Quote:Madden Moves to Join 'MNF'
The path has been cleared for John Madden to leave Fox Sports and move to ABC's "Monday Night Football."
According to industry sources, executives of the International Management Group, the company representing Madden, yesterday asked Fox executives to give him permission to talk to ABC brass about the "MNF" gig.
If Madden ultimately can't make a deal with ABC, he would have to negotiate a new contract with Fox.
Spokesmen for Fox and ABC would not comment on the Madden machinations. Fox's willingness to allow Madden to talk to "MNF" could be two-fold. Network brass may believe they could not reach a financial agreement with Madden. The Foxies also may want to present a younger combo of voices in their No. 1 NFL booth.
Sources said for Madden to agree to void the last year of his contract means ABC brass already received strong feelers from Madden's representatives about their client's interest in moving to "MNF."
While Madden has not publicly acknowledged any intention of leaving Fox, he did not want to go into the 2002 season as a lame duck. There is also a history of Madden flirting with "MNF." During his last two Fox contract negotiations, he came close to cutting deals with ABC.
The fact his partner of 21 years, Pat Summerall, is leaving Fox, where the two voices spent eight seasons together, may also make it easier for Madden to split.
If Madden were to sign a deal with ABC, it would likely mean the end of the road for both Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts, who both have one year left on their "MNF" contracts.
It is highly unlikely ABC would hire Madden and use him in anything but a two-man booth. With Madden on board, he would be teamed with Al Michaels, who has a year left on his $3 million-per-year ABC contract.
Fox also has options if Madden leaves. And there have been indications the Foxies may have already been making plans for life after Madden. Behind the scenes, Fox Sports brass had made it clear Joe Buck will replace Summerall as the network's No. 1 NFL play-by-play man.
The Foxies also made a strong pitch to keep Boomer Esiason at the network. That would indicate they could replace Madden with a three-man booth featuring Buck, Esiason and Cris Collinsworth, a cast member on Fox's NFL pregame studio show.
Esiason took himself out of that mix by signing on to the cast of CBS Sports' "The NFL Today."
Fox still can present a three-man booth if Madden leaves by teaming Buck and Collinsworth with Troy Aikman.
I am sorry, but Miller sucks but I fuckin hate Madden with a passion that is unequaled in a sportscaster. I just hink he is annoying shit. With his drunk partner Pat callling it quits, it is pretty much a good bet he is going to now bring his fat ass along with that fuckin telestrater to annoy us even more. With Miller, we may have had no idea what he was rambling about but with Madden, will anyone even care? At least we will see the end of that fuckin mutant turkey on Thanksgiving day!
I agree that Madden sucks. And, I actually like Miller a lot. So I think it would be really shitty if this happens. All Madden does is tell you shit you already know. I thought Miller provided a fresh perspective of the game from a fans point of view. Plus, he was sporidically funny, Madden is only funny cause he says really dumb shit and we are forced to laugh at his idiocy. I also think Fouts does a great job as an analyst.
However, we are in the minority, as most people prefer Madden to Miller and Fouts, so this will probably get done. <font color="white">
Edited By The Sleeper on Feb. 28 2002 at 6:34
Miller is being offered a smaller role.
I'm not a football purist. I enjoy Miller in the booth, its a diversion and refreshing to have a different dynamic to listen to along with the game.
I hope Dennis Miller's tongue falls out.
Galt Wrote:I hope Dennis Miller's tongue falls out.
Did Bill Simmons tell you to say that?
The Sleeper Wrote:Galt Wrote:I hope Dennis Miller's tongue falls out.
Did Bill Simmons tell you to say that?
Nope, that was all mine. I give credit where credit is due. By the way: I know your secret.
Galt Wrote:I know your secret.
You got me, I'm really the froy in disguise. OTL 4 LIFE!
Sean Cold Wrote:I am sorry, but Miller sucks but I fuckin hate Madden with a passion that is unequaled in a sportscaster.
You think they sucked? I got another one for ya that makes them look like geniuses. Actually make that two.
Anyone remember when the MNF team was Frank Gifford, Joe Namath & O.J. Simpson? God, that was painful to watch. Gifford was fine, but the other two sounded like fucking buffoons. That was proof that athletes should not be allowed into broadcasting just because they played the fucking sport.
i liked miller. i thought he was funny and intelligent
I really enjoyed when it was Summeral and Maden together in the booth. I can remeber a quit a few years ago when they did almost evry Giants game, I loved it. But I don't thikn Maden is going to be good with out Pat, just my 2 cents.
do we really need commentary?
crx girl Wrote:do we really need commentary?
Not in my house you don't. Shit, I still don't remember much of this years super bowl and if I would have known it was the last game that blabbering drunkard Sumeral was going to do, I may have had a little more intrest in it.
This is going to by an intresting season for MNF. Al Micheals is one of the hands down best announcers in the biz so it should be intresting hearing him and Madden fight for air time.
But to blame just the announcers for the lack of ratings is a fuckin cop out. The games fuckin sucked. The Vikings and Titans were part of 5 games and they sucked this year. The Giants weren't much better and the colts were done rather early as well.
CRX Girl & Sean are right on the money. MNF doesn't fail or succeed based on the commentators, its about the games. People are not tuning in or not depending on the announcers, they're either interested in the paticular game thats playing that night or not.
I for one liked Miller cause I don't need someone to describe the action on the field for me, but I enjoy hearing Miller throw out obscure references and spending the rest of the game trying to figure out what the fuck he was talking about. 80% of the time he's not really being that obscure, its just that the people who like to criticize him are too dumb to get the joke.
The quality of the last season's games just fuckin sucked ass. Dallas vs Washington? My god man, they were both 0 and 5 at that point I think. Meanwhile, The Bears were no where to be found. Shit, i think the pats only had one fuckin game in prime time (including Sunday's) all year. The Cowboy Skin game I get and i think the NFL needs to adjust the scdeuling for Monday Night games and make them Rivalry games. The guessing game for the Marquee match ups is for the shits at best. Go with Green Bay vs Chicago, Miami- Jets, SF- St. Louis. These are the games that will generate intrest regardless of one's record.