While I agree with you, this is friggin football. Why the need for a comedian on the pre-game show anyway. While Caliendo does good impressions, after you've seen them a couple of times, they cease to be funny. I laughed my behind off when I first heard him do John Madden, but after hearing it for the upteenth time, I want to change the channel. Since when have football pregame shows become cabaret shows anyway.
Just a guess on my part but I imagine Fox saw it as an opportunity to highlight their MadTV product and wanted to use the playoffs as an oppportunity to promote the show which is targeted to same audience as football (young males). That isnt to say us old farts dont watch it as well. I doubt they put it on to piss off the conservatives or to appeal to the libs.