source

January 30, 2006 -- With Al Michael's future on Monday Night Football in doubt, ESPN is strongly considering putting talk show host/columnist Tony Kornheiser on its telecast next year, The Post has learned.

While ESPN is expected to decide after the Super Bowl if it will force Michaels to honor the eight-year $32 million contract he signed this summer, sources say the network has devised a Plan B around Kornheiser.

If the network allows Michaels out of his contract then the new team is expected to be led by Mike Tirico. Tirico will be joined by Joe Theismann and Kornheiser, if Kornheiser agrees to ESPN's offer that is believed to be for around $1 million.

The addition of Kornheiser, who writes for the Washington Post, would be a radical move in the same vein as when Dennis Miller was named to the Monday Night booth.

ESPN executives, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, recently met with Kornheiser about accepting the role. If Kornheiser takes the offer then he is expected to continue to co-host Pardon the Interruption.

In fact, the show would be aired live from the Monday Night site each week.

Efforts to reach ESPN executives and Kornheiser were unsuccessful.

About the only silver lining I can think of is, it's not Michael Wilbon.

i can't see this working. i like that "mnf" is moving to espn, but a tirico-led broadcast would be a disaster.

The thing is I can't imagine Kornheiser being a good sports announcer. I think that he should just stick to his column and his 5 day a week yelling contest with Wilbon.

Seriously though, Kornheiser is way too opinionated to be a decent announcer - at least when Madden was opinionated he could make it sound funny.

Yeah, they tried this once already, it was called "Dennis Miller"

(see this is funny, cos its like in the style of Dennis Miller)HAHAHAHHAHA

sweet, i'm fina ta get me some work

At least they're not talking about putting Berman in the booth.

Or worse...Stu Scott. ( shudder )

Exactly. It's Dennis Miller with more sports knowledge. Stick to what you're good at, Tony!

i don't get it do people not like Al Michaels or does he want out?

I'd rather they get Jason Alexander, who portrayed a sitcomized version of Kornheiser, but only if he's in full Costanza mode.

I think it's his call and he wants to stay on the networks doing Sunday night football.

Michaels thinks he's too good for cable. Fucker forgot he would still be a nobody if it wasn't for Chuck Barris, so perhaps he should quit looking down his nose at what he considers to be beneath him.

i like Al Michaels.
i really hope that Theisman gets kicked off of TV.

yeah, I think Al Michaels is better than most of the guys out there.

Tirico is the pits on football and squeals like a little girl. Theeseman never shuts up. Instead of Kornheiser why not just go with the Quite Frankly host for the ultimate scream team and the worst booth since Namath and The Juice.

i think espn is smart enough to keep stephen a smith away from anything that people actually want to enjoy listening.

even with the expected booth next year, i may have to resort to muting the tv and listening to the radio broadcasts.

Jack Buck was awesome on the radio broadcasts. Too bad he is deceased.

I think Kornheiser would be good. The rest of that team is terrible, though. Tirico sucks, and Theisman is broadcast booth cancer.

i heard the argument on sports radio that people don't watch Monday Night Football or Sunday NIght Football for the announcers, they watch for the good games. And although that's true of good games, i will NOT watch marginal games because Theisman is so horrble.

there is never ever a reason for more than two people in the booth, and sideline reporters need to be banned from talking.