That means this is the last season to enjoy the team of Maguire, Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann on ESPN's Sunday Night Football.

Did I just write "enjoy?" You bet.

Even though Dr. Z awarded them one-half star in 2004 and zero stars in 2005, they supply the highest rate of unintentionally TV comedy since Ross Perot's pie charts.

George Bush could stand before a "Mission: Accomplished" banner in New Orleans and still pull a better approval rating. And every Monday morning, Google is hammered with searches for "Why the hell are the Sunday Night football guys still on the air?" and "patrick + hyperbole + theismann + idiot + maguire + I'mATellYaWhat."

But that's why I love them. ESPN must've realized this years ago; that they're so bad they're good. They're loud, hyperbolic, tacky, predictable gold. But, as Pony Boy Curtis taught us in The Outsiders, nothing gold can stay.

So, before Al Michaels kills himself after learning his color partner next year will be Theismann instead of John Madden, I invite you to join me in partaking in my ESPN Sunday Night Football Drinking Game. It's the best way I know to get through the broadcast.

Today's Sports Links:

• Pat Stack Rates NFL Announcers — He actually digs Chris Berman, who I'm tired of. Except when he says, "The G-G-G-G-G-G-Men!"

• Video: Drinking With Bob Rant on Shaquille O'Neal's Paycut — I don't think Bob's much of a sports fan, else he wouldn't pronounce the name of one of the NBA's greatest as "Shanille O'Keel."

• Phil Mushnick on Fire — His regular crabby column starts with his 500th complaint about late starts to sporting events, but he really delivers on the tid-bits at the bottom, including rips aimed at Ed Werder, Josh Elliott and Chris Russo.

• Mr. Irrelevant's AOL Sports Blog — Lots good sports-related web finds on this regularly-updated, new-to-me site.