The media over the weekend continued to react to ABC's
hiring of Dennis Miller for the "MNF" booth. A sampling:
A WELCOME CHANGE? In Baltimore, Ken Rosenthal:
"Frankly, Miller's caustic wit could prove a welcome tonic
on NFL telecasts" (Baltimore SUN, 6/25). ESPN's Mike
Lupica: "It was the most interesting thing they could have
done. I think Dennis Miller is one of the people on
television at the present time saying interesting things.
... If he can somehow bring his commentary to this booth and
not think that this is a one night only HBO comedy special,
I think he has a chance to be terrific" ("The Sports
Reporters," 6/25). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley called ABC's
hiring of Miller "a courageously innovative move." Wolfley:
"This is a big risk, one we are not used to seeing from
network television" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/25). In
Denver, Jim Armstrong: "Even if Miller bombs in the booth,
which he won't, ABC made a great decision hiring him. Who
cares if he doesn't know much about football? He's going to
make it fun again, which, as I seem to recall, is why they
play these games" (DENVER POST, 6/25). Also in Denver, Bob
Kravitz: "Kudos to ABC for its smart, gutsy move" (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 6/25). In Pittsburgh, Bill Modoono: "The
move is brilliant. Like him, love him, hate him, abhor him,
it doesn't matter. You won't ignore him." But Modoono
cautioned, "it's a virtual certainty that Miller will be
misunderstood and/or detested by your middle-of-the-road
football fan, which is really the core audience for ['MNF']"
(Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 5/25). In Newark, Mike Vaccaro:
"It is a genuine risk in an industry that hates risk. ... A
master stroke." Vaccaro: "Why not hire Miller, try to cut
into the sleeper hold that pro wrestling has on Monday night
audiences, take a gamble, try to do something original, try
to lure brand-new viewers? Why not try?" (STAR-LEDGER,
6/24). USA TODAY's Jon Saraceno: "I absolutely love the
choice. ... Miller is the best thing that's happened to
['MNF'] in many a long commercial break" (USA TODAY, 6/26).
MORE OF A MENACE? In St. Louis, Bernie Miklasz: "I
don't know if Miller can translate his humor for the ['MNF']
audience. ... And I just can't imagine that ABC and, by
extension, the NFL, will allow Miller to skewer players,
coaches and team owners with his HBO-style zingers. Miller
Lite isn't funny" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/25). In
Milwaukee, D. Orlando Ledbetter: "They could have picked
someone who is funny. Dennis Miller is whack" (MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/24). In Atlanta, Mark Bradley: "ABC has
stopped trusting its product. The network that asks if
we're ready for some real live football is giving us comedy
instead" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 6/24). In Las Vegas, Joe
Hawk called the hiring "absolutely shameful." Hawk: "Being
Dennis Miller may work in a comedy club or on a cable
channel, but I don't see it working in a football broadcast
booth" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/25). In Denver, Mike
Littwin wrote that Miller will be a "disaster." Littwin:
"He'll be a disaster, if, for no other reason, than the
[NFL] is relentlessly unhip. ... He is going to make people
nervous. ... What I love about the hire is that [ABC] has
finally cropped to the fact the game itself is irrelevant"
(ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 6/25). In Cincinnati, Bill Koch wrote
under the header: "Miller's New Role Is A Joke." Koch:
"Miller is hip, flippant, irreverent and sometimes even
marginally amusing. He also strikes me as arrogant,
intellectually pretentious and a phony. ... He says he will
not be a comedian in his new role. What will he do, then?
Fetch coffee for Al and Dan [Fouts]? ... If he's not going
to be there as a comedian ... what's the point of having him
there at all?" (CINCINNATI POST, 6/24). In N.Y., Phil
Mushnick: "Miller may not know football, but that's not
important. What's important is that he brings an attitude
to the booth. Attitude is very much in demand these days,
especially if it's a bad one" (N.Y. POST, 6/26).
FAULKIAN GRIP: Rams RB Marshall Faulk, on ABC's hiring
of Miller: "I don't know why they chose him, but I assume
they know what they're doing" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 6/23).
ROME MIDDLE OF THE ROAD: FSN's Jim Rome called Miller
"funny," but "often times, he's too inside, too highbrow and
not accessible to the masses. I mean, how is he going to
play in the Midwest? ... Was it a courageous pick?
Absolutely. Will it work? It's tough to say. I wouldn't
be surprised if the guy killed and I would be even less
surprised if he went into the tank" ("Last Word," 6/23).
ANOTHER ROOKIE: In Albany, Pete Dougherty noted that
newly hired "MNF" sideline reporter Eric Dickerson "has
virtually no broadcast experience." Dougherty: "He and ABC
seem to think his time in the trenches should compensate for
the fact that he doesn't know an IFB ... from an IOU" (TIMES
UNION, 6/25). In Boston, Jim Baker noted that FSN "fired"
Dickerson as a college analyst in mid-season after he
"failed to show at meetings" (BOSTON HERALD, 6/25).
