'MNF' looking more conventional than ever

First, ESPN ditched the chemistry experiment gone awry that was Joe Theismann sharing a booth with Tony Kornheiser.
Next to go were the often inane celebrity guests and sideline reports that turned "Monday Night Football" into a bloated parade float in search of "casual" sports fans.
Then Kornheiser himself was gone, along with his not-for-everyone shtick, saying he no longer could handle the travel.
Net result: As ESPN enters its fourth season of the most famous franchise in sports TV, its approach is more conventional than ever. (The network loathes the word "conventional," by the way.)
That was evident in the choice to succeed Kornhesier: Jon Gruden, a telegenic football lifer who was coaching in the NFL at 27 -- an age at which Kornheiser still was writing features for Newsday.
It is nearly as difficult to judge announcers during preseason as it is players. But early signs are good that Gruden will fit right in -- mixing Xs and Os with the cocky, quotable, energetic persona that defined him during coaching stints with the Raiders and Buccaneers.
Gruden credited fellow announcers Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski, as well as the production team for easing his transition but said it will be an ongoing process.
"I know I've got some rough edges," he said after working last Monday's Panthers-Giants game and before last night's Jets-Ravens game.
"I do feel a little nervous. It's not like I have any experience doing this."
Gruden, 46, need not rise at 3:17 a.m. to prepare for his new job, as he famously did with his old one. But he said he has thrown himself into the task.
ESPN sent him recordings to study of, among others, John Madden, Dan Fouts, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth and Dan Dierdorf.
"That was my offseason project," he said. "Get on the treadmill, get in shape and listen to broadcasts, get a feel for the cadence, how it sounds, the vibe you get ... The best thing I've been able to do so far is be myself and let my enthusiasm and passion for the game come through."
ESPN is pleased, but like a college basketball coach with a star freshman, it knows there is a good chance he soon will leave.
If Gruden lasts even two seasons before getting back into coaching, it will be a minor upset. But what if he loves the job? Is there any realistic chance he could make a new career of this, the way Madden, another former Raiders coach, long ago did?
"I'll take this opportunity and try to choke it and do the best I can," he said. "I'm really enjoying it. I don't know what the future has in store. They want to be great. I want to be part of something great here, then let the chips fall."
Gruden said his new job has allowed him to observe how other coaches run camp and handle personnel, a hint of more coaching in his future.
As for his recent past, after the Bucs fired him in January, several players sharply criticized him, among them Jeff Garcia, Simeon Rice and Michael Clayton.
Did that bother him? "I'm sensitive," he said. "I worked hard. I tried to create a very positive environment. Unfortunately, a lot of the great phone calls I got probably didn't get to the media.
"It stings you pretty good, but at the same time those guys, I've got a lot of respect for."
Which leads to a question asked of every coach-turned-analyst: Given the likelihood he will return to the NFL, will he be hesitant to offend potential future employers or opponents?
"My job is to go up there and call it as I see it," he said. "I think that's why I was hired."