GaryMrMets
12-25-2005, 06:19 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/col/story/377520p-320702c.html
The party's over
'MNF' ends ABC run with startling legacy
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/header_tuningin.gif
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/columnists/raissman_b.jpg
The greatest legacy ABC's "Monday Night Football" will leave is not a product of Howard Cosell or Don Meredith. Nor is it about Frank Gifford, Roone Arledge or Pete Rozelle.
When Al Michaels and John Madden preside at the funeral of ABC's "MNF" tomorrow night, as an audience of masochists suffers through Patriots-Jets, the greatest testimonial to "MNF," the second-longest running series in the history of TV, is this: The National Football League actually got ESPN to fork over $1.1 billion per year for eight years to purchase TV rights to "MNF" beginning in 2006.
To a television executive this is all that matters. All those sappy retrospectives make for nice reading and rekindle some fine memories, even if they do canonize some of the most miserable people in the business. And yet the fact that "MNF" is still worth an astronomical rights fee is the greatest tribute anyone can pay (and ESPN did, through the nose) to every man, woman and child who ever worked on the series.
The incredible monetary value attached to the series is even more impressive considering the institution that "MNF" once was has been dead for years. We can debate when the patient's heart stopped beating. We can quarrel over when "MNF" lost its big-event luster and stranglehold on the consciousness of the American viewer.
Some will argue things were never the same after Cosell, a man who could make an offsides penalty sound like a world crisis, quit on his "MNF" colleagues. That theory cannot be dismissed. In reality, there are many reasons leading to the NFL's decision to make "MNF" a cable property and turn "Sunday Night Football," which debuts on NBC in 2006, into its marquee prime-time product.
When "MNF" was born in 1970, viewers had only the three major networks as viewing options. By the time Cosell left, before the 1984 season, cable TV was fragmenting the audience. Even with the competition, "MNF" was a fixture in Nielsen's top 10 for the past 15 years. Problem was the rights fee the NFL charged ABC for "MNF" made it impossible for the series to make any money.
And as the years passed, and ABC continued swimming in red "MNF" ink, it was clear network suits were struggling in an effort to make "MNF" feel important again. After Cosell split, ABC brought in seven different analysts to try to create a buzz, including comedian Dennis Miller in 2000.
Perhaps the cruelest irony in all this is that over the past 10 years or so, ABC got stuck holding a bag full of bad games. Going into each season, ABC's sked looked good on paper, but by the time NFL mediocrity infected the product, the broadcasters were calling games that were neither compelling nor competitive.
So it is fitting that tomorrow night the curtain comes down with Patriots-Jets, which back in August may have looked like an attractive matchup, but now could turn out to be the lowest-rated game in the history of "MNF."
The fact ABC's "MNF" lasted more than three decades clearly reflects the cockeyed nature of the sports TV business. Here you had a network paying the NFL major dough for the right to broadcast what ultimately became a junk schedule. And now, ESPN is willing to pay even more to take it over.
It should be interesting. The NFL has always been smart about controlling its exposure, but is now on its way to oversaturation. Viewers will have NBC's Sunday night package and, in all likelihood, the NFL will add a package of seven Thursday night games. And, of course, there is Fox and CBS Sunday regional offerings as well as the package of games offered on satellite TV.
By the time Monday rolls around will anyone be ready for some football?
Calculating Infinity
Both the Giants and Redskins, who met yesterday, could be in the market for new radio homes.
Each team is heard on stations owned by Infinity Broadcasting. Washington radio moles say Infinity brass, which owns WJFK-FM, the Skins' flagship station, has decided to end its relationship with the team. These spies say Redskins boss Daniel Snyder is already trying to purchase a few local D.C. radio stations to carry Skins games in 2006 and beyond.
Of course, this is all about money. Infinity Broadcasting boss Joel Hollander has vowed to slash rights fee payments to teams (Skins, Giants, Cowboys, Ravens) whose radio contracts expire after this season. Infinity already has said bye-bye to the Ravens.
As far as the Giants (heard on WFAN), well, negotiations are continuing. Hollander has a long-standing relationship with the Mara family and likely wants to hold onto Giants rights - at the right price.
Joe says no to Yes
Joe Torre was serious about not wanting to answer questions from Kimberly Jones on YES' postgame show. The Yankees manager not only protested to George Steinbrenner about having to answer inquiries planted with Jones by Yankee officials, he also put his money where his mouth is.
By deciding not to return to "The Joe Torre Report" on YES' postgame show, Torre gave up the hefty six-figure fee YES was paying him. Clearly the money was not worth the aggravation.
Beadle-mania!
YES not only picked up the option on Jones' contract last week it also reached a verbal agreement with Michelle Beadle, the host of "Ultimate Road Trip."
A YES spokesman said Beadle, who also works for College Sports Television, will have an expanded role on "URT" as well as making appearances on "Kids on Deck" and other YES programming.
Hair-raising flip flop
Man, that Johnny Damon Friday press conference can only be described as a vintage Al Yankzeera moment.
Watching Brian Cashman and Yankee prez Randy Levine step to the microphone and praise Damon only made me wonder how they characterized him in private moments when he was sticking it to the Yankees.
However, the most disingenuous part of this Phoney Fest, came when Al Yank's chief Minister of Propaganda, Michael Kay, engaged Damon in a suck-up session, er, interview. This is the same Kay who in 2004, on his ESPN-1050 show, expressed outrage over Damon daring to have long hair and a beard. Kay called Damon a "caveman" and constantly put the focus on Damon's appearance rather than his performance.
"Is this the type person you want representing your organization?" an indignant Kay asked in 2004. He ranted on, saying the Red Sox were encouraging "clubhouse chaos" by allowing Damon to wear his hair and beard the way he wanted to.
Of course, when you live in the controlled world of Al Yankzeera, freedom ain't a high priority.
And yeah, that "clubhouse chaos" sure had an adverse impact on the 2004 Red Sox. Things got so bad Damon and his teammates actually won the World Series.
Dude of the Week: The Jets
For prohibiting the sale of beer at tomorrow night's game against the Patriots. Rather than sit back and wait for something ugly to happen (all the ingredients are there, night game, holiday, etc.) Jets suits are engaging in their version of preventive medicine. Beyond that, when have you heard of any team doing something that will cut into its revenue? Any Jet fan who goes to tomorrow's tilt likely has plenty of reasons to drink. Fortunately, they won't be able to inside the stadium.
Dweeb of the Week: Dallas Mavericks
For fining guard Darrell Armstrong $1,000. His sin? Picking up the PA microphone before last Sunday's game against Minnesota and saying: "How 'bout those Redskins!" Armstrong, a big Skins fan, meant no harm. The cat was just happy after Washington trounced Dallas. He didn't realize his little celebration would offend coach Avery Johnson. And to think, this all happened in the land of free spirit Mark Cuban. Guess Cuban is not an advocate of free speech when it might tick off Cowboys fans.
Double Talk
What Isiah Thomas said: "I like that Larry (Brown) and I get the brunt of the criticism. I like that he and I more or less wear the black hat right now."
What Isiah Thomas meant to say: "Criticism? Please. The only media I tune into is the MSG Network. I never get ripped there."
Originally published on December 25, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/545-mondaynightfootball.JPG
Howard Cosell (from l.), Don Meredith and Frank Gifford made 'Monday Night Football' must-see TV.
The party's over
'MNF' ends ABC run with startling legacy
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/header_tuningin.gif
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/columnists/raissman_b.jpg
The greatest legacy ABC's "Monday Night Football" will leave is not a product of Howard Cosell or Don Meredith. Nor is it about Frank Gifford, Roone Arledge or Pete Rozelle.
When Al Michaels and John Madden preside at the funeral of ABC's "MNF" tomorrow night, as an audience of masochists suffers through Patriots-Jets, the greatest testimonial to "MNF," the second-longest running series in the history of TV, is this: The National Football League actually got ESPN to fork over $1.1 billion per year for eight years to purchase TV rights to "MNF" beginning in 2006.
To a television executive this is all that matters. All those sappy retrospectives make for nice reading and rekindle some fine memories, even if they do canonize some of the most miserable people in the business. And yet the fact that "MNF" is still worth an astronomical rights fee is the greatest tribute anyone can pay (and ESPN did, through the nose) to every man, woman and child who ever worked on the series.
The incredible monetary value attached to the series is even more impressive considering the institution that "MNF" once was has been dead for years. We can debate when the patient's heart stopped beating. We can quarrel over when "MNF" lost its big-event luster and stranglehold on the consciousness of the American viewer.
Some will argue things were never the same after Cosell, a man who could make an offsides penalty sound like a world crisis, quit on his "MNF" colleagues. That theory cannot be dismissed. In reality, there are many reasons leading to the NFL's decision to make "MNF" a cable property and turn "Sunday Night Football," which debuts on NBC in 2006, into its marquee prime-time product.
When "MNF" was born in 1970, viewers had only the three major networks as viewing options. By the time Cosell left, before the 1984 season, cable TV was fragmenting the audience. Even with the competition, "MNF" was a fixture in Nielsen's top 10 for the past 15 years. Problem was the rights fee the NFL charged ABC for "MNF" made it impossible for the series to make any money.
And as the years passed, and ABC continued swimming in red "MNF" ink, it was clear network suits were struggling in an effort to make "MNF" feel important again. After Cosell split, ABC brought in seven different analysts to try to create a buzz, including comedian Dennis Miller in 2000.
Perhaps the cruelest irony in all this is that over the past 10 years or so, ABC got stuck holding a bag full of bad games. Going into each season, ABC's sked looked good on paper, but by the time NFL mediocrity infected the product, the broadcasters were calling games that were neither compelling nor competitive.
So it is fitting that tomorrow night the curtain comes down with Patriots-Jets, which back in August may have looked like an attractive matchup, but now could turn out to be the lowest-rated game in the history of "MNF."
The fact ABC's "MNF" lasted more than three decades clearly reflects the cockeyed nature of the sports TV business. Here you had a network paying the NFL major dough for the right to broadcast what ultimately became a junk schedule. And now, ESPN is willing to pay even more to take it over.
It should be interesting. The NFL has always been smart about controlling its exposure, but is now on its way to oversaturation. Viewers will have NBC's Sunday night package and, in all likelihood, the NFL will add a package of seven Thursday night games. And, of course, there is Fox and CBS Sunday regional offerings as well as the package of games offered on satellite TV.
By the time Monday rolls around will anyone be ready for some football?
Calculating Infinity
Both the Giants and Redskins, who met yesterday, could be in the market for new radio homes.
Each team is heard on stations owned by Infinity Broadcasting. Washington radio moles say Infinity brass, which owns WJFK-FM, the Skins' flagship station, has decided to end its relationship with the team. These spies say Redskins boss Daniel Snyder is already trying to purchase a few local D.C. radio stations to carry Skins games in 2006 and beyond.
Of course, this is all about money. Infinity Broadcasting boss Joel Hollander has vowed to slash rights fee payments to teams (Skins, Giants, Cowboys, Ravens) whose radio contracts expire after this season. Infinity already has said bye-bye to the Ravens.
As far as the Giants (heard on WFAN), well, negotiations are continuing. Hollander has a long-standing relationship with the Mara family and likely wants to hold onto Giants rights - at the right price.
Joe says no to Yes
Joe Torre was serious about not wanting to answer questions from Kimberly Jones on YES' postgame show. The Yankees manager not only protested to George Steinbrenner about having to answer inquiries planted with Jones by Yankee officials, he also put his money where his mouth is.
By deciding not to return to "The Joe Torre Report" on YES' postgame show, Torre gave up the hefty six-figure fee YES was paying him. Clearly the money was not worth the aggravation.
Beadle-mania!
YES not only picked up the option on Jones' contract last week it also reached a verbal agreement with Michelle Beadle, the host of "Ultimate Road Trip."
A YES spokesman said Beadle, who also works for College Sports Television, will have an expanded role on "URT" as well as making appearances on "Kids on Deck" and other YES programming.
Hair-raising flip flop
Man, that Johnny Damon Friday press conference can only be described as a vintage Al Yankzeera moment.
Watching Brian Cashman and Yankee prez Randy Levine step to the microphone and praise Damon only made me wonder how they characterized him in private moments when he was sticking it to the Yankees.
However, the most disingenuous part of this Phoney Fest, came when Al Yank's chief Minister of Propaganda, Michael Kay, engaged Damon in a suck-up session, er, interview. This is the same Kay who in 2004, on his ESPN-1050 show, expressed outrage over Damon daring to have long hair and a beard. Kay called Damon a "caveman" and constantly put the focus on Damon's appearance rather than his performance.
"Is this the type person you want representing your organization?" an indignant Kay asked in 2004. He ranted on, saying the Red Sox were encouraging "clubhouse chaos" by allowing Damon to wear his hair and beard the way he wanted to.
Of course, when you live in the controlled world of Al Yankzeera, freedom ain't a high priority.
And yeah, that "clubhouse chaos" sure had an adverse impact on the 2004 Red Sox. Things got so bad Damon and his teammates actually won the World Series.
Dude of the Week: The Jets
For prohibiting the sale of beer at tomorrow night's game against the Patriots. Rather than sit back and wait for something ugly to happen (all the ingredients are there, night game, holiday, etc.) Jets suits are engaging in their version of preventive medicine. Beyond that, when have you heard of any team doing something that will cut into its revenue? Any Jet fan who goes to tomorrow's tilt likely has plenty of reasons to drink. Fortunately, they won't be able to inside the stadium.
Dweeb of the Week: Dallas Mavericks
For fining guard Darrell Armstrong $1,000. His sin? Picking up the PA microphone before last Sunday's game against Minnesota and saying: "How 'bout those Redskins!" Armstrong, a big Skins fan, meant no harm. The cat was just happy after Washington trounced Dallas. He didn't realize his little celebration would offend coach Avery Johnson. And to think, this all happened in the land of free spirit Mark Cuban. Guess Cuban is not an advocate of free speech when it might tick off Cowboys fans.
Double Talk
What Isiah Thomas said: "I like that Larry (Brown) and I get the brunt of the criticism. I like that he and I more or less wear the black hat right now."
What Isiah Thomas meant to say: "Criticism? Please. The only media I tune into is the MSG Network. I never get ripped there."
Originally published on December 25, 2005
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/545-mondaynightfootball.JPG
Howard Cosell (from l.), Don Meredith and Frank Gifford made 'Monday Night Football' must-see TV.