ESPN names MNF announcers... - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

capitalcity · 02-08-2006, 10:29 AM

My cable boycott marches on.

ESPN names new MNF team; Breen to call NBA games
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2323121

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.

"I'm just thrilled to be the next person to take the greatest franchise in television sports history forward," Tirico said on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning.

Also, ESPN announced that Mike Breen will be its new lead NBA play-by-play announcer, teaming with analyst Hubie Brown for ABC telecasts beginning Feb. 12 and including the NBA Finals.

"This Monday Night Football team enthusiastically embraces our vision for sports television's signature series. We will propel MNF into a 21st century, all-day, exclusive, multi-media event that will engage fans in entirely new ways. This team will develop great chemistry," ESPN Executive Vice President John Skipper said.

"Mike Breen is widely respected for his depth of NBA knowledge and his consummate play-by-play skill. We are very excited to provide such a spectacular forum as the NBA Finals to showcase his talents."

In addition, Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will take Pardon The Interruption on the road on Mondays during the football season. The shows will air from the site of ESPN's Monday Night Football games.

"We look to the future with great enthusiasm and a strong commitment to enhance the presentation of the NFL and the NBA, two of our most important sports properties," ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said.

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.

Murphy3 · 02-08-2006, 10:31 AM

Ton Kornheiser?
Can I go ahead and power down?

u2sarajevo · 02-08-2006, 10:42 AM

I'm out.

sike · 02-08-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

I'm out.

I've been out.

jthig32 · 02-08-2006, 11:59 AM

Theisman alone is enough to stay away unless I have a particular interest.

sike · 02-08-2006, 12:34 PM

Mike Tirico is ok...but not hot for the rest of that cast...

they should just get Boomer to call the games!

MavKikiNYC · 02-08-2006, 01:28 PM

Perma-mute.

dirno2000 · 02-08-2006, 02:27 PM

I actually think Kornheiser is a pretty good choice.

Drbio · 02-08-2006, 02:33 PM

Hate to agree with dirno, but I like Kornheiser. I hate Theisman though.

And you all know you will be watching when the game time comes.

spreedom · 02-08-2006, 05:03 PM

Kornheiser is the most entertaining sports analyst on TV.. shortly followed by Woody Paige and Jim Rome... both of whom would stink as color men.

Great choice.

jthig32 · 02-08-2006, 05:12 PM

Assuming you weren't joking...the inclusion of Rome on any kind of "best sports analysts" list completely nullifies any other points made in the post.

jacktruth · 02-08-2006, 05:31 PM

How in the world does Joe Thiessman stay on the air. I can't think of a single person that can even stand him.

dirno2000 · 02-08-2006, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacktruth

How in the world does Joe Thiessman stay on the air. I can't think of a single person that can even stand him.

I imagine that if you're a Redskin fan he's a little easier to stomach.

capitalcity · 02-08-2006, 07:10 PM

Leaky faucet? I woulda said assface moron, but tomato-tamato

Networks' choice of announcers uninspired

05:31 PM CST on Wednesday, February 8, 2006

ESPN's first choice for its inaugural Monday Night Football booth: Al Michaels and Troy Aikman.

ESPN's first announced MNF booth: Al Michaels and Joe Theismann.

ESPN MNF booth announced Wednesday and likely to remain intact: Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser.

You can't spell "stepping backward" without e-s-p-n.

Aikman talked to ESPN but decided to re-up with Fox instead. Given time to consider working with the gabby Theismann and not working any post-season games for the next eight years, Michaels asked to be released from his new contract.

Tirico is a workmanlike replacement for Michaels. Kornheiser, of Pardon The Interruption fame, is an acquired taste who will battle Theismann for the mircrophone. Think of Kornheiser as a cross between Howard Cosell and Dennis Miller. Viewers will either love him, hate him or love to hate him. Think of Theismann as an irritating drip from a leaky faucet that can't be fixed.

If this is the best booth the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader" in sports can come up with, it's an awfully small world it's leading.

Next up will be an annoucement from NBC that it is adding Michaels to its new Sunday night booth to join John Madden, his old Monday night campadre, next season. Admittedly this is a better pairing than the network's last lead professional football broadcast team – Matt Vasgersian and Jesse Ventura – but it hardly enhances NBC Sports boss Dick Ebersol's reputation as an innovator. Better would have been Cris Collinsworth and Madden.

Michaels and Madden will be more than serviceable on Sunday nights but they'll always be the MNF announcers working one night early.

It's hardly a way for the network to brand its new product.

The tale of these two networks: two uninspired choices.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...n.a6323e3.html

chumdawg · 02-08-2006, 07:30 PM

Count me among the few, I guess, who predict great chemistry in this booth. Tirico can work with anyone, and is always a very pleasant listen. Me, I don't mind Theisman. I've always enjoyed the Sunday night broadcast. In fact, I'd have to say that there are only two or three crews that I like better. And Kornheiser will doubtless round things out quite nicely.

Have an open mind and give these guys a try. I'm sure ESPN will do it up right, and I'm sure these guys will grow on you sooner rather than later.

wescx · 02-08-2006, 07:58 PM

I love the idea of Kornheiser in the booth.

But Theisman is AWFUL.

Lonely PSU Mavs Fan · 02-09-2006, 11:27 AM

geez, why not just make the PTI team the announcers. Tony and Mike in the booth, Statboy on the sidelines. Good times had by all. I make it a point to try to watch PTI as much as possible, i would definitely be more inclined to watch MNF with those 2 in the booth. THe idea that you need to have a former football player in the booth is ridiculous, most people watching MNF know as much about football as the ex-player and can make just as "insightful"remarks from their couch.

vjz · 02-10-2006, 09:34 PM

What is wrong with ESPN? Even their own writers rip Theisman in print (see Sports Guy Bill Simmons' columns).

Theisman is atrocious. The execs at ESPN who keep him on have to be fired.

alby · 02-12-2006, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonely PSU Mavs Fan

geez, why not just make the PTI team the announcers. Tony and Mike in the booth, Statboy on the sidelines. Good times had by all. I make it a point to try to watch PTI as much as possible, i would definitely be more inclined to watch MNF with those 2 in the booth. THe idea that you need to have a former football player in the booth is ridiculous, most people watching MNF know as much about football as the ex-player and can make just as "insightful"remarks from their couch.

same here, the show is tivo'ed every day at the alby residence =]

Five-ofan · 02-12-2006, 03:22 PM

Woody paige? I dont mind rome much but wouldnt call him among the best either but Woody effin paige. That guy is the biggest idiot on any of the sports shows.

Five-ofan · 02-12-2006, 03:23 PM

Kornheiser will be fine. The other two guys dont do alot for me. Im looking at this as a positive though. Maybe i will do my homework instead of watching the games on monday nights.