New Monday night crew

[RamWraith]

ESPN.com

Monday Night Football will have a new broadcast team when it debuts on ESPN in 2006.

Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be part of a three-man booth calling the games on Monday nights next season and Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya will be sideline reporters. Kolber and Tafoya both reported from the sidelines for ABC during Super Bowl XL.

"I'm just thrilled to be the next person to take the greatest franchise in television sports history forward," Tirico said on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning.

Also, ESPN announced that Mike Breen will be its new lead NBA play-by-play announcer, teaming with analyst Hubie Brown for ABC telecasts beginning Feb. 12 and including the NBA Finals.

"This Monday Night Football team enthusiastically embraces our vision for sports television's signature series. We will propel MNF into a 21st century, all-day, exclusive, multi-media event that will engage fans in entirely new ways. This team will develop great chemistry," ESPN Executive Vice President John Skipper said.

"Mike Breen is widely respected for his depth of NBA knowledge and his consummate play-by-play skill. We are very excited to provide such a spectacular forum as the NBA Finals to showcase his talents."

In addition, Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will take Pardon The Interruption on the road on Mondays during the football season. The shows will air from the site of ESPN's Monday Night Football games.

"We look to the future with great enthusiasm and a strong commitment to enhance the presentation of the NFL and the NBA, two of our most important sports properties," ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said.

Al Michaels, the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football on ABC from 1986 through Sunday's Super Bowl in Detroit, will not return to either broadcast.

[Truth]

Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser will be part of a three-man booth calling the games on Monday nights next season...

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!! COUGH, CHOKE, SPIT IN DISGUST!!!!!!!:down:

[ramsbruce]

I'm interested to hear Kornheiser, I don't mind him on PTI but MNF is different. Tirico deserves some time, and Theismann should retire.

[r8rh8rmike]

I too am looking forward to see what Kornheiser can do in a booth. Hopefully he will belittle Theismann and keep him in check like Paul McGuire did.

Also good to see Kornheiser and Wilbon both still on PTI.

[Hodgins]

kornheiser's awesomeness should cancel out theismans retardedness

[cowboyhater]

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!! COUGH, CHOKE, SPIT IN DISGUST!!!!!!!

There is a simple answer to this:

RADIO.

[rawkhrdr]

IMO, this trio is probably the worst they could come up with. Tirico is horrible, Theisman is boring, and I cannot stand Kornhiser...he is just ick...

[ramsbruce]

I cannot stand Kornhiser...he is just ick...

Have you ever heard him call a football game?

[SFCRamFan]

I don't mind Tirico. Thiesmann (actually pronounced Theesman all his life until he thought that he might win a Hiesman, so he changed it in hope that the rhyme might sway voters) is an arrogant @$$. Mr. Tony will be alright, even with his liberal slant (and gives his own time at lasting under two years) and may berate Joe into submission, .

[MoonJoe]

I thought it was Thighsman because they broke it! LOL

I don't know about Kornheiser as far as calling games, I have become used to Theisman, but I do not like Tirico. He is too monotone and he sounds llike he is trying to fill in space with dribble. They will change in......2 years.

Joe