Alexander
08-11-2006, 10:53 AM
Tony, Joe, T.O. mean 'good TV'
RAY BUCK
In My Opinion
Tony Kornheiser, Joe Theismann and Mike Tirico are the latest three-headed monster to bring Monday Night Football into our living rooms.
They're new. ESPN is new.
Tonight, they're in Baltimore for their dress rehearsal (Giants-Ravens) -- totally off-air.
Monday night marks their debut (Raiders-Vikings), although we caught a glimpse into what promises to be "good TV" involving a pair of strong personalities, Kornheiser and Theismann.
On an ESPN conference call this week, the mere mention of (who else?) Terrell Owens created a debate -- as Kornheiser saw it -- Tony vs. Joe I.
I asked the question.
"Please indulge me, we're in T.O. overload around here...but is there an 'oh-my-gosh' feeling on 'will he or will he not play' when it comes time for ESPN's Cowboys-Saints telecast a week from Monday?"
Kornheiser, whose Pardon The Interruption! show is a running commentary on T.O., swung first.
"I suspect Joe and I will differ on this," Kornheiser said, "because Joe, as a former player, looks at football from the inside out...and I look at it as a sportswriter, from the outside in."
But with the Cowboys, said Kornheiser, "My eyes are on two people: Bill Parcells and Terrell Owens."
Countered Theismann: "I think everyone has decided to take this Terrell Owens situation and make it much bigger than it really is," then adding, "I don't believe there'll be any problem in Dallas whatsoever."
Theismann is skeptical of what he calls the "T.O. disease" spreading to other receivers on other teams -- copycats seeking special attention, bringing in personal trainers and demanding $15,000 hyperbaric chambers of their own.
But what really floored him was receiving a "2 1/2 -inch" stack of camp clips from Cowboys PR this week and finding "75 percent" of the stories on T.O.
"The amount of attention that Terrell Owens is getting," said Theismann, "has reached the point of ridiculousness."
Countered Kornheiser: "This guy is a walking soap opera...he totally poisoned the Eagles... [and so]there can't be enough attention put on him. I think most fans around the country want to see if Parcells will literally bite T.O.'s head off.
"I know I do."
That's an ender
On having his own MNF stylist, Kornheiser said: "My stylist needs to work only halftime. I have no hair. But I do need somebody to come around and dye my beard, so that I don't look like Santa Claus ...and, if it would help, I'd like to get my eyes done."
RAY BUCK
In My Opinion
Tony Kornheiser, Joe Theismann and Mike Tirico are the latest three-headed monster to bring Monday Night Football into our living rooms.
They're new. ESPN is new.
Tonight, they're in Baltimore for their dress rehearsal (Giants-Ravens) -- totally off-air.
Monday night marks their debut (Raiders-Vikings), although we caught a glimpse into what promises to be "good TV" involving a pair of strong personalities, Kornheiser and Theismann.
On an ESPN conference call this week, the mere mention of (who else?) Terrell Owens created a debate -- as Kornheiser saw it -- Tony vs. Joe I.
I asked the question.
"Please indulge me, we're in T.O. overload around here...but is there an 'oh-my-gosh' feeling on 'will he or will he not play' when it comes time for ESPN's Cowboys-Saints telecast a week from Monday?"
Kornheiser, whose Pardon The Interruption! show is a running commentary on T.O., swung first.
"I suspect Joe and I will differ on this," Kornheiser said, "because Joe, as a former player, looks at football from the inside out...and I look at it as a sportswriter, from the outside in."
But with the Cowboys, said Kornheiser, "My eyes are on two people: Bill Parcells and Terrell Owens."
Countered Theismann: "I think everyone has decided to take this Terrell Owens situation and make it much bigger than it really is," then adding, "I don't believe there'll be any problem in Dallas whatsoever."
Theismann is skeptical of what he calls the "T.O. disease" spreading to other receivers on other teams -- copycats seeking special attention, bringing in personal trainers and demanding $15,000 hyperbaric chambers of their own.
But what really floored him was receiving a "2 1/2 -inch" stack of camp clips from Cowboys PR this week and finding "75 percent" of the stories on T.O.
"The amount of attention that Terrell Owens is getting," said Theismann, "has reached the point of ridiculousness."
Countered Kornheiser: "This guy is a walking soap opera...he totally poisoned the Eagles... [and so]there can't be enough attention put on him. I think most fans around the country want to see if Parcells will literally bite T.O.'s head off.
"I know I do."
That's an ender
On having his own MNF stylist, Kornheiser said: "My stylist needs to work only halftime. I have no hair. But I do need somebody to come around and dye my beard, so that I don't look like Santa Claus ...and, if it would help, I'd like to get my eyes done."