ESPN's Ron Jaworski said that he was told of the net's decision to remove him from the broadcast booth for "MNF" in a phone call Monday from Exec VP/Programming & Acquisitions Norby Williamson and that the move "did not come as a surprise," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Jaworski yesterday said, "It's bittersweet, but I'm excited and thrilled with some of the projects I'll be working on moving forward I have an opportunity to do some things that can be creative, so in that regard I am excited about the future." Williamson said, "We looked at it collectively and said what is the best use of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworksi and Jon Gruden. It came to us that we think we can unleash Jaws and put him in a lot of different places to make us better in a lot of different places. He brings something a lot of other analysts don't bring, which is his film work, insight and credibility with fans. We saw Tirico and Gruden do some college games together for us and it all sort of came together." Williamson expects Gruden to "stay at ESPN through the length of his current multi-year deal" signed in '11. Deitsch noted while Gruden's passion is "fantastic and his ability to diagnose plays strong, the chief complaint about [the] former Bucs coach has been his over-the-top praise of players" (SI.com, 2/15). Williamson said, "Jaws served us well. But when we looked at everything we have, it became apparent that expanding his role on the other stuff to let him focus on all the teams, not just one game, was a better use of him." Williamson said that Gruden’s "three years at ESPN proved that he could be the sole analyst." Williamson: "Whenever you bring in somebody new, you don’t know if they can carry the whole game. While I had high hopes for him, I didn’t know if we were ready to make the leap at that time." He added that "in providing feedback to Gruden, he has told him not to overuse 'great' in describing players; to recognize when not to speak; to anticipate strategy during replays rather than always examining the play that just occurred; and to be clear about the film-room terminology that he often uses" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/16).
GRUDEN'S TIME TO SHINE: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand writes ESPN might have "wanted to get away from having a three-man booth, a setup that isn't as common as it used to be." Williamson said, "I don't think it's about having a three-man or two-man booth. You do this on a case-by-case basis. ... And when you look at the totality of our NFL coverage, this is the best use of resources." Hiestand writes, "You can only deduce that ESPN is going all-in with Gruden. Whatever you think of his on-air analysis, he could be a TV star" (USA TODAY, 2/16). In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes ESPN’s decision to "use a two-man booth confirms Gruden’s star status within the network." It also "provides evidence ESPN suits are finally looking for some stability on 'MNF'" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/16). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley wrote it is "clear that ESPN thinks Gruden has enough presence and punch to handle the analyst's role by himself on Monday nights." The Gruden brand, "if you can call it that, dominated the Jaworski brand in the years they worked telecasts together" (JSONLINE.com, 2/15). But in Philadelphia, Ed Barkowitz writes Gruden "sounded as if he was less than thrilled with the decision." Gruden in a statement said, "I understand there are times when players have to put their faith in the coaches and other decision-makers who are trying to position a team for success, and that's what I'm doing here. I have faith in the people I'm working for here at ESPN" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/16).
LIFE OUTSIDE THE BOOTH: On Long Island, Bob Glauber wrote, "We’ll miss Jaws in the booth, because he’s as smart and insightful about the game as anyone in broadcasting." He explained the game "for every viewer, and took the complexities of pro football and made them understandable for all" (NEWSDAY.com, 2/15). In Boston, Chad Finn writes the move is "surprising since Jaworski's Xs-and-Os acumen ... proved a nice balance to Gruden's outsized and occasionally over-the-top personality." It will be "interesting to see whether Gruden, an enthusiastic, entertaining, but rarely critical analyst, suffers or thrives without Jaworski offsetting him" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/16). YAHOO SPORTS' Chris Chase wrote when Jaworski "appears on other ESPN shows, he's an insightful football mind who breaks down X's and O's with clarity." His "NFL Matchup" program is the "best on television for real football analysis." There was "none of that" on "MNF." Jaworski "stuck to talking points, spoke in cliches and offered little, if any, breakdown of what was happening on the field" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/15). In DC, Cindy Boren wrote, "Frankly, he or Gruden seemed expendable, given that their voices were so indistinguishable" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/15).
