The program coordinator wears an ear mike. Using his cameramen’s microphones, he can listen in on the quarterback’s calls in the huddle and to the defensive calls at the line. On the basis of that information, and his own intuitive feel for the relative performances of the two teams, he issues instructions to his cameramen, notifying them what to look for and which way to shoot. If he’s careless, if he repositions his cameramen too obviously or too soon, he can inadvertently affect the game’s fairness by tipping the defense, most of whom are cagey enough to give the cameramen at least a casual glance before the snap to see how they’re set up to cover the play.

After the snap, the program coordinator has to react at least as quickly as the players he’s covering, relaying directions and pulling his cameramen into proper position, all the while remaining flexible enough to shift his coverage away from the ball carrier and to a more interesting or violent confrontation occurring elsewhere on the street.

A backup man stands behind the program coordinator at all times, ready to take over at a moment’s notice should the PCO suffer a nervous collapse brought on by exhaustion, something which happens all too frequently in the heat of a game.

The program coordinator, like his cameramen, works only one quarter of the game.

On a raised platform immediately behind the program coordinator, in a glassed-in, soundproofed booth of his own, sits Timothy Enge. He has one giant screen showing him what the people at home are seeing. By looking out into the main control room, he can also see the program coordinator’s master console. Near his right hand is a computer terminal ready to call up all manner of football facts and figures. At his left hand, concealed behind the arm of his chair, he has a food and drug dispenser. More than the food, he needs the drugs, mainly to stay awake, since he will work the game’s entire twenty four hours. There’s a cameraman just to his right and in front of him, a makeup man just to his left and out of camera range in back.

The two teams come out onto the street.

Everything’s perfect.

The program coordinator’s lights radiate with a satisfying luster.

Timothy Enge is in excellent voice.

The Prospectors and the Minutemen line up at the intersection of Third and Market.

At precisely twelve midnight, the Minutemen kick off, and the game begins.