Kornheiser, Not Yet in Game Shape On 'MNF'

On the basis of his first preseason game, Tony Kornheiser, the Post sports columnist and co-host of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," wasn't many of the things that ESPN hired him for. (Jim Mone - AP)

Noting that the Raiders' newly hired assistant coach, Tom Walsh, had left pro football to run a bed-and-breakfast in Idaho, he asked Theismann if he'd have hired him: "Would you be comfortable with Bob Newhart?" Kornheiser taunted. "He ran a B&B!"

"Joe, I know you like Brad Johnson," the Vikings quarterback, he said at another point. "Don't you think Brad Johnson is a downgrade from Daunte Culpepper?" Good question, the kind that viewers might want to hear some opinion-slinging about.

Kornheiser's strongest opinion was his horror near the end of the game when it looked like Minnesota might push the game into overtime -- and keep him from getting to bed.

ESPN tried to force a little of Kornheiser's "PTI" mojo by instituting an in-game mini-feature called "Tony, Tony, Tony!" The idea is to have viewers e-mail their questions to Kornheiser, who answers them on the air. It played like it sounds -- contrived.

"What team deserves a fun nickname?" asked one e-mailer.

"That's the hardest question I ever heard," Kornheiser replied. "I don't know."

After a few moments, he did suggest a nickname (but not which team should get it): "Snakes on a plane."

Kind of reminded you of Dennis Miller. In a bad way.