Zetterberg is God 0 Report post Posted April 18, 2005 The NFL's "Monday Night Football," a staple on ABC for the past 35 seasons, will move to ESPN starting with the 2006 season. And NBC is returning to the NFL after six years away by taking the Sunday night broadcast previously on ESPN. The Monday night move from network TV to basic cable, hinted at continually by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, was announced Monday. NBC will get the Sunday night package for $600 million over six years, according to the sources. The network will also get the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2012 as part of the deal, a source told The Associated Press. The league's financial package with ESPN has not been confirmed. The moves leave ABC -- which originated "Monday Night Football" on Sept. 21, 1970 with the New York Jets visiting Cleveland -- as the only major network without NFL football. MNF has been a network institution ever since, and the second-longest running prime time network series, trailing 60 Minutes on CBS by two years. The highest-rated game was a 29.6, with a 46 share, for a 1985 game between the then-unbeaten Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. Miami won, ending Chicago's hopes of a perfect season. ABC and ESPN are both subsidiaries of the Walt Disney Co. ESPN currently carries games every Sunday night and sometimes on Thursday. The NFL is still considering separate packages for Thursday and late-season Saturday nights. Beginning in 2006, ESPN's Emmy Award-winning Monday Night Countdown will air from game sites every Monday during the NFL season. Last month, Tagliabue said during the NFL meetings in Hawaii that the Monday night move was a strong possibility. CBS and Fox already have agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years for the Sunday AFC and NFC rights. That has become more pressing since parity caused by the salary cap has resulted in teams moving up and down the standings annually, leaving bad teams that were strong the previous season in prime time and good teams that were bad the past season off of it. Al Michaels has been the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football since 1986. Frank Gifford held the job from 1971 through 1985. Keith Jackson called the first season's games. Among the analysts were Don Meredith, Alex Karras, Fred (The Hammer) Williamson, Fran Tarkenton, O.J. Simpson, Dan Dierdorf, Boomer Esiason, Dan Fouts, Dennis Miller and Howard Cosell. Current analyst John Madden joined Michaels for the 2002 season. -espn.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted April 18, 2005 Ugh...... does this mean we're stuck with the awful Sunday night crew on Monday now? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted April 18, 2005 Wow why even bother to keep it going? It's just going to feel like a glorified Sunday Night Football broadcast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 18, 2005 Ugh...... does this mean we're stuck with the awful Sunday night crew on Monday now? You would think that since they're all under the Disney umbrella, Michaels and Madden would move to ESPN and stay on Monday night. But this is ESPN, so the inherent flaw in that is that Stuart Scott is not involved. I predict a Stuart Scott-Joe Theismann-Mike Golic booth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted April 18, 2005 I wish someone would buy ESPN up and fire every on air personality they have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
therealworldschampion 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 My guess is Madden and Michaels are still doing MNF, and NBC likely gets their own announcers for their games, probably Bob Costas as play-by-play and a former NFLer as color commentator(please keep Theismann and Maguire the fuck away).... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iggymcfly 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 God. Can you imagine John Madden, Chris Berman, and Stuart Scott doing Monday night football? I'd watch just for the 80% chance that the earth would open up and Satan would swallow the field whole. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brett Favre 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Chris Berman: WHAP! John Madden: BOOM! Stuart Scott: BOO-YA! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Young 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 I love me some football, and I like ESPN unlike most people here, but I spend my Monday nights watching WWE Raw. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 I only watch MNF when my team is on it anyway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted April 19, 2005 God. Can you imagine John Madden, Chris Berman, and Stuart Scott doing Monday night football? I'd watch just for the 80% chance that the earth would open up and Satan would swallow the field whole. Preferably while the Eagles and Vikings were playing.. This would explain why EA Sports bought the rights to ESPN broadcasting in their games, since Madden and Michaels would still be commentating. That would be a major hit on their ratings though, switching to cable from network. I like the idea of the marquee games being on Sunday nights instead of Monday. This is starting next year though, so no worries yet. I pray to god Costas isn't the announcer on Sunday Night Football. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NoCalMike 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 I might be alone here, but I really miss the days when TNT had Sunday Night Football. I really thought that crew brought it's own unique flavor to the table, and was a refreshing break from the predictable ESPN Crew. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Chris Berman: WHAP! John Madden: BOOM! Stuart Scott: BOO-YA! Add in Keith Jackson chuckling in the background and yelling out a college name every few minutes and we have our team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Chris Berman: WHAP! John Madden: BOOM! Stuart Scott: BOO-YA! "BOOM! Harrington goes down. You gotta watch out for those big ol' defensive linemen! Remember, 90% of the game is half-mental." "This looks like a very serious injury, as you can tell from my serious tone of voice." "His legs are cooler than the other side of the pillow." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted April 19, 2005 I wish someone would buy ESPN up and fire every on air personality they have. They have personalities? -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Well they believe they have personalities. As seen by the fact that they spend more times focusing on themselves than actual sports these days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Black Lushus 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 the worst part of this whole deal is that NBC has the NFL again...ugh I hate their presentation... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 So now ABC will be without a football game I assume. And I actually like the Sunday Night Fooball crew, and I remember back in the day when TNT would present some Sunday night games -- they always seemed to have a home game at Arizona in week 2. One thing I couldn't stand was Verne Lunquist (sp) using the word "ironic" every other sentence... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MikeSC Report post Posted April 19, 2005 So now ABC will be without a football game I assume. And I actually like the Sunday Night Fooball crew, and I remember back in the day when TNT would present some Sunday night games -- they always seemed to have a home game at Arizona in week 2. One thing I couldn't stand was Verne Lunquist (sp) using the word "ironic" every other sentence... It's ironic that you'd hate that. -=Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crimson Platypus 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 I was just talking to my brother about this, he said that the rumored broadcast team right now is Chris Berman, Steve Young and Jim Rome. Uh.. no. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Jim Rome? JIM ROME? You know, with his goatee, how can he not fuck guys Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 "PHENOMENAL!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nl5xsk1 0 Report post Posted April 19, 2005 Jim Rome? JIM ROME? You know, with his goatee, how can he not fuck guys I always thought that Rome was a bottom, so rather than him fucking guys I presumed that he was fucked by them. I might be wrong though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X Report post Posted April 19, 2005 As long as there's no Dan Dierdorf, Dennis Miller (or likewise any other non-football persona who doesn't know shit about the game), Joe Theismann, Bob Costas, or Jerry Glanville, I'm fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 My biggest concern is Mike Patrick ends up pissing in the CFB water. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 Maybe it's just me but whenever I hear Mike Patrick calling a game it sounds like he's overdubbing a game he already watched. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 I heard he smokes like a chimney. The same person said Mike Tice fools around on his wife, another source says he sleeps with alot of the MN St.-Mankato co-eds during Vikings training camp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 I heard he smokes like a chimney. The same person said Mike Tice fools around on his wife, another source says he sleeps with alot of the MN St.-Mankato co-eds during Vikings training camp. Yeah, those hot college coeds are lining up to fuck Mike Tice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vern Gagne 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 Maybe he's well hung. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 22, 2005 When she throws her panties off, does he throw a challenge flag down? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
