Making the right moves

Making the right moves
At chess event, ex-Bengal discusses new TV job
By Jeff Wallner • Enquirer contributor • April 18, 2009

Cris Collinsworth doesn’t want the story to be about him.

One day after he was named to replace the legendary John Madden in the broadcast booth for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” the Fort Thomas resident and former Bengals wide receiver said he hoped the focus would remain on Madden, whom he called an American icon.

“Who follows John Madden is really not relevant,” Collinsworth said. “He’s someone who’s been so special to me. But he’s really even been more special to the country. It’s like having everyone’s relative calling the game.”

Collinsworth was at Paul Brown Stadium Friday night, serving as master of ceremonies for the eighth annual Queen City Classic, one of the largest scholastic chess tournaments in the Midwest. The event is sponsored by Collinsworth’s ProScan Fund.

Collinsworth previously worked for HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” which now is on Showtime, and for the NFL Network in addition to doing NBC’s pregame show on Sundays. He started his broadcasting career at WLW-AM (700) and HBO in 1989 after being cut by the Bengals after eight seasons.

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said Madden recommended Collinsworth to take over his prime-time slot alongside Al Michaels.

“That is unbelievable,” Collinsworth said of Madden’s request. “He asked me to be the voice of (the football video games) Madden ’09 and ’10. We worked well together. … He’s been a mentor to me in so many ways.”

Collinsworth, who regularly challenged teammates to chess matches while in college at the University of Florida, spent Friday night helping to mentor kids attending the Queen City Classic.

“In chess there are real consequences to every move you make,” Collinsworth said. “That kind of forward-thinking is a great lesson for kids.”

Among the event’s featured guests Friday night were Maurice Ashley, the first African-American international grandmaster in chess; international master Irina Krush, the 2007 women’s national champion; and international grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, the No. 1-ranked player in the U.S. in 2003.

Krush and Kaidanov kicked off Friday’s festivities with a match played while blindfolded.

“They see the board in their brains,” Ashley said.

In its eighth year, the Queen City Classic has grown from 300 participants to more than 750 from all over the Midwest. It is designed to increase chess participation among children by teaching and popularizing the game.

Collinsworth attended the Queen City Classic with his wife, Holly. Before the event, the three-time Pro Bowl player received a round of applause in recognition of his new NBC gig.

Throughout the night, Collinsworth humbly accepted a constant stream of congratulations.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s awesome, but I really don’t want to be a part of this story. I knew if I started talking about it (the new job), the story would change. I just want people to talk about (Madden), a special guy in my life, and keep the focus on him.”

Source: http://news.cincinnati.com