'Monday Night Football' goes cable

[CatWoman]

Onetime cultural phenomenon will head from ABC to ESPN starting in 2006 season

April 19, 2005

By GEORGE SIPPLE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The second-longest running prime-time television show began in Detroit. And it wasn’t televised anywhere — except to a few network executives in New York through a closed-circuit hookup.

The year was 1970. The place was Tiger Stadium. The show was “Monday Night Football.”

Sports on television would never be the same.

And after this season — 36 years later — “Monday Night Football” will never be the same. The NFL confirmed Monday that the show would move from network television to cable, from ABC to ESPN, starting in 2006. Kickoff also will change, from a few minutes after 9 to 8:40 p.m.

http://www.freep.com/sports/football/pmx3794_20050418.htm

[GainesT1958]

1. Wonder if Al Michaels and John Madden will still co-host?

At the least, I hope they don't take away the best behind-the-mike NFL game team on the air!

Whodathunkit just ten years ago?:eyes:

B-)

[Left Is Write]

3. I was wondering the same thing.

[vpigrad]

2. Wow, ABC is finally giving-up on it!

I've always wondered why they would take-up a big chunk of prime-time with that garbage.

[RummyTheDummy]

13. Garbage?

I beg to differ. What they will replace it with and 99 percent of what's on the air i.e. the banal "Everybody Loves Raymond" and the low brow "American Idol" is garbage.

[miss_kitty]

4. yay!

I don't HAVE cable!

[DS1]

5. Starting 20 minutes earlier isn't a bad idea

those long games FORCE me to stay up and drink more, which never bodes well for Tuesday

/not really

But I still hate Madden

[CatWoman]

6. I like Madden

it's that asshole Michaels, with his GOP talking points, that I can't stand.

[curse10]

7. Good

interrupting good television time!

[RummyTheDummy]

14. Dont relax too much

Because NBC has picked up the SUnday night broadcasts. And this doesnt happen for over a year.

[lpbk2713]

8. I like football but MNF lost me when they

put that asshole Dennis Miller in the booth and Michaels felt obliged to let us know his political viewpoints. Cosell was more interesting than either of them.

Turn out the lights, the party's over.

[fortyfeetunder]

9. Good. I liked the radio version better.

Once upon a time in Seattle, MNF came on with an hour delay (like at 7 PM Pacific Time). After living on the East Coast and getting it live, made the wait unbearable. So I listened to MNF on the radio, which helped then because I didn't have a TV.

I married a spouse who had a TV. I figured out that if I listened to MNF on the radio on the way home from work. If the game was headed for disaster, I wouldn't watch the time delay version. If it looked like a good game, then I would turn on the TV once I got home.

By the time I got home from work, it was already halftime, but the game was not TV yet. Spouse is not a football fan, but he was livid I'd listen to the radio. Knowing I could punch the spouse's buttons, I continued my ploy, until Seattle joined the rest of the US and broadcasted MNF live. Darn. I was having so much fun then.

I'll stick to the radio.

[tammywammy]

10. Really

I don't care that it's moving to ESPN. I really only like that song you know dun dun dun dunhhhhhh.

[TheMightyFavog]

11. Well, at least the minday night Packer games will be simulcast...

Many rural Packers fans don't have cable or sattelite (Although the number of people with Sattelite is growing.) They'd probably be royally pissed if WBAY did not simulcast the games (Which they do whenever the Packer game is on ESPN)

[saigon68]

15. Some local station still will

There is too many $$$$$ going to waste not to. Espn is still affiliated with abc in some way. DBut then maybe WLUK or WFRV will step into the picture.

[Nicole]

12. Great!