Although the decision to move Monday Night Football to ESPN last year was a big success as far as the ratings were concerned, one thing ESPN did infuriated fans week after week: Celebrity interviews. If Tony Kornheiser considers talking about Christian Slater's acting career more interesting than talking about an NFL game that's going on right in front of him, he's entitled to that opinion. But if he has that opinion, he should probably find another line of work.
There's good news and bad news on that front from Michael Hiestand of USA Today: The Monday Night Football celebrity interviews aren't going anywhere, but D-listers like Slater won't be back.
ESPN says it will still have celebs drop by the booth -Oprah Winfrey has a standing invite - but now will sometimes go without if it can't land good ones.
I think it's fair to say that most hard-core NFL fans wouldn't consider Oprah Winfrey a "good one," but ESPN knows that hard-core NFL fans will watch Monday Night Football anyway. ESPN wants to build its audience by attracting people who wouldn't normally watch. And given her incredible popularity among a demographic not known for watching football, getting Oprah in the booth would certainly do that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
8-12-2007 @ 8:47AM
Barb said...
Give me a break. If I wanted to see Oprah I'd watch afternoon TV. And yes im a woman. I think cleaning toilets would be more interesting than watching Oprah.
ESPN needs to concentrate on getting some good announcers in all their sports shows. Get rid of Kornheiser, Joe Morgan, Some of the fools on NASCAR that don't know a fuel pump from a tail pipe and that means all the women and some of the men that are trying to make up think they know what they are talking about. Get rid of Walton in Basketball while they are at it. With a little more time I could name a dozen more.
For a family that use to watch ESPN 24/7 we only switch to it on rare occasions. It's a shame, they took a good station and totally screwed it up.
While they are at it both ESPN and AOL needs to add another option to all their polls and it should be
YES
NO
WHO GIVES A RATS ASS.
Just my opinion
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8-12-2007 @ 8:55AM
Dorothy said...
NO, NO, NO, PLEASE NO.
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8-12-2007 @ 9:42AM
mike said...
Give me a break, I will personally chop up my satelite dish with an ax.
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8-12-2007 @ 10:08AM
Martin said...
What a great idea. And instead of showing football highlights at half time, maybe they can just show highlights from The View.
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8-12-2007 @ 10:21AM
chuckie said...
Another step on the slippery slope of feminizing our sports viewing. MNF has never been for hard-core fans....it's an event wrapped around a football game.
I'd expect this from ABC but not ESPN, even though they are now one and the same. Shame on them.
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8-12-2007 @ 10:30AM
Jim Tracht said...
You can put Paul Page of NHRA on the list of people that ESPN has that don't know what he talks about in drag racing. I used to watch Monday night football every week. Then they hired the comedian that didn't know football & I quit watching. Have tried several times since. Leave football to football people. Watch Sunday's games. Enough said.
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8-12-2007 @ 11:44AM
Pete Pan said...
I like the current team. I think it would be a shame to break it up just to win a popularity contest. I am not sure what kink of colr Oprah would add to the game of football.
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8-12-2007 @ 11:35AM
Jack said...
Oprah?????? WHY? WHY? WHY?
How 'bout Will Ferrel, he is a great anchorman!
and this is HILARIOUS!!!
http://www.fakebuddy.com/
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8-12-2007 @ 7:12PM
Dave Anderson said...
PLEASE NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!! I will stop watching.
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8-12-2007 @ 12:01PM
k_cruse said...
Get in the kitchen and bake me a pie woman. MNF is on. Oh, and bring me a beer.
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8-12-2007 @ 12:24PM
SportSnipe.com said...
This is absolutely rediculous. Are the ratings that bad that they need to bring Oprah in to help out?? Who in their right mind would want to listen to Oprah talk during a football game?!? At least bring in someone like Will Ferrell, that's a much better idea.
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8-13-2007 @ 6:30PM
Pigskin28 said...
Great facting post Barb...Could not have put it better myself!
I would not mind seeing Oprah and others of her ilk in the booth for a brief chat on matters surrounding the game and league. But keep the cameras on the game.
None of these uninteresting people and enough on the topics not pertaining to football.
Football mi9s already the King, stop trying to outdo yourselves and let the game do it's magic....Americans love it....and if it's gonna grow, it won't be celebrities to do the joib, but the players on the field!!
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8-12-2007 @ 1:27PM
sammysawbuck said...
Oprah and other guests will bring viewers? Maybe, but it'll also push away the usual loyal viewers! I, for one, am SICK of the bullshoot "stars".
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8-12-2007 @ 3:34PM
The U is Dead said...
Why not put fat ass loudmouth Rosie O'Donnell in the booth with her....
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8-12-2007 @ 3:39PM
DangerouslyPsycho said...
This is all a part of the sissyfication of AMERICA. Let's bring in Oprah so we can reach the 40-85 yr old woman bracket.
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8-12-2007 @ 4:38PM
Froggy69 said...
Who is Oprah Winfrey??
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8-12-2007 @ 8:09PM
Ghost Chili said...
terrible idea. I might actually stop watching if they did this.
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8-12-2007 @ 9:42PM
eric said...
i hate to say this but i think i would actualy want irving. what the hell is wrong with espn next it will be roise odaonald
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8-12-2007 @ 11:32PM
RustyShackleford said...
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
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8-13-2007 @ 12:03AM
Kevin said...
Are you f...ing kidding me? It's bad enough that I have to endure Pam Ward do the play-by-play for college games every Saturday. It's bad enough that I have to try to understand Stuart Scott's Eubonics. It's bad enough that ESPN has made evry attempt possible to completely feminize sports already. It's bad enough that half the people on ESPN don't know what their talking about already and they only have a job because they were ex-ball players.
PLEASE, let there be something left in the world for guys to enjoy as guys and put an end to this NONSENSE.
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