October 18, 2007

Jimmy Kimmel Banned From Monday Night Football: Asked for his opinion on safe Monday Night guests, Kimmel suggested Carrot Top.

What Kimmel did during his appearance this week on ESPN's Monday Night Football, according to the show's producer Jay Rothman, was "classless" and "disappointing." Appearing in the third quarter of a moribund game between the Falcons and Giants, Kimmel took multiple swipes at the not-so-smooth departure of Theismann from the broadcast ("I'd also like to welcome Joe Theismann, watching from his living room with steam coming from his ears") and zinged sacred cows Tom Brady ("What impressed me most is that he could impregnate two models"), Kelly Ripa ("Listen if we can have a Mormon President, I can marry Kelly") and sports betting ("Are you allowed to bet legally on this game?"). "It was cheap," Rothman told Richard Sandomir of The New York Times. "The more he went on, the worse he got."

posted by justgary to football at 02:44 AM - 46 comments

Monday Night Football has been struggling with the idea of what it wants to be for several years. This is the latest example.

You bring in a guy who is supposed to say things to make people laugh, and then you pull something like this?

I seriously doubt there's a single person calling the shots for these telecasts that has a brain.

What do they think they are, The Masters?

I guess now we're left with Mr. Hilarious, Tony Kornheiser.

From Dennis Miller to KImmel, face it MNF, you don't understand, or want, what's funny.

posted by dyams at 05:13 AM on October 18, 2007

Who knew Monday Night Football was such serious business that it can't tolerate joshing around? No wonder Dennis Miller and now Tony Kornheiser aren't funny on the show. It's policy. Kimmel says something amazing in that interview:

As far as sports journalism on television goes, there are so many parties attached to so many other parties that everything you say has major ramifications. When I was at Fox it was the same way. You can't make fun of Jerry Jones because he's the head of the committee that decides which network gets the NFL. There are sacred cows and that's just not honest broadcasting. There really isn't a place for honesty. That's why everyone goes so crazy when somebody like Mike Vick does something that is universally reviled. That's when everyone gets up on their high horse and lambastes him because they know that they can. Everybody is so careful the rest of the time. God forbid, you say something that is not part of the script. It might be the most politically correct of all arenas.

posted by rcade at 05:46 AM on October 18, 2007

I just wish they'd get some new guys to call the game. Maybe someone with a bit of wit AND intelligence. Is that too much to ask for?

posted by LadyGen at 06:57 AM on October 18, 2007

No wonder Dennis Miller and now Tony Kornheiser aren't funny on the show.

To Tony Kornheiser's credit, he was never that funny.

The NFL's crusade to suck all fun out of its product continues uninterrupted.

posted by HATER 187 at 07:26 AM on October 18, 2007

man, this story is too funny. I only watched about 2 minutes of the game monday night and it happened to be that 2 minutes where he made the joe thiesman comment. I thought it was funny but when nobody in the booth laughed my immediate thought was "wow, that must be taboo or something". I would say that was definitely the comment that got him banned as the rest of the comments had no bite (Kornheiser makes jokes about Brady and his 2 women all the time, so it definitely wasn't that).

posted by bdaddy at 08:50 AM on October 18, 2007

Funny that they would ban Kimmel for his comments but allow Tony Kornheiser to go on air and allege that Eli Manning's last name was the only reason he was drafted in the top slot.

The exact quote, I believe, was:

"Does anyone really think Eli Manning would have gotten drafted #1 overall if his last name wasn't Manning?"

Ron Jaworski was very quick to correct him but I would think that someone who is supposed to be a sportswriter by trade would have a little more knowledge about, you know, sports and stuff. Anyone who saw Eli Manning play at Ole Miss knows what he was able to accomplish with a very mediocre team and, therefore, knows why he was drafted first overall.

posted by ksb122 at 09:25 AM on October 18, 2007

Tom Brady has two women? I want pictures. Big Love, my friends, big love.

posted by worldcup2002 at 09:26 AM on October 18, 2007

God forbid you have some fun up there, guys. Good interview with Kimmel.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:33 AM on October 18, 2007

Boy I wish they would stop ruining football by making it less & less about the game,IE (the superbowl) just to market it to people who could care less about sports. To people who love sports, the game is the entertainement. I want people that are genius's of the game,(Jaw's/Thiesman, etc...) and people that are play by play experts. PLEASE keep your: comedians, tabloid B.S., MTV and & most of all keep politics out of the game I used to love.

posted by bo_fan at 09:39 AM on October 18, 2007

Kimmel is a no talent, a zero, and he's indicative of the morons they actually give shows to. The guy who actually said, "Hey, let's give Jimmy Kimmel a show" should have their eyes toothpicked and forced to watch reruns of Sanford and Son. They all want to be controversial by saying something stupid, but it's hurtful. Makes the Bible of Howard Stern seem light hearted. Kimmel should go back and polish his rocket watching chicks on the tampoline with his old buddy Adam Corolla.

posted by Studwell at 09:50 AM on October 18, 2007

but I would think that someone who is supposed to be a sportswriter by trade would have a little more knowledge about, you know, sports and stuff

actually it's been my experience that sportswriters have less knowledge about sports than your average male. The only people who I trust in regards to analysis of players, teams, coaching staffs, etc...are guys that have actually PLAYED the game.

I don't automatically agree with all of them, but at least they have the foundational background to give the input.

90% of the sportswriters that are so critical of these players have never strapped on a set of pads, and it's why they can be so critical (they have no history to "ground" them).

For example, Korheiser went on a rant criticizing that 59 year old man who played in a game about "all he does is go out on FG attempts!

And for Div III school!"

I'd love to see Kornhieser as a 18 year old man make it through 1 day of practice at a DIII school, much less as a 50+ year old.

posted by bdaddy at 09:50 AM on October 18, 2007

The only people who I trust in regards to analysis of players, teams, coaching staffs, etc...are guys that have actually PLAYED the game.

Two words: Joe Morgan.

Two more words: Tim McCarver.

posted by justgary at 09:57 AM on October 18, 2007

They all want to be controversial by saying something stupid, but it's hurtful.

I'd love to know which of Kimmel's jokes rose to the level of "hurtful." You're watching a sport in which 6-foot-7 350-pound behemoths collide with each other at such speed they often cause catastrophic or even life-threatening injuries. That's got to hurt a lot more than late-night comedy.

posted by rcade at 10:10 AM on October 18, 2007

Just Gary I agree with you, Howard Cosell who I have to admit was a little before my time wrote a book titled I Never Played the Game where he coined the word "jockocracy" to describe how athletes were given announcing jobs that they had not earned. I am not sure if Cosell was a great broadcaster as I have only seen replays of his performances. However, it seems people have forgotten that broadcasting at its best is a form of journalism and not just entertainment. You need to understand the who what where and when, and how to write a compelling and informative story. If you have played the sport being covered it will give you some insight, but it does not guarantee that you will be able to intelligently and effectively convey that to an audience.

posted by LIU at 10:15 AM on October 18, 2007

The only people who I trust in regards to analysis of players, teams, coaching staffs, etc...are guys that have actually PLAYED the game. Two words: Joe Morgan. Two more words: Tim McCarver.

And three more:

Joe freakin' Theismann.

Have I mentioned myself enough tonight?

Does everybody here know I single-handedly won a Super Bowl?

How about my MVP award?

Have I mentioned that lately?

Oh, and there's apparently a football game going on down there.

Who knew?

Kimmel's worked long enough for the Mouse to know that he doesn't have the right to say what he wants.

Maybe at 12.30am, but not in primetime; not the Mouse's primetime, anyway.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 10:25 AM on October 18, 2007

I am not sure if Cosell was a great broadcaster as I have only seen replays of his performances.

I'm old enough to have caught the last decade or so of his work. Cosell was a great broadcaster who took a more cerebral approach to sport than his predecessors. He also had the chops to handle news stories, as he did during the Munich crisis, and was brave enough to stand against public opinion, backing Muhammed Ali after his title was stripped for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.

I hated Cosell as a kid for some tough criticism he gave the Dallas Cowboys -- as I recall, a Texas Rangers batboy once commandeered the microphone at a game to slam him -- but he was one of the greats. We need fewer washed-up jocks and more Cosells.

posted by rcade at 10:37 AM on October 18, 2007

What did they expect from Kimmel. That is what he does. He hit the nail on the head when he said there are sacred cows that cannot be made fun of. The same applies in all of our sports broadcasts. When the broadcasters and networks are beholding to the atheletes and owners for their livelehoods what you get is all watered down with a lot of bull. As for making fun of owners, former players, and other " personalities " , go for it. Nobody is making us watch these programs

posted by Ironhead at 12:09 PM on October 18, 2007

Cosell was simultaneously loved and hated. There's a pretty funny scene in Woody Allen's Sleeper in which, 300 years in the future, historians trying to understand the late 20th century theorize that prisoners were forced to watch him as punishment. Re: Kimmel - I haven't watched much MNF over the last few years, but I'll take Kimmel's wit over the parade of product placements they've had come through there. A couple years ago ISTR they had one of the guys from Desperate Housewives in there and they talked to him forever about essentially nothing. Oh yeah, Charles Barkley was in there a few games ago and he was good.

posted by drumdance at 12:24 PM on October 18, 2007

Please ban Tony K instead! Can you say "biggest failure in the history of MNF broadcasting?" (and yeah, this covers A LOT of ground) Why are comedians held to some higher standard of political correctness lately? It's appalling. America needs to lighten up.

posted by BCHockey at 12:35 PM on October 18, 2007

Kimmel was entertaining and hilarious. I would rather have him in the booth full time than Kornheiser. I think Kimmel should get a satellite radio show on Monday nights and do commentary from there, live, so we can listen to him and mute the MNF broadcasters.

posted by urall cloolis at 12:58 PM on October 18, 2007

There was a game on Monday? I thought they cancelled Monday Night Football about 10 or 12 years ago.

posted by THX-1138 at 01:36 PM on October 18, 2007

Once again, the tender sensitivities of the American television viewer must be protected. If Tom Brady, All-American Boy and hero to millions, wants to knock up two women to whom he isn't married, that's o.k., but god forbid a comedian should in any way mock the situation. Yeah, Kimmel's the one showing poor taste. Oooh, and joking about a Kelly Ripa fantasy, way off base. We'll use tits and ass to sell you anything from a microwave to a retirement fund, but when Kimmel mentions an attractive woman in the context of a joke, he's sunk too far. And, well, Theismann. Kimmel seems to miss him more than most of the rest of us do, and Joe's a big boy. He can take a joke, I'm sure. I've often thought Kimmel guilty of being remarkably unfunny, but he doesn't cross many lines that we haven't completely obliterated in our everyday lives.

posted by tahoemoj at 01:42 PM on October 18, 2007

To all who would rather see Kimmel than someone who actually knows and cares about the sport why don't you watch late nite crap. Or switch the channel and watch some other fantasic show while Kimmel is doing his thing on MNF. Oh wait a minute there are no fantastic shows to switch to. I think he is very humorous in his venue but is useless on MNF. However I don't think anyone should blame Kimmel, he goes where his agent can sign a contract. I also think the true football fan can turn the volume down if he doesn't like the way the game is being announced. Most Americans who watch MNF want to watch football and don't give a hoot about the comedic factor on MNF. Most comedians are held to higher standards when they open their big mouths about something they don't know. Again they should stick to what they do best COMEDY, not making fun of former football players. It's all about ratings, and money,money,money.

posted by sportnut at 01:52 PM on October 18, 2007

I only caught maybe a minute or two of Kimmel on MNF as I was switching between channels for the MLB Playoffs. It didn't really seem too out of line or over the top. What I want to know is why? Are the MNF powers-that-be so under confident in the guys they have, that they have to bolster the commentary with "Celebrities"? As for Tim McCarver: Bob Gibson once told Tim as he walked toward the mound; "Get back behind the Plate. The only thing you know about pitching, is how not to hit it."

posted by cordlesskent at 02:03 PM on October 18, 2007

I thought the Kimmel piece was also interesting. It's weird that they cited his betting question for a reason to be banned, but I thought it was very relevant.

posted by jmd82 at 02:17 PM on October 18, 2007

A small point, but I think an important one. If TV announcers are scared of saying what they really think in case it offends their employer, the league or advertisers, then it is not "political correctness". Whatever that means anyway. It's about money, and power. So call it "economic imperialism" instead. Thank you.

posted by owlhouse at 02:36 PM on October 18, 2007

To all who would rather see Kimmel than someone who actually knows and cares about the sport ...

Kimmel's a huge football fan.

posted by rcade at 03:18 PM on October 18, 2007

Two words: Joe Morgan. Two more words: Tim McCarver.

Three words: Read my post.

I don't automatically agree with all of them, but at least they have the foundational background to give the input.

posted by bdaddy at 03:56 PM on October 18, 2007

Kimmel was the morning drive-time sports guy for KROQ here in Los Angeles. His successor Matt "Money" Smith is now one of the afternoon drive time sports talk radio hosts on KLAC, and hosts the Laker's pre-game radio show.

posted by lilnemo at 03:58 PM on October 18, 2007

Kimmel's a huge football fan.

Same can be said about Dennis Miller. Tony Kornheiser made another off-hand comment last week on PTI that he doesn't even like watching football

posted by bdaddy at 03:58 PM on October 18, 2007

If ESPN is listening, I stopped watching MNF when Madden left. Not that Madden was all that fantastic, its just that Kornheiser is that bad. I would like to listen to some intelligent commentary on the football game being played, not inane conversation about any topic that happens to pop into these clowns tiny brains. Same thing goes for all these celebrity appearances; get the camera out of the booth and back on the field. 99% of the time celebrities have nothing intelligent to add to the matter at hand, which is the football game. I don't care if Scarlett Johansson was in the booth nude, keep the camera on the field. Well, OK, if Scarlett Johansson was actually nude then the football game can wait.

posted by irunfromclones at 04:32 PM on October 18, 2007

The ban was redacted, ESPN fell over themselves saying he was welcome whenever (Read: ABC turned some screws)

posted by mick at 05:20 PM on October 18, 2007

Three words: Read my post. I don't automatically agree with all of them, but at least they have the foundational background to give the input. posted by bdaddy

I did read your post, and i still think it's hogwash. I can come up with 5 other baseball announcers with playing careers that are absolutely terrible announcers. You've come up with no one to back up your claim. Maybe other sports are different, but I have yet to see any advantage for ex players taking the mike in baseball. Rick Sutcliffe at one time having the talent to pitch in the big leagues doesn't mean he's not an idiot behind the mike.

posted by justgary at 05:57 PM on October 18, 2007

I have no strong feelings about Kimmel one way or the other but I can't be the only person who thinks that it's in MNF's best interest to ban him, along with everybody else, from the booth. How about we just have announcers who talk about football and the game going on in front of us? I like Jaworski but he's turning into Theisman, getting sucked in by that blithering idiot Kornheiser, and while Tirico occasionally tries to refocus their attention on the game, he's rarely effective. Last year, Jaws was excellent in limited duty as a color guy, but now in this team, he's just as useless as Theisman was. They waste entire quarters talking to hollywood stars and other games (plenty of talk about the Patriots... during the Falcons-Giants game). It's ridiculous.

posted by Bernreuther at 06:12 PM on October 18, 2007

I did read your post, and i still think it's hogwash. I can come up with 5 other baseball announcers with playing careers that are absolutely terrible announcers. You've come up with no one to back up your claim.

well who we like as announcers is a personal preference thing, so how am I supposed to put up someone that would back up my claim?

Sorry, as much as I don't like Joe Morgan if he's describing to me why it's a bad idea to pull a 2 hit pitcher out in the 9th to send in the reliever, I think I'd trust his analysis better than if Joe Buck was saying the same thing (although I happen to like Joe Buck personally)

Anyway, to restate:

"The only people who *I* trust in regards to analysis"

I didn't say you had to agree with it.

posted by bdaddy at 08:46 PM on October 18, 2007

Anyone else remember the short-lived movement in the early 80s to show games without commentators at all? I believe NBC experimented with that for one NFL game but that was it.

posted by drumdance at 09:58 PM on October 18, 2007

I am not sure if Cosell was a great broadcaster as I have only seen replays of his performances.

Howard Cosell was a lawyer who turned his interest in sports into a broadcasting career.

His style was mostly one of stating a point, then using his legal training to twist his own and his adversaries words to win the argument. Very few in the broadcast booth were his intellectual equal.

His success on MNF was due to his using Don Meredith as his foil for his often biting and sometimes cruel wit.

Meredith, for his part, played the "simple country boy" who was being picked on by the shrewd city slicker.

Frank Gifford tried his best to describe the on-field action, but was often overwhelmed by the Meredith - Cosell verbal bouts.

I rather disliked Cosell, because he seemed to let his mouth get in the way of a pretty good football game.

But give the devil his due, the formula made for some enjoyable entertainment.

Since Cosell, the MNF producers have been searching for the chemistry in the booth that will resemble that of the Meredith, Gifford, Cosell days.

I think if you get a decent play-by-play announcer, put an intelligent and articulate analyst with him, and then have the 3rd guy in the booth just ask questions with some insight behind them, you will have a strong team.

The 3rd man in the booth should not be playing it for laughs.

As most of the comments above this one seem to indicate, it does nothing to help the broadcast.

posted by Howard_T at 11:54 PM on October 18, 2007

They invited a clown into the booth - they should not be surprised by his conduct.

This is the same show that hired Cosell for years - the most inept broadcaster of all time.

I am not aware of any broadcaster that has come close to being as despised as Cosell was.

Every time I listened to sports open line during the Cosell era there would be numerous calls pointing out his ineptitude and annoyance.

One of Cosell's problems was he knew nothing about sports - he merely spouted words.

I liked the expiriment of watching the football game with sound and no announcers - similar to being at the game.

Others have told me that many years ago a single individual would call a game by himself on radio - now with TV it requires 3 people in the booth and one on the field.

And many times they miss the action on the field while they are busy opining about something else.

If they can't improve on silence then they do not need to be talking.

I don't know if history repeats itself but Tim McCarver does - he seems to want to repeat himself 3 or 4 times as if no one heard him the first time.

posted by longgreenline at 02:14 AM on October 19, 2007

I don't care if Scarlett Johansson was in the booth nude, keep the camera on the field. Well, OK, if Scarlett Johansson was actually nude then the football game can wait.

I was going to say, "What the hell is wrong with you, man?" but I see you came to your senses.

Maybe other sports are different, but I have yet to see any advantage for ex players taking the mike in baseball.

I have to disagree. Maybe I'm biased but hearing ex-Mets legends, Ron Darling & Keith Hernandez team up with Gary Cohen on the SNY network calling a Mets game is music to my ears. They have this chemistry that just seems to work.

posted by BornIcon at 07:27 AM on October 19, 2007

Calling games is hard. I think former jocks are less likely to be good at it, because they're less likely to put in the prep. Retired sports stars have many other ways to chase fame and a dollar. Guys like Joe Buck and Jon Miller just have the mike.

One good current exception is Troy Aikman.

When he started calling games, network execs gushed at the amount of work he did during the week to get ready. And I think it shows in the games he calls.

posted by rcade at 08:38 AM on October 19, 2007

One good current exception is Troy Aikman. I actually was very surprised to see how well the transition was for Troy after his playing days. Not only is he a Hall of Fame QB but he's just as nice with the stick. Not all former jocks can do well in a speaking role and with a camera in front of them but Troy seems to have found his niche.

posted by BornIcon at 09:37 AM on October 19, 2007

well who we like as announcers is a personal preference thing, so how am I supposed to put up someone that would back up my claim? Sorry, as much as I don't like Joe Morgan if he's describing to me why it's a bad idea to pull a 2 hit pitcher out in the 9th to send in the reliever, I think I'd trust his analysis better than if Joe Buck was saying the same thing

Sure, we like who we like. I have no argument with that. And we trust who we trust, but that one's a little different. You should be able to put up examples of who you trust and why. You should be able to put up examples of former players that are better announcers that non-players. Who is trustable is more than just opinion. Being a player, having talent, using instincts, doesn't mean you're going to know more than a student of the game.

There are whole web sites that break down the nonsense of joe morgan (and others). You can trust the man, but you'll be following the blind. His analysis has been proven BS time after time. I have to disagree. Maybe I'm biased but hearing ex-Mets legends, Ron Darling & Keith Hernandez team up with Gary Cohen on the SNY network calling a Mets game is music to my ears. They have this chemistry that just seems to work.

You're picking one announcing team as an example. I didn't say there were none. And there are probably others. But they're far and few between. I haven't heard the mets team, but having the mlb cable package I've heard a lot, and the majority of ex-players are really bad. I'm not saying they don't exist. I'm saying they're far and few between. So if you tell me "we got a new announcer, don't know much about him, but he use to play in the majors" I won't be expecting much.

posted by justgary at 01:11 PM on October 19, 2007

Maybe it's the homer in me that says this, but Paul Splitorff (former player) and Bob Davis do a fine job together announcing the Royals. Although I think it is Davis who carries the show. He also does Kansas football and Basketball. He is a true professional, and as far as I know he never made a big name for himself on any playing field.

posted by hawkguy at 01:41 PM on October 19, 2007

What ever happen to listenting to music while watching telecast? Try it some time, you'll be surprised. Suggest 60 and 70's tunes excluding that shit disco crap. Some of the announcers and color people take away from the action. Haven't chimned in lately, my daughter got married and was busy. Letting you all know I'am back to put my two cents in.

posted by brickman at 03:40 PM on October 19, 2007

Sorry, as much as I don't like Joe Morgan if he's describing to me why it's a bad idea to pull a 2 hit pitcher out in the 9th to send in the reliever, I think I'd trust his analysis better than if Joe Buck was saying the same thing

Really? Take a look at the website justgary linked to. Joe Morgan is a lot of things but a halfway decent announcer is not one of them. Frankly, listening to him call games makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:51 PM on October 19, 2007

Jimmy Kimmel is the man! I think people just miss understood him. I believe he was trying to get dialog started as to why Joe Theisman was not welcome back on Monday Night Football. The executives got salty and over reacted in my opinoion

posted by Awwgood at 10:04 PM on October 19, 2007

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