Dennis Miller's second game as analyst for ABC's "MNF"
crew "offered a nice improvement from his shaky work" in his
first preseason game, according to Leonard Shapiro of the
WASHINGTON POST. Miller seemed "far less uptight, toned
down his reverence for all things pro football and offered
up more literary references in one night than any other NFL
broadcaster in the history of the game." Shapiro adds that
Miller and booth partners Al Michaels and Dan Fouts "seemed
far more at ease with one other, but it would be nice if
they all stopped giggling at their colleagues' lines.
Miller makes it very obvious he's writing some material
beforehand and simply looking for opportunities to get it
in. He's not the first, but it's so blatant as to be a
distraction" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/18). In N.Y., Phil
Mushnick, on Miller: "Obviously he's there to serve as a
humorist as opposed to a football analyst, but his humor
sags, and often collapses under the weight of his own
excesses. It's as if he should throw a flag for piling on
to himself." More Mushnick: "Miller's work hasn't been
half-baked, it has been over-cooked. He takes clever and
tortures it to a burnt crisp. This could be easily fixed if
only Miller and/or ['MNF' Exec Producer] Don Ohlmeyer,
Miller's sponsor, recognized the problem" (N.Y. POST, 8/18).
MORE PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: In Miami, Barry Jackson
writes FSN's "The Keith Olbermann Evening News" has been a
"terrific addition" to the network's lineup. Jackson: "But
why is Olbermann on-air just one day a week for FSN? The
program -- which has more substance than FSN's National
Sports Report -- should air five times a week" (MIAMI
HERALD, 8/18)....USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that Fox's
Matt Millen "now likely will be miked when he takes the
field as an umpire for the third quarter and part of the
fourth" during Fox's coverage Sunday of Packers-Dolphins.
Martzke also reports that golfer Mark O'Meara "appears to be
CBS' choice to succeed" analyst Ken Venturi. But O'Meara,
who "has passed on-air auditions, won't be available for
full-time TV work until 2002 because of sponsor commitments
for 2001" (USA TODAY, 8/18)....Former MLBer Bob Dernier will
"take over" as the Cubs TV analyst starting today in AZ.
Dernier will replace Steve Stone, who is "taking an
indefinite medical leave of absence" (D. SOUTHTOWN, 8/17).
