Now that it's over...The Monday Night Football Thread. Post your favorite memories!

[Dave2112]

As we all know by now...Monday Night Football is ending its 36-year run on ABC tonight. I was originally planning a rant thread on how this is another example of corporate cable greed snapping up a part of our cultural history, but decided against it.

Instead, let this thread be a depository of our favorite memories from this unmistakable part of American culture. What are your favorite Monday Night Memories? Your most memorable moments and games? The best and worst men in the booth? Anything about Monday Night Football...this is the place.

Personally, as an obsessive football fan, I can't possibly come up with a specific memory, or even ten. So, I'll just wax philosophical for a spell...

The biggest thing that bothers me is the splitting-up of Al Micheals and John Madden...perhaps the best booth team since Al and Frank Gifford...or any of the teams that featured the inimitable and irreplaceable Howard Cosell...the man who made "He could....go....all....the....WAY!" a part of our iconic language.

I remember the Jets coming behind from a 30 point deficit against the Dolphins (arguable the greatest MNF game ever)...

I remember the ones who were special....but REALLY shone on Monday Night...Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Emmitt Smith, Deion "Primetime" Sanders, William Perry, John Elway, Joe Montana, Ray Lewis, Fran Tarkinton, Terry Bradshaw, oh shit I could go on forever....the guys who KNEW that Monday Night was NOT just another game, no matter the records involved.

I remember Brett Favre's game against the Raiders after his father had passed away...

I remember "Dandy" Don Merideth singing "The Party's Over" when the game was a blowout.

And I remember things far more important than the games themselves...the guys coming over for a meaningless game just to watch football during the week. I remember knowing that MNF games being the hardest to pick or predict because ANYTHING could happen. The "Any Given Sunday" rule took on a whole new meaning when it was "Any Given Monday".

I welcome one hopeful thing when ESPN picks up MNF. Perhaps we can finally get rid of the last remnants of "hillbilly culture" as it relates to football. PleasepleasePLEASE find another lead-in and finally retire Hank Williams Jr. Remember last year when part of his song was "...it's a Super Bowl Season...let's get this thing started!" Isn't EVERY season a Super Bowl Season? (And I'm not even mentioning the utterly retarded rewrites of Tim McGraw's "I Like it, I Love it" this season. You do NOT even have to tell us that you had about an hour to come up with lyrics for this garbage. Let's leave this crap for NASCAR, ok?)

Most of all, I mourn the loss of something that has become as important a part of American culture as Thanksgiving or the 4th of July. Yes, it'll still be on. But only for those who pay for cable or satellite.

I highly recommend the film "Monday Night Madness" for those interested in how this cultural phenomenon even came to be...and almost didn't.

Thank you ABC for 36 years of something that can count itself among apple pie, baseball and the Statue of Liberty.

I will surely miss you.

 

[Dave2112]

...and if it weren't emotional and strange enough....

The very first MNF game, the Jets lose 31-21....

The very last MNF game, the Jets lose 31-21....

Bizarre.

 

[Michael514]

I can't remember the year. It was after the Dallas Cowboys won the super bowl, I think, and they played the Cleveland Browns. The look on quarterback Brian Sipe's face when he threw his second touchdown and the Browns won a shocker. Howard Cosell was going ballistic as the Browns went on to victory. This game was played, I believe, in the later 70's.

 

[isabeau]

...and if it weren't emotional and strange enough....

The very first MNF game, the Jets lose 31-21....

The very last MNF game, the Jets lose 31-21....

Bizarre.

its because they dont have chad pennington, and also dont you know? the jets love nascar and anyone who roots for them but is against nascar sort of jinx them.

isabeau

 

[giggleygirl25]

i'm going to miss hearing the lead-in every monday night...hick as it may or may not be...it became part of the game. i think tagliabue made a serious error in judgment, but that's my opinion and we'll have to see how this plays out in the years to come. it's more than just the cable company's greed...it's the league as well.

 

[Illtcklu]

Chiefs vs Broncos 1994 Joe Montana's last monday night game! WOW what a game it was!!!! Chiefs won right at the buzzer!!!!!!

 

[Tickle Fiend]

Three games during the Parcells era with the 'boys. In '03 played the Giants in '03 they kicked and retrieved and onside and Billy Cundiff kicked a 52 yarder to send it to overtime. Then in overtime kicked the game winner to tie the record for most FG's in a game. In '04 against the Seahawks the 'boys controlled the game for the most part then fell apart in the fourth and the Seahawks took the lead by 10. Dallas scored on a great catch by Keyshawn in the back on the endzone making the score 39-36. They got the onside and Julius Jones scored eventually on a draw to seal the game in the last few seconds. He had 198 yards that game. And of course the game this year with the Eagles. Down 20-7. Terry Glenn finally got open and scored. Then two plays later mcnabb throws a pass that was picked off by Roy. And also that catch that Antonio Freeman made against the Vikes a few years ago, dont remember which year.

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Let's be real for a moment here. After Howard Cosell left Monday Night Football, they just played football on Monday Night. Growing up, Monday Night Football was an event. Something Special. What made it special was that Howard Cosell would say something SHOCK!!! Made great water cooler material!!! After Cosell, the broadcast was just never the same. Monday Night football was not about Michaels and Madden. It was about Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and the great Howard Cosell. Anything after that is a waste of material.

Favorite game on Monday, Dave mentioned, the Jets were left for dead in the Meadowlands as they were getting crushed by division-rival Miami. By the time that game finished ( and I watched every second of that game ) the Miracle in the Meadowlands was complete. In fact, Jumbo Elliott catch the game tying TD pass from Vinny Testaverde to send the game into overtime. The Jets would win in OT.

 

[giantfan121262]

MNF will never be the same when it goes to ESPN. Like George said, it was something special, something to look forward to. Even now, when I think of MNF, Howard Cosell is the first thing that pops into my mind. He was a very highly opinionated man, and I disagreed with his POV alot more than I agreed with him, but since others shared a diffeent opinion, it made for great viewing.

Some of my fonder memories are:

Giants vs, 49ers in 1990. The game was everything it was hyped up to be. In that game, there was no losers, time just ran out on the Giants. Later on, the Giaants would beat the Niners in the NFC championship game and go on to beat the Bills in the superbowl.

The Jets come back win against the Dolphins was also an unforgettable game for all the right reasons.

Also, when LT broke Joe Theismans leg. I hate to say it, and it's a memory for all the WRONG reasons, but it still sticks in my mind

Mostly, I just remember the special players like Roger Staubach, Brett Farve, Randall Cunningham, Terry Bradshaw, LT, Marino, Bruce Smith. Hech, I can go on all night.

One thing I remember as a not so fond memory is when Dennis Smith was in the booth. He failed miserably at adding humor to the game. I remember the ratings were at an all time low.

Another time is when Cosell and Alex Karras were mocking Joe Namath endlessly in a game against the Chargers when he was playing on two bad knees. Namath was one of my football idols growing up.

Hey, you have to take the bad with the good. All in all, MNF was a fixture from 9:00-12:00 every Monday night for as long as I can remember.

Thank you for the memories

 

[leafstk]

That totally sucks! How can they cancel monday night football!?! You mean to tell me, no more QB1?!

 

[amk714]

this is another example of corporate cable greed snapping up a part of our cultural history

I couldn't agree with you more, Dave. Since I'm not as old as some of you 😛, and I'm not as big a fan of football as some other sports, Monday Night Football isn't quite as special to me. But I have seen some memorable MNF games (some of which have been already mentioned), and I mourn its loss as well. 🙁

 

[Dave2112]

Giantfan...I think you meant Dennis Miller.

But you are right, sir, nonetheless. His addition to MNF was an utter waste, and from what I hear, Al Micheals was never really happy with the decision. Thank God that only lasted one season.

Howard Cosell was the best...but I give a lot of props to Al Micheals. The man knows his stuff and has been a professional presence in the booth for many, many years.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Two words: Bo Jackson.

This was around 1990 or so. I am not sure, but I think Oakland (sorry gang, to me, they will ALWAYS be Oakland, regardless of whether they played in LA, or Sydney, or Butler, Pennsylvania) was playing Seattle. I was sitting with Dear Old Dad, who, while watching the game, was trying to repair a gasket on some piece of his woodworking machinery. He momentarily went out to the garage to get some tool to aid him. While he was out, Bo Jackson made this incredible end zone run. He zoomed past the secondary as if they were bowling pins in a split. He raced for the end zone, faster than Mark Martin doing time trials at Daytona, and the momentum carried him into the runway, leaving everyone in the stadium with their jaws bouncing on the floor. Dear Old Dad came back in, and asked, "did I miss anything?"
I stared at him for a moment, and then said, "nah. You didn't miss a thing."

 

[german]

I was going to say when Tim Brown caught his recorded breaking catch or when Jerry Rice caught the record breaking TD catch but they were all good but I have to agree with Knox, Bo Jackson TD run. I think they were the Sydney Raiders then 😛 but I never saw that run, until recently on some sort of highlight package on Bo Jack.

Speaking of packages he was the complete package at RB, fast as a WR and punded the ball like a FB

 

[amk714]

Giantfan...I think you meant Dennis Miller.

But you are right, sir, nonetheless. His addition to MNF was an utter waste, and from what I hear, Al Micheals was never really happy with the decision. Thank God that only lasted one season.

Howard Cosell was the best...but I give a lot of props to Al Micheals. The man knows his stuff and has been a professional presence in the booth for many, many years.

Dennis Miller sucked.

Al Michaels is great, IMHO. The only quibble I have with him is when he covers NBA games. I just get the feeling he's not into basketball as much as other sports. But he's better than most at what he does.

 

[giantfan121262]

Giantfan...I think you meant Dennis Miller.

I did, my bad.

Knox, wasn't that the game also when Bo Jackson knocked Brian Bosworth on his ass?

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

As we all know by now...Monday Night Football is ending its 36-year run on ABC tonight. I was originally planning a rant thread on how this is another example of corporate cable greed snapping up a part of our cultural history, but decided against it.

Instead, let this thread be a depository of our favorite memories from this unmistakable part of American culture. What are your favorite Monday Night Memories? Your most memorable moments and games? The best and worst men in the booth? Anything about Monday Night Football...this is the place.


I remember the Jets coming behind from a 30 point deficit against the Dolphins (arguable the greatest MNF game ever)...



I welcome one hopeful thing when ESPN picks up MNF. Perhaps we can finally get rid of the last remnants of "hillbilly culture" as it relates to football. PleasepleasePLEASE find another lead-in and finally retire Hank Williams Jr. Remember last year when part of his song was "...it's a Super Bowl Season...let's get this thing started!" Isn't EVERY season a Super Bowl Season? (And I'm not even mentioning the utterly retarded rewrites of Tim McGraw's "I Like it, I Love it" this season. You do NOT even have to tell us that you had about an hour to come up with lyrics for this garbage. Let's leave this crap for NASCAR, ok?)


I will surely miss you.

Let me start by saying that NBC will be getting the Monday Night package on Sunday Night next season. It is important to know that. Everyone wanted Monday Night Football to have meaningful games late in the Season to prevent a 3-11 New York Jets team to host the 9-5 New England Patriots. BUT because of the success of Deseprate Housewives ( a dumb show if you ask me ) ABC was reluctant to move their dumb show to Monday and move a FLEXIBLE package on Sunday. NBC ( whose biggest mistake was to let CBS buy out their AFC football package after FOX bought out CBS's NFC package ) wanted back in in the worst way to get football ( and not the arena kind either ) back on their network. So they arranged it so that they will get the pick of the BIG GAMES and air that on Sunday night. The reason it could not be done on Monday ( a flexible package ) was because they book the stadium hotels and travel months in advance. So to change a game from Sunday to Monday ( in the minds of the NFL ) was near impossible. But they can change a game from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night. So ESPN has the Sunday night package on Monday night meaning you will get the hapless Houston Texans against the equally hapless Green Bay Packers on Monday night with NO change. Sunday Night will feature a game with PLAYOFF implications every week LATE in the year. So Dave what I am saying is Cable may have it on Monday night NOW but it will not be NEARLY as entertaining as Sunday night on FREE TV.

In regards to the worst in the booth, Joe Namath and OJ ( I didn't kill my beloved Nicole ) Simpson were HORRIBLE in that booth together. Let me be honest, I was a fan of both players but they stunk up the booth. They made Dennis Miller almost plausable.

Dave, I agree with you on the opening of Monday Night games ( I still love the way it use to be. ) And Tim McGraw ( son of the late Tug McGraw former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies ) may be a GREAT country singer ( I really don't know ) but I would ALWAYS turn halftime off because of the music.

Jets and Dolphins Miracle in the Meadowlands will always be the GREATEST game. ( Though I will bet you there are Fish fans who call it the Midnight Massacre in the Meadowlands 😛 ). But I hope that everyone next year will enjoy great memories of great games to be played in 2006 on Sunday night.

 

[giantfan121262]

It's comforting to know that a more meaningful (or entertaining) game will be featured on free TV. After first hearing about all this it just sounded like ESPN was going to move in and after knowing that ESPN is getting stuck with a game rather than getting it's pick of the litter means that, like TF4U said, means that ESPN gets stuck and could bite them in the ass (I hope it does).

It irritates me to hear that ABC won't accomodate MNF football because of Desparate Housewives (It's an OK show, but not MNF. I guess you have to watch it week to week). It's all about ratings. Granted moving it to Monday might give it more exposure, but why Monday night? Why couldn't they move it to another primetime slot during the week and keep MNF where it belonged?

Sorry to sound like I am whining but as this thought festers in my head, it make less sense to me.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Yes, Giantfan, I think that was the game. It's been so long, though I wish someone else could confirm it as well.

Dennis Miller: I can't stand him. Every time I hear him utter those annoying, stupid analogies of his during his monologues I want to take a blunt object and make Lincoln Logs notches in his head. He was a nightmare on MNF, I think Al Michaels wanted to do the same thing to him that I do.

Could've been worse. The ABC suits could've given us Rush Limbaugh in his place. He did audition for it.

 

[The Ogre]

Gotta love the game

Its hard being a Packer Fan as of this season but thats ok. Cuz they have the greatest MNF play ever..... Does n e one remember when Favre threw to Antonio Freeman...... Freeman dived the ball was swatted rode on freemans back rolled to his shoulder and then he turned real quick and snagged it. that was amazing. I even think he got a TD for the win too with that one.

O yeah ALL HAIL FAVRE AND PRAY FOR THE PACKERS AWRA AWRA

 

[morefeatherz]

My favorite memory of MNF was the halftime highlights. This was long before ESPN, high tech relays and the age of cable television.
I would stay up just to watch the highlight films hoping to see my favorite team, or if there was a big win, you wanted to see it happen, not just hear about it.
This was before the days of cable and it was something you really looked forward to as part of MNF. It will always be my favorite memory.

 

[CaptainQuantum]

"start blowdrying Ted Koppel's hair, this one's history" - Dennis Miller 😀