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kve820
12-23-2005, 03:26 PM
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/7/pshlogogreen3cc.jpg

Black and White Monday Night Football

I have only been alive 5 years longer than Monday Night Football has been around, most of you guys and gals here on PSH, have never known of a time without football on Monday nights. To be honest I don't remember them when I was 5, not till a little later on did I pick up the "BUG" known as football fever.

Now Monday Night Football isn't going to fade away, ESPN is taking control of it starting next season and then Sunday night is moving to NBC. So we will still have football on Monday night and Sunday Night. But the game will be done differently I'm sure, ESPN will want the Signature Stamp to be placed on it. So this is about ABC, The network that took the chance to be a laughing stock at the time for a recurring game during the NFL season.

When I was growing up in rual Kentucky we had 3 choices of Television to watch, channels 3, 6 or 12. ABC, NBC or CBS. Not much to say the least to choose from. ABC really stood out especially because of football. Been hooked on it ever since. Can you imagine having only 3 choices of Television today? There wasn't cable Television, you used the biggest antenna you could find! But for me and my brother we had rabbit ears and some good ole fashion tin foil to get reception on a 13 inch black and white televison. This is my first memories of MNF. I have come pretty far since then, although I don't live too far from where I grew up, Right next to the Tennessee River, I have NFL Sunday ticket today and all the games I want to see.

http://www.geocities.com/kve820/howardcosell.jpgAh....The memories of Monday Night football. There have been so many great games and moments on MNF that it's almost impossible to remember them all. One of my favorites things about MNF was the Howard Cosell's halftime highlight's, alot of people didn't like Cosell but his halftime highlight's were great. As I mention before we didn't have alot of choices in the early days so any info on your team were from him. I remember waiting and waiting for halftime so I could see a glimmer of my favorite team the Denver Broncos, it was only for a few moments but it was worth the wait. In those days There was no ESPN or internet and the only computers that were well known got the Astronaunts to the moon for pete sakes. So the only other means of news of your team were newspapers and where I lived football took a back seat to other sports. Can you guess what it was considering where I live?


http://www.geocities.com/kve820/dandydon.jpgI miss ole "Dandy Don Meredith", whom I regard as one of the toughest Quarterbacks to ever play the game. His was hilarious at times and just flat out embarrassing at times but he was someone you could relate too. Oh don't forget his singing, "turn out the lights the party is over" and several others, when the fat lady sings, something like that anyway. You never knew what he would say. Rumor has it that he used to get under Howard Cosell's skin, I'm sure there was some truth to that. Dandy Don was a goof off and I liked him for it.

Most of my early games I enjoyed on MNF were in black and white. For years that is how I watched football. Talk about suprised when I got my first Bronco Jersey! Gosh they were bright! I never saw one in color until it was ordered from a catalog. I remember watching my beloved Broncos on television a few times and didn't know they were wearing orange uniform's. Seriously that is a true statement.

But there are other games that stick out years later, like The Giants and http://www.geocities.com/kve820/joethbreak.jpgRedskins, yes the one where Joe Theisman broke his leg, to me I can remember that game or that moment just like it happened yesterday. Never will forget that play and LT frantically waving to the sidelines and the replay over and over again. The close up of the bone protruding through was enough to make the strongest stomach queasy. That was some night.

http://www.geocities.com/kve820/johnlennon.gif Another moment didn't have anything to do with football. It was when Howard Cosell annouced that John Lennon was murdered. That was a shock to say the least. I still remember that.

Everybody still remember's the T.O. and the desperate housewives actress, Nicolette Sheridan controversy, I have to admit, I thought it was funny. The Chicago Bears game at Miami Dolphins. Still the most watched MNF game, wow what a great game that was. Many moment's with Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino and many others. Too many to list. http://www.geocities.com/kve820/180px-Owens-sheridan-skit.jpgWith the New York Jets being on the first ABC MNF game and now to be on the last ABC MNF is Ironic, too bad the Cleveland Browns weren't scheduled for this although The New England Patriot fans will have another ABC MNF memory to cheerish.

I'm sure ESPN will do a good job with MNF and NBC with Sunday Night Football. But they will be in color and either on cable or satellite which ever you use. Who knows what television will be like 20 years from now. Maybe this will be a drop in the bucket to what is to come and some of the younger guys can say things like "well back in the day, we had to watch the game on high definition flat screens with only surround sound to listen with", sounds crazy I know but when you look at the way I started watching MNF it doesn't seem to far fetched.

gcomella34
12-23-2005, 05:51 PM
Well the NFL seems to be having some say in how the system will work. They are trying to limit "garbage games" during prime time featuring two of the leagues worst teams. They are going to allow ESPN to pull in a couple marquee matchups that CBS and FOX will be able to veto on occasion so their pool of good games won't be raided.

On of the funnier things I saw was Cosell's famous monkey line. I was too young for his appearance when he had a little too much to drink in the Philadelphia game. MNF will be missed and anybody that wants to appreciate what Cossel did for it should check out Cossel: Telling it Like it Is special on HBO. It's sad, he's going to be remembered for that monkey comment when he used at as a term of endearment for his grandchildren and that's how he described any football player that was difficult to tackle, no matter what color. But he just picked the entirely wrong time to say it.

kve820
12-26-2005, 08:58 AM
Today will be the last day for MNF on ABC at least for a while, I was reading my usual news and found this link.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_4342527,00.html

kve820
12-26-2005, 09:07 PM
Take a good look people tonight will be the last time you'll see it on ABC like this , well at least for a while anyway.