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Esiason Is Sacked in ABC Shake-Up

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Boomer Esiason is out, Don Ohlmeyer is back.

ABC is going to overhaul “Monday Night Football,” and the network dropped a couple of bombshells Wednesday.

Howard Katz, ABC Sports president, said Esiason, even though he had a year left on his contract, will not be returning to the “Monday Night” booth.

Also gone are producer Ken Wolfe, who had been on the series for 14 years, and director Craig Janoff, 12 years.

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“Boomer did everything we asked him to do,” Katz said. “He is a terrific person. I just think it could be better.”

Esiason may have been deemed fine for Sunday afternoon telecasts, but in the glare of the “Monday Night” spotlight, his work during his two years often was criticized by the media and the public in general.

His ouster does not come as a complete surprise, although it was assumed he would be allowed to finish out his contract.

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“There was a sameness,” Katz said. “I feel we have to figure out how to make it special again. It has to be a big event again. There was nothing wrong. There was a sameness.”

ABC’s 13.7 rating and 23 share were down 1% from 13.9 and 22 in 1998. The numbers were the lowest ever for the Monday night series.

The big surprise Wednesday was the announcement that Ohlmeyer, 57, the producer of “Monday Night Football” when it started in 1970, is coming back.

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Katz and Ohlmeyer have been best friends since Katz, fresh out of college in 1971, went to work for Ohlmeyer as a production assistant on “Monday Night Football.” Ohlmeyer left ABC in early 1977 for NBC, then started his own company, Ohlmeyer Communications, in Los Angeles in 1983 and hired Katz as the company’s president.

When ESPN bought Ohlmeyer Communications in 1994, Katz went to work for ESPN and later became president, replacing Steve Bornstein. Katz has been the head of ABC Sports since last April.

Ohlmeyer, who became the West Coast president of NBC, announced his retirement in October 1998. Since leaving NBC, he has been working on improving his golf handicap.

Katz, at first in passing, asked Ohlmeyer about returning to “Monday Night Football” in December. Ohlmeyer said his initial reaction was: “Are you out of your . . . mind?”

Discussions turned serious about two weeks ago, and the decision was made last weekend.

Al Michaels will remain as the play-by-play announcer. Ohlmeyer first mentioned the possibility of his return to Michaels 10 days ago.

“I thought he was joking,” Michaels said. “When I realized he was serious, I said, ‘Are you daft?’

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“Once Don retired from NBC, I thought that was it, that he might make a movie or write a book, but never go back to work.”

Said Ohlmeyer: “I envisioned not doing anything again.”

Michaels said the whole thing caught him by surprise--and left him stunned.

“Kenny and I started on ‘Monday Night Football’ at the same time,” he said, “and he is one of my best friends. I’m also close to Craig, who came two years later.”

Michaels said he called Esiason Wednesday and left a message but hadn’t talked to him.

The next question is, who is going to replace Esiason--and will it be one or two analysts?

Katz and Ohlmeyer would not name any possibilities, but it’s known that Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells and Steve Young, if he retires, are on their list.

They said they are also undecided on whether to go with a two-man or three-man booth. It depends on who is available.

Said Ohlmeyer: “In the days of Don Meredith and Howard Cosell, viewers were afraid to turn off the television set because they might miss something. It was unpredictable and dangerous. . . . That’s what has been missing from ‘Monday Night Football.’ ”

Said Katz: “Nobody did something wrong here, it was just time for a change. If not for Don Ohlmeyer [coming back] I might have made these decisions.

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“I’m going to be patient with Don. This is a work in progress. It may take some time.”

Said Ohlmeyer, “We can’t bring Howard back from the grave and we can’t bring Don back from [Santa Fe, N.M.]. What we’re saying is: ‘Is there another version of what happened in the ‘70s that can happen today?’ ”

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