Other NFL Stuff

I thought the move from ABC to ESPN wouldn't be a dramatic change for Monday Night Football, but I crapped out on that one. One good change is that the game will start a half hour earlier. However, that's about the only good thing I've heard. Originally, Al Michaels was supposed to be paired in the booth with Joe Theisman. I had managed to convince myself that it wouldn't be that bad. Hey, Al Michaels is one of the best in the business, and maybe Joe Theisman won't be so stupid without Paul McGuire and Mike Patrick. That one bright spot is down the tubes. Al Michaels is going to NBC to do the Sunday night game. Granted, I would try to get out too if they were going to stick me in a box with Theisman. Mike Tirico is replacing him which isn't terrible as Tirico is a decent play by play guy. However, ESPN decided to drive the bus right over a cliff by adding Tony Kornheiser to the team. WTF? Was Stephan A Smith not available? Isn't Joe enough stupidity for one booth? I have never been able to watch an entire episode of "Pardon The Interruption" because of the inanity of the hosts. The last thing I want to listen to during a football game is Kornheiser's spewing nonsense. After all, this is the guy who once declared on his radio show that he would vote for Bill Bradley for President because he had played basketball. Nothing like a good rational argument to make yourself look like an intellectual giant. I see nothing good coming from this (as do 54% of the voters on ESPN.com), but I actually saw one writer compare Kornheiser to Howard Cosell, although it was Dan Shanoff who writes for ESPN.com (no bias there). Since he quit MNF in 1984, I didn't really get to hear much of Cosell, but from that little bit plus some recordings, I don't see what the attraction was. He sounded like a rambler who tried much too hard to be cute. Not exactly what I'm looking for while watching a game. Since I love watching football, I won't be turning the game off, but I have a feeling I will be muting it.

I was glad to see Warren Moon get elected to the Hall of Fame. He saved my butt one year in fantasy football.

I don't care what reasons Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana had for missing the Super Bowl ceremony of the past MVPs. Having all the previous Super Bowl MVPs together seems pretty historic, but they used the hackneyed "family consideration" as their excuse not to be there (although reports are the appearance fees weren't enough especially for Montana who apparently wanted $100,000). I read that Montana told Stephen A Smith (no way I would have watched it) he had moved beyond football. Sure, I wonder if his accountant says the same thing since Montana makes paid appearances all the time. There is the possibility that autograph shows want Montana there for reasons other than his football career. Call me a cynic, but I believe money really was the reason.

This is a pre-Super Bowl story. Donovan McNabb finally responded to Terrell Owens by saying Owens attacks on him were worse because he's black. I took McNabb's side in his Owens' problems, but his reasoning is absurd. Why should Owens' attacks on McNabb be any worse than the things he said about Jeff Garcia just because McNabb is black? I doubt very seriously that Owens was thinking about race in any way. He was just acting like a dick because he is a dick.