Will Ferrell may have starred in Old School but Pat Haden, who like Ferrell is a USC alum, is actually living out the fantasy. Haden's return to Troy leaves a vacancy in NBC's booth alongside Tom Hammond for Notre Dame football. Who should replace Haden, who spent 12 seasons as the color commentator for Fighting Irish home games? Also, will Haden's exodus lead Hammond to consider stepping away from this gig? If so, Ted Robinson (Notre Dame '78), an NBC voice (Wimbledon, Olympics) who was also an undergrad at the same time as Notre Dame president John Jenkins, C.S.C., and athletic director Jack Swarbrick would be the obvious choice to replace him.
A list of candidates, from most plausible to least likely, with a wildcard or two thrown in for good measure.
Dan Fouts (59) -- Like Haden, Fouts played quarterback at a Pac-8 school in the 1970s before playing quarterback at a southern California-based NFL franchise. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Fouts was leading the San Diego Chargers at a time when their AFC games were broadcast by NBC, so he is well-known to NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol. A former member of the Monday Night Football booth, Fouts has worked as a broadcaster for ABC, ESPN and CBS, but never NBC.
Aaron Taylor (37) - The premier offensive lineman of the Holtz era, this two-time All-American is well-spoken and was solid, if unspectacular, as an in-studio analyst for ABC. Now working for CBS College Sports, Taylor could be had for a relative bargain.
Cris Collinsworth (51) -- Collinsworth currently represents the gold standard among color commentators and has a style similar to Haden's. The former Cincinnati Bengal/Florida Gator is already an NBC employee (Ebersol lovie-love-loves him, and why not?) and, remember, his son Austin is an incoming freshman on the Fighting Irish football team.
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Would NBC ask C.C. to pull double-duty eight weekends per year? That may be too much for even Collinsworth, especially since broadcast crews regularly meet with players and coaches on the day before the game.
John Madden (74) -- Granted, more college football players know him as the namesake of their favorite X-Box game than as an announcer, but Madden is arguably the best color commentator football fans have ever heard. Easily he is the most beloved. Yes, Madden is retired, but his final stop was at NBC and thus he has a relationship and familiarity with NBC. Besides, I-80 is just a mile north of campus and from there it's a straight shot to Madden's Bay Area home.
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (40) -- An electrifying former Domer who transcends generations (Golden Tate would watch YouTube clips of Rocket to psych himself up for games) of college football fans, but Rocket was far less charismatic on his ESPN GameDay appearances. Provides high energy, but would likely be a poor fit with Tom Hammond.
Mike Golic (47) -- Who knew that this former defensive tackle from the Gerry Faust era would become such a high-profile talking head? Golic has even hosted the 6 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter. His Mike & Mike visibility would be a great asset and, with two sons currently playing (in backup roles) for the Irish, Golic already had plenty of flights booked to South Bend for the next few autumns. In fact, he spoke at the final Irish pep rally of the Charlie Weis era. The question is whether Bristol would have a problem with him working a sixth day of the week for the Peacock.
Bob Davie (55) -- The Scottsdale-based Davie is a better commentator on ESPN than he was a head coach at Notre Dame. Then again, he was superlatively mediocre when last working Saturdays at Notre Dame Stadium. This would be an unpopular choice with the subway alums and there's not enough upside as to his talent to make it worthwhile.
Jerome Bettis (38) -- As former NFL rushers-turned-NBC Football Night in America contributors go, The Bus has caused fewer headaches around 30 Rock than Tiki Barber. Bettis is one of the most beloved players of the Holtz era, and a legend in Pittsburgh as well (thank God Ben Roethlisberger made that desperation tackle at Indianapolis, though, eh, Jerome?). Bettis is in over his head on Football Night in America, and a live game would be throwing him into an even deeper end.Charles Davis (45) -- Full disclosure: Davis is a close friend and one of my favorite people in the business. That said, the former All-SEC defensive back at Tennessee is extremely bright, researches tirelessly, and, with current gigs at the Big Ten Network, NFL Network and Fox, is supremely well-connected. A long shot, but he'd be a terrific fit.
Steve Beuerlein (45) -- Like Haden, Beuerlein is a former quarterback who was raised in southern California, except that he actually played at Notre Dame. Beuerlein also survived 16 NFL seasons, owns a Super Bowl ring and even was voted to a Pro Bowl. He has worked for CBS on a lower-rung capacity in recent years, calling the Notre Dame-Navy games from Baltimore on their national broadcasts.
Todd Blackledge (49) --The former Penn State quarterback has blossomed into one of the premier analysts in college football. His current gig at ESPN, where he regularly does SEC broadcasts and is on the No. 2 team after Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit's primetime ABC slot, may be too attractive to abandon.
Chris Spielman (44) -- The former Ohio State linebacker drew even more cheers than Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown at last Saturday's College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in South Bend. Spielman's observations are much like his tackling style: blunt and direct. He is always a good listen.
Gary Danielson (58) -- Like Haden, a contemporary, Danielson played quarterback at a school that faces Notre Dame annually: Purdue. Like Blackledge, he already has a high-profile gig as the No. 1 color commentator at CBS, which means the prime SEC contest weekly. Baton Rouge, Gainesville and Tuscaloosa versus South Bend? It would take a pile of cash to sway him.
Lou Holtz (73) -- Not on Dr. Lou's famous list of 107 Things to do Before I Die: Do color commentary for Fighting Irish home games.Pete Twinkle and Greg Stink (ages unknown) -- No one segues into promos better than Twinkle, while Stink is no less lucid than, say, Beano Cook. Besides, they're already under contract to the Peacock, so the shareholders will be pleased.
Joe Theismann (60) -- There's that cameo in The Blind Side, plus the fact that NBC put him back on national TV last January when he was part of a three-man booth for an AFC playoff game between the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. Outspoken and polarizing, Theismann actually has something to say and is completely unafraid to say it, unlike this guy ...
... Joe Montana (54) -- Outside of "Look, there's John Candy", the legendary Irish quarterback has never uttered a memorable sentence anywhere near a football stadium. Plus, with son Nate playing back-up quarterback, Montana would be even more uncomfortable on-air than he was on NBC's pre-game show, if indeed that's possible.
Conan O'Brien (47) -- He's Irish. He's Catholic. He's earned more money from NBC than Charlie Weis has from Notre Dame. I'd watch.
Matt Millen (52) -- Two words: Please. No.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Please, Please, Please get rid of Tom Hammond and all his makeup. Give us Dan Patrick and Todd Blackledge or Charles Davis. Actually Just pair DP with any of the list above minus CC.
Please get a NDALUMNI for the job, pat was against the IRSH all the time
thank you for that rousing vote for matt millen.....I tremendously agree
Matt Millen was a horrible GM, but he was a great announcer. Smart, funny, well prepared and an everyman in the vein of Madden without ever becoming the buffoonish caricature that Madden was for the last 25 years or so. Millen wouldn't be my first choice (that would be Collinsworth) or even second (Davis) but would be an excellent addition to the broadcast. My please no" pick has got to be Bob Davie who is an even worse commentator than he was a head football coach. And while we're at it, why not replace Hammond with someone who projects the sense that he knows or cares that he's broadcasting a football game?
Dump Hammond and hire Bob Costas and Lou Holtz... How do you spell Emmy???
A number of your suggestions for the commentator would work, although I would prefer a ND guy. But before we go too far with the backup, get rid of Tom Hammond. He is absolutely terrible. Pat Haden wasn't that great but he wasn't that bad either. Hammond was just plain AWFUL.
I must be a contrarian as I disagree with what appears to be some common sentiment:
1) I never saw Pat Haden as anti-ND. To me he was always fair, balanced, and professional.
2) Tom Hammond is fine in my book. He's a play by play guy in a two man booth. He shows the right amount of emotion to match the events taking place and doesn't try to become the center of attention.
3) I do not want an ND alum to get the job and there are several reasons. It will just contribute to the ND has their own set of rules sentiment that exists out there. This is a national broadcast and while the contract is with ND, there needs to be an impartial booth. This isn't some Major League Baseball home team broadcast. If we as an ND community want a pro-ND agenda coming across, then I think we have our priorities wrong and maybe those ND haters are right about us.
Bob Davie would be a good fit despite his coaching at ND and I also like Matt Millen but he works for ESPN/ABC and NFL Network but if I could choose anyone it would be Marshall Faulk because he is well spoken and he will make the fans that is not into football learn a little bit more about it
I must be a contrarian as I disagree with what appears to be some common sentiment:
1) I never saw Pat Haden as anti-ND. To me he was always fair, balanced, and professional.
2) Tom Hammond is fine in my book. He's a play by play guy in a two man booth. He shows the right amount of emotion to match the events taking place and doesn't try to become the center of attention.
3) I do not want an ND alum to get the job and there are several reasons. It will just contribute to the ND has their own set of rules sentiment that exists out there. This is a national broadcast and while the contract is with ND, there needs to be an impartial booth. This isn't some Major League Baseball home team broadcast. If we as an ND community want a pro-ND agenda coming across, then I think we have our priorities wrong and maybe those ND haters are right about us.
How can any list like this be complete without listing Tony Roberts as a possibility?? To me and millions of other Irish fans...Tony Roberts IS and will always be the voice of Irish football!!