Theisman, Tirico and Kornheiser new MNF team

[MCIGuy]

Its official.

[Deleted]

Don't mind Theisman, don't care for Tirico, and absolutely LOVE TK.

Who's gonna be down on the sideline? Wonder if Mrs. Andews-BuffaloHoya is going to get any consideration...

Its going to be an interesting year for football broadcasts next season:

1) You've got T-T-K on Monday Night on ESPN,
2) NBC has Sunday night games with (presumably) Costas and Madden,
3) James Brown is moving to CBS to run their studio show putting Gumbel back in the booth,
4) Bradshaw is allegedly going to run the Fox studio show... which I see him doing straight into the ground,
5) NFL Network is going to have a handful of games (which I presume will be simulcast on local networks if blackout restrictions are lifted as they are when your local team plays on ESPN), and
6) Chris Berman is moving to NBC to do an NFL Primetime style show as a lead in to NBC Sunday Night Football.

No news of where Paul Maguire and Mike Patrick are gonna end up. I wish one of these networks would get Jim Lampley out of obscurity on HBO Boxing and in the booth for something. I love his calls of boxing matches, think he could do well with pro football.

[kchoya]

Sorry to burst your bubble:

"Monday Night Football will have a new broadcast team when it debuts on ESPN in 2006.

Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be part of a three-man booth calling the games on Monday nights next season and Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya will be sideline reporters. Kolber and Tafoya both reported from the sidelines for ABC during Super Bowl XL."

[kchoya]

Tirico over Al Michaels? Please. The reason they probably don't have Mrs. Andrews-BuffaloHoya on the sidelines is that ESPN doesn't want to worry about more sexual harassment problems from Tirico. I don't care for Tirico's play-by-play at all and I can't believe Al Michaels isn't going to be doing the NFL at all this year.

[EasyEd]

Don't worry about the others, Theismann does not let anyone else say anything, he's so busy talking.

[the_way]

I don't like this at all. I cant' stand Mike Tirico. I hate it when he does college football games. I hate it when he does NBA games. He is just horrible. Anybody but him please.

Thiesman. Can't stand him, but I could tolerate him with Paul McGuire.

TK. I love him as a writer and radio show broadcaster. It will be interesting to see him in the booth, though. Don't know how that will work out.

Personally, I'd rather see the old crew, Patrick, Theisman, and McGuire on MNF.

[RDF]

This will be the END of Monday Night Football. Mike Tirico cost ABC the PGA tour, makes NBA seem as if it's a 5th Tier sport on Cable Access, is the worst announcer ever during CFB, and basically makes me wish I was deaf for the amount of time he announces. He single handedly ruins any telecast with his references to anyone from Michigan (his homestate) or Connecticut (ESPN New England lovefest) and his "Tirico Voice" which is when he holds his chin down to his chest to sound deeper. He's also morphed into Jason Alexander aka George Costanza and if I could recipricate the same torture he causes during games, I'd gladly do so.

Theisman is okay by me--he's a bit chatty but he's not afraid to disagree with people which I respect.

Kornheiser doesn't do enough homework to make good points--he'll try to to a cheap schtick of one of his idols Howard Cosell and it'll be a disaster.

Chris Berman is going to NBC for the highlight show? BLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate Berman and his act is tired.

The less ESPN or ESPN related "talent", the better for sports. NFL will not allow this MNF crew ruin their product and I'll guess NFL Network takes over MNF within next 2 years due to awful ratings and the God Awful announcing team.

[MCIGuy]

Chris Berman is going to NBC for the highlight show?

Please let this be true, please let this be true, please let this be true! Is Bermann really leaving ESPN? If so at the very least I'll be able to stomach a Top Ten Plays of the Week segment. Remember when those used to be actual plays before fat boy turned it into his personal favotire MOMERNTS of the week. I mean how can the Patriots-Broncos game be a PLAY OF THE WEEK? Berman represents what's wrong with ESPN and ESPN Radio: the guys working for the company and blindly loyal to the NFL and to a lesser extent MLB. But even more annoying is how Berman will avoid, at all cost, putting any NBA highlights in the top plays. Chances are you'll likely see footage from high school girls' field hockey than you will see any pro basketball highlights. If he is indeed gone then good riddance.

[Deleted]

Its very true. They announced it on the week 17 "NFL Primetime." No word on what Jackson, Irvin, Young are up to.

[kchoya]

Is Berman leaving ESPN for good -- just to do the Sunday Night Football highlights? He's not going to be on ESPN at all? That's great.

Also, it appears that RDF and Al Michaels are on the same page:

"Al Michaels, the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football on ABC from 1986 through Sunday's Super Bowl in Detroit, will not return to either broadcast.

"'Al was not comfortable and let us know he was not comfortable with our vision of where we are going,' Skipper said after Wednesday's announcement. 'Back in November he said it was the greatest job ever invented. So sometime between the last couple of weeks and November apparently he had a change of heart.'"

[MCIGuy]

He's going to NBC. Count on it. He just haven't admitted to it yet.

[Deleted]

He DID admit to it. He and TJ had this little back-and-forth send off on their last NFL Primetime after week 17. They talked about moving Primetime to NBC to air before their Sunday Night broadcast with Madden.

[RDF]

buffalohoya said:

He DID admit to it. He and TJ had this little back-and-forth send off on their last NFL Primetime after week 17. They talked about moving Primetime to NBC to air before their Sunday Night broadcast with Madden.

I thought they mentioned Primetime would be on Monday Nights now and that NBC will have their own Highlight Show that will lead into the Sunday Night game. That is what they said in Week 17, and I hope to God Berman is not involved in anything. I can't stand ESPN "talent" and Berman, Scott, and Tirico need to be put out to pasture. Throw Steve "I don't know anything because I watch 1 second clips of games and just say what everyone else does" Young in that group too.

[Deleted]

rdf said:

I thought they mentioned Primetime would be on Monday Nights now and that NBC will have their own Highlight Show that will lead into the Sunday Night game. That is what they said in Week 17, and I hope to God Berman is not involved in anything. I can't stand ESPN "talent" and Berman, Scott, and Tirico need to be put out to pasture. Throw Steve "I don't know anything because I watch 1 second clips of games and just say what everyone else does" Young in that group too.

On the week 17 Primetime show, Berman and Jackson were ending the show saying how they'd had a good run, how much they enjoyed working with each other, etc. I distinctly remember Berman saying they were taking their show on the road to NBC next season. Whether or not the powers-that-be sign off on it I have no idea. But I know what Berman said, and that's what he said.

[Deleted]

Not only is Al avoiding MNF on ESPukeN, he's re-joining John Boy on NBC.

sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417

Costas and Collinsworth to do the "studio show." Hmmm... wonder if that's just the game coverage or if that includes their pre-game highlight show Berman was going to take. Interesting.

[Jack]

buffalohoya said:

Not only is Al avoiding MNF on ESPukeN, he's re-joining John Boy on NBC.

sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417

Costas and Collinsworth to do the "studio show." Hmmm... wonder if that's just the game coverage or if that includes their pre-game highlight show Berman was going to take. Interesting.

Buff, I don't question that you heard what you heard on the Week 17 Primetime show- I was not watching. But I will say that I have not seen any other reports that Berman is going to NBC. The only thing I have seen is that NBC will have exclusive rights to the highlight/recap show as a lead-in to its Sunday night game, with nothing about hosts until now (Costas and Collinsworth).

[Deleted]

jack said:

Buff, I don't question that you heard what you heard on the Week 17 Primetime show- I was not watching. But I will say that I have not seen any other reports that Berman is going to NBC. The only thing I have seen is that NBC will have exclusive rights to the highlight/recap show as a lead-in to its Sunday night game, with nothing about hosts until now (Costas and Collinsworth).

Jack and RDF - I totally agree with you guys, I shoulda made myself clearer. I too have yet to hear official word that Berman was going to NBC. What I meant by "what he said" was that HE said he was taking the show elsewhere and wouldn't it be funny if he jumped the gun? Like he assumed he was going somewhere without having the deal in place?

I'm thinking McGrady loving how it feels to be in the second round before it happens...

[Jack]

This whole thing just got weirder. Why couldn't they reach a financial settlement like normal folks?

The network traded rights to Ryder Cup matches, Olympics highlights, historic cartoon character Oswald the Rabbit and more to ESPN to acquire the services of Emmy-winner Michaels for its Sunday night games it was announced Thursday.

sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417