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ABC expects big things with its revamped team, which features high-profile hire John Madden.
By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2002
Put away your thesaurus and dictionary of cultural references. All you need to know for Monday Night Football this season is boom! bap! or wham! -- the sounds two football players make when they slam into each other.
Other than that, football on Monday nights should be a little easier to follow in 2003. Cerebral Dennis Miller is out; celebrated John Madden is in as Monday Night Football begins its 33rd year with tonight's Hall of Fame Game.
"It's pretty amazing for me to think that John Madden is now on Monday Night Football," said Al Michaels, the enduring play-by-play voice of MNF's ever-changing landscape.
While Eric Dickerson and Dan Fouts are gone as well from last year's announcing team, the focus has been the swap of Miller for Madden in the latest effort by ABC to revive its slumping ratings.
The biggest name in the football announcing, Madden bolted from Fox, which was going to separate him from 21-year partner Pat Summerall, for a reported four-year, $20-million deal with ABC.
In snagging Madden to pair with Michaels, ABC has formed a dream team two-man booth, as opposed to the three-man booths fans are familiar with. Madden's goofy charm and football knowledge make him one of the most popular analysts; Michaels is considered by many to be the best in the business.
"When you have John Madden and Al Michaels, I think you have everything you need to have the finest NFL broadcast there is," MNF producer Fred Gaudelli said. "And we didn't want to, you know, alter that chemistry whatsoever. So we just decided it was best just to go with those two."
Though Miller has been buried with blame for last year's sagging ratings -- a spate of bad games also contributed -- Madden is expected to revive MNF and is excited about the challenge.
"(When I coached) you wanted to play on Monday Night," Madden said. "I know that from having been there. And then when you go into broadcasting, I think that's the same thing, that somewhere in your broadcasting career if you are going to be fulfilled, you want to be a part of Monday Night Football. And I'm just really proud and happy that the opportunity came."
ABC Sports president Howard Katz expects ratings to go up, which would be the first increase since 1994. According to Nielsen Media Research, in the past eight years, MNF has lost more than 6-million viewers and watched ratings decrease every year from a 17.8 share in 1994 to 11.5 in 2001 (with each point representing 1.05-million viewers).
Tonight's MNF exhibition will be just that for Michaels and Madden. Both rejected the idea of getting in a practice game in the studio, confident enough in each other's abilities to call their first game live and in prime time.
"I have all the respect in the world for Al Michaels, and I don't think it will take any time," Madden said. "You know, Fred asked if we wanted to do a practice thing, and I said, 'For what?' I don't think it will take any time. He's a consummate professional, and I'm a consummate bumbler. I'll bumble around, and he'll consummate the deal."
For Michaels, breaking in a new partner is nothing new. But he expects a smooth transition.
"Within four or five plays on Monday," Michaels said, "it will feel like we've been together for years."
-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.