We're most thankful this holiday season for all the support of our readers and followers as we roll on in year two of the AA relaunch here at Bloguin.  We have a lot of fun at AA poking fun at all kinds of announcers from all over the world of the sports media.  They keep us in business after all!  But, we're also thankful for our favorite announcers.  We've even got the chance to interview a few of them throughout the last months.  So while everyone is giving thanks this holiday season, we thought it'd be only fitting to sit a few of our writers down and ask the question - which announcer are you most thankful for?

Ryan Yoder: Surprisingly it's hard for me to pick just one announcer to be thankful for at this time of year.  In our vast world of Awful Announcing, there's actually quite a few who make the game more enjoyable.  Right now though, I don't think anyone does a better job on the biggest stage than Brent and Herbie on college football.  Their partnership has reached the point where viewers know it's a big game just based on their presence.  And despite Brent's constant worry over the spread and Herbie's layer of ultra-polish, they do an outstanding job.

Dave Kelsey: I am most thankful for Kevin Harlan and Marv Albert.  Being an "NBA Guy" their voices are just perfect for the game and really resonate with me.  I also love their insights and mannerisms. (speechisms?)  My intense joy for Kevin Harlan goes way, way back to the early days when he was toiling away as an announcer for my Minnesota Timberwolves.  I've always loved him.

Brady Green: Bill Raftery. Honestly, few things make me happier than the opening seconds of a game when Raftery busts out his trademark “MAN TO MAN” line. His enthusiasm for basketball never seems phony and it always shows through on his broadcasts. Pathetically, phrases like “nickel-dimer” and “ONIONS” have indeed become part of my lexicon. In this crazy world we now live in where Gus Johnson won’t be there in March, Raftery is who I want doing the call for a game that’s coming down to the buzzer.

Ben Koo: For nearly a decade, I've been a huge advocate of Brent Musburger. For a while I missed him pairing with Gary Danielson, who had a keen eye for the game and was meticulous in his analysis. Herbstreit has grown on me over time but the one constant is Musberger's distinct voice and expansive historical knowledge of the game. Maybe it's the pageantry of college football, the crazy atmospheres, or the deafening crowd noise, but no other weekly television event looks and sounds as exciting as Musburger's weekly assignment. No other announcer seems to have a hit rate in terms of having Instant Classics unfold on a consistent basis. Even with the more lackluster games, he seems to keep you a bit more enthralled with the game than you probably should be.

Matt Yoder: Although it's tough to pick just one, I'm most thankful for Ian Darke.  As a huge soccer fan, it's been fantastic to see Darke rise to prominence since the 2010 World Cup.  As crazy as it is to think of a gray haired British play by play man as one of America's rising broadcasting icons, it is a reality.  He has now firmly established himself as America's soccer announcer and has provided the definitive voice to the sport in this country.

Which announcer or announcers are you most thankful for?

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Happy Thanksgiving!  Leave your Dickies comments throughout this Thanksgiving day here with our open thread, which will return Sunday morning.  It's looking like one of the most appetizing days of holidy football in years with Packers-Lions and Ravens-Niners sandwiching Dolphins-Cowboys.  You can check the comments below and our Twitter timeline for all submissions.  You can also tweet us by using the hashtag #SOSAA to send in quotes.  Below you can find the links to last week's Top 10 and this week's full NFL announcing schedule with broadcast maps.  May you win your own family's version of the Galloping Gobbler this Thanksgiving!  And may it be better looking than the real thing...

Week 11 Dickies Winners & Standings

Week 12 NFL Announcing Schedule 

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"I aint lying I'm picking the Lions" - Skip Bayless (via Lukehotvet)

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Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers. We're thankful for you and this wonderful space on the internet. Now kick your feet up and enjoy some football. 

Thursday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Day

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (FOX 12:30PM) Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
Miami Dolphins @ Dallas Cowboys (CBS 4:15PM) Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
San Francisco 49ers @ Baltimore Ravens (NFLN 8:20PM) Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan

Sunday, November 27 -

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS 1PM) Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets (CBS 1PM) Marv Albert, Rich Gannon
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals (CBS 1PM) Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker
Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons (FOX 1PM) Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin
Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams (FOX 1PM) Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington
Carolina Panthers @ Indianapolis Colts (FOX 1PM) Chris Myers, Tim Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Tennessee Titans (FOX 1PM) Dick Stockton, John Lynch

Chicago Bears @ Oakland Raiders (FOX 4PM) Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Washington Redskins @ Seattle Seahawks (FOX 4PM) Ron Pitts, Jim Mora
New England Patriots @ Philadelphia Eagles (CBS 4:15PM) Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers (CBS 4:15PM) Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs (NBC 8:20PM) Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya

Monday, November 28

New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints (ESPN 8:30PM) Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski

We've got a lot to be thankful for here at Awful Announcing.  Specifically for the birth of Straight Outta Stockton and its namesake, Dick Stockton.  We'll have a couple roundtables later this week on more of what we're thankful for at AA, but for now, let's celebrate Dick Stockton... who now has the highest weekly total in the Pammies or the Dickies so far this season.  The envelope, please...

10) "Call me crazy, but I'm excited to see Tyler Palko tonight." - Ron Jaworski (via glokkenspx)

9) "It's so tough to score down inside the one." - Phil Simms right AFTER the #Bears score from the 1 (via BKibbs). I swear he's said this on multiple occasions this year.

8) "TOUCHDOWN BUFFALO! I MEAN TO SAY MIAMI!" - Marv Albert (via AlexFromBuffalo)

7) "The Lions beat the stuffing out of the Packers..." - Bob Costas (via thesportsgeeks) wins bad Thanksgiving pun of the week.

6) "There has never been a pass caught in the history of the NFL caught out of bounds." - Brian Billick (via AlexFromBuffalo)  He also called 49ers K David Akers, "Fred."

5) "Rod Smart remember him? He Hate Me! That's what it said on the back of his jersey. Well not in the NFL." - Dick Stockton (via matthoeppner)

4) "Interesting receiving corps they have here in Dallas" - Phil Simms (via SpringRubber).  Phil was in Chicago to announce Chargers-Bears.  Yipes.

3) "Now he'll just have to take the loss. A gain of 1 yard there." - Dick Stockton (via Dascenzo)

2) "The ball hits the leg in the Chief" - Mike Tirico (via JMPTrillOG)

1) "That's Tony Scheffler's 5th touchdown of the game, 2nd only to Calvin Johnson...." - Dick Stockton (via Packey)

Week 11 Top 5 -

1) Dick Stockton 54 pts

2) Phil Simms 41.5 pts

3) Brian Billick 32 pts

4) Mike Tirico 28 pts

5) Jon Gruden 26 pts

Others receiving votes - Chris Berman 15 pts, Dan Dierdorf 13 pts, Joe Buck 11 pts, Cris Collinsworth 11 pts, Scott Hanson 10 pts, Jim Nantz 10, Rich Gannon 9 pts, Dan Fouts 8.5 pts, Bob Griese 8.5 pts, Troy Aikman 8 pts, Dan Patrick 7 pts, Jim Mora 6 pts, Daryl Johnston 5 pts, Tim Ryan 5 pts, Al Michaels 4.5, Bob Costas 4 pts, Warren Moon 3 pts, Marv Albert 3 pts, Terry Bradshaw 3 pts, Thom Brennaman 2 pts, Tony Siragusa 1 pt, Ron Jaworski 1 pt.

The Full Week 12 NFL Announcing Schedule should be up before the Thanksgiving games begin tomorrow and we'll have our Straight Outta Stockton open thread ready for Thanksgiving Day!

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