Scoring Scorebugs: NFL on CBS Edition

Enough about who’s the best NFL commentator. How about the scorebugs? When you know nothing about football, it tells you everything you need to know about what’s going on, so you have to make it look good. For Super Bowl 55, CBS is debuting a new graphics package for their NFL coverage, so I decided to rank every score graphic that they've used. My personal favorite (spoilers alert) is the one they debuted for the Ravens-49ers Super Bowl and used up until LII. What’s yours?

8. 1998

I wasn’t actually born yet in 1998 and score graphics were just starting to become a thing then, so I can’t say much about it.

7. 2001

Not much to really say about it. It's a little cluttered but I like the gold thing on the teams and it seems like it uses the space fairly well.

6. 1999-2000

Not much of a comment about this one either. A little cluttered but that seems par for the course in terms of score graphics back then. The only gripe is that it doesn’t seem like it had anything showing downs and yardage. If I’m being honest everything pre-2006 was a little boring.

5. 2016-Present.

I can’t lie, it’s nice. Reflects the minimalistic look that a lot of stations have been chasing. On the other hand, it’s the opposite of the ESPN college football graphic in that it’s been overdone for a revamping since the last CBS Super Bowl two years ago.

4. 2006-08

It’s pretty clearly just a redone version of 2002-05, but more circular if that makes sense. I like how they incorporated the “NFL-CBS” bit for touchdowns. This also begins the continuing CBS trend of having a flashy way of changing the score. The only gripe is that there’s a good amount of empty space next to the “3rd and 5” that probably could’ve been utilized.

3. 2002-05

CBS clearly likes to think outside of the box. At a time when most other networks were going to banners, they stuck with the box. The way the score changes is a little boring, but other than that it’s nice and clean so I can’t complain. It’s nice and clean and for some reason reminds me of the MLB on TBS scorebug from 2011-15.

2. 2009-12

This thing was beautiful. One of the first I’ve seen that used both the team abbreviation and the logo and really put together a clean, modern look. This brings to mind Super Bowl XLIV when I ate 15 buffalo wings and half a tray of habanero cheese dip, wore a Bills jersey the same year they finished last in their conference, and my dad’s friend’s daughter spent the entire night flirting with me.

1.

This thing, along with the MLB on Fox graphic from 2005-07 and the March Madness graphic from 2011-15, is up there as one of my favorites of all time. The metallic look, the little disappearing number with the new score coming in from the left, and the little flash of light when someone scored a touchdown all combined for something that was pure excellence. Was really hoping for them to somehow adapt this to March Madness.