The Sac Bee's list of MNF announcers and sideline hosts: "Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, Frank Gifford, Alex Karras, Fred Williamson, Fran Tarkenton, O.J. Simpson, Joe Namath, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, Lynn Swann, Boomer Esiason, Lesley Visser, Dan Fouts, Dennis Miller, Eric Dickerson, Melissa Stark, John Madden, Lisa Guerrero, Michele Tafoya, Sam Ryan" All-time worst MNF dream team: Fred Williamson, O.J. Simpson and Dennis Miller with Lisa Guerrero working the sidelines.
I still can't believe they tried the Dennis Miller thing. Every time I think about that I expect to wake up and find out it was only a ridiculous dream (something ABC probably wishes it could do, also). Lots of memories, though. The early games back with Cosell, Meridith, and Gifford were SO much more memorable, before the influx of cable and satellite TV. Back then, there would only be a couple of games you were able to see on Sunday afternoon, so Monday night's game always had more the feel of a real event.
MNF, the end of an era. although I am now too old to make it to the end of the games,I do have some fond memories:1.The "Howard Sucks" sign 2.The "middle finger" guy 3.How inarticulate both Joe Namath and OJ Simpson could sound together. 4. Joe Washingtons OT kickoff return in the mud and rain at Foxboro.5.The Dolphins stopping the Bears "perfect" quest.6. The opening sequence that used to feature Roone Arlidge(you know he had a bet on the game) behind the scenes.Much more interesting than;"are you ready for some football?" which seems insulting, I mean ,Why do you think I am watching your show? Duh!7. Counting the times people would yell"he sucks!" at the screen when Dierdorf would do a stand up. 8.Dennis Miller using multi sylballic,college thesarus type words that maybe 3% of the veiwing audience could or even wanted to understand,at least Howard did it in the context of the game.
Gonna miss MNF on ABC, it wont be the same any more. Alot of memories from Monday nights, out with the boys, pissed off the wife a few times...oh well.
To be honest, I didn't watch it all that often lately. When Cosell was hosting it, it was compelling, if only because, well, you know, Cosell. Dennis Miller was a shot in the dark from people who had no other ideas as to what to do with the show. It wasn't the unmitigated disaster history will remember it as, but clearly, by that point, ABC didn't know what to do with MNF anymore. It had a great run, and it's time for it to go.
screw espn
The ratings always were and will always be as good as the match ups. I know it would be a scheduling nightmare, not to mention ticket problems, etc., but it seems they could figure out a way to select the monday night game maybe 3-4 weeks ahead instead of at the beginning of the season. Monday night football has been good for the NFL by any measurement. While probably impossible, it still seems like it would be worth a try and certainly in the best interests of the network and the NFL. As for which team of announcers is best, I would watch a good game with nobody in the booth.
My brother-in-law is pissed but then maybe he will have to get off his butt, get a job and purchase a cable package!
I will always remember Cosell telling the world (and unfortunately me, too) of the death of John Lennon 25 years ago. That was my favorite era of the MNF era, with Howard, Frank and Dandy Don. I think Al and Joe Theismann will be OK, just different. Maybe it's time for a change........By the way, GO BEARS !!
Howard, Frank and Dandy Don were the best...PERIOD! Though things were rough off camera, on mic they had a certain magic. I can take Al "Do you believe in miracles?....YES!"Michaels, hes a pro in everything he does. Joe Theisman on the other hand...SUCKS! Theres no other way to put it. Hey Joe,...shut the f*ck up and call the play at hand. Call it like you know we have a television in front of us and forget about the play they happened 45 minutes before.
As long as the Horse Trailer stays I'm fine.
Column on the way.
Bob Costa and John Madden, now that would be a great hosting duo on ESPN.
Costas, far as I care, is the dean of American sportcasters. His talent would be wasted on MNF, especially now that it's about to essentially disappear for half the country.
Ciao, Danderoo, we hardly knew ye...
It opened with the Jets losing to the Browns 31-21 and closed with the Jets losing to the Pats 31-21. Perfect.
and life goes on.
As long as the Horse Trailer stays I'm fine. Tafoya's status is still listed as day-to-day until the birth of her baby is finalized.
The worse part of monday night football over the last 36 years was having to listen to Dan Derdork for 3 hours.It was like fingernails across a chalk board,can you say AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The oddest aspect of the Dennis Miller experiment was that the alternative (maybe never really a serious one, but I've read conflicting stories about it) was Rush Limbaugh. Whatever you may think of his political bombast -- and I try not to -- he was and is a fairly knowledgeable fan, and it's interesting to speculate what he would've brought to the booth.
When the ABC folks were looking for a third, Rush was asked and said no. That's why they went with Miller. Both of them use words too few people bother to comprehend, but at least Miller knows how to pronounce 'erudite'.
I still think Keith Olbermann would have been a great addition to "MNF".
I find it hard to believe that Limbaugh was offered a position in the Monday Night Football booth and turned it down. He took the position on ESPN's Sunday morning show after all the rumors were floated about him being on MNF. If he was willing to take that, why wouldn't he accept the highest profile announcing job in sports? I don't listen to his show enough to judge, but Limbaugh didn't seem very knowledgeable about sports when he attributed Donovan McNabb's on-field success to affirmative action. The comment was so widely reviled he was out on his ass within 10 days of saying it.
Well, to be fair, Rush at least had some kind of sports background. Granted it was baseball (before he got into the punditry business, he worked for the Royals, though I'm guessing not in a diversity/community outreach position), not football, but still. That's about as fair as I can be, but it's something.
I know I am in the minority but listening to Madden every week is worse than Miller and Dierdorf combined.
Bring back Melissa Stark
This one ranks a 10 on the "Who Cares?" meter. MNF isn't dead...just on ESPN. Big deal. Poor ABC...wah...I think [insert name here] was/is the best and [insert name here] sucked. We will all have the opportunity to enjoy a cold beverage and some hot wings (or other tasty treat) and watch some NFL on Monday's next year. MNF has been a bad product for many years...lame announcers...the same stupid intro (how in the world did Hank Williams get a lifetime contract with them?) and worthless games for weeks in a row. The last four games have featured 2 playoff bound teams, and , shockingly enough, they weren't playing each other. The MNF that was a cultural phenomonon died a long time ago. The real MNF news is that ESPN can change the games scheduled for the second half of the season thus insuring (or at least helping) we get games worth watching.
We'll be able to watch games on Monday night, but I don't think it'll be Monday Night Football. That might be a good thing -- the franchise was getting tired -- but it was still huge for its time. I don't think ABC mentioned that games will be on ESPN once during the broadcast. They treated the last game as the end of MNF.
The real MNF news is that ESPN can change the games scheduled for the second half of the season thus insuring (or at least helping) we get games worth watching. No, it's NBC's Sunday night package that's getting the flexible scheduling. ESPN's matchups will be locked in place like always. No flexible schedule, no Super Bowls or playoff games, no season openers, no Thanksgiving games...and ESPN's still going to be paying double what ABC did in their last contract.
ESPN's matchups will be locked in place like always. damn....that sux. I guess I won't be watching then....again.
The ESPN broadcasting team of Theismann and MacGuire are the most annoying sycophantic toadies I've ever heard. I have to mute the whole game If Ray Lewis or, God forbid, Brett Favre is playing. They act like these guys deserve every penny of their millions just for not stabbing anyone. Well, in Lewis' case, not being convicted of stabbing anyone. If I hear "He's not just a great football player--he's an excellent human being" one more time, I'm taking a fucking hostage.
