Just when I think I can no longer be amazed, something comes along to amaze me. For instance, I thought that nothing could be amaze me after Dennis Miller got a radio talk show.
Imagine my surprise to find out that someone’s giving him another TV show. And imagine my surprise when I found out that not only is Dennis Miller getting another TV show, he’s getting a sports show.
First, does anyone know if KTRH still airs his radio show? He must be close to setting a personal record for length of time in which one of his programs has lasted on the air.
But really, another sports show? Didn’t these guys watch him on Monday Night Football?
Then again, the show’s going to be on Versus, where all good sports go to die – last seen on Versus, Floyd Landis’s reputation, something called the NHL, and bull riding. So let’s see, since leaving Saturday Night Live, Miller’s failed at becoming the next Johnny Carson (though he might have outlasted Pat Sajak), he’s failed in the movies (okay, maybe Joe Dirt had some good parts), he’s failed with a show on CNBC, and he failed most spectacularly on Monday Night Football.
(In all fairness, his HBO show was good, and a success, which is probably why he walked away from it.)
The only guy who gets more chances than Miller is Jay Mohr – I don’t think ESPN is going to be repeating that mistake anytime soon. And while I’m on Jay Mohr, here’s a quick guide to guessing whether a movie’s going to bomb: if Jay Mohr’s in it, it’s going to bomb.
But according to the story, Miller’s bringing his shtick to Versus to a Daily Show type program. I guess my big question is: What makes Versus think that Miller’s going to work with a sports audience? Riffing on Kant went over like a lead balloon on MNF, but it’s going to work here? I don’t think so.
Here’s the deal, unlike Dane Cook, I think Miller’s funny. Or rather, he used to be funny. Damn funny. But I think he’s lost it. I think he’s so concerned with showing off how smart he is that he’s forgotten about the funny part. I think the guy’s living off the reputation of work he did 20 years ago.
But I’ll admit to this, no matter how bad it is, it’s going to better than the show being developed for Fox Sports’ Joe Buck. The guy’s barely passable as a play-by-play guy, so what makes people think he can handle a TV show? Chevy Chase was a funny man, and he couldn’t do a talk show. Don’t get me started on Magic Johnson. Or Jay Mohr. And Dennis Miller, who actually used to be funny, who couldn’t do it either.
But Joe Buck can? I don’t see it.
At least Joe Buck’s not Suzyn Waldman. Who’s that, you ask? Ms. Waldman’s one of the play-by-play voices of New York Yankee radio. Apparently, after the Yankees loss on Monday, Ms. Waldman was so overcome by the thought that Joe Torre might be losing his job that she broke down into tears and started crying while on the air.
Talk about setting women in the sports media back 20 years. Can any of you see Suzy Kolber breaking down and crying? She survived a drunk Joe Namath trying to pick her up while on air, and barely changed expression.
Hell, Milo Hamilton would never cry on air. And speaking of Milo, while I’m not the world’s biggest Milo fan, I do wish him my best and I hope for a speedy recovery. Good luck, Milo. – John Royal
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2007.
