May 18th, 2009 
Matt Loede 
Posted in 
For the second time this offseason, a player in the prime-time network scene is leaving the broadcast booth. Tony Kornheiser is leaving ESPN’s Monday Night Football over a fear of flying. He was with the network for three seasons. Much like when John Madden announced he was leaving NBC’s Sunday night telecasts, the network moved quickly to hire a third man for the booth – Jon Gruden.
Yes, the former Bucs and Raiders coach, who was impressive on NFL Network during the draft, will give his insight during the Monday night battles. “If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden,” Kornheiser said in a statement released by the network. “He is the two things you most want—smart and funny—and has the two things I don’t—good hair and a tan.”
Gruden will make his debut with ESPN with a preseason game on Aug. 13, a Super Bowl rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Kornheiser will continue to appear on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” and is relieved it doesn’t require air travel. “My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true,” he said. “When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would’ve frequently moved me from the bus to the air.”
It’s not a big shock that Gruden took the position. After all, it keeps him in the public eye, and when a coaching vacancy opens in 2010, many will remember him right away for his performance on Monday nights. Then again, after Steelers coach BIll Cowher left and went to CBS, he decided he was more comfortable there than going back on the sidelines, so in the end you really never know.
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This is addition by subtraction; Gruden is bound to be less annoying than Tony.