I enjoy people who are overly self-loathing. I find them funny but at a point it gets kind of depressing and I think we've reached that with Tony Kornheiser. He quit his longtime job at the Washington Post last month and now he's saying he's not good as a broadcaster on Monday Night Football and admits to not even liking Football.
In an interview with On The DL he had this to say....
"I'm not all that good at it. I'm not as good as I'd like to be at it. I'm really not. I don't really care that much about football. And I understand that there's a game going on. And I think what I'm best at, the kind of yodeling that I'm best at is in a little bit of a longer form than is allowed in a football booth. And there's three people in there and I'm the third guy and, you know, and all of those years having a radio show and all of those years writing a column I'm used to having the microphone pretty much all to myself. And, so, it might not be the best circumstance for me. I'd like to think I got better at it. But frankly, it may not be the best thing for me."Look, I for one can't stand Tony on the broadcast, but I think this goes into something deeper. If you don't even like Football you're cheating the fans listening to the game. This isn't any different than what I've been saying since he was hired, but him finally admitting it is really telling. I enjoy the guy's writing, radio, and PTI work but if he feels this way...it might be for the best for him to leave the booth. Especially with that attitude towards the game itself.
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He's also still really really being a downer these days. Someone get him a newspaper job stat, so we can get the old wily Kornheiser back.
Tony Kornheiser Has Hernia - Lands on DL (On The DL)
Tony Kornheiser Questions His Own Commitment To Monday Night Football (Deadspin)
Tony isn't the first analyst to hate the sport that they cover (see: Morgan, Joseph and Packer, William).
ReplyDelete"And I think what I'm best at, the kind of yodeling that I'm best at is in a little bit of a longer form than is allowed in a football booth."
ReplyDeleteNo you aren't Tony.
As a writer (and a nerd with a very geeky sense of humor), I actually kind of like some of the stuff. True, some of it is the annoying creating-a-storyline-when-there-really-isn't-one stuff, but that's not so much his fault as it is the networks quest for money, but when he has time to actually prepare something, such as his pregame intros, I've found it fairly eloquent - the writing, not so much the way he reads it. Also, I kind of like his nerdiness in the booth, though I wish he was still in there with Theissman. When they were together, didn't you ever feel that TK was a breath away from saying, "Hey Joe, remember that time LT tackled you?"
ReplyDelete"I don't really care that much for football." I'm glad he's come clean with this, but how long has he felt this way? Has he been picking up a check and just mailing in his broadcasts? And really, a sportswriter who doesn't like football? Seriously? How can you get burned out covering football? I should stop with all of these question marks now.
ReplyDeleteLebatard asked him a few weeks ago what one word does he feels describes his current state, leaving the post and everything else and MNF ald all?
ReplyDeletehe said "rich"
Every year of MNF is "I'm Back for More Cash."
I"m a big TK fan, but not so much of a fan of him on MNF.
ReplyDeleteBut, I agree with GMoney. Lots, and I mean LOTS of sportswriters hate sports. It's one of the things that makes being a sports fan so hard. It's also why I don't watch any of the ESPN shows where they just sit and yell and bitch. A lot of those guys really just hate sports and athletes.
"Tony Kornheiser Thinks He's Not Good For Monday Night Football"
ReplyDeletegood to see tony and i agree on something.
tk - when you leave, be sure to take tirico and jaws with you so mike patrick can have his gig back.
-dan
Mike "What is Britney doing with her life" Patrick? Yeah, that sounds great.
ReplyDeleteHe's been saying on his radio show for two years that he knows he's not good at it and that he doesn't want to do it, but if you're offered MNF, you have to take it.
ReplyDeleteAnd he's off the radio during football season too, so it sucks doubly.
He didn't 'quit', he accepted a buyout. That's a way for a newspaper to let you go without them looking bad because you've been there a long time. It means they don't want to pay you anymore, basically.
ReplyDeleteKinda off topic, but Mike and the Maddog about 30 minutes ago said that the NFL Network PBP position is down to Tom Hammond or Spero Dedes. I only remember Dedes from a few NJ Nets games he called 4-5 years ago as Ian Eagle's backup.
ReplyDeleteProblem with Kornheiser is that he's too self-centered and wants to hog the limelight. Case in point his harping on and on about the hernia. He sounds like he's the first guy to have that operation. Get on with it!
ReplyDeletePTI is my favorite sports talking heads show but because of Michael Wilbon not Kornheiser.
If people think the hernia whining is back, you should have been around when he sprained his wrist falling in the parking lot of the Post.
ReplyDeleteI just love this. I hope he leaves PTI too because I can't stand that man.
ReplyDeleteI love it too. If it greases the skids towards his exit, MNF is all the better for it.
ReplyDeleteIs Jaws playing Laser Tag there?
ReplyDeleteHey Tony Kornholio, don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.
ReplyDeleteLet me help you....Tony SUCKS in the booth period!
ReplyDelete