Fox's Party of Five

Fox Sports decision makers David Hill and Ed Goren said they weren't convinced of anyone joining a successful NFL pregame show as an extra wheel until Michael Strahan came along.
Starting in September, the recently retired New York Giants defensive end will be the fifth wheel with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and host Curt Menefee.
"There's a likeability factor that's important," said Goren, the network's president and executive producer. "The guys on your pannel are invited into your home and it's more personal. Michael is more than just liked, he's loved by a lot of people and he's earned that through the years as his great character has come through. All this combines to he's a perfect fit."
Hill, the Fox chairman, adds: "You don't make changes to something good. But Michael proved over the last five or six yeras that, of al lthe poeple who've come out of the NFL, he's the only one Ed and I thought could work with the show and add to it. And this isn't an easy gig. Instead of studying one team every Sunday, he needs to know every team. The amount of studying he has to do is 20 times whe he's done in the past.
"And if he needs a shot to the chops, Howie and Terry can do it."
Strahan, 36, retired after 15 season after the Giants won the Super Bowl in February.
He automatically brings the average age of the show down a notch, if advertisers are worried about the demographics.
"Definitely that youthful factor, just coming off the field, may attract certain people to watch the show, to tune in," Strahan said. "I think that was definitely one of the things they were going after."
Strahan says he doesn't compare himself to another ex-Giant who joined a network studio -- Tiki Barber -- who was critical of his former teammates, especially quarterback Eli Manning.
Look how that turned out.
"We're two different people with two different opinions," said Strahan, who sat out last season's training camp while that controvery brewed. "Tiki left under different circumstances and I did. Not to say he was right or wrong. But I have a clear head and a clear heart. i'm not looking to criticize any team or player and be maliciouis about it. I'll tell the truth. I respect Tiki for the opinions he gave, but if anything, it caused Eli to come out of his shell and the team stood behind him more than in the past. Other than that, the guys just went about their business. And in this business, I know first-hand that when you're out of the locker room, you're out of that locker room in a lot of ways."