“MONDAY Night Football” honcho Don Ohlmeyer may not return next year to quarterback the broadcast’s coverage.
With only one more Monday night game to go this year, Ohlmeyer has not dismissed the idea of leaving the show. He also allegedly told some “MNF” staffers that he is considering not returning to broadcast in 2001, insiders said.
“I really haven’t though about that and I won’t until the season’s over,” Ohlmeyer told USA Today.
“The focus should be on what we’ve accomplished this season. When the season’s over, I’m going to sit down and think about the future. Part of the job is to prepare these people if I get hit by a bus someday.”
Battling sagging ratings and the prospect of increased competition from the “XFL,” ABC lured Ohlmeyer out of retirement to oversee “MNF” this year – a program he ran from 1972 to 1977. After leaving “MNF,” landed at NBC and rose to West coast president
Ohlmeyer is responsible for pairing comic Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts with longtime play-by-play analyst Al Michaels. He also hired ESPN’s Melissa Stark and ex-NFLer Eric Dickerson as sideline reporters. Miller is expected to return to the booth next year.
“This topic has taken on a life of its own, people are just gossiping [about Ohlmeyer]” ABC Sports spokesman Mark Mandel said yesterday. “Don just hasn’t decided what he’s going to do.”
Meanwhile, Ohlmeyer can take credit for several improvements to the broadcast this year including improved graphics and the show’s imaginative “steadycam” camera that easily tracks longs runs and passes for the viewers.