| | ESPN.com news services
NEW YORK -- Dan Fouts and Dennis Miller will join
play-by-play announcer Al Michaels as analysts in ABC's NFL Monday Night Football
broadcast booth, and Melissa Stark and Eric Dickerson will be the sideline
reporters for the popular program, producer Don Ohlmeyer
announced Thursday.
"Our goal is to provide a more enjoyable program for the viewers,
and this combination of talent is the start," said Ohlmeyer. "We have a lot
of work to do, since these people have not worked together previously, and
that effort begins tomorrow.
|  | | Dennis Miller, second from left, is known for his humor and biting wit on "Saturday Night Live" and "HBO's Dennis Miller Live." |
"What we want to accomplish is to have a team with distinctive
voices, distinctive personalities and distinctive points of view."
Fouts, a Hall of Fame quarterback who starred for the San Diego Chargers, has been working as an NFL analyst for years. But Miller is a surprise selection, having gained fame as a comedian first on Saturday Night Live and most recently as an off-beat late-night talk-show host on HBO.
"Al is the best play-by-play announcer in the business," Ohlmeyer said of the new team. "He has an
extraordinary ability to communicate with the viewer and is the engine that
drives the MNF telecast.
"Dan is a proven professional whose broadcasting skills, in my
opinion, will be appreciated on a broader stage. The chemistry between Al
and Dan in our workout sessions elevated each of their performances, and I
could sense the excitement both felt in working together.
"Both Al and I were amazed at the breadth and depth of Dennis'
knowledge of football, especially for someone who 'never played the game.' I
know he will bring a different and unique perspective to our telecast.
Miller, who will continue host HBO's Dennis Miller Live,
has won five Emmy Awards for his biting social commentary laced with humor
during his seven years on that show. He was a member of the Saturday Night
Live cast from 1985 to 1991, during which he anchored the coveted Weekend
Update segment on the show.
Fouts, an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and a former All-Pro with
the San Diego Chargers, has been a college football analyst on ABC Sports
since 1997. He has also served as a reporter for ABC's coverage of Super
Bowl XXX1V and the Pro Bowl. Prior to joining ABC, he worked as an NFL
analyst for CBS Sports from 1988 to 1993 and for three years as a sports
anchor for KPIX-TV in San Francisco.
Dickerson, a Hall of Fame running back, and Stark replace Lesley Visser as the Monday Night
Football sideline presence. Visser held the position for two seasons.
"Although Eric is in the Hall of Fame, he's not that far removed
from playing the game," Ohlmeyer said. "In fact, he's played with and against many players
still active in the NFL. Eric has never been afraid to express his opinions,
and will provide a distinct edge in his role on our telecasts.
"I've watched Melissa's growth as a reporter and interviewer on ESPN
for years. She has impressed me as an accomplished, knowledgable and
unflappable reporter and interviewer. I have no doubt Melissa will be a real
asset to Monday Night Football."
Changes in Monday Night Football began in March, when
analyst Boomer Esiason was fired and Ohlmeyer, the show's
producer in the 1970s, was brought back. Ohlmeyer vowed at the time to get viewers talking about the show
the way they did when Howard Cosell and Don Meredith were on ABC's
NFL team.
In looking for Esiason's replacement, Ohlmeyer considered people
with and without experience in the booth, including bombastic talk
show host Rush Limbaugh.
Jimmy Johnson, who retired as the Miami Dolphins' coach, and
Bill Parcells, who stayed in the New York Jets' front office after
quitting coaching, pulled themselves out of the running. So Miller was the leader at the end of the race.
The ratings for Monday Night Football have slumped each of
the past five seasons, from an average of 17.8 with a booth of Michaels, Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford in 1994, to last season's
record-low for the program of 13.7 with Michaels and Esiason.
Michaels, one of television's most respected journalists, has
been the play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football since 1986 and is
widely acclaimed for his knowledgable and insightful reporting. He has
earned many accolades, including three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports
Personality and three National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association
Awards.
Stark has been a reporter with ESPN since 1996. Among her
many duties at ESPN, she has been a regular on Sunday NFL Countdown and
Monday Night Countdown and SportsCenter. She has also contributed
features and interviews for ESPN's coverage of the NBA and Major League
Baseball playoffs, and the U.S. Open. In addition, she has anchored ESPNEWS and provided features for Outside the Lines.
Dickerson, who was inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999,
was selected NFL All-Pro six times in his 11-year playing career for the
Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams.
Monday Night Football, which will begin its 31st season on Sept. 4
(Denver at St. Louis), is the longest-running, most successful primetime
sports series in television history.
Howard Katz, president of ABC Sports, said: "Don has put together an
announce team that blends experience, insight, humor and candor and brings a
new perspective to the telecast. He and his new production team have been
working tirelessly to create a more enjoyable presentation of Monday Night
Football for our viewers. I couldn't be more excited about the creative
direction he is going." | |
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ABC Sports president Howard Katz on why Dennis Miller was chosen.
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Howard Katz explains what Dennis Miller will add to the MNF booth.
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