If anyone had FoxSports on today at 6 PM, you were privileged enough to see the debut episode of the new Kellerman show "I, Max." Man, it's good to hear that guy again and good to hear someone actually take definitive sides on all sports issues (outside of golf, which he still admits he knows nothing about), instead of Reali, who lets people ramble on for forty seconds without muting them with significant refutations to their positions. I don't consider "Oh, Jay Mariotti, I'm not following you there..." a real argument, Stat Boy. Instead, Max took on Michael Holley for the majority of the show, Kellerman representing his own strong, sometimes polarizing opinions and Holley representing what the rest of the sports world thinks. Kellerman was able to pause Holley at any time (and did, quite frequently) to interject his own opinions, something reminiscent of the quick-mute style that ATH had before the Reali Era. Bill Wolff, Disembodied Voice of ATH, takes a face-time role in "I, Max," and apparently also does the scoring, which is the weakest aspect of the show. After each thirty second back-and-forth between Kellerman and Holley, Wolff would give each up to ten points based on who he agreed with and who he thought outargued the other, but the scoring isn't as dynamic as on ATH...it just pops up following the argument without any plus-or-minus or reasons for the scoring from Wolff. Also, Kellerman takes on an actual athlete, not just a reporter, for about five minutes of the show...today, it was Strahan, and much of the Coughlin/Manning/minicamp situation in New York was discussed between the two. Finally, the crowning trait of "I, Max" has to be the carryovers from ATH. Aside from Wolff and many of the reporters from the show coming over to "I, Max" (Holley and, I've heard, Paige will be on the way), Wolff has maintained the cut-to-commercial dialogue that made him so memorable on ESPN. One example: "Coming up: Max takes on a professional athlete on some of the most pressing issues in sports--we'll see if Michael Strahan can give it a try...MAX!!" Also, Kellerman has returned to what he originated (and should have copyrighted to keep out of Stat Boy's hands): the "These four things I KNOW are true!", as well as pointing and "Next topic!"ing. Outstanding. Ah, welcome back, Wolff and Kellerman. If I can find some time at 6 PM every weekday, I shall be basking in your reinstated warm glow.
