Evening star., 1957-12-25
jim BISHOP:
REPORTER
Behind O football Telecost

Behind O Football
now It can be told. I'm Q
oro football addict. The season
b over. Ny voice is coming |
hack. The children are allowed
10 talk out loud on sunday |
Afternoons. Until the baseball
season comes around. you viii |
and me bowling at the local
alleys and shooting . little pool.
I attended the final Giant
game at Yankee Stadium. This
vas q matter Of professional
suriosity. I wanted to see how
The announcers did it. At home.
they always appear to be on
lop Of the play and. while the
players are still q tanele Of
arms and legs. Chris Schenkel
b telling US who ran with the
ball, who cut the runner down,
how much yardage was made.
and how much is still to be
made.
Mr.. Christopher Schenkel Is
"a. He went to Purdue. He Is
tlimly handsome. Q long-Iose
sent with . rich smile. He
works for the Columbia Broad |
casting System and he has been
announcing these games for SIX |
years. At home, he IL married |
10 Fran Paige. Q one-time Copa /
girl. There. ironically. she calls
the plays.
To my way Of thinking. he is
among the top sports broaf-
casters. He has restraint. He
doesn't talk me dizzy through |
the game. Mr.. Schenkel cuts
IN where there Il action which
might confuse me. He supplies
the details and, for good peri
eds Of time. he says nothing.
He invited me to freeze with
him In the little ledge which
hangs on section 20 like q
painters scaffold. And 1t was
here that ! learned how the
pro games are broadcast and
why they are 50 singularly free
Of error.
FOur-Man Team
The television team consists
Of four men. Schenkel sits on
Z high stool on the right side
Of the ledge facing the field.
In front Of him is a book Of
notes on players. their ages.
backgrounds. weight, height. |
recent accomplish Q m e nts.
Further out, there Is a seven
inch television set. AS Mr..
schenkel looks out at the field. |
90 yards away. he also gets q |
closeup Of the players on the
field.
Next to him stands Ernie |
Berkaw. This Is the silent one. |
He Is a man with shiny. rudy
skin. His mandibulars work on
his gum when there IL no play.
The moment something starts,
the Jaws stop. He Is the spotter.
Mr.. Berkaw wears no glasses,
does not use binoculars.
Whether the play Is nearby or
far up the field, he knows who
has the ball, who Is running
interference, and who Is maxi
ing the tackle.
Mr.. Berkaw is q most impor-
tant man. On the ledge before
him. he has q magnetized
board. On 1t are green squares
and yellow squares. The yellow
squares have the names and
numbers Of the Cleveland
Browns (who won on this day,
"a TO 28). This Is the offensive
team. The blue squares repres-
ent the Giant defensive team.
The pieces are In football
formation and, the moment q
play begins 10 boil, Berkaw
stops chewing, points q left
index finger at the square rep
resenting the ball carrier and
Mr.. Schenkel glances from the
feld at the board. announces
who u carryine, and the finger
moves TO point 10 the squares
representing players who are
running interference for the
ball carrier. As the ball is
gounded. the finger touches the
squares Of Giant players who
made the kill.
Magnetic weeOrd
when Cleveland kicks on 10
the Giants, Mr.. Berkaw fiips
his little board over. On the
opposite side are magnets rep.
resenting the Giant offensive.
and the Browns defensive
teams. Mr.. Berkaw also keeps
9 little pad going. and this
iists total FIRST downs, yardage
eained and lost In air and on
the ground, depth Of kicks. and
10 forth.
The next man on Ahe ledge