May 18, 2009

Kornheiser was cringe-inducingly awful on MNF. He talked like he was working his way through a series of notecards he had prepared in advance, and he never figured out how to integrate his comments into the flow of conversation or the events on the field. It was like having Rainman in the booth. He also relied on a sense of humor telegraphed in from the vaudeville era. I never understood how someone who has spent his life covering sports could be so awkward discussing the game unfolding in front of him.

I know I'm in the minority, but I would have liked to see Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann doing these games. They called the Sunday night games on ESPN in a way that put themselves secondary to the game. I enjoyed that better than the way they treat MNF and NBC's Sunday games like a spectacle of monumental proportions.

posted by rcade at 12:06 PM on May 18, 2009

I hope Kornheiser goes back to radio. He's great on the radio.

Couldn't agree more. The radio show is definitely his most entertaining.

posted by bender at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2009

This is good news. I like Kornheiser in general, but he seemed like an out of place oddball on MNF. It seemed like they were creating opportunities for him to monologue versus just letting everything flow. Plus he didn't appear to know more about football than the average fan, so Gruden should be an improvement in that department at least.

For extra entertainment value, I hope Gruden loses his temper on the air.

posted by curlyelk at 12:47 PM on May 18, 2009

rcade wrote:

"I know I'm in the minority, but I would have liked to see Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann doing these games. They called the Sunday night games on ESPN in a way that put themselves secondary to the game. I enjoyed that better than the way they treat MNF and NBC's Sunday games like a spectacle of monumental proportions."

I agree 100% rcade, I wish they would stop trying to turn football into "Reality TV!" If the game itself is not enough draw for the big networks, then I'll gladly watch on an obscure cable channel. I may have to turn the volume off and turn on the radio.

posted by bo_fan at 12:58 PM on May 18, 2009

They were my 2nd favorite crew, behind Buck/Aikman.

They are my favorite team as well, unless they are doing a Cowboys game.

posted by bperk at 01:14 PM on May 18, 2009

All I can say is YAHOOOOO!!!!! Kornholio is gone. He is gone... now if we could only get him off sportscenter. He should be somewhere like the old Siskel and Ebert. I realize that they are not still with us (one of them) but as far as Kornheiser goes... I agree that he is not really a fan of football.

I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I would be listening to him telling what he was going to be watching on tv that night and he would go off into some story of "Idol" and how so-and-so was being pushed out the door, or how Simon was especially nasty to one of the candidates... That's not sports. I would rather watch Womens badmitten than American Idol. And he is a goon. He reminds me of the guy that was in Drama in school and somehow got into sports as he couldn't do anything else with his degree....

posted by Mickster at 01:57 PM on May 18, 2009

I don't really see Aikman as being a homer during broadcasts in the sense that he does not necessarily sugarcoat everything and only talk about how great the Cowboys are. But I agree, it is Cowboys all the time, whether talking about their good points or their latest drama. Whatever other team is playing becomes secondary. However, unfortunately, that also seems the case for virtually every other announcing crew and not just the ones with former Cowboy players.

posted by graymatters at 02:14 PM on May 18, 2009

Now I can watch with the volume on again.

posted by forrestv at 03:02 PM on May 18, 2009

Funny thing about Aikman... I am a Cowboys fan (demographics started it) and I have rooted for them through thick and thin. I would find anything Troy says as almost anti-Cowboys. I don't know if he had a bad exit that went under the radar or what, but every game I've watched him broadcast, he has thrown players, coaches, and especially the QB at the time under the bus.

posted by Mickster at 04:22 PM on May 18, 2009

so you think Aikman is a Cowboys homer? I've thought the opposite -- he never pulls his punches when it comes to the hometown team.

My brother's a Cowboy's fan and he hates Aikman now because he thinks he's too critical of them all the time :-) --edit: oops Mickster, just noticed you said the same thing.

I agree with you in that I think he's not a homer because he IS critical of them, just like he is other teams. I'm sure he does tend to talk more about them just because he has more history with them.

That's one thing I'll give credit to Madden with...he HATED the Steelers...but you could never tell when he was doing a Steelers game because he did his best to be impartial.

posted by bdaddy at 06:27 PM on May 18, 2009

I've never lived in a place where the media was more obsessed with a sports team than Dallas was with the Pokes.

Toronto, all Maple Leafs, all the time.

I've never lived in Dallas, but I would find it hard to believe any city's media could be more obsessed with one sporting orgainization.

posted by tommybiden at 06:48 PM on May 18, 2009

I don't care about the other two but do not let Theismann near a TV booth ever again, please.

posted by billsaysthis at 10:02 PM on May 18, 2009

Toronto, all Maple Leafs, all the time.

That must suck for the last several years.

"Several" should probably read "Seventy" ....

All of Canada is unfortunately subject to a nightly dosage of the Make Believes.

MNF?

I vote for Heidi from the Red Sox Broad cast - has the same delivery as Aikman but looks a whole lot better in a sweater.

posted by cixelsyd at 05:46 PM on May 19, 2009

I don't watch MNF because the announcers are terrible.

Dennis Miller was the absolute nadir of sports announcing (with Mets radio announcer Howie Rose a close second, speaking of "homers").

posted by The_Special_Juan at 05:36 PM on May 20, 2009