NFL Monday Night Football

What started as an oddity in 1970 and became a national tradition on television on Monday nights from September through January is leaving ABC after 35 seasons. Having lived on the east coast for many years, I always found it frustrating not being able to stay up to watch the end of many games, especially the competitive ones.

I'll always remember yelling "Shut up!" to Howard Cosell despite some of his interesting observations and reports. I'll remember how much I liked play-by-play announcers Frank Gifford and Al Michaels. I'll always wonder why a 3rd announcer was needed when only two announcers were enough.

The baby of the late ABC Sports executive Roone Arledge, ABC's Monday Night Football became appointment television. You made time to check out which teams were playing.

With the increase of other media sources and more competitive scheduling by other networks, it was determined by the NFL to air Monday Night Football on ESPN. NBC will air Sunday Night Football starting in the fall of 2006.

R.I.P. ABC's Monday Night Football

It would had been a ten out of ten for ABC. But I give it a eight out of nine. As I wasn't around for the Cosell-Gifford-Meredeth era. But heard a lot of awesome things and thanks to Youtube, you get to see it as well. Gifford did play the straight man with Cosell the bad cop and Meredith the good ole boy. While Michaels was a better play-by-play man than Gifford was. Gifford's name is synonymous with MNF! When they got rid of Gifford and Dierdorf, it all went downhill a bit for the next couple of years. Let's face it, Miller isn't Cosell despite not being a Cosell fan either. But with Madden and Michaels, both had the second best combo in MNF history. Don't like it on ESPN but now am beginning to like it since they got rid of Kornheiser. ESPN play-by-play man Tierco is OK. But glad they added Jarwoski and Gruden, who is an up and comer IMHO! It's OK on ESPN but on ABC, it is an original that can't be replaced despite new network.

Nothing use to touch Monday Night Football when it aired for over 38 seasons!! The other two major networks would try different approaches to Monday night programming and to no avail!! The initial idea to Monday Night Football was that Monday was the day of returning to reveille, kids back in school, everybody back to work, and just a naturally depressing day for everyone!! Once Monday Night Football came on the scene, Bars were having drink specials, friends were getting together for football parties at their homes and there now entered a little lilt in everybody's monotonous Monday blues schedule!! I counted on some of the best games in the NFL to be on Monday Night Football, and it was a real treat if they had the Dallas Cowboys' games!! I am a big Dallas Cowboy fan!! I also thought they should have given a fat contract to Mike Barz for being the new host of Monday Night Football, bringing him on would have been great!! "Monday Night Football" was a spectacular idea, the new Monday Night Football is not as good, but, it fills the void somewhat!! My bone of contention with "Monday Night Football" on ABC: BRING IT BACK!!!!

Oh how we miss Howard Cosell and the good old boys Frank Gifford and Dandy Don Meredith. Throw in a smidgeon of the lovable Alex Karras and you have a recipe for Monday Night Football on ABC that has long past, but certainly not forgotten. I have watched Monday Night football since day 1 and I still watch Monday Night football, but since ABC lost the TV contract, it just has not been the same.

The game of football has become so safety conscious and the referees throw more flags during todays game than most Quarterbacks throw completed passes in an entire game.

The current FOX TV NFL Sunday crew comprised of host Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson, and recently added Tony Gonzalez are decent enough and a joy to watch, but no one can compare to the original 1970's and 1980's NFL Monday Night football cast led by Howard Cosell. High definition and 4K quality may make the picture look crisp, clear and colorful but the game of NFL football itself isn't near half as exciting as it was back in the 1970's through to 2002 when ABC hosted us each Monday night with their color commentary and funny anecdotes. I will never forget when the Buffalo Bills were playing the Miami Dolphins and the venerable lawyer turned TV sports commentator howled out those famous words, "While Miami has the oranges, Buffalo has the JUICE!!!!!" (referencing NFL Running Back and current Hall Of Famer O J Simpson)

Rest in peace men, Monday Night football was at its best with you calling the Monday night game(s) on ABC. Without you guys and ABC I had to drop my IMDB rating down from a perfect 10 to a passable 7.

Howard Cosell died April 23, 1995 (aged 77) Don Meredith died December 5, 2010 (aged 72) Alex Karras died October 10, 2012 (aged 77) Frank Gifford died August 9, 2015 (aged 84) Honorable mention to Keith Jackson who died on January 12, 2018 (aged 89)

As someone who has watched this program since its inception, it's kind of sad now to look back at its history. Those who didn't grow up with this "phenomenan," as it was called in the '70s, can't realize how big a deal this sports program was at one time.

In its glory days, "Monday Night Football" was THE event on television each week for any football fan. It wasn't the individual game that particular night. It made no difference who was playing - it was a chance to hear what humorous and/or controversial things Howard Cosell and "Dandy" Don Meredith would say each week. The play-by-play announcer, Frank Gifford (Keith Jackson the first year) was just a "straight man" for Cosell and Meredith.

Cosell played the bad guy and loved it, and Meredith played the "good 'ole boy," and had a pretty good time himself. I can say the latter because I was in the press box for a few Monday night games in Buffalo and "Dandy Don" was feeling no pain, let's just leave it at that. The ratings were so high that celebrities and politicians would frequently enter the booth for a halftime interview.

The significance of the sporting event went downhill when those guys left and it has never really recovered. In fact, as you know, it left ABC for ESPN several years ago. It also has a had numerous "color" guys. Few of them have ever been very popular and some were downright horrible.

I will have always have great memories of Frank, Howard and Don when this program was truly exciting and all of us fans couldn't wait for Monday night.