Commentary : Benirschke Has Mastered His New Job, Down to the Letter

Rolf Benirschke, the excellent former kicker for the San Diego Chargers, is going to be the new host of the daytime “Wheel of Fortune.” A bit of a surprise choice, wouldn’t you say, considering that Rolf Benirschke is not exactly a household name--unless you’re in the Zendejas house. Really, let’s say you’re spinning the wheel, and the puzzle’s a name, and B, N, R, S, C, H and K are already lit, and you buy the I and E. Now you’re looking at the whole name, and you still can’t place it or pronounce it, so you’re thinking: It has to be a trick puzzle. “Pat, I’d like to buy an A.”

Last year in an interview, Vanna White was asked what tips she would give to Wheel wanna-bes, and she said, “You have to know the whole alphabet.”

Of course!

How stupid I was to think I could get away with stopping at S.

The way Benirschke got the gig is pure Hollywood. He was a guest on an L.A. morning TV show, chatting about staying healthy--you might remember Benirschke’s near-fatal bout with ulcerative colitis--and who should be watching the show but jaunty little rich guy Merv Griffin, creator of “Wheel of Fortune.” Merv was so taken by Benirschke, he offered him the host’s job on “Windfall,” Merv’s newest game show. According to Benirschke’s assistant, Debbie Marshall, “Merv conveyed this to Rolf: ‘You’re a genuine, sincere person who loves people, and that’s what I’m looking for.’ ” Gosh darn it, that’s what separates Merv from the pack, the ability to see all that in one guest shot.

As well he should have been, Benirschke was slightly embarrassed. He hadn’t gone to college and majored in zoology to be a game-show host. (Years ago I did a story on Rick Barry, who told me his ambition was to be a game-show host. He was the first real, live person to say that to me. Before that, I assumed game-show hosts were bionic Ken dolls.) But Benirschke agreed to do an audition. “It was my illness jumping in,” Benirschke said, explaining, “Surviving my illness taught me how neat life really is, and that you should live it and enjoy all of its experiences and possibilities.”

Benirschke’s audition was so impressive that Merv suggested he forget about “Windfall” entirely, and aim higher: at The Wheel. In all, 30 tried out for The Wheel, including Jimmy Connors. (Hard to believe Jimbo knows all 26 letters. He usually gets stuck on “I”; he must have gotten coaching.) Why Benirschke? This is a direct quote from Shannon Williams of Merv Griffin Productions: “They liked his open and sincere quality. He was real sincere with Vanna. He looks good with Vanna--that’s very important--they make a good look. (They make a good look?) Vanna likes him. And he understands the game.” Excuse me, the people who don’t understand the game, what stumps them, is it tricky consonants like J and V? Do they think the game is unfair, that it aims too high up the intelligentsia ladder?

Some will ask if Rolf Benirschke was really the most qualified man to fill Pat Sajak’s shoes. (We’re talking gigantic shoes in game-show annal.) Merv liked him, and that’s good enough for me. Don’t laugh. Dan Quayle got to be vice president because George Bush liked him, and that was good enough for you. Come to think of it, Dan Quayle looks just like a game-show host. Anyway, what are the qualifications? The ability to spell his own name seems to overqualify Rolf Benirschke for “Wheel of Fortune.” Anybody can spell Vanna White. Well, that double-N might be too much for some people, but it’s not like the only thing keeping if off PBS.

A fine, bright and charitable fellow--the NFL’s “Man of the Year” in 1983 and co-chairman of the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis--Benirschke has maintained his sense of humor about his new job. The other day he was asked if it didn’t feel a bit preposterous to be a game-show host, and he said, “Obviously it does. My father (Dr. Kurt Benirschke) is an internationally known professor of pathology, a physician, an author, and his son is asking people: ‘Do you want to buy a vowel?’ ”

In a sense, it’s a breakthrough. Other athletes have become actors, such as Ed Marinaro, Mike Warren, Fred Dryer and Alex Karras. But game-show hosting is a whole new field for jocks to consider.

Eddie (Silent Movie) Murray, for example. He’s well suited for a non-verbal show like “Win, Lose or Draw.” Tommy Lasorda could guest-host, and they could change the name of the show to “Win, Lose or Eat.”

Right now, who’s in more “Jeopardy” than Jerry Tarkanian?

“The Newlywed Game” is a natural for veterans Joe Montana or Hal Sutton.

George Steinbrenner could host “The Price Is Right,” and yell out, “Billy Martin, you sly boots, come on down . . . again!”

Mike and Robin absolutely have to co-host “Love Connection.”

For “The Dating Game,” the leaders in the clubhouse are Wade (Mr. Polaroid) Boggs and Mark (Do You Think I’m Sexy, Or Simply Stupid) Gastineau.

So Rolf, good luck, we’ll be watching. And remember, it’s A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y.