Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Ol' Jon Gruden Here

For the longest time while watching and listening to Monday Night Football Last night, I couldn't place it. Gruden has never coached any team of mine so I never spent much time listening to him during press conferences over the years. What was so familiar about Jon Gruden's cadence, phrasing and self-assured-and-satisfied tone? That mix of confidence in what he was saying and wonderment at how right he was? That combination of world-weary sarcasm and homespun know-it-all-ism that perfectly suits the anti-hero?

Finally, one too many "Well, ya sees" or "ya know whats?" connected the pieces for me. Jon Gruden announces games like Jack Burton talks over his CB radio aboard the Pork Chop Express. That's what sounded so familiar.

"Well, ya see, I'm not saying that I've been everywhere and I've done everything, but I do know it's a pretty amazing planet we live on here, and a man would have to be some kind of FOOL to think we're alone in THIS universe."