MNF R.I.P.
Monday Night Football will never be the same.
At the end of this past football season, Monday Night Football left ABC for ESPN. I didn’t give it much thought, as I have both and will watch football wherever it goes. I recognized the sentimental nature of MNF leaving the network where Howard Cosell made it great, but, whatever.
Then last night I see an ESPN promo for the new MNF that shows historic moments like John Elway having his number retired.
Now, Elway played his entire career in Denver, took them from synonymous with Super Bowl losers to two straight, stretching his aging ass out in a dive for a first down and willing his team to victory. Wouldn’t say shit about you if you stuffed a handful of your own in his mouth.
Dude’s an icon whether you like him or not. Just is. And I was moved by the clip that ESPN showed.
But, I realized quickly that those moments, watching an icon tip his hat to the home town fans one last time, will NEVER happen on MNF again, and ESPN is offering a false bill of sale.
I have long said that football is the working man’s game, because you can devote one day to watching per week and get most of the season. And Monday Night Football became the commonplace for all of the fans. On Sunday, you watch what is local and follow the rest of the games, and then Monday night, after dinner at 9pm on the East Coast or instead of dinner at 6pm on the West, all the fans watch the same game.
And, this is important, I mean ALL the fans. Any fan with a bent clotheshanger and a $10 B/W set from the thrift could watch. Last game of the cycle, we’re all family here, this is home wherever it happens.
When MNF was on ABC, free to all, it was the kind of place you might hold a ceremony, because for it to mean anything (and I understand that the non-fans out there question whether sports ever menas much of anything) everybody has to have the opportunity to be there. Suddenly, MNF has this gatekeeper level added – you have to have cable, or go someplace that does.
The NFL is savvy, and exercises formidable control over its broadcast partners. They just aren’t going to place their pomp and ceremony where only a cable audience can get it. Likely, it will be the late Sunday game that takes over that function.
For me, it’s sad because Monday Night Football won’t be the icon on ESPN that it was on ABC – it can’t be. It will be just another game, a former commonplace.
And ESPN trying to whore out the former iconic status isn't going to help. Not that it’ll stop them from trying.
At the end of this past football season, Monday Night Football left ABC for ESPN. I didn’t give it much thought, as I have both and will watch football wherever it goes. I recognized the sentimental nature of MNF leaving the network where Howard Cosell made it great, but, whatever.
Then last night I see an ESPN promo for the new MNF that shows historic moments like John Elway having his number retired.
Now, Elway played his entire career in Denver, took them from synonymous with Super Bowl losers to two straight, stretching his aging ass out in a dive for a first down and willing his team to victory. Wouldn’t say shit about you if you stuffed a handful of your own in his mouth.
Dude’s an icon whether you like him or not. Just is. And I was moved by the clip that ESPN showed.
But, I realized quickly that those moments, watching an icon tip his hat to the home town fans one last time, will NEVER happen on MNF again, and ESPN is offering a false bill of sale.
I have long said that football is the working man’s game, because you can devote one day to watching per week and get most of the season. And Monday Night Football became the commonplace for all of the fans. On Sunday, you watch what is local and follow the rest of the games, and then Monday night, after dinner at 9pm on the East Coast or instead of dinner at 6pm on the West, all the fans watch the same game.
And, this is important, I mean ALL the fans. Any fan with a bent clotheshanger and a $10 B/W set from the thrift could watch. Last game of the cycle, we’re all family here, this is home wherever it happens.
When MNF was on ABC, free to all, it was the kind of place you might hold a ceremony, because for it to mean anything (and I understand that the non-fans out there question whether sports ever menas much of anything) everybody has to have the opportunity to be there. Suddenly, MNF has this gatekeeper level added – you have to have cable, or go someplace that does.
The NFL is savvy, and exercises formidable control over its broadcast partners. They just aren’t going to place their pomp and ceremony where only a cable audience can get it. Likely, it will be the late Sunday game that takes over that function.
For me, it’s sad because Monday Night Football won’t be the icon on ESPN that it was on ABC – it can’t be. It will be just another game, a former commonplace.
And ESPN trying to whore out the former iconic status isn't going to help. Not that it’ll stop them from trying.
posted by JJisafool at 9:06 PM
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