Now that Joe Theismann has had more than half a season to digest the new "Monday Night Football'' booth, which currently happens not to include him, does he like it?
Here is what he said on Fox Sports Radio's "Out of Bounds" show:
"Personally? No, I don't like it. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not there. I watch football games to learn and watch football. I see Ron Jaworski trying to do football. I see Mike Tirico trying to get back to football.
"I have no problem with Tony Kornheiser. He's just out of his element. He's a fish out of water. That environment, and that setup, is not conducive to watching football. And I look at it this way: ESPN, or Disney, paid 1.1 billion dollars annually to be able to broadcast football. And now you want an issue show. I think, to me, that's not the most sound business approach to take. I miss Monday Night Football."
The best thing about the ESPN and NFL Network booth teams is that they are so stubbornly unconventional - for better or (often) worse - it gives people with jobs like mine plenty to write about.
The worst thing about the No. 1 NFL teams at Fox, CBS and NBC is they are relaibly competent and thus not much fun for a media critic to pick apart.
Comments (14)
Neil,
Has there been any talk of a shakeup in the booth when the NFL network starts their games? maybe a possible Theisman landing spot there. I know Gumbel said he was uncomfortable last year but I could see Collinsworth being replaced.
Not this year that I know of, although Sanders/Faulk will fill in for Collinsworth Dec. 15 and 20. Thanks for reading, Frank, but go to sleep! Gee whiz. It's 1:30 in the morning!
I thought MNF jumped the shark when they fired Keith Jackson after the first season and brought in New York Giant heartthrob Frank Gifford who kept confusing Dennis Thurman with Thurman Munson.
Why is the media interested in anything Theismann says? He was a horrible announcer and he deserved to be fired. He is now a bitter, unemployed, ex-jock. At least he is consistent: when he was in the booth, he didn't say anything of interest and now, unemployed, he still doesn't say anything of interest.
Joe T is right. Kornheiser belongs on PTI. He's an utter bore to listen to. Hes not funny and he knows nothing about football.
I'm sick and tired of hearing him ask Jaws nonsense questions.
To answer Frank's question, Joe just got let out of his deal with ESPN so any new opportunities would probably come next season. I think Theismann is terrible, but I do hope he lands a job somewhere.
There could be a chance Theismann may be with CBS next year. Bob Trumpy is simply awful on the Sunday night radio broadcasts and he would be a good fit in that job. For the rest of us who don't want to hear him much at all Sam Huff and Sonny Jurgenson do the color on Redskins' games and they both have to be 70+ and ready to be put out of listener's misery. He's already worked with Madden and Michaels so that isn't possible. No room in the inn at Fox for him.
I think that might have been the smartest thing that Theisman has said ever. Kornheiser is awful on that broadcast. Jaworski is better than Theismann though.
Who cares what that pompous loser Theisman thinks?
Tony K and Jaws are the best thing to happen to MNF since Cosell left. Now if only SNF would dump the boring Al Michaels and Madden Then Night Football would be listenable on Sundays.
i wish theisman (who is a fraud anyway because he changed his name for the heismann) should shut up. stop being a sore loser.
Is THE-EXPERT the biggest dope on the plant or just related to Jaws or Tony?
NICE TRY, JOE, YOU COULD NOT MAKE IT, SO STOP THE BAD MOUTH.
Leave poor Joe alone. He is a football fan and, as such, he has every right to badmouth how terrible the ESPN MNF broadcast is. Heck I started a blog entitled "I Hate Monday Night Football" I hate it so much.
http://ihatemondaynightfootball.blogspot.com/
I am an avid supporter of the "I Hate Monday Night Football" blog and I agree with its founder that Joe Theismann has every right to bad-mouth MNF. It is just unwatchable this season.
And I say this as a devoted NFL fan who hadn't missed a game in years. MNF is dead to me.