There’s No Blitz of Humor by Miller

Dennis Miller and his new “Monday Night Football” partners appeared together in public for the first time Sunday in Pasadena, and no one could accuse Miller of grandstanding or trying to steal the show. If anything, he was subdued. No ranting.

Actually, Dan Fouts and Al Michaels got off the best lines.

About the only thing that made Miller stand out was everyone else on the featured panel was wearing a jacket. Miller showed up in a denim shirt and jeans.

The occasion was an ABC Sports session during the Television Critics Assn. Tour at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. For three weeks, television writers from throughout the country preview dramatic shows and sitcoms, and interview the stars of these shows.

Many of these writers seemed somewhat unsure where they film “Monday Night Football,” or what the basic premise of the show is. All they know is that ABC has put a comedian in the broadcast booth.

“This question is for any member of the cast,” was how the question-and-answer session started.

Then came: “Dan, you were very good in that Miller Lite commercial. Have you had any acting offers?”

Well, no. But about that commercial he did with Ken Stabler, Fouts said, “You know, I wanted to do it in one or two takes and get out of there until Stabler came up with the idea that if it took 10 or 12 takes we could get a pretty good buzz going.”

Then came this from Michaels: “I called Las Vegas this morning, and the odds of Dan getting the first question here were 1,000 to 1.”

When the questioning was finally directed at Miller, he said, “I’m not going to be the court jester. I’m going to talk about football, although I’ll instill some humor along the way.”

Miller, the former “Saturday Night Live” regular and host of his own HBO comedy show, got his first laugh when producer Don Ohlmeyer was asked why he took sideline reporter Lesley Visser off the show.

“You’re controversial,” Miller interjected.

Ohlmeyer said he had nothing against Visser, he was just trying to make the show better.

“We’re not trying to recreate the ‘Monday Night Football’ of 25 years ago, we’re trying to create a show of the future,” he said.

Ohlmeyer was the moderator on a panel that included, besides Michaels, Fouts and Miller, new sideline reporters Eric Dickerson and Melissa Stark.

Sunday’s session opened with an ABC executive doing a slide presentation that showed “Monday Night Football” has maintained its place as one of the top-rated shows on prime-time television.

So, if it’s not broken, why fix it?

“We’re trying to make it better,” Ohlmeyer said.

One of the questions regarding Miller in his “Monday Night Football” role is will he give irreverent commentary or actually analyze the games. “Listen, it’s football,” he said. “It’s not like I’m on the Medical Channel with [noted heart surgeon] Dr. Denton Cooley. I watch football as much as anybody.”

Wonder how many Monday night viewers would know who Dr. Denton Cooley is?

Thus, the fear Miller may be too hip for his audience.

“I don’t view myself as hip,” he said. “I refer to the Jetsons.”

Miller was asked what he thought of the late Howard Cosell, a controversial figure in “Monday Night Football” broadcasts in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I found him riveting, I found him such an alternatingly loudish individual,” he said. “I was always amazed at how someone so narcissistic could also get to the essence of human sensitivity.”

Miller and Fouts were hired as commentators last month after Boomer Esiason--Michaels’ partner in the broadcast booth last year--was fired after two seasons.

Miller’s hiring was a surprise. Among those being considered was controversial talk show host Rush Limbaugh, but once a mutual interest between Miller and Ohlmeyer was shown, the comedian’s hiring happened rather quickly.

“What people don’t know is we found Howard [Cosell] at the Comedy Store,” Ohlmeyer said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Monday Night Football Announcers Through the Years

*--*

YEARS PLAY BY PLAY ANALYSTS 1970 Keith Jackson Howard Cosell Don Meredith 1971-73 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Don Meredith 1974-76 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Alex Karras 1977-78 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Don Meredith 1979-82 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Don Meredith Fran Tarkenton 1983-84 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Don Meredith O.J. Simpson 1985 Frank Gifford Howard Cosell Joe Namath O.J. Simpson 1986 Al Michaels Frank Gifford 1987-97 Al Michaels Frank Gifford Dan Dierdorf 1998-99 Al Michaels Boomer Esiason 2000 Al Michaels Dan Fouts Dennis Miller

*--*