The Washington Redskins are about to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a Monday Night Football match-up at Arrowhead Stadium. I have seen Arrowhead Stadium once…in 1996 as my dear wife, Carrie, and I were flying over it en route to Las Vegas on February 11, 1996, the day after we got married.
In the pregame show there was a story about former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. He is now suffering from Alzeheimers. I know all too well about this ailment. During the piece on Marty, there was a blurb of a MNF broadcast featuring Dan Deirdorf the night the Chiefs beat the 49ers with Joe Montana leading an improbable comeback. It brought back so many memories I had to write these words and more.
Monday Night Football is an American institution. It has lost a little steam in recent years, as Sunday Night Football, since it has moved from ESPN to NBC is a little more popular these days. I suppose Monday Night Football would still do a little better if it were on ABC like it used to be.
The New York Jets played the Cleveland Browns in the first Monday Night Football game in 1970. I don’t know who all the announcers were in that first game. I do know whom one of them of them was: Keith Jackson. That is football broadcasting appropriate.
I don’t know what year Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith first debuted on Monday Night Football. I am not going to look it up right now. I do know there was never or never will be a more interesting broadcast booth. Frank was the voice of reason, Howard was the voice of opinion, and Don was the booth jester. They melted together like sweet cream butter.
My favorite Top Ten Monday Night Football Memories?
1978. I was ten. My Dad let me stay up past halftime for the first time in my life and the only time that season so I could sit with him and watch a Houston Oiler rookie named Earl Campbell run for over 190 yards against the Miami Dolphins in a LUV YA BLUE covered Houston Astrodome. I will never forget it. I was living in Brownstown, Indiana at the time.
1982. The Cincinnati Bengals, led by my only football hero, Ken Anderson, were bested by the Dan Fouts led San Diego Chargers by a score of 50-34. Anderson threw for 446 yards and completed 40 passes. Fouts completed 25 for 425 yards. I was in offense heaven. I only wish my team had won.
1983. Ken Anderson gets his head turned around via facemask by Steelers DE Keith Gary. It was a brutal play. The Steelers won. So no, this is not a favorite memory.
1985. The Dolphins beat the Bears. It was the only defeat the Bears suffered that year. Meant a great deal to the Dolphins. Their 1972 team was the last team to win all their games in a season.
1986. The Bengals beat the Steelers 24-22 and Ken Anderson was the holder for the Bengals on placekicks. It was his last time on MNF.
Any time…Don Meredith would sing “Turn Out the Lights The Party’s Over!”
The time Fran Gifford asked Howard Cosell where Don was…as he was not in the booth at the time. Howard made a comment about the call of nature. Then Don was there, slapped his headset on and loudly asked “How’s it going group?”
1987. Bo Jackson runs for 221 yards for the Raiders as they beat the Seattle Seahawks and he runs over Brian Bosworth.
2003. Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers beat the home-standing Oakland Raiders 41-7 the day after Irv Favre, Brett’s Dad, passed away. If you saw it, you must believe in miracles. Unreal performance by the Pack and Brett’s 399 yards and 4 touchdowns.
2004. Gus Stephenson and I are in Indy to watch the Colts beat the Vikings 31-28 on a field goal on the last play of the game. Peyton Manning, as usual, was brilliant.
Honorable mention: Meredith…”99 yards and a half!”
Honor mention: Deirdorf: “Lord, you can take me now…I have seen it all.”
Monday Night Football is still a good thing. They still find a rendition of the old orchestral theme song to put on.
I still enjoy it. Though I must admit, I could better hang with a game all night when I was 17 and they kicked it off after 9 PM than I do now at 49 when they kick it off at 8:30ish. Oh well.
One final football note. My New York Giants are 0-4. They need to unload Odell Beckam, Jr., perhaps a trade for Adrian Peterson of the Saints. I have seen this movie before and it does not make for a winning scenario. Witness Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Dez Bryant…no wide receiver diva ever won big. And don’t try to talk to me about Michael Irvin. He had Emmitt Smith running the ball. A player starving for attention that may only touch the ball five times a game is a poison to the team. Get in the huddle and act like your brain is larger than the size of a butter bean.
Speaking the MNF rights.
Danny Johnson