epper Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Per SI.com:BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden is replacing Tony Kornheiser on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team. Kornheiser cited a fear of flying in his decision to leave after three years.The network said Monday that Gruden will be in the booth with Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski when the show starts its 40th season this fall."If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden," Kornheiser said in a statement released by the network. "He is the two things you most want -- smart and funny -- and has the two things I don't -- good hair and a tan."Gruden led the Bucs to the 2003 Super Bowl title but was fired after this past season after his team lost four straight games to miss the playoffs. He worked as a guest analyst this year with the NFL Network during the draft and scouting combine."To join Mike and Jaws in the booth and to work alongside this top-notch team is going to be a real thrill," Gruden said.Gruden will make his debut with ESPN with a preseason game on Aug. 13, a Super Bowl rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.Kornheiser will continue to appear on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," and is relieved it doesn't require air travel."My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true," he said. "When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air."Gruden was an NFL head coach the past 11 seasons, with the Buccaneers (2002-08) and Oakland Raiders (1998-01). He had a 100-85 record, leading his teams to five division titles.His best season came in 2002, when the Buccaneers went 12-4 and then beat the Raiders 48-21 in the Super Bowl. Gruden was 38 at the time and the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.Gruden began his NFL coaching career in 1990 when San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren hired him as an assistant. When Holmgren was hired to coach the Packers in 1992, Gruden became his wide receivers coach.After three seasons, Gruden went to the Eagles as an offensive coordinator, and in 1998 became coach of the Raiders at 34.Love this move. I like Kornheiser in small doses (ie. for 1/2 hour stints on PTI), but over a 3.5 hour football game he became a little obnoxious. I think Gruden will be an awesome addition to the crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothamite Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I don't know - I find Gruden obnoxious in the small doses we've seen so far, but maybe there's much more there and given more time I'll appreciate him more. The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database! Now in a handy blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JQK Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I was one of the few who actually liked Kornheiser on MNF. He had what has been lacking in the MNF booth since they got rid of Cosell, a personality. Stay Tuned Sports Podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintsfan Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I think this is a good move. Gruden is as near a 'next John Madden' as there is out there right now. Knows the game, bags of enthusiasm, relatively funny. I think the modern day MNF could be a good place to learn the trade, maybe before moving onto a network color guy job? 2011/12 WFL Champions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 This is great news! Nobody could possibly have been worse for Monday Night Football than Kornhole -- and that includes the likes of Dennis Miller and Joe Theisman. (For once) Thank you, ESPN!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddySicks Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ugh, this is terrible. As someone who has watched nearly every Jon Gruden press conference since he signed in Tampa, I can guarantee that most will be so sick of the guy come the end of the season. On 11/19/2012 at 7:23 PM, oldschoolvikings said: She’s still half convinced “Chris Creamer” is a porn site.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tBBP Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Ugh, this is terrible. As someone who has watched nearly every Jon Gruden press conference since he signed in Tampa, I can guarantee that most will be so sick of the guy come the end of the season.I was sick of the guy at the end of last season...to say nothing of the past THREE. I feel your pain. *Disclaimer: I am not an authoritative expert on stuff...I just do a lot of reading and research and keep in close connect with a bunch of people who are authoritative experts on stuff. || dribbble || Behance || Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFoA Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Gruden will bring something that Kornheiser couldn't: Actual, first-hand knowledge of the game. With Kornheiser, the only thing that we really got was him talking about whatever the hot story was going into the game for 3 hours. So any game with Favre, we'd hear nothing but TK yapping on and on about Favre. Any game with the Falcons, nothing but Vick-talk. Any game with the Cowboys, nothing but T.O. talk. Hell, Matt Casell played one of his best games of the season last year on MNF and all we heard TK talk about was Brady. This is a good move if only because it means no more TK talking about stuff that I'd rather watch PTI to hear about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Gruden will bring something that Kornheiser couldn't: Actual, first-hand knowledge of the game. With Kornheiser, the only thing that we really got was him talking about whatever the hot story was going into the game for 3 hours. So any game with Favre, we'd hear nothing but TK yapping on and on about Favre. Any game with the Falcons, nothing but Vick-talk. Any game with the Cowboys, nothing but T.O. talk. Hell, Matt Casell played one of his best games of the season last year on MNF and all we heard TK talk about was Brady. This is a good move if only because it means no more TK talking about stuff that I'd rather watch PTI to hear about.Which is fine, but isn't that what Jaworski is for? I think MNF would be better off with just Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski. I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JQK Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 They need to get rid of Jaws too. He is just painful.Come to think of it.. they should just clean house and start fresh... Stay Tuned Sports Podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Come to think of it.. they should just clean house and start fresh...True statement. ESPN might as well ship Peter Gammons and a Disney character to be named later to NBC in exchange for Al Michaels. To me, Michaels will ALWAYS be the voice of MNF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JQK Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Come to think of it.. they should just clean house and start fresh...True statement. ESPN might as well ship Peter Gammons and a Disney character to be named later to NBC in exchange for Al Michaels. To me, Michaels will ALWAYS be the voice of MNF.No. Al Michaels is a dousch who made a career out of one statement. He's almost as hard to listen to as Tirico... Stay Tuned Sports Podcast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Come to think of it.. they should just clean house and start fresh...True statement. ESPN might as well ship Peter Gammons and a Disney character to be named later to NBC in exchange for Al Michaels. To me, Michaels will ALWAYS be the voice of MNF.I say ESPN should get Tom Hammond instead I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I think Chucky will be great on MNF www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddball Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Kornheiser is an idiot and just proves it every day with that other idiot on his completely obnoxious show every day. Just because you can scream, doesn't mean you know anything, it just proves you know nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Kornheiser is an idiot and just proves it every day with that other idiot on his completely obnoxious show every day. Just because you can scream, doesn't mean you know anything, it just proves you know nothing.That pretty much goes for any tv, radio internet talk show, then, right? I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbreadmann Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Did anyone watch the Draft on NFLN? Gruden was pretty good. He's different from a Kornheiser, anyone is, but I think he will be a capable replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infrared41 Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Well ESPN must be thrilled. They've been sucking Gruden's since he got hired by The Raiders. Now they get to see him all the time. If you ask me it's just another example of how out of touch ESPN is with the everyday sports fan. No one outside the media gives a damn about Jon Gruden or what he has to say. He was way overrated as a coach but he's an a-hole who got a lot of run on NFL Films and to ESPN that means he's entertaining I guess. This will be a disaster. I give it one season. None if the right coaching offer comes along. Typical TV move. No clue what they were doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFoA Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I give it one season. None if the right coaching offer comes along.Ah, I forgot about that. Yeah, Gruden's gone AS SOON as he gets an offer to coach again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HedleyLamarr Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I must be in the minority, then. I liked the Tirico-Jaws-Kornheiser triumvirate.Tirico does a solid job at announcing games (and is short as hell....walked by him when he did the Hawks-Cavs game on ABC last weekend...he's maybe 5'6" at most. Heather Cox, on the other hand, is like 6'1", and actually kinda cute in person....). Jaws is great at the X's and O's and strategy of the game. Kornheiser was solid at his role on MNF: Talking about the game from the journalistic point of view. And they were entertaining....they had me watching MNF when the Falcons weren't playing (Well, aside from fantasy football interests involved in the game)..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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