February 8, 2006
Kornheiser To Join Monday Night Football
Today the Post confirms the rumors that have been swirling over the past week: beginning next season newspaper columnist/television host/radio personality/D.C.-area curmudgeon Tony Kornheiser will be joining the Monday Night Football broadcast. The news comes as part of a slew of changes for the venerable telecast, as the program makes the move from ABC to ESPN. Kornheiser will be parnered with Joe Theismann and Mike Tirico. Neither John Madden nor Al Michaels — the program's current commentators — will be returning.
We're glad to see Kornheiser finally getting onto the MNF team — rumor has it that he narrowly missed the opportunity in the past, when ABC instead pursued its disastrous Dennis Miller experiment in order to appeal to a younger demographic. But we can't help but wonder how the specifics will work. The Post article reports that PTI will be filmed from the road on Mondays — but how will the flying-averse Mr. Tony get to the games in the first place? Heavy sedation? Limo? Or will ABC/Disney just try to air out the Madden Cruiser and hand over the keys?
More importantly, we and our fellow listeners are wondering what will become of Kornheiser's daily radio show. It's nice to see TK get yet another national stage, but it would be a shame if it comes at the cost of one of D.C. radio's most distinctive and idiosyncratic broadcasts.
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Jeez, how old is that picture? TK hasn't had that much hair in 10 years!
It'll also be interesting to see if he can stay up that late. Mr. Tony's always saying that he goes to bed at 9:30 and never sees the end of the game.
I would hate to see Mr. Tony leave his morning perch at 980. However, this gig will only make his head bigger, if that's possible. I hope he enjoys his parka, and hope his agent was able to get him some scratch as well.
Congrats Tony, but don't forget us little people who made you what you are.
Although I like each of them individually, the Kornheiser/Theismann/Tirico three-headed monster has the potential to be the worst broadcasting team in the history of sport.
I have a funny feeling Mr. Tony's radio program will disappear from 980 before the football season, only to reappear on Washington Post Radio when the season ends. Just a hunch.
According to Danny P. and Keith O. Tony is pushing put every Monday night game at Fedex, pretty cool idea Skins playing all Monday night games! If that doesn't work out how are they going to do PTI on Tuesday after west coast games? Tony doesn't fly! Will they do it from the Korny Bus while it is rolling through Kansas?
Great, now we get to hear his nasal voice telling us why the Steelers cheated every Monday night, regardless of who's playing. I'm hitting mute.
I like Tony on PTI, and his radio gig on days that I'm not in the office but have a sinking feeling that he'll stink the joint up on MNF.
All the changes and interactive-web crap isn't going to be enough to save the Terrible Three-some late in the season when most Monday night games are meaningless. Joey T's ego is already out of control on the air. Giving him a bigger stage is only going to make it worse.
I feel sorry for Mike Tricio. He's always seemed like a decent sort of fellow. Now he's going to be pinned up in a small space with two of sports' biggest ass-clowns ever.
The ratings for Monday Night Raw are going to soar with these two (Tony and Joey T.) on MNF.
TC
this is awesome news
congratulations to the entire team !
Kornheiser makes perfect sense--he's the worst-avaiable announcer.
Kornheiser is the worst!
Aside from the fact he rarely knows what he's talking about, and isn't afraid to let you know about it, he's ....well, a jerk!
Chalk one up for being the last guy in the room at the end of the night. Because that's pretty much his only credential
If by "D.C. radio's most distinctive and idiosyncratic broadcasts" you mean "poorly prepared and consistently uninformed" then, yes, I guess that's what we'll be losing. Me, I'll be happy to see our Sports radio station have a slot available to someone who knows something about sports.
Two huge sports stories in DC yesterday: The Nationals debacle and U-Md.'s (for now) season-saving victory. What does TK lead with? Olympic ice skating.
Well, maybe radio's not his thing. He is, after all a print columnist. So let's see what our crack sports analyst writes about the day after the Super Bowl, arguably the most important sporting event of the year: "Here are my choices for the best TV commercials aired during the Super Bowl -- or, as I like to call them, 'The Tonys.'" (complete with brilliant analytical points like "Monkeys are gold", "Hysterical" and "I loved it.")
Go away happy, Tony, go away mad. Whatever -- but please, just go
away.
TC the terrible writes, "I like Tony on PTI, and his radio gig...Now [Tirico]'s going to be pinned up in a small space with two of sports' biggest ass-clowns ever."
I like him..he's an ass clown. Interesting.
In the WaPo article about this debacle, TK astutely observes, "Roone Arledge and Howard Cosell, among others, sort of changed the viewing habits of America." Wow, that's the type of keen insight that will really improve MNF: "Tom Brady, or some of the other Patriot playes, have sort of changed the tempo of this game. This, maybe could be kind of significant. Or not."
Those of you who rip Tony know nothing. He is an amazing columnist, co-host of the number one sports show on TV (just because fox has a show that claims to be the best doesn't mean it is) and people buy his books even though they are nothing new (all his old columns). True sports fans and true sports outlets know he is gold! ESPN management hates to deal with him(he once talked about olives for a solid hour on his ESPN radio show just to piss off management!) He is going to rip everyone and their mother on MNF. Kornheiser is going to be the one who says "You know what ESPN I am done with MNF" never the other way around. Kornheiser could talk about his last "icky test" (prostate exam) for a whole game and there is nothing ESPN management or anybody else can do about it, (he has done it on his show before!) ESPN made him go on Dream Job for a short time and Tony hated it, so Tony said NO, and Tony was off! America (and Canada, because he wishes them a good night everyday on his show) loves him! This is just a stepping stone for him before he becomes major network evening news anchor! Don't like him? Well then you become a great columnist, sports anchor, and sports announcer and go take his job, but we all know that won't happen because you suck!
I've always thought that Kornheiser's central insight is that the sports industry is, well, kind of dumb. It's fun, and you and I enjoy watching games and talking about them, but people take this stuff way too seriously.
If you want a frothing-at-the-mouth analysis of team X's chances next year, you've got lots of options. But for people who realize that Jim Rome is the Bill O'Reilly of the sporting world; that a line can be drawn between interest and obsession; and that, in the end, it's always just a game, it's hard to find a better talking head than TK.