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Dierdorf Says Aloha
To ABC At Pro Bowl
By George Stahl
"I've been the luckiest guy in America," Dan Dierdorf said as the minutes ran down on his 12 years as analyst on ABC's Monday Night Football and on a dull, tedious 23-10 AFC win in the Pro Bowl.
"To get 12 years is a lot longer than I ever counted on," Dierdorf said. "It's been a fun way to stay around the game."
The Hall of Fame offensive lineman added that no hard feelings existed over his departure. "Nobody's to blame, it's just a part of the business," he said.
"A lousy part," Michaels editorialized. Michaels, who started on MNF a year before Dierdorf, began the goodbye to his partner after returning from the commercial for the two-minute warning. He said the two of them have done more than 250 games since 1987 and have been on the air together more than 750 hours.
"You are a great broadcaster, a great guy and a great friend," Michaels said.
Boomer Esiason echoed Michaels' sentiment by saying that like any great offensive lineman, Dierdorf has taken care of the former quarterback.
"It always seems like I lose my best offensive lineman just when I start to get things going," he said.
Rumors have persisted for a while that Esiason and Dierdorf didn't get along. Throughout the year, the two have argued on air about the merits of quarterbacks and offensive lineman. They continued that argument Sunday; however, it didn't always seem like innocuous kidding.
Esiason has a tendency to take the banter to an awkward, uncomfortable level. The former quarterback said he wouldn't know about the athleticism of today's lineman by having worked with Dierdorf. "I've been sitting next to you all season, and look at what I've got to look at."
Dierdorf seemed miffed, and I don't blame him. That remark was uncalled for, and the Hall of Famer deserves more respect. And I'm not even a Dierdorf fan!
Later in the game, as Esiason's chiding continued, Dierdorf said, "This guy [meaning Esiason] has been demeaning me all year."
Speaking of demeaning, I am not a fan of the Pro Bowl.
As a matter of fact, I usually try not to watch more than a few minutes. So I was not thrilled when: 1. Randy said he couldn't watch the game because of an prior engagement 2. Dierdorf said this week that he was leaving ABC, making this telecast his last for the network and more of a "news event" than it needed to be. 3. I realized that it was a new Simpsons episode tonight.
Ugh.
But, for the final time this NFL season, here is my review of the final performance by this ABC team of Michaels, Esiason, Dierdorf and sideline reporters Lesley Visser and Dan Fouts.
More Boomer rumors:
Esiason, while discussing Warren Moon's future in Seattle, emphasized that there are "lots of rumors floating." Last week, CNNSI's Peter King said Esiason was in talks to join the San Diego Chargers as backup quarterback/mentor to Ryan Leaf.
When asked Sunday night by Michaels if he was going to address any of those "rumors," Esiason said "Not right now. No." Michaels then joked, "Do you want to give someone else a scoop?"
Boomer just laughed.
Softer side of Visser:
After a season of watching her on the sidelines, there is just no other way of describing Lesley Visser other than she is a joke of a sideline reporter. And she proved why again Sunday with her "interview" of Lawrence Taylor.

First question: "We loved watching you play. Why do you think you were so dominant?"

Second question: "Ever get your hands on Boomer [Esiason] or Dan [Fouts]?"

That's it. No questions about getting into the Hall of Fame. No questions about all the controversy over his election. Not even a softball question about if his feelings for the voters and the controversy have softened in the past week.
Nothing but fluff, fluff, fluff. I know it's the Pro Bowl but does that mean you ignore a news story?
[For the record, I know Fouts didn't ask John Elway in the first quarter if he was going to retire. However, Michaels had said that Elway was going to address that issue at halftime, so it didn't bother me that Fouts didn't ask him anything then.]
Some publications have called Visser the best sideline reporter in the NFL. They must be distracted by her odd hairdo because there are much better sideline reporters, such as CBS' Armen Keteyian and Michele Tafoya and ESPN's Solomon Wilcots. Sure, Visser may do decent features, but she is not a good sideline reporter.
Late in the game, Visser did recoup some journalistic integrity with a decent interview of Falcon defensive back Eugene Robinson, who was charged last week with soliciting sex. Visser asked him about returning the Bart Starr Award and the long-term effects of his scandal.
Good lines:
1. "I have no idea what he said to be honest with you." Esiason said after Dierdorf tried to decipher what the stumbling and mumbling Taylor said in the Visser "interview."
2. "I've got more titanium in me than a Calloway driver." Dierdorf said, after talking about his artificial hip and soon-to-be new knee.
3. "Boomer knows Kent Graham, not Otto Graham." Michaels said, after he and Dierdorf teased Esiason about older quarterbacks.
4. "We now know where Al is going to get four free meals next week," Dierdorf said after Michaels named some of his favorite restaurants in Hawaii.
5. Esiason said he asked Falcon defensive back Ray Buchanon if he wanted to make a prediction for this game. Buchanon told him only that "one of us is going to win." Last week, Buchanon incorrectly predicted that the Falcons would win the Super Bowl.
6. "He may not have seen his toes in a while." Esiason on Bill defensive tackle Ted Washington.
Good interview:
Although Elway didn't say anything new, Al Michaels asked all the right questions in his taped interview, shown at halftime, of the Bronco quarterback.
Good stat:
Minnesota Twin manager Tom Kelly has the longest tenure of any head coach in the four sports. Of course, he works in the Metrodome with Viking coach Dennis Green, who has the longest tenure of any NFL coach.
I didn't need to see it anyway:
After Visser asked Falcon running back Jamal Anderson to teach her partners how to do the "dirty bird" (as if that hasn't been done ad nauseum this year), ABC switched to live action instead of showing Anderson doing his dance.
Just wondering:
1. What happened to the $1 million field goal kick that has occurred at halftime of recent Pro Bowl games?
2. How lame of halftime show was that with En Sync? Where was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy when you needed them?
Grade: Does it really matter?

To see more on this story, click on any of the following:

Randy weighs in with his opinion on the recent moves by McCarver, Dierdorf
USA Today offers a paragraph on Dierdorf's departure
Boston Herald discusses the rumors surrounding Dierdorf and MNF
Chicago Tribune hopes ABC picks a Sharpe-r replacement than Sterling
St. Louis Post-Dispatch describes the ABC sendoff for Dierdorf
Richmond Times-Dispatch also offers its views on McCarver, Dierdorf

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