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OHLMEYER'S BOLD MOVE: HOW IT'S PLAYING IN THE PRESS

          The hiring of Dennis Miller by ABC "is one of the
     boldest moves in sports television history," according to
     Larry Stewart of the L.A. TIMES.  If ABC "was looking for
     someone who is loved and hated, as was [Howard] Cosell, the
     network may have found the perfect guy. Some view Miller as
     brilliant and witty, others see him as smug, pompous and
     obnoxious" (L.A. TIMES, 6/23).  USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke
     writes that ABC "went out on a limb Thursday in putting
     together the most non-traditional broadcast team for ["MNF"]
     since the days" of Cosell.  Fox NFL analyst John Madden:
     "What happens if a football game breaks out and a replay
     pops up?  What do they do then?  People tune in to watch a
     football game" (USA TODAY, 6/23). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir
     writes that hiring Miller "is the boldest gambit the show
     has taken" since former ABC Sports President Roone Arledge
     hired Cosell in '70.  Sandomir: "Importing Miller
     underscores how far ABC was willing to go to revive the
     notion that ['MNF'] can generate water cooler talk -- or
     postgame e-mails -- in a far more competitive entertainment
     environment than the 1970's" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/23).   In
     Baltimore, Milton Kent writes that ABC "threw the television
     equivalent of the Hail Mary" in hiring Miller (Baltimore
     SUN, 6/23).  In Albany, Pete Dougherty writes that "all
     parties made it clear that Miller wasn't hired to launch a
     nightclub act in the booth, although his persistent attempts
     to inject humor into the conference call Thursday were
     grating."  Dougherty: "If Miller isn't up to speed, the
     sophisticated Monday night audience will know it.  From that
     standpoint, this a bigger gamble than when ABC brought
     [Boomer] Esiason in to replace Frank Gifford" (Albany TIMES
     UNION, 6/23).  In Chicago, Ed Sherman: "Give credit to ABC
     for daring to be different in picking a non-football person. 
     But the risk is huge.  Miller will either be a terrific hit,
     or he will turn the broadcasts into awkward flaps.  There
     will be no middle ground."  Sherman writes that Miller's
     challenge "is to be relevant.  The obvious pitfall is he
     could become a distraction" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/23).  
          IS HE A SURVIVOR? In Boston, Gerry Callahan:
     "Ohlmeyer's first brilliant idea was to drag out his
     decision for months."  But Callahan notes that Miller is
     "much more vicious and irreverent than Limbaugh, which
     should go over big with [NFL Commissioner] Paul Tagliabue
     and the rest of the staid suits in the NFL headquarters. ...
     [Miller] should be fun, in an uncomfortable, Andy Kaufman
     kind of way.  Of course, about halfway through the first
     preseason game, Fouts is going to be wondering what the hell
     he's doing in the booth.  And Esiason's going to be glad he
     escaped."  Callahan calls the hiring of Miller "a bizarre
     and radical way to bring viewers back to ABC without forcing
     anyone to eat rats."  But Ohlmeyer must do more to boost the
     show, and Callahan offers other suggestions, similar to the
     rules of CBS' "Survivor" series: "Vote one member of the
     booth out at halftime.  I mean, if at halftime Melissa Stark
     asks Bill Belichick what adjustments he's going to make in
     the second half, or some other brilliant query, we douse her
     torch and send her home.  No goodbyes allowed" (BOSTON
     HERALD, 6/23).  In IL, Phil Arvia: "Since 'MNF' is
     apparently willing to try anything to rescue its ratings
     from last year's Boomer bust, you'd think they'd come up
     with a more failure-proof concept than putting a showily
     intellectual graduate from the comedy cradle of Anthony
     Michael Hall next to Al Michaels.  Like, say, marooning all
     the former booth-mates on a deserted island and letting them
     vote each other off one-by-one" (DAILY SOUTHTOWN, 6/23).

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