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Michael Strahan Is The New Regis Philbin, According To Reports

Michael Strahan is a big guy (listed at 6-5, 255 during his playing days), which is probably for the best, because if Ben Grossman of Broadcasting & Cable and Michael Schneider of TV Guide are right, he’s got some pretty damn big shoes to fill: specifically, those of Regis Philbin. That’s right: all indications are that Strahan is your new co-host for Live! With Kelly, beating out SNL’s Seth Meyers and singer Josh Groban for the gig.

Honestly… I’m not totally sure what to make of this news. Apparently Meyers was the frontrunner, so I guess the Strahan choice is a surprise? And I can’t say I saw any of Strahan’s test shows with Ripa, so I can’t exactly judge how good a fit I think he is personally, but here’s a thing that happened on one of his shows:

So he’ll be willing to take his pants off if need be (which is about as edgy as a morning show can possibly get). And it’s not like Strahan is a totally blank slate, broadcasting-wise: he’s been on the set at Fox NFL Sunday for a few years now, and the “sitting there and laughing at things” skill he’s undoubtedly honed there should serve him well on Live!. (Speaking of, Strahan’s work for Fox will reportedly continue even after getting the Live! gig.)

Also, the dance above indicated something else Strahan will bring that Regis couldn’t (and that, granted, Meyers and Groban could have, too) – a more youthful dynamic. It’s a little strange saying that about a 40-year-old man, but that’s 40 years younger than Regis. I’m unabashedly pro-Regis, by the way, but his appeal lies in being an old guy with a heart of gold who also constantly yells about things in a harmless fashion. It worked to perfection for him, and there was no use trying to repeat the formula. It’s like replacing Bob Barker on The Price is Right – can’t go for a carbon copy of an icon.

And Strahan definitely isn’t. It’s weird to think about him getting such a high-profile (non-football) broadcasting gig, and not just because of past incidents like this. It’s because Regis’ legacy is as the morning show guy. That’s how he’s known. It’s hard to imagine one day looking back on Strahan as the morning show guy and not the Giants defensive end – he was a really, really good player. All that’s left to do is see how he does at his new gig, and marvel: wow, Tiki Barber has got to be pissed.