As you might imagine, Jimmy Kimmel isn't the least bit concerned about ESPN's overreaction to his Monday Night Football jokes directed at Joe Theismann. In fact, he made a few more.
"Technically, couldn't you say Joe Theismann has also been banned from Monday Night Football?" Kimmel told SI.com in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "If he showed up, they probably would not let him in. I was hoping to get banned from a casino first, but I suppose it's satisfying in a way to be banned from any television show. I don't know what I did exactly but apparently it was horrific."
Kimmel in this interview with SI's Richard Dreitsch also confirmed what most of us suspected. The good natured Tirico, Jaws and particularly Kornheiser all thought the jokes were hilarious. That deafening silence might not have been on their part.
I'll tell you something: You only get the audio portion for most of the game, but everyone (in the booth) was laughing whether you can hear it or not. If people were not laughing, I would not have continued with it. I don't know exactly what upset them, if it was the Joe Theismann stuff or something else. I didn't feel like I was making anyone uncomfortable when I was there. Apparently, I did. What I sensed was three guys to my right and left smiling and stopping themselves from saying anything."
I'm glad we've got this all cleared up now. I still like the idea of a guest, but I'd prefer it not always be of the self promotion variety. Bring in some local college coach for his angle, a local sportswriter, or *gasp* some lucky fan at the game, although that might be more of a train wreck than a drunk Hank Williams and Christian Slater.
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