Monday Night Football

[messmaker]

The broadcast crew is so bad they just made me turn off the game. I cannot believe ESPN can't do better.

[Uncle Cracker]

I heard Dennis Miller doing a rant the other day about sports celebrities who have the audacity to think they can be TV/movie entertainers. I guess he must have forgotten about himself trying to take it the opposite way on MNF... Pathetic... I haven't watched since.

"Those DB's are chasing the wideouts around like Al Roker chasing meatballs from an all-you-can-eat buffet..."

[prlundberg]

Actually, I think they have improved. No more hollywood celebrities coming in and yapping for 30-40 minutes about their latest projects. And much better chemistry without Theisman.

But still, not all that great. My favorite crew is now John Madden and Al Michaels. I used to get annoyed at John, but I've grown to humor him.

[MURPHY-D]

I agree, they are some of the worst I've heard this season. I turned to an old movie.

[LCHIEN]

so which was the definitive MNF broadcast team?
Very first year: Gifford/Cosell/Meredith?

Here's a list of the teams by year:
http://football.about.com/od/nflhist...l_mnfbooth.htm

[messmaker]

Michaels,Gifford and Dierdorf were solid. Not as much flash as some but they knew the game and they knew when to shut up for the most of the time. I think- less is more -during a good game.

[Dale In Corona]

... and they knew when to shut up for the most of the time. I think- less is more -during a good game.

I agree,

knowing when to shut up is a critical skill that either, all TV announcers have forgotten, or all TV producers seem to refuse to allow anymore. What TV doesn't seem to realize is that I don't need to hear someone elses opinion/meaningless tirade about every single play of the game!

What really annoys me is when they get so busy yammering about some inconsequential tidbit that they completely fail to describe the action on the field; only to have to go back later in the game and replay some important play. This so that they can explain the game impacting consequences of the action that was glossed over or not described because the announcers wouldn't SHUT UP!

Not that I am bitter or anything, its just that it has gotten so bad that I absolutely will NOT watch a live game anymore unless I am out of the house and unable to to record it.

The same thing has happened in all sports though, not just football.

D

[Garasaki]

I am pretty sure it's Tony Cornheiser throwing everything else. I find myself really liking Ron Jaworski's commentary. He seems to do a really good job of giving some really indepth analysis and makes it fairly easy to understand - and talks about some of the subtle things that only a former pro QB could know.

Cornheiser I find semi entertaining, but boy he likes to talk. Right now the dialogue seems to be lead and dominated by Cornheiser, I'd say he probably speaks 60% of the dialogue on there. And usually at the most inopportune times (as mentioned before - exciting play, touchdown, missed fieldgoal, etc, you hear Cornheister ranting about something totally off topic, rather then any discussion of whats going on in the game)

The black guy, is that Mike Tirico? Not sure of his name, but I like him too, you hardly ever hear him though.

I'd say Tirico and Jaws should be doing like 80% of the talking and Cornheiser should only be there to fill in spots where there isn't much action.

[germdoc]

Actually, I think they have improved. No more hollywood celebrities coming in and yapping for 30-40 minutes about their latest projects. And much better chemistry without Theisman.

But still, not all that great. My favorite crew is now John Madden and Al Michaels. I used to get annoyed at John, but I've grown to humor him.

I still miss Cosell, but John and Al are definitely the best. Knowledgeable, call a spade and spade and seem like guys you'd want to share a beer with at the local bar.

Among the old players category I like Terry Bradshaw and Boomer for the same reason...

[Uncle Cracker]

Among the old players category I like Terry Bradshaw and Boomer for the same reason...

Boomer's good, but Bradshaw plays that old "stupidest ex-jock on the planet" angle way farther than he should. He'd give an aspirin a headache...

[crokett]

I haven't watch much MNF this season, but that has been less the announcers and more the football that was on. MNF seems to have had some real turkeys this season.

[BasementJunkie]

The games this season have been bad, but I agree about Kornheiser -- he needs to stick to sportswriting and PTI on ESPN.

Jaws is the Dickie V of football -- off the charts goofiness/enthusiasm, but with more knowledge of what is going on on the field than anybody else. Watch NFL Matchup to see more of this (if he still does that show). He could make it more entertaining, but at least I learn from him.

Tirico is easily replaced by any other empty suit, but I have no problem with him.

I don't want a return to the Cossell days -- we don't need the show to be more about the announcer than the game itself.

And as bad as the MNF crew is, it's nothing compared to the train wreck on the NFL Network. Bryant Gumbel is terrible -- bad analysis, boring monotone delivery, nothing interesting to say. And the production is even worse -- no good replays, camera always looking away from the action, etc. I could go on forever.

Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman) on SI.com does an annual grading of each broadcast team across all the networks. It's a fun read if you like to opine on these things.

[JoeyGee]

I try not to watch the NFL, but I do catch some occasionally. I really miss Kornheiser from his afternoon ESPN Radio gig. He had a really good mix of sports and non-sports.

I have heard Jawarski (sp?) in various capacities, and his inflection REALLY drives me nuts. It's when he is delivering something he prepared ahead of time, but his speech pattern drives me up a wall. I'm glad I don't watch the NFL. I do listen to ESPN Radio a lot, and he does some commercials, which are terrible.

Tirico took over the ESPN Radio slot vacated by Dan Patrick, and he is about as plain vanilla/Mr. Nice Guy as you'll ever listen to.

[Pappy]

I have to agree on Gumble. The man is an idiot.

Two peeves with NFL broadcasts in general. First, get the fluff and their color comentary off the sidlines. I don't care what diet a player is on or what his mother did to train him!

The other thing I am sick of is Michael Vick. He is a convicted criminal doing Federal time. If he is allowed to return to the NFL in 2 years (Assuming the state of Va doesn't lock him up after that.) It will be news then. 20 inutes of speculation about his future interupts the game.

[messmaker]

I have to agree on Gumble. The man is an idiot.

Two peeves with NFL broadcasts in general. First, get the fluff and their color comentary off the sidlines. I don't care what diet a player is on or what his mother did to train him!

The other thing I am sick of is Michael Vick. He is a convicted criminal doing Federal time. If he is allowed to return to the NFL in 2 years (Assuming the state of Va doesn't lock him up after that.) It will be news then. 20 inutes of speculation about his future interupts the game.

I agree. Get the criminals out of sports and back in politics where they belong.