Gruden replaces Kornheiser on MNF

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Gruden replaces Kornheiser on MNF

BRISTOL, Conn. — Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is replacing Tony Kornheiser on ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast team. Kornheiser cited a fear of flying in his decision to leave after three years.

The network said Monday that Gruden will be in the booth with Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski when the show starts its 40th season this fall.

“If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden,” Kornheiser said in a statement released by the network. “He is the two things you most want — smart and funny — and has the two things I don’t — good hair and a tan.”

Gruden led the Bucs to the 2003 Super Bowl title but was fired after this past season after his team lost four straight games to miss the playoffs. He worked as a guest analyst this year with the NFL Network during the draft and scouting combine.

“To join Mike and Jaws in the booth and to work alongside this top-notch team is going to be a real thrill,” Gruden said.

Gruden will make his debut with ESPN with a preseason game on Aug. 13, a Super Bowl rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kornheiser will continue to appear on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” and is relieved it doesn’t require air travel.

“My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true,” he said. “When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would’ve frequently moved me from the bus to the air.”

Oh thank you for getting rid of that joke on MNF. I like Tony on Pardon the Interruption, but he brought nothing to the football game. He knows less about the game then the average housewife and brought nothing to the telecast.

Now Jaws will have someone to debate football points with. Not that Gruden has earned his shot. He was not comfortable during the draft coverage and it showed. He never seems to want to hurt any one feelings, so that may not be any more than a vanilla coverage.

I would have liked to have seen Warren Sapp or Deion Sanders, guys with flair and not afraid to state an opinion, but what the heck. Anyone is better than Tony K.

[Mike]

I agree that Kornheiser on MNF was a disaster. I find him annoying as it is, but then he would try to be funny on the telecast and it did not work.

Good riddance.

[barrett]

Kornheiser was good for what they wanted from him. You have to fault the network if they hire a guy to announce football who doesn't know football. He was hired to be Tony Kornheiser and he was. I thought he was mildly entertaining but pointless. It was clear they were trying to appeal to casual fans with him by sacrificing knowledge and analysis for non-football appeal. The problem is that Monday night football is not close to the cultural icon it once was. Especially since it is on a Sports only cable network now. It would appear the hiring of gruden shows that abc/espn/disney finally realized that only real football fans were watching monday night football these days and they want to hear about football.

Hopefully they also make a change and stop bringing in entertainment celebrities to hang out in the booth. This was 100 times more annoying than Kornheiser.

[HPF Bob]

Hey, Tony. Fear of flying?? I hear you can buy the MaddenCruiser cheap on e-Bay, complete with horse trailer and eight-legged turkeys. You mean you couldn't have made this work? You couldn't have had Wilbon cold-cock you just before takeoff so you'd be out while the plane was in the air?

Man, you are so disappointing. Man up, dude.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Hey, Tony. Fear of flying?? I

Man, you are so disappointing. Man up, dude.

I think that it was evident that Tony was a bad fit for MNF or any football telecast. Instead of saying, you suck and you are fired, they gave him a way out. Nothing wrong with that, it saves a little dignity and allows him to stick with PTI without having to belittle him.

As for Gruden in the box, I think he'll add a little more football knowledge to the booth. However, after seeing him on the NFL Network, my opinion of him has gone down quite a bit. The same thing goes for Marshall Faulk in that both had pretty robust reputations as "football geniuses" and then when I hear them talk, I have my doubts.

For me, there are 3 guys that I like to hear talk football that are on the NFL Network and they are Solomon Wilcots, Rod Woodson, and Sterling Sharpe. The rest of their "analysts" are just guys to me looking for some pay checks now that they aren't in the league.

[nunusguy]

My personal choice for the replacement would have been Greudens NFL Network sidekick, Mike Mayock. But I realize that's not realistic for ESPN since they want a name (like atleast a former NFL HC), and somebody who's
not the consummate Xs & Os type guy as Mayock who would be far too technical (in a football sense) for much of ESPNs audience.
The main thing is that they got rid of Kornheiser, who in my opinion was nothing but a pick by his "pals" at ESPN, and was totally unqualified for the job.