Yes, we've played this game before, but Tony Kornheiser makes it so darn fun. And easy. As soon as I saw the New England Patriots on the schedule for Monday night this week, I was sure Kornheiser would spend most of the night rambling on about Tom Brady, despite the fact Brady wouldn't be playing in the game (he's too busy getting married, or something). Anyway, the object of last night's game was to count how many times everyone's least favorite Monday night commentator mentioned Tom Brady (the guy not playing) by name, as opposed to Matt Cassel (the guy playing). The results were staggering, but not surprising. The final count: Tom Brady: 22, Matt Cassel: 9
Before the opening kickoff the score was already 5-1 in favor of Brady.
On a night where Cassel completed 75% of his passes and threw three touchdowns, helping lead the Patriots to a 41-point performance on offense, Kornheiser, one of the guys announcing the game, referenced him by name nine times. He referenced a guy not playing 22 times. That's incredible, and completely predictable.
I understand the importance of Tom Brady's injury to the Patriots and the NFL. He's the best player in the league, and if he's not, he's on the short list of guys who might be ... but he's not playing right now! I can assure you the Patriots and Broncos fans tuning into last night's game weren't tuning in to hear about Tom Brady; they were tuning in to see the guys actually playing on the field. Naturally, it might make sense to, you know, talk about them. The people tuning in last night who weren't Patriots or Broncos fans were watching because it was the only football game on TV. They would have been watching whether it was Tom Brady or Bubby Brister lining up under center for the Patriots.
Kornheiser's references ranged from, "If Tom Brady were in the lineup, those sack numbers would be cut in half," to "We know Matt Cassel isn't Tom Brady." Gee. Ya think? On the rare occasions that he actually mentioned Cassel by name, he would quickly mention Brady in the same sentence.
On the plus side, we were subjected to Toyota's "Saved By Zero" commercial only four times. So, that's something.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-21-2008 @ 2:38PM
J said...
Let me take this opportunity to say that Tony Cornheiser is horribly annoying!!! He so doesn't belong on TV! I used to love ESPN's coverage of football. I don't know what they were thinking hiring him for this job. ESPN, please get rid of him and hire someone with a better voice who has something valuable to say! Thanks.
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10-21-2008 @ 12:01PM
Bruce Ciskie said...
It's almost satirical at this point...as if Tony is trying to generate this exact reaction.
He's too smart to think we really care THAT much about Tom Brady...or Brett Favre for that matter.
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10-21-2008 @ 12:02PM
MikeL said...
I've e-mailed the Network about this idiot. Please get rid of him. He brings NOTHING to the table and is just plain obnoxious.
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10-21-2008 @ 12:09PM
DaveB said...
Does anybody like the guy? No one I know does...
10-21-2008 @ 2:51PM
Henderson said...
Right on! Tony has to go. He talks about Brady and Brady isn't even on the field. Would rather hear about the game
10-21-2008 @ 12:06PM
Jan said...
I am so sick of Tony Kornheiser's comments, I have to watch on mute. Now folks, that is pretty bad. After he had said the words "Tom Brady" about one hundred times, I went to other channels who have no agenda. Is Tony going to be the best man or something?
I think ESPN should take a long look at this trio who are not a matchup anyways and find other people. MNF has been totally ruined for me by that gasbag Tony who acts like God and wants to monopolize the talk.
Jan in Beaver, Utah
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10-21-2008 @ 12:08PM
James Turnage said...
I personally think Cornheiser has no business on MNF. He is the 2008 equivilent of Dennis Miller, but not as funny. Being a long time NFL fan, (as in when players played both offense and defense), I shudder when he opens his mouth to display his lack of knowledge of the game. When he continues to talk about Brady, I cringe. I guess he didn't watch the last Superbowl. When Brady was pressured, it was obvious he is among the best in the league, but not above the others.
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10-21-2008 @ 12:11PM
Wendell Verret said...
This was the greatest article, ever!
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10-21-2008 @ 12:15PM
Michael said...
If ESPN won't dump Kornheiser--and the rest of the MNF team to boot--then we should boycott Monday Night Football. Kornheiser is poorly prepared every week; that's why he has to keep repeating the same three observations over and over. He has nothing else to offer. And his chatter often has nothing to do with the game on the field. It's as though the announcers feel grudging obliged to interrupt their conversation to acknowledge that something just happened in the game.
Until ESPN figures out that we don't watch MNF to hear the announcers ramble on and on, and we CERTAINLY don't watch MNF to endure more of Kornheiser's incompetence, then we should just tune out. When the viewership drops, we'll get new announcers in a hurry.
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10-21-2008 @ 12:34PM
Tony said...
Listening to Cornheiser is like listening to someone with long fingernails scratch a blackboard! He's obviously trying to be Howard Cosell. His over dramatizations and ridiculous analysis ruins what should be a just a fun game! Wise up ESPN all you need is two guys! Please make MNF fun again!
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10-22-2008 @ 10:39AM
Crankitup said...
This guy is very annoying and to hog everything and wont let the other commentators talk. Sometime he talks himself out of his you now what. He is not that funny and his football knowledge is zero.
Replace him and thanks this article for bringing it up, its about time.
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10-21-2008 @ 1:03PM
Dan said...
Is this more or less annoying than mentions of Favre during Green Bay games?
I find the Favre references much more annoying because they KNOW it's annoying and frequently bring up the point that it's annoying while doing it.
"Wouldn't I be a complete prick for making a feigned-sarcastic Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers comparison right now? A comment like...."
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10-21-2008 @ 1:18PM
Rob said...
Kornheiser is great. By the way, he is a color commentator, not the play-by-play guy. It's his job to talk about stuff like Tom Brady.
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10-21-2008 @ 1:27PM
NotTony said...
Impressive how you avoided slipping into the first person "Rob."
10-21-2008 @ 2:23PM
Lenny said...
"they give me a headache" that monday nite trio never shuts up for one minute
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10-21-2008 @ 3:54PM
Nathan said...
saved by zero... saved by zero... saved by zero...
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10-21-2008 @ 2:53PM
J said...
Glad to know I'm not the only one. He sounds like a child learning to play the violin. Or that crow on the wires next to my house in the morning that just won't shut up! I've emailed ESPN about him too. No response. There are too many other interesting and qualified people out there for them to keep this idiot! I hope everyone emails ESPN and tells them to rid the world of football of him.
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10-21-2008 @ 3:49PM
D said...
you guys are too harsh. Are you looking at the game or are checking tony out.. I can't tell!!
What other commentary do you need on the show? Do you need somebody funnier so that you can enjoy football?
Tony is a guy they hire have an opinion and not be friend to every player. His job is to say stuff to get a reaction.
PTI is one of the best shows on ESPN right now and all their other shows try to copy aspects of it.
YOu all need to chill and enjoy the game...I"ve never tunned in for who was talking only for the game. who gives a F if its Korn or Miller... seriously
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10-22-2008 @ 10:33AM
Mark said...
Regarding Tony, The mute button works for me!
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10-22-2008 @ 10:34AM
nick said...
i can't watch MNF because i work every single Monday night until 12M. i get a chance to listen to a game for about one segment per MNF, and while i can't vouch for how annoying Kornheiser is during the games, i can say that THREE'S A CROWD. Three people in one booth must get really tiresome for the announcers, and especially for the viewers.
but if the names tom brady and brett favre don't get mentioned again all year, i'm fine with that. at least when they're not playing.
also, I love PTI. Tony and Wilbon make a good duo for that show. so i like tony on PTI.
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