Nothing super about these calls

Patriots fans might have had two reasons to be upset watching the game against the Detroit Lions two weeks ago. Not only were the Patriots struggling to hang on, but Fox seemed to have rolled out its "D" team of broadcasters.

Where was Troy Aikman or Dick Stockton?

Welcome to games that don't garner special attention (read: special announcers).

Fox spokesman Dan Bell said he sympathizes, but denies that certain broadcasters are subpar.

"I would disagree in the sense that these guys do a fine job," said Bell, vice president of communications. "It's just that Patriots fans are accustomed to hearing the lead broadcast team on every one of their games, and that comes with the success of the team.

"So I understand that."

Fox has six teams of broadcasters (two more if they need them), led by Aikman, Joe Buck, and sideline reporter Pam Oliver.

"They do all our big games, especially the national doubleheader game," Bell said. "A lot depends on the matchup on both sides, and the success of both teams."

The Patriots-Lions game was called by Matt Vasgersian and J.C. Pearson, the team listed sixth out of the network's six teams.

But Bell staunchly defended the pair.

"Matt is the play-by-play guy for the Padres; he's a young announcer who we're very high on," Bell said. "J.C. is a former defensive back for Lions and Chiefs.

"They're solid," he said. "But I think what the Patriots fans, because of their success, are always used to getting the top broadcast teams from each network, which we understand. So when you hear someone different, it's like, 'What's going on?' "

Cameras are more plentiful on the "A" game, too, as are replays.

"But the way we cover it, you really wouldn't know the difference. We have a lot of talented producers and directors. The other games may have three or four fewer cameras than the top game, but I think they cover the game as well as anybody."

A similar caste system of announcers exists on CBS, whose premier team is Phil Simms and Jim Nantz. The network has no sideline reporters.

"We figure out games a few weeks ahead of time," said CBS spokesman Jerry Caraccioli. "There's a lot of speculation and seeing who's hot [in determining what will be the main game]. I think our group up and down is the strongest on television."

Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon will broadcast Sunday's Patriots-Texans game on CBS.

Virtually every news outlet in the area is going crazy with the news this week of Daisuke Matsuzaka coming to the Red Sox, and probably no one was in their element more than NESN. The sports station carried "marathon coverage" of the Japanese star yesterday, leading up to the Bruins' pregame show at 7 p.m. They scheduled a replay of the press conference at 11 p.m. Matsuzaka madness continues tonight at 8. NESN will air the World Baseball Classic championship game last March, in which Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6. Matsuzaka's line was 4 IP, 4H, 5Ks, 1 ER, and he won the tournament MVP award. Sunday at 9 p.m. the station will air "Diamonds in the Far East," the NESN-produced documentary from 2002 that tells the story of Japan's passion for baseball . . . Every reporter was clamoring for news of Matsuzaka as he made his way from Los Angeles to Boston after a Red Sox entourage traveled west to meet with him and his agent. But NECN said sports anchor Chris Collins broke the news that Matsuzaka had signed and for how much, beating SI by a half-hour.

Susan Bickelhaupt can be reached at bickelhaupt@globe.com.