The Plane Truth About Kornheiser

As Kornheiser once said about Norv Turner, I'm totally in the tank for Tony, one of the most talented journalists and brilliant writers I've ever worked with. I also know full well that he had plenty of "MNF" critics, both in the media and watching on screens large and small around the country. I heard from them often over the last three years and expect a full load of post-a-comment and e-mail abuse once this column hits the web.

Joe Theismann, his analyst "partner" the first season, often told Kornheiser he ought to stick to football, football and only X's and O's football, which of course was not why he was hired in the first place. ESPN obviously wanted a light and lively approach mixed with some pointed, Howard Cosell-like commentary that would appeal to a wider audience. And Kornheiser usually delivered exactly what they, not the football purists, wanted.

The "MNF" chemistry that first year seemed combustible at times, and ESPN blew up the booth at the end of the season by eating Theismann's lucrative long-term contract and replacing him with Ron Jaworski. Jaws spends more time in the film room breaking down game tape than most head coaches and is as skilled in explaining strategy and critiquing player performance as any analyst in the business.

My only problem with the telecast the first two years were the interminable in-game celebrity interviews -- often with Kornheiser leading the discussion -- that got in the way of the action on the field. ESPN wisely eliminated that annoying feature last year, with far more focus on football, and the broadcast was clearly improved.

"I feel we got better each year," Kornheiser said in the ESPN press release. Believe it. They really did, mostly because Kornheiser and Jaworkski clearly had a far more affable on-air relationship -- a carry-over from their off-camera friendship -- than Kornheiser and Theismann. With consummate pro Mike Tirico serving as play-by-play traffic cop, it all seemed to work in the ESPN booth.

The good news in all of this is that Kornheiser will remain on ESPN's popular and highly entertaining "Pardon The Interruption" with co-host and perfect foil Michael Wilbon, hopefully in perpetuity. And now that he'll have a little more time on his hands during football season, Kornheiser surely will be in some demand to reprise his smart and sassy local radio show.

Though ESPN 980 seems to be in full cost-cutting mode, sadly eliminating Al Koken and Brian Mitchell in the last three weeks, wouldn't it be fabulous to hear Kornheiser during morning drive on Washington's only all-sports station, talking about local sports, hot movies and "American Idol"? Enough already with the self-promoting and frequently fawning ESPN radio network voices of Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on a Washington station that doesn't even start talking about Washington sports until noon, save for the news and score updates.

And if another local station is thinking about switching formats (I keep reading on DCRTV.com that WJFK-FM is toying with the all-sports idea), resurrecting Kornheiser's show ought to be a major priority.

Then again, my own TK wish list also would include having him do what he always did best -- writing one of the most entertaining newspaper sports columns in the country.

After all, Tony always has said he considers himself to be a newspaper guy, first and foremost. Give that man a laptop, 1,000 words a week in the Sunday Washington Post, and let's get back to the future.

Leonard Shapiro can be reached at Len.Shapiro@washingtonpost.com.