Kurt Angle Mark 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 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 this 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carnival 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Theismann is horrible. He is the verbal blowjob master. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 That is fucking awesome. KORNHEISER! I LOVE IT!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Theismann. Ugh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Just heard the news on the Tony Kornheiser show. Theismann will suck, but Kornheiser makes it all worth it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Kornheiser is just gonna go over the heads of idiot fans, like Dennis Miller. If he doesn't, he won't be any good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Go ahead, Tirico, defend your boy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Black Lushus 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 what's Al Michaels doing? not going away, I hope? he still doing football? i hope so! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfaJack 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Al is supposed to go to NBC with Madden. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KingPK 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Sounds like Al's getting kicked to the curb here. He'll probably get snapped up by CBS for football or NBC for the Olympics. Kornheiser in the booth might be good, but talk about slapping together a broadcast team. I have no idea if these guys will mesh together at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted February 8, 2006 The downside of this is that I have a feeling Kornheiser will cut back on doing his radio show during the football season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Princess Leena Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Kornheiser is just gonna go over the heads of idiot fans, like Dennis Miller. If he doesn't, he won't be any good. Indeed. And unless he constantly argues with Theesmann, pointing out how stupid he is, he won't work well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Angel_Grace_Blue 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 At least Wilbon won't be able to rip on him about not going to games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Al is supposed to go to NBC with Madden. This is probably true. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 I thought Kornheiser's bedtime was 9pm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celtic Guardian 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Sounds like Al's getting kicked to the curb here. He'll probably get snapped up by CBS for football or NBC for the Olympics. Al Michaels wanted to be kicked to the curb so he could join Madden on NBC. ESPN could have enforced its contract with Michaels but decided to let him go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 The worst news out of all of this is how ESPN's executive is saying how MNF will be a great interactive, multi-media ALL DAY event. Imagine five hours of ESPN hoopla for the Packers-Ravens game this past year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 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. That should tell you about Michael's future at ABC. Please don't tell me Mike Patrick is moving to college football. Anyone else here about James Brown going to CBS and Terry Bradshaw taking over hosting duties for Fox? Not sure what happens with Greg Gumble, and if Fox brings in another analyst. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 I thought Kornheiser's bedtime was 9pm. He'll be snoring by halftime. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 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. That should tell you about Michael's future at ABC. Please don't tell me Mike Patrick is moving to college football. Anyone else here about James Brown going to CBS and Terry Bradshaw taking over hosting duties for Fox? Not sure what happens with Greg Gumble, and if Fox brings in another analyst. Yes, I did hear that James Brown is moving. Greg Gumbel will probably move to PBP. Bradshaw can't host though, because players themselves don't host panels well. You have to have the professional broadcaster keeping those goofy players in line, like Chris Berman with Jackson/Irvin/Young, or Ernie Johnson with Barkley and Kenny Smith. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Great just what MNF needs Tony complaining about being bald. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Sandusky 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Has Kornheiser ever done broadcasting for games before? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted February 8, 2006 No. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Kornheiser would say "I'd rather be home watching 24!", Wilbon should of got pick over him. Wilbon would appreicate it more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naiwf 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 Wilbon also doesn't ever say anything funny. Theismann's a stiff, and so is Tirico, they didn't need a three man booth without any humor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Young 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 That is fucking awesome. KORNHEISER! I LOVE IT!! I just heard the news on PTI, and I wholeheartedly agree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted February 8, 2006 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. That should tell you about Michael's future at ABC. Please don't tell me Mike Patrick is moving to college football. Anyone else here about James Brown going to CBS and Terry Bradshaw taking over hosting duties for Fox? Not sure what happens with Greg Gumble, and if Fox brings in another analyst. Yes, I did hear that James Brown is moving. Greg Gumbel will probably move to PBP. Bradshaw can't host though, because players themselves don't host panels well. You have to have the professional broadcaster keeping those goofy players in line, like Chris Berman with Jackson/Irvin/Young, or Ernie Johnson with Barkley and Kenny Smith. He does the halftime highlights. That's good enough for most people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UZI Suicide 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2006 Why is ESPN turning it into "Monday Night Redskins" ? Theisman is a huge Redskins homer since he played for them, and Kornheiser writes for the Washington Post so he probably has a lot of bias for the Skins as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted February 9, 2006 I do like Kornheiser and Tirico, so I'm happy with this development. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2006 Why is ESPN turning it into "Monday Night Redskins" ? Theisman is a huge Redskins homer since he played for them, and Kornheiser writes for the Washington Post so he probably has a lot of bias for the Skins as well. I'd rather have a Redskins bias than the gigantic boner Paul Maguire has for every player in the league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
