I can’t believe ABC has hired Dennis Miller to be a color commentator
on “Monday Night Football” over Rush Limbaugh.
No matter what they say, this was not a business decision by
ABC/Disney execs; this was a political decision.
First of all, Dennis Miller is a foul-mouthed, profane, unfunny jerk.
His constituency, as ABC will soon find out, is extremely narrow. More
to the point, as a so-called comedian, he is every bit as political as
Rush Limbaugh — just not nearly so well-informed.
Nevertheless, saying the goal was to develop a broadcast that was
“relevant, accessible and unpredictable,” “Monday Night Football”
producer Don Ohlmeyer announced it will be Miller joining Dan Fouts and
Al Michaels in the booth.
Miller said he has a “nerd’s knowledge of football” and “hoped to
bring some humor to the booth.” He said he planned to continue doing his
weekly “adult” comedy show on HBO.
And that’s an interesting comment, given that the stated reason
Ohlmeyer passed on Rush Limbaugh, who he determined to be a viable
candidate, was his concern that with the daily radio show he might not
be able to dedicate the requisite time to the weekly football show.
Ohlmeyer added that Limbaugh might do some guest spots on “Monday Night
Football.”
ABC is obviously confused about who Rush Limbaugh really is.
I
wrote about this last month, but evidently it’s time for a refresher course.
CNN reported recently on ABC’s agonizing over Rush. The story illustrates just how confused the establishment media are about Limbaugh.
The correspondent asked: “What other candidate for the job has had a best-selling book written about him with the words “‘big fat idiot’ in the title”?
Huh? Yes, there was a book written by Al Franken with Rush Limbaugh’s name in the title. I’m not sure it was ever a best-seller. But what CNN failed to point out was that Rush Limbaugh has authored two best-sellers himself — “The Way Things Ought to Be” and “See, I Told You So.” Each broke records for non-fiction sales. Each sold millions and millions of copies — far more than Al Franken’s book, which only sought to exploit Limbaugh’s fame. And each dealt with substantive issues in a most entertaining way.
His two books probably sold more copies than any other non-fiction author in the 1990s. Yet, CNN references only Franken’s pathetic, little idiotic tome.
But not only has Rush made publishing history as an author, he helped make best-selling authors of others. William Bennett’s “Book of Virtues” took off after Rush promoted it on the air. David Brock’s “The Real Anita Hill” zoomed to the top of the charts after Rush’s plugs. Rush has demonstrated time and time again that he can sell books better than any other living figure. A simple endorsement is all it takes.
Then, of course, there are his broadcasting achievements. It is not an overstatement to say that Rush Limbaugh saved AM radio. What he accomplished in talk radio syndication was unprecedented. And it came at a time when the industry was beginning to wonder about the future of AM.
More than 20 million people listen to Rush regularly. Does ABC have any appreciation for what it takes to get 20 million people listening to anything in the daytime? I don’t think so.
The truth is that Rush might have been the only man alive in America today with enough juice to turn “Monday Night Football” around. Think about it. Who else could do that? Is there a Howard Cosell out there somewhere eluding my attention? It’s not Dennis Miller — not by a long shot.
As I mentioned in my previous column on this topic, just the possibility of Rush filling the job at ABC has garnered the network more publicity for “Monday Night Football” than I have seen in a decade.
Tell me what ABC officials are afraid of? Do they really think Rush is going to use his position at “Monday Night Football” to make political points? Is that what they think Rush Limbaugh is? He has 15 hours of radio a week in which to make his political points. He wants the “Monday Night Football” job to talk about football. Just watch Dennis Miller, on the other hand. This man comes to the broadcast with an agenda all his own. It’s called pushing the envelope of taste and propriety.
As to the time constraints facing Rush, let me tell you something. Rush Limbaugh is a workaholic. He would have treated the ABC football gig for what it is — a part-time job, fun, a hobby. He would have made it look easy. He could have done it in his sleep.
Rush Limbaugh is not a one-dimensional figure. I know him not only through his work but as a friend and colleague.
What the folks at ABC and CNN and the rest of the establishment media don’t get is that Rush Limbaugh is simply one of the best entertainers in the world today.
How can someone so famous be so misunderstood? This is a man destined for the broadcast hall of fame. He’s an innovator, a pioneer, a prodigy. He’s the savior of AM radio, and he could have been the savior of “Monday Night Football.”
This should have been an easy call for ABC. The network should have thanked its lucky stars Limbaugh was even interested in the job. This isn’t just a gift horse they looked in the mouth — this is a Triple Crown winner.
Ahh, but then again, this was ABC/Disney. Why should I be surprised?