Chucky!

It's been said already (via the AP), but heeeeerrrrrrrrreee’s Chucky!

Obviously, the Internets ablaze with news that Jon Gruden is replacing Tony Kornheiser in the Monday Night Football booth as the PTI host and longtime Washington Post scribe points to his fear of flying as the reason to step away after three seasons.

The criticisms of Kornheiser were well-founded as his detractors note his lack of improvement throughout each season. His attempts at humor fell short more often than not, his friendly arguments with Ron Jaworski took away from the action at times and his constant references to the most (in)famous quarterback in the NFL unnerved many. Yet, Kornheiser played his role as it was detailed; to be the ‘voice of the fan’ by way of the sports editor of the local newspaper who is on a deadline and needs an attention-grabbing headline.

As written about during this past season, he was supposed to be the outsider, chomping at the bit to talk about the topic du jour; whether it was the struggling quarterback, the coach who might be canned after another loss, the wide receiver who can’t seem to shut up or whichever player got arrested during the week. Yet, he was more like Joe/Jaquon/Jane Fan than we care to admit, which might have been the underlying reason for the hate spewed in his direction.

So now, ESPN grabs another coach who was just fired after a disappointing stretch (see Edwards, Herm) in hopes of providing veteran insight from years on the sidelines. A quick Google/Yahoo! Search will provide a range of opinions from overjoyed that Kornhieser’s gone to satisfied that Gruden joins the booth to disappointed that another former jock is actually going to talk about the game (if the latter baffles you, you’re not alone). Yet, the opinions are up to you to share here.

If anything, it would be interesting to see what kind of style producers help Gruden develop. Being media-friendly to the beat reporters and talkies is one thing, but to speak nationally to millions of fans for a few hours is a different story.

As most coaches have varying rapports with media members. From my professional experience, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has certainly become more open to the Giants’ press over his time here and he’s certainly forthcoming and honest towards those that give him respect, even in criticizing some decisions. Yet, he can also be dismissive of certain media types that are looking for a reason to argue with him about the points of the game (and there are several folks in this category).

Now, can these five to ten minute post-game press conferences translate to adding analysis to the viewers for a few hours? That’s pretty hard to determine. It’s been said that Gruden had been pretty good with the media, even taking the Chucky nickname in stride wherever he has gone. In the booth, however, he has to essentially have a conversation with ‘Jaws’, whose breakdown of film and player biographies makes him the preacher to the converted, if you will. He’ll have to work with and around the parameters that Mike Tirico sets as the play-by-play announcer/occasional traffic cop.

What ESPN (and ABC before MNF was moved to Disney’s cash-cow channel) has tried to do was have someone in the broadcast booth that can dumb down the football verbiage for at least the casual or average NFL fan to digest without completely alienating the committed fan. Because the NFL has such a short season (which places games at a premium and captures more attention than the lengthier seasons of other sports) and the constraints of a live broadcast, it is vital for the network to dangle a carrot to those who may pass by the game while flipping through the channels.

You have to wonder if Gruden will be asked to fill that role in any degree. Jaworski is rather entrenched in his role as the breakdown analyst, but I can imagine that going into a fourth season, he’s figuring out how to either add explain the game’s language a bit more or cut down on its use. Gruden could bring the maestro elements of being a coach to the booth; in other words, explain the reasoning behind a play or what the guys in the headsets see and hear. He could also be asked to preach to the converted as Jaworski does and Tirico may have to bring in the casual fan a bit more.

It’s difficult to say how he will do in the booth considering that he hasn’t done it before. Outside of his work with the NFL Network as the Draft neared (which was well-received by some), he doesn’t have any body of work to suggest that he’ll be great or terrible. While he’ll make his debut during the preseason, everyone is working out the kinks from the players and coaches to the media to the concessionaires. It won’t be until the lights come on for the season opener between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots on September 14th that we’ll find out how ‘Chucky’ does.

Say What?!?!: Ladies, if you want the fulfill your fantasies, just know that he wears protection. This ad is great (at least to me)!

Overlooked

Ron Jaworski raised an interesting point on last night's Monday Night Football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.

Shortly after tailback Fred Taylor tied the Jaguars' franchise touchdown record with Jimmy Smith (a truly unheralded wide receiver), a question from Tony Kornheiser was raised about his credentials as he moves up in the NFL career rushing yards tally. Jaworski believes that Taylor's total body of work should place him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For the few fortunate souls who were still watching the game, that may have been a head-scratching moment for sure.

Kornheiser immediately asked if the fact that Taylor did not play in major NFL markets such as Dallas or New York (which, in reality, just became a big deal nationally in the last two seasons) actually hurts him.

It was a fair conversation on both sides as not only did they have to try to keep the dwindling audience from turning off their TV sets, but they've seen enough football to know who has really got the goods. Yet, it begs the question: is a player who has the numbers, the longevity and the franchise legacy, punished or praised more because of where (s)he plays?

Most people who may have heard this discourse were probably in disagreement with Jaworski because Taylor wasn't a speed demon (though his was underrated) or because he struggled with injuries early on in his career. They'll point to his lone Pro Bowl appearance, despite the fact that Pro Bowl voting is like that for Prom Queen (I don't know this one and I don't like that one, but this is the only person I recognize on the whole list). Yet, considering that Jacksonville is a relatively unknown city beyond the Jaguars and college football history, the players, even one of his ilk, aren't exactly brand names.

This story plays out in every sport as there are players who defined lesser-known franchises without as much as a sniff of post-career credit. So, which athletes in this category do you feel should receive Hall consideration and why, regardless of sport?

Projection

Projection (noun):

11. Psychology. a. the tendency to ascribe to another person feelings, thoughts, or attitudes present in oneself, or to regard external reality as embodying such feelings, thoughts, etc., in some way.

While watching Monday Night Football, the seemingly strangest idea came to mind:

Do fans who dislike (hate is tossed around too easily) Tony Kornheiser genuinely have a beef with him or do they see something in themselves?

It may sound like psychobabble, but consider this for a moment:

Each of the three men in the booth have clearly defined roles and while they may step on each other's toes at times to get a word out, they rarely, if ever, try to perform another's job. Mike Tirico provides the play-by-play and from time to time, will add wit and opinion to a questionable call or penalty. Ron Jaworski (arguably the best color commentator in sports today) gives breakdowns of plays like nobody's business to the point that you may believe that you can suit up for your local NFL team right now. Kornheiser, ideally in the vein of Howard Cosell with an accidental dash of Dennis Miller, is writing the feature article in Tuesday's newspaper, deciding what goes on the backpage and gives the sixty beat reporters for each team something to run with.

There aren't many complaints about Tirico or 'Jaws' compared to those for the former Washington Post writer. Just explore the blogosphere or Google/Yahoo!/MSN his name and you're bound to find how much he is loathe by many a fan. To summarize the common gripes:

• He does mention Brett Favre a tad much.
  
  
• In his first season and a half, he ran with the "he's on my fantasy team' angle after every entertaining play.
  
  
• On the basis of his Long Island roots and his strong 'Noo Yawk' accent, he invites even more disdain from many across the nation.
  
  
• His pre-game soliloquy about a team's media magnet(s) essentially tells the audience what he will be looking for the entire game.
  
  
• In his banter with Jaworski, it sounds more like he's picking on the ex-jock rather than discussing a point during the game (which is why Joe Theismann was replaced by 'Jaws' in 2007).

With that said, Kornheiser is playing the role he was given. He's supposed to be the outsider, chiming in on any point that the media typically dictates; the hot quarterback of the moment, the prima donna wide receiver, the fiery coach or the coach who's on fire because of the proverbial hot seat, the sexy matchup that is supposed to garner all sorts of ratings, etc. These are some of the things that many sports media consumers seem to pick up on, even if there are far more stories to tell within the game. Yet, while many of his detractors point out his shortcomings, they will just as easily make the same criticisms or quickly jump to conclusions about a player as he or many other 'outsiders' do.

Maybe it's just this scribe's opinion, but are many of those mudslingers just upset that he gets paid to say what some of them might be thinking? Or is there something deeper that seems to go unnoticed? Chime in.

Props

Throughout the NFL season, you're going to hear about who 'sucks', who's 'overrated', who should be released, who should be traded, who needs to retire, who needs to quit and on... and on... and on...

Here on Scribe, you'll get something a little different. Taking a page from long-time friend and fellow writer JP Prag, there will be a positive spin on a few NFL items from someone who gets to see one of its teams up close.

Wednesday may be just Day 2 of the league's week, but it's the middle of the normal calendar week. It's the perfect time to get the last word of the previous weekend's action while hopefully giving you something to look out for just a few days from now.

• Kickoff: To start off, big-ups to Mr. Prag. Not only did I co-write Hidden Highlights with him back in May (and it was much harder than it may appear), but he asked me to be a resource for his second column, The Hamilton Avenue Journal. What I did not expect was to be given props in a reader's comment. So props right back, boss.
  
  
• 1st Quarter - Ron Jaworski: When ESPN picked up the slack (and bill) for Monday Night Football from ABC, they revamped the broadcast team in hopes of mixing the voice (Mike Tirico) with the fan's mindset (Tony Kornheiser) and the insider's perspective (Jaworski). Jaws, quite simply, is the man. Jaws is known for being one of the most detailed and scrutinizing television anaylsts in all of sports and his breakdowns of plays and players keeps the hardcore fan into the game. Yet, how he continually called out Kornheiser for the predictable comparisons between Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New York Jets' signal caller Brett Favre was a welcome deterrent from the usual hype and recycled Favre-fest. Maybe he did so because he was personally tired of the run-into-the-ground angle or because he wanted to profile the relatively-unknown Rodgers to the American audience, but what he did was remind MNF fans that a new star can be born if they keep their eyes on this 'kid'.
  
  
• 2nd Quarter - Mark Clayton of the Baltimore Ravens: Can you remember the last time an end-around worked in the real NFL? Of course, since Jerry Rice tore his ACL on a reverse to start the 1997 season, seeing this play still freaks me out. Yet, the Madden favorite of many caught the Cincinnati defense completely off-guard and Clayton didn't break, tear, sprain or bruise anything in his body in the process. It's amazing though that because the Ravens have yet to have much of an offense since leaving Cleveland, the score was the ninth of his four-year career.
  
  
• Halftime - Chad Pennington of the Miami Dolphins: The Fins are not going to go 1-15 again this season, but they are a long way from being a playoff contender. Yet, admist the hype around Favre, Pennington was nearly his equal with the exception of the reckless-turned-OMG touchdown pass #4 threw in the second quarter. The former Jet may not have the 70-yard bomb in him, but what he does have is the know-how to put his teammates in the right position to make plays. When was the last time (Miami or New Orleans) that you've seen Ricky Williams split out wide as a receiver? How did an offensive line marred by penalties - two notable penalties by No. 1 overall pick Jake Long - keep itself in the game against a revamped Jets defensive front seven? Who knew that Ted Ginn, Jr. could be a little more than a kick/punt returner... okay, so the verdict may still be out in some circles? Miami's receivers need to get in rhythm with Pennington and the coaches need to utilize both Williams and Ronnie Brown in all facets of the offense to give their quarterback a chance to win a few games for them. Jets fans know he can, even if their new crush has created a memory lapse of the former Marshall product.
  
  
• 3rd Quarter - Seemingly immobile quarterbacks running for touchdowns: While a horrendous traffic jam cause myself and a couple of fellow writers to miss the first five minutes of the Redskins-Giants tilt, seeing the highlight of Eli Manning running for the season's first score was quite... hilarious. Manning quipped about a pre-game bet he made with Plaxico Burress about who would have more touchdowns this season. Though he has the early lead, expect Burress to surpass his QB pretty soon because Manning is far from the fleetest of feet.
  Returning to the Cresent City, rookie QB Joe Flacco made a score with his own feet as well. Though the best description of the run comes from a YouTube comment: "Great run by Flacco, although you could have timed him with a sundial!"
  
  
  
  
• 4th Quarter - Showtime for picking up Inside the NFL: There are a few people reading this who are quite happy about what I'm saying here, but they did not influence the decision to give props to the new premium cable king.
  As mentioned a while back, HBO dropped the program after 31 years. The reasoning given shortly after its cancellation was that after setting the template for so many sports highlight shows, Inside outlived its usefulness. Former host Bob Costas called the move 'idiotic' and it's been said that HBO did not keep the show because of production cost. Whether you want to believe the cable channel or not, it's a show that tends to keep the volume down compared to other highlight shows on the tube. Bringing the venerable James Brown onboard is a big plus. As good of a job as Curt Menefee has done for FOX's pregame, Brown felt like the more natural fit with the varying personalities on the program.

*Credit: Image courtesy of CollegeHumor.com. Not exactly part of the theme of Scribe, but the image works here.