Sunday, September 09, 2001
Boomer ready for some fun on FSN
Sports on TV-Radio
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Fox Sports Net's NFL This Morning is the kind of pregame show you'd expect to find on Comedy Central. Chris Spielman, you'll remember, quit the show midseason last year because it was too heavy on gags and too light on X's and O's. So it may seem a little surprising that former Monday Night Football analyst Boomer Esiason would pick such a vehicle for his return to television.
But Esiason is ready to have some fun.
“The more raucous, the better,” he said.
FSN reworked the show's roster a little for this season. Chris Myers remains the host. Marv Levy returns as the voice of reason. Jay Mohr is back as the resident comedian. Former player Billy Ray Smith also returns.
But Esiason and Deacon Jones were brought in to replace Sean Jones and Bob Golic.
That's an upgrade in both cases. Esiason is a bigger name and better analyst than Golic. Deacon Jones will fit in perfectly. He is one of the funniest and most outspoken former players around.
Boomer knows what he's getting into.
“I'm going to be on my toes because our comedian, Jay Mohr, doesn't hold back like Jimmy Kimmel does (on the Fox Network's pregame show),” Esiason said.
Kimmel, of course, doesn't hold back. He badgers Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Cris Collinsworth endlessly — when they aren't badgering each other.
That's the Fox way. Fun is first, football a distant second.
“This isn't doing games,” Esiason said. “It's entertainment and information.”
It works. Fox NFL Today beats CBS's The NFL Today regularly in the ratings. Fox Sports Net wasn't a threat to ESPN's pregame show last year, but could be with the new lineup. Less discussion of the zone blitz is just fine with this viewer.
Esiason seems to have learned from his Monday Night Football flameout. He was very good doing the Monday games on CBS Radio last year. He understands that the key to being a good analyst is not to hold back.
“I think the reason I appealed to Fox is I've done TV before,” he said. “I've got the NFL contacts. I'm outspoken and not afraid to criticize when it's warranted.”
BUSY BOOMER: Esiason is doing the CBS Radio gig this year as well. That makes for one hellacious travel schedule. NFL This Morning wraps up at 10 a.m. in Los Angeles. Most Sundays, Esiason will be on flights back east shortly thereafter.
“I've got 58 flights booked,” he said.
NEW ON FOX: Fox has an innovation this year that office poolers will love. Every time there's a scoring change in any NFL game, it will be posted instantly on the Fox Box.
“You can overdo gimmicks,” Fox Sports president Ed Goren said. “But some gimmicks — like the yellow first-down line — are good. We think viewers will like this.”
SAM ON BENGALS: You won't get to see it, but Sam Wyche makes his return to television today by doing color on the Bengals-New England Patriots game for CBS.
Wyche, who missed a season because of voice problems, will be working in a three-man booth with Gus Johnson and Brent Jones. The game will not be aired in Cincinnati because Paul Brown Stadium did not sell out before Thursday's TV deadline.
NEIL WHO?John Burns, chairman of Broadwing IT Consulting, brought a visitor into the Reds radio booth to meet Marty Brennaman Wednesday night. All Brennaman knew was that the man's first name was Neil and he was CEO of Ignite, the parent company of Broadwing IT.
It wasn't until the visitor left and Brennaman looked at his card that he realized it was Neil Bush, brother of George W.
Burns assumed Brennaman knew it was Neil Bush.
“I had no idea,” Brennaman said. “I've been mad at myself all day. I'm such a staunch supporter of his brother, we could have had a nice conversation.”
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Boomer ready for some fun on FSN
