ABSTRACT:

RUNAWAY train. Football, TV’s least-understood sport, not coincidentally remains TV’s worst-produced sport. And getting worse.

On Fox Saturday, the Niners down 10, had a second-and-five early in the fourth quarter. That’s an interesting set of circumstances because it doesn’t scream run or pass.

But at that moment Fox chose to shoot an ultra-closeup of the ball as it sat on the ground. Fox stayed with this thanks-for-nothin’ shot right up until the ball was snapped.

We couldn’t see if Steve Young audibled at the line. We couldn’t see whether the defense jumped (second-and-five is a good time to try to draw the D offside). We couldn’t see the defensive alignment or if the Niners put someone in motion. We saw a closeup of the ball….