50 Fun Facts About Monday Night Football

In which year did Monday Night Football debut on ABC?

CBS had tried a few Monday games in the late 1960s, but ABC, a distant third in prime time, was the network willing to gamble on a weekly slot.

Which team hosted and won the first MNF game, 31–21 over the Jets?

Billy Andrews intercepted Joe Namath late in the fourth quarter and returned it 25 yards for the clinching touchdown.

Which NFL commissioner pushed for a weekly prime-time game in the 1960s?

Rozelle tested the idea with one Monday game on CBS in 1966 and 1967 before signing a weekly deal with ABC for 1970.

Which ABC Sports producer designed MNF as an entertainment 'spectacle'?

He ordered twice the usual number of cameras, expanded the booth to three announcers and leaned on instant replay.

Who directed Monday Night Football for more than 22 years from its launch?

Forte was hired by Arledge to turn the game into a show, and he stayed in the truck into the 1980s.

Who was the original MNF play-by-play announcer in 1970?

Jackson lasted one season before returning to college football, where he became the voice of the sport for decades.

Which Dodgers broadcaster did Arledge try to hire for play-by-play before settling on Jackson?

He tried Curt Gowdy first, then Scully, but neither could escape their existing contracts.

Which former Cowboys quarterback, nicknamed 'Dandy Don', was an original 1970 analyst?

Gifford, still under contract to CBS, suggested him for the seat, setting up years of sparring with Cosell.

Which line did 'Dandy Don' sing when a game was out of reach?

The line comes from Willie Nelson's 'The Party's Over', and it became the signal that garbage time had arrived.

Which ex-Giants star took over play-by-play in 1971 after leaving CBS?

He would stay on the show until 1998, the longest tenure of any MNF broadcaster.

Gifford's see-no-evil approach to the NFL earned him which nickname?

Critics felt he never said a harsh word about the league that had made him a Hall of Famer in 1977.

Gifford played his 12-season NFL career for which team?

He played halfback, flanker and safety, and was married to TV host Kathie Lee Gifford from 1986 until his death.

Howard Cosell was born with which surname?

He said the change, made while a law student, restored a version of the family's original Polish name.

What was Cosell's profession before he became a full-time broadcaster?

He was admitted to the New York bar in 1939 and hosted a Little League radio show for free before giving up the law.

In which city was Howard Cosell born?

His father was an accountant, and the family was Jewish; Cosell made his name in New York radio.

Cosell rose to prominence in the 1960s covering which boxer?

He covered the fighter from his Cassius Clay days and was one of the few broadcasters to use his Muslim name early on.

Which sponsor's chairman asked ABC to remove Cosell from the booth in 1970?

Henry Ford II backed off once the ratings came in.

What did an ill Cosell vomit on during a 1970 Giants–Eagles telecast?

He had been drinking at a promotional party before the game, and Jackson and Meredith finished the broadcast without him.

Which former Beatle was interviewed by Cosell in the booth in December 1974?

Six years later, on December 8, 1980, Cosell broke the news of his murder during a Dolphins–Patriots game.

Which governor explained football's rules to Lennon off-camera during that 1974 game?

Reagan was then the outgoing governor of California and was interviewed by Gifford on air.

Which nickname did Fred Williamson, dropped before the 1974 season even began, carry?

He quipped that he was hired to 'bring some color to the booth', then proved so inarticulate in preseason that ABC cut him.

Which ex-Lion joined the booth in 1974 and said a Raider attended 'the University of Mars'?

The target was Otis Sistrunk, who never went to college; the Raiders' guide listed his alma mater as 'U.S. Mars'.

Which newly retired quarterback began working games with Cosell and Gifford in 1979?

Meredith was contractually limited to 14 games when the NFL went to 16, so ABC needed a fill-in.

Which Hall of Fame quarterback was hired as an MNF analyst for the 1985 season?

He debuted at the Hall of Fame Game the same weekend he and O. J. Simpson were inducted; both were gone after one season.

Which Giants linebacker's tackle ended Joe Theismann's career on MNF in 1985?

Viewers saw the compound fracture of his tibia and fibula in slow-motion replay at RFK Stadium.

Which team handed the 1985 Bears their only loss, in MNF's most-watched game?

The 38–24 game earned a 29.6 Nielsen rating and a 46 share.

Which announcer, famed for 'Do you believe in miracles?', took over play-by-play in 1986?

He had been calling Monday Night Baseball for ABC since 1983 and stayed on MNF through its last ABC season in 2005.

Which former Cardinals lineman joined the booth in 1987 to restore the three-man format?

He stayed until 1999, when he left for a return to CBS.

Who composed 'Heavy Action', the theme MNF began using in 1975?

It was production music that ABC programmers first heard on a BBC show, and it was initially used only as background.

Hank Williams Jr.'s 1989 MNF opener reworked which of his own hits?

The retooled version, 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night', ran until 2011 and returned in 2017.

ESPN dropped Williams Jr. in 2011 after remarks he made on which program?

The comments concerned a golf outing with President Obama; Williams said he, his song and his rowdy friends were 'out of here'.

Who became the first female commentator on Monday Night Football in 1998?

She was bounced from the sideline in 2000 for a younger reporter and Eric Dickerson, a move she called 'staggering'.

Which comedian unexpectedly joined the MNF booth in 2000?

Producer Don Ohlmeyer installed him alongside Dan Fouts; the experiment lasted two seasons.

Which Jets quarterback led the 2000 'Monday Night Miracle' comeback from 30–7 down?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, promoting The 6th Day at halftime, predicted the comeback on air.

Which offensive tackle caught the tying touchdown in the Monday Night Miracle?

It tied the game at 37, and the Jets won 40–37 in overtime over the Dolphins.

Which former Raiders coach joined the booth for a two-man team in 2002?

He had spent 21 years at CBS and Fox first, and he left for NBC with Michaels when ABC gave up the package.

Which Eagles receiver appeared in the 2004 towel-dropping skit with Nicollette Sheridan?

The FCC received at least 1,997 complaints and chairman Michael Powell voiced his outrage.

ABC ended its MNF run in 2005 partly to protect which Sunday-night series?

ABC had lost millions on the games despite strong ratings, and the 36-year partnership ended after the 2005 season.

Who were the visitors for the final ABC MNF telecast on December 26, 2005?

The Jets hosted at Giants Stadium, and Testaverde threw the last touchdown pass of ABC's run, to Laveranues Coles.

ESPN 'traded' its play-by-play man to NBC in 2006 for which cartoon character's rights?

Universal had owned the Walt Disney creation for nearly 80 years; Ryder Cup rights were also part of the deal.

Who was ESPN's first MNF play-by-play announcer when the show moved in 2006?

He worked with Joe Theismann and Tony Kornheiser that first season and stayed until leaving for NBC in 2016.

Which former Eagles quarterback replaced Theismann in the booth in 2007?

Jaworski lasted five seasons before ESPN went back to a two-man booth in 2012.

Which former head coach replaced Tony Kornheiser in the booth in 2009?

He had coached the Raiders and Buccaneers, and he left after nine seasons to coach the Raiders again.

Which former Cowboys tight end joined the MNF booth in 2018?

He lasted one season before returning to play for Dallas, and ESPN did not replace him in 2019.

Who became the first woman to call a nationally televised NFL game, on MNF in 2017?

She called the Chargers–Broncos second game of the Week 1 doubleheader.

Which two teams played the 105-point 54–51 game in 2018, the highest-scoring in MNF history?

The game was moved from Mexico City's Estadio Azteca to the Los Angeles Coliseum because of poor field conditions.

Which Fox duo did ESPN hire in 2022 to call Monday Night Football?

In 2023 they passed Pat Summerall and John Madden as the NFL's longest-tenured broadcast team.

Which company produces the Manningcast alternate telecast for ESPN2?

It is Peyton Manning's production company, and his brother Eli co-hosts with a rotating cast of celebrity guests.

Which franchise has made the most Monday night appearances, with 93?

Candlestick Park, the 49ers' old home, holds the record for hosting the most MNF games, 36.

ESPN's 2023 opening song, with Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg, covered which artist's 1981 hit?

'In the Air Tonight' replaced a Marshmello remix of 'Heavy Action' and a Butcher Brown cover of Little Richard's 'Rip It Up'.