TV TYPES HIT THE MERRY-GO-'ROUND

 

There's a sudden flurry of activity among the sock puppet set, with more TV types changing addresses than we previously can recall.

 

Then again, we never paid much attention to that aspect of the NFL until we became a quasi-watch dog regarding media stuff.  As most football fans will say, it really doesn't matter who's covering the game.  No one tunes in to marvel at the least common denominator stylings of a guy like John Madden.  They just wanna watch the game.

 

Here are this year's changes of note.

 

With ESPN giving up Sunday night football and picking up the Monday night game, Mike Patrick and Paul Maguire are out, and Joe Theismann will work with Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser.  (The Al Michaels exit from the contract he signed last year with ESPN isn't official, but it's now common knowledge that ESPN is letting Al pull a T.O.) 

 

Also for the ESPN broadcast, Suzy Kolber stays on kissing-booth duty, and Michelle Tafoya takes the other side of the field.

 

On Sunday nights at NBC, Al Michaels and John Madden will reprise their Monday night roles, joined by Andrea Kremer, formerly of ESPN, who'll work the sidelines.  (Though Kremer has improved tremendously over the years, we still have vivid recollections of her early days, featuring the constant Jennifer Wilbanks eyes.)

 

At FOX, James Brown is leaving the pregame show to host the competition's effort at CBS.  Likely replacing Brown at FOX will be Terry Bradshaw, who'll slide over one spot behind the desk.  This opens up a seat at the FOX grown-up's table -- and we'll cast the first ballot now for anyone but Tony Siragusa to roll up a chair.

 

Brown's arrival at CBS bounces Greg Gumbel and the pet rat that sleeps on top of his head to the No. 2 broadcast team, with once-upon-a-time Monday night booth guy Dan Dierdorf.  The move displaces Dick Enberg, who wasn't happy about it.  Not one bit. 

 

"I was shocked when I got the call," Enberg told The New York Times.  "I still regard myself as being very strong on football, and I think we had a great season.  I can't accept that my work is any less than it was in the past. I feel I story-tell as well as anyone.  I won't take this as a defeat."  (Yeah, but the rest of the world will.)

 

Elsewhere, it's been confirmed that Bonnie Bernstein is done as a sideline reporter at CBS.  We'd heard that she wanted out.  The Los Angeles Times says that her contract wasn't renewed, which implies that it was a network decision.  Either way, we've got a feeling that Bernstein has pommel horsed the shark, and that she'll never been seen or heard from again in a national format.  (Unless, of course, one of those news magazine shows does an item on her efforts to fleece up-and-coming broadcasters out of $1,250 for a phone consultation on how to get a job like the one she doesn't have anymore.)

 

Finally, CBS sideline reporter Armen Keteyian is graduating to CBS News.  (Or is it a demotion?)

 

There still could be more adjustments, since the NFL Network still needs to put together a crew for the eight games that will be broadcast on the league-owned channel, beginning in November.  Our pick would be Dick Enberg and John Riggins.

 

linkette

Edited February 9, 200620 yr by Goldmember

Since its from PFT doesnt that mean its probably alot of false info ?

Edited February 4, 200620 yr by Confederate_48

not sure how much of this is 100% in stone, i think Michaels needs to still get out of his ABC/ESPN contract, but listening to radio shows at the super bowl this week, these are definitely the scenariors being laid out.

 

I love the line about Andrea Kramer and her eyes, she does have creepy eyes

Since its from PFT doesnt that mean its probably alot of false info ?

 

possibly. got the link off of rotoworld, iirc. looked it up on google news real quick and more reliable sources are reporting on jb's leaving fox for cbs and michael's leaving of espn for nbc. but tifwiw...

Ive heard the Michael and JB stuff but the Kornheiser stuff surprised me and didnt make much sense.

Mike Patrick will be somewhere fast he makes Joe T look like Joe Carter doing Scrub games.

Ive heard the Michael and JB stuff but the Kornheiser stuff surprised me and didnt make much sense.

 

a link i found on kornheiser

 

i dunno, either. has he ever worked the booth before? he does well on pti so i don't think joining the booth would be much of a stretch...

Haha TK. I thought he never stayed up that late. It'll be cool to see him on MNF though.

A lot of NFL related media shakeups coming down for next year. Here’s a quick take on three big story lines – some of which are done deals, but have yet to be officially announced.

 

Tony Kornheiser to ESPN’s MNF

Could be great, could be Dennis Miller 2.0. Tony will be awful, if two things happen. 1) If he gets co-opted by the traditional NFL “priviledges” that Miller was suddenly enthralled by. Like the way Miller would meet with coaches the week before the game, and then gush about things he was privy to. It totally took his edge off. 2) If Kornheiser can’t adjust his very good ‘long-form’ point making abilities (the strength of his radio show) and get his shots off in a distinctly short-form environment (20 seconds between plays, at most). Then again, Tony will be fantastic, if he keeps his distance, doensn’t care about making enemies, and uses his rapier wit to slice up the “serious” NFL establishment. Only time will tell.

 

James Brown to CBS Pre Game

Look, J.B. is a great great guy. But he wasn’t re-inventing the medium of television every week with the Fox crew. Sure he knew enough to just lay out and give the stage to Terry, Howie and Jimmy. But what was he going to bring to the table even if he wanted to? He’s so nice, and so “safe” as a broadcaster, you never expected anything. In fact, all J.B. did really was bring the show in and out of breaks – usually over the inane cackling of everyone else on the set. I don’t know his salary for that, but I’m sure it was sweet. I really don’t know how much better he’s going to make the CBS show. I also don’t know anybody who really cares. It’s the pre-game shows!

 

Bonnie Bernstein OUT at CBS

I essentially “reported” this to you here at the Daily Czabe last week, although I did not feel comfortable reporting the more salacious details as to why she would be on the way out. To repeat here: the word I got was that she was.. um… ahem.. “mixing business and pleasure” in a way that was about to get her in serious trouble. Whatever it was, it’s too damn bad. She’s still damn hot for a sideline gal, and knew sports as well as any babe with a mic. The glory days of chicks giving us injury updates are fast fading. Lisa Guererro, gone. Melissa Stark, gone. Now Bonnie. Ugh

www.czabe.com

 

Looks like everything we knew in our pre-game shows, in game hosts, and sideline reporters will change next year.

 

Oh yeah, and the guy I quoted was saying last week that Bernstein is or was screwing a head coach and helping him into a divorce, and CBS wasnt happy with how it was shaking out.

 

Quote:

Here’s a great RUMOR that a “source” who has “sources” claims is about to go bombshell public. I will spare you the actual names, because I think the actual veracity of these RUMORS is about the same as the ones claiming Phil Mickelson has become the Shawn Kemp of the PGA Tour. (Note: if those rumors were true, don’t you think by now one of his “errant tee shots” would have come public?). Okay, so here goes…

 

A certain female sideline reporter is hot and heavy with a certain NFL head coach who is in the process of leaving his wife. This might prompt another hot, up and coming sideline reporter to take her job before next football season.

 

There. You can fill in the blanks as you like. Personally, I think it’s complete crap. Entertaining crap, but crap nonetheless.

Edited February 6, 200620 yr by kyyle23

Thatta girl Bonnie!! lol.....as for that other stuff, I'm happy because I don't have to hear Patrick or McGuire next year in the booth.

Thatta girl Bonnie!!  lol.....as for that other stuff, I'm happy because I don't have to hear Patrick or McGuire next year in the booth.

 

So you are going to be happy with Mike Tirico, Joe Theisman, and Tony Kornheiser?

So you are going to be happy with Mike Tirico, Joe Theisman, and Tony Kornheiser?

 

Tirico is a tenfold improvement over Patrick, Theisman is bleh, and Kornheiser can't be worse than McGuire. So to answer your question, I won't be happy with those 3, but it's a start and a MAJOR improvement over the last crew on ESPN.

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46172

Tirico is a tenfold improvement over Patrick, Theisman is bleh, and Kornheiser can't be worse than McGuire.  So to answer your question, I won't be happy with those 3, but it's a start and a MAJOR improvement over the last crew on ESPN.

 

You arent replacing Tirico over Patrick, you are replacing Tirico over Al Michaels, Kornheiser and Theisman replacing Madden. Personally I think the 3 man team is a bit much, too many people tripping over each others sentences.

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46172

my bad(again)

 

merge it if you can

You arent replacing Tirico over Patrick, you are replacing Tirico over Al Michaels, Kornheiser and Theisman replacing Madden.  Personally I think the 3 man team is a bit much, too many people tripping over each others sentences.

 

Yeah good point, I was just thinking ESPN and ESPN rather than the games being on Monday. Who is going to do the Sunday games on NBC (right?) Do they know yet?

Yeah good point, I was just thinking ESPN and ESPN rather than the games being on Monday.  Who is going to do the Sunday games on NBC (right?)  Do they know yet?

 

Isnt it NBC? I thought there was a switcharound. I know Madden is going to NBC.

NBC is doing Sunday Night IIRC. I wish I were the coach getting with Bonnie Bernstein; she's hot!

 

And I'm going to love Kornheiser in the booth. Hell, they should just have Kornheiser and Wilbon in the booth.

JB is quitting the Fox halftime show!

Mike Tirico, I like him...Thiesmann, eh...and Tony Kornhieser. I'm skeptical on Tony but will give him a shot. I see him as Dennis Miller with football knowledge so that could be a good thing.

QUOTE(Brian @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 02:49 PM)

Mike Tirico, I like him...Thiesmann, eh...and Tony Kornhieser. I'm skeptical on Tony but will give him a shot. I see him as Dennis Miller with football knowledge so that could be a good thing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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.

 

I can't stand any of them, not even the sideline reporters. They all suck. This is horrible news to me. I will turn the tv volume all the way down and listen to the game on my Sirius radio.

So it is confirmed now that Al Michaels wants out of his deal? I thought that Kornheiser is only going to be a part if Michaels is out.

Wow, ESPN sure hit the ground running with those three.

http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://sport...-020810&srvc=sz

 

 

Good Lord.

 

Kornehiser?

 

It'll be like watching a Woody Allen film festival without the laughs.

Thankfully...those other two boobs were making it very hard to watch MNF.