On TV: Rooney tribute on '60' a repeat

Well, that was sort of strange.

Take out the "sort of." That was strange.

Andy Rooney, "60 Minutes" curmudgeon and one of the most popular fixtures on the classic over the last thirty years, died Friday, but for his tribute on Sunday night's program, "60 Minutes" aired a repeat of the piece Morley Safer prepared for his retirement that aired Oct. 2.

That's right: Andy was in repeat.

It was almost like getting the same gold watch twice.

"Only a few weeks ago" Rooney made his farewell appearance, Safer said in a pretaped introduction. And then he segued to the Rooney tribute which included outtakes from what was almost certainly Rooney's last taped appearances for the program on which he had been a fixture -- on and off -- since its founding in 1968.

A "60 Minutes" spokesman declined to comment.

Meanwhile, for those who wanted a fresh tribute, "Face the Nation" anchor Bob Schieffer on Sunday said on his program, "For all his eccentricities, Andy was a wise man whose work . . . reminds us that the English language is among our most precious assets and, properly used, one of the most powerful weapons in the American arsenal."