Theismann's starting to piss me off ...

[Dodoubled]

As a guy who grew up long ago as a Redskin fan during his heydey (and, after 20 years in Philly has joined up with the hometown ranks), it pains me to say it. But god damn, what a gigantic ego he has in the MNF booth. He's paired with two guys, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico, who, granted, don't have the football pedigree he does. But just about every single time either Kornheiser or Tirico makes a comment, Theismann is there to dispute it. For instance, a defensive end on Minnesota just made a great play to swat away a Mark Brunell dump-off, and Kornheiser jokingly made a comment about how the tackle "had to get seven feet in the air to make that play. And 'Man, what gigantic mitts the guy has.' " And Theismann responds with, "but you don't have to be seven feet tall to make that play. We were talking about that earlier."
Needless to say, awkward silence followed.
I mean, why don't you just come out and say it, Joe? "I played football, you guys didn't, so shut the fuck up because you don't know what you're talking about."
By the way, Tirico made some comment minutes before that also led to an awkward silence, but I can't remember what it was in reference to.
I know Theismann WAS one of the better quarterbacks of the first half of the 1980s. But he's consistently been rated as one of the worst football announcers on TV. Meanwhile, Kornheiser -- a writer at heart -- has developed a highly rated show on ESPN over the past few years. And Tirico, who's admittedly had his own internal issues in the past with ESPN (read Mike Freeman's book, ESPN: The Untold Story), has been one of the network's most versatile and familiar faces in the past 20 years. So maybe, just maybe, those two guys might know a little something about being on the air -- and on the record.
I have very little real life broadcasting experience (a bunch in college). But one thing I do know is this: no matter how much you may disagree with, or even hate, the guy next to you, NEVER, EVER undermine him when you're on the air, even if he says something so asinine it takes every ounce of strength in your body not to say something insulting. It just makes you look like an intolerable prick. Sure, there's a time and a place for it, but not on Monday Night Football. Not when I'm watching a game.
(It's funny, you know? You'll see Kornheiser and Wilbon get beet red arguing with each other on PTI, but you'll NEVER, EVER see them undermine the intelligence of the other. Jokingly call them fools, sure, but the level of respect is crystal clear.)
Fuck it. I'm going to play poker.

P.S. - In the last MINUTE of this game (19-16 Vikings win), I've heard Theismann undermine Kornheiser THREE MORE TIMES. What a fucking douchebag.