Okay, Let me get this straight...
Monday Night Football (hereafter known as "MNF" in this Braindropping) needs a ratings boost. They want to recapture the magic of their Golden Era, with characters like Don Meredith and Howard Cosell grating on each others' nerves to the amusement of all who tuned in.

So they bring in Dennis Miller.

Now, let me pause to explain that this is not a criticism of Dennis Miller. This is a criticism of the idea that one person can turn a broadcast of a football game into something more than a broadcast of a football game.

Dumb.

Sure, Miller has been more entertaining than Boomer Esiason, whom he replaced. His pop-reference-slinging, smarter-than-the-average-football-commentator schtick has played well with fans, and his cohorts in the booth seem to realize that his comedic banter allows for a more fun broadcast, and enables them to focus on the "serious" football commentary.

Also, to his credit, his lack of football experience has been a non-issue. He brings a football fan's perspective to a role commonly filled with football "experts." He has shown a willingness to do his homework prior to the broadcast, thereby allowing him to raise pertinent points about the game and the players. Perhaps most important, he has been able to keep the broadcast moving along by throwing Dan Fouts the "ask the former quarterback what it's REALLY like out there" bone on occasion. For these qualities alone, Miller has shown that he deserves his position in the booth.

Miller's critics, however, point out that MNF's ratings are still not what they once were. They also like to complain that his humor doesn't appeal to the "average" football fan. Over the past year, these complaints have all but died out, but the fact remains that MNF's ratings are still nowhere near those of their 70's heyday.

Does this mean that the Dennis Miller experiment went awry? Not by a long shot. By bringing in fresh talent, MNF has positioned itself to continue well into the 21st century. It just has to realize that the talent in the booth isn't what convinces fans to spend three hours of their lives watching their show.

That would be the talent on the field - but that's a topic for another day.

Back to my Homepage.