MNF thoughts

[NittPicker]

For three decades after MNF started it was an event NFL fans wouldn't miss. Nationally televised. Prime time. Excited fans. Howard Cosell. The game was often in the top five of weekly Nielsen ratings.

So I'm sitting here tonight with the game on for background noise as I'm doing other things. I asked myself why I had it on in the first place. I know one of the announcers is Witten but have no clue who his partner is. It seems the Sunday night game is now a bigger deal than MNF. I know it's all about exposure, money and the network television deals but the Monday games just don't have the same buzz and excitement they used to. I think I'll turn on the radio.

 

[Cletus11]

For three decades after MNF started it was an event NFL fans wouldn't miss. Nationally televised. Prime time. Excited fans. Howard Cosell. The game was often in the top five of weekly Nielsen ratings.

So I'm sitting here tonight with the game on for background noise as I'm doing other things. I asked myself why I had it on in the first place. I know one of the announcers is Witten but have no clue who his partner is. It seems the Sunday night game is now a bigger deal than MNF. I know it's all about exposure, money and the network television deals but the Monday games just don't have the same buzz and excitement they used to. I think I'll turn on the radio.

when Cosell was broadcasting there were 2 games on sunday at 1 and 4. And Monday Night Football. And you had 3 channels. There was maybe one or two college games on Saturday.

Now starting on Tuesday night i can watch college football. and Thursday night NFL, and Friday night college, and Saturday i can watch college for 12+ straight hours. then sunday i can watch 3 games and if i want can watch with no commercials on red zone. and then by Monday night, after 6 straight days of football including if i want 12 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday, I can put on Monday night football. Or I can turn on one of the other 400 channels when there is a commercial and forget to turn it back.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

I think part of the problem is that it's more difficult to project which games are going to be good at the end of the year. Carolina-New Orleans should be a game with national interest but Carolina has fallen apart. CBS wasn't giving up NE-Pittsburgh so...

I have McCaffrey on one of my fantasy teams so I care otherwise I'd tap out.

Tessitore is the play by play guy. Personally, I think he's very good. So is Witten. Cossell's been gone is 83 I believe so that's not a factor. Michael & Gifford seem to be the guys I remember the most. This definitely isn't Dennis Miller bad or anything.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

when Cosell was broadcasting there were 2 games on sunday at 1 and 4. And Monday Night Football. And you had 3 channels. There was maybe one or two college games on Saturday.

Now starting on Tuesday night i can watch college football. and Thursday night NFL, and Friday night college, and Saturday i can watch college for 12+ straight hours. then sunday i can watch 3 games and if i want can watch with no commercials on red zone. and then by Monday night, after 6 straight days of football including if i want 12 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday, I can put on Monday night football. Or I can turn on one of the other 400 channels when there is a commercial and forget to turn it back.

Yeah, I mean there's times where I watch football starting with college gameday from 9-midnight on Saturday then 1-midnight on Sunday. By Monday night it's hard to care unless your team is involved or, sadly, if it involves your fantasy team. Fantasy football pretty much drives the NFL viewership these days

 

[Grant Green]

It's a bad production now. Witten is always and booger is terrible. sunday night football is better.

 

[steelrazor]

We only had 3 TV stations back then. Wasn’t much competition for it. Until the last 10yr I watched MNF faithfully. There is just so much football on now I’ve just lost interest. Thursday night, 2 games on Saturday, NFL red zone until the Steeler game and SNF. I’m worn out by Monday night.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

We only had 3 TV stations back then. Wasn’t much competition for it. Until the last 10yr I watched MNF faithfully. There is just so much football on now I’ve just lost interest. Thursday night, 2 games on Saturday, NFL red zone until the Steeler game and SNF. I’m worn out by Monday night.

RedZone has also hurt viewership IMO. RedZone is 1000x better than watching a full game especially when "your" team isn't involved. It allows you to keep up with all the games while and as the games process you see less and less of the blowouts. It's honestly difficult to remember the days when we only had at most 2 games on at time. And it wasn't that long ago. If only RedZone existed for college football instead of having to flip between the games. RedZone is perfect for those with ADD/ADHD.

 

[steelrazor]

If only RedZone existed for college football instead of having to flip between the games.

It’s called ESPN goal line.

 

[wbcincy]

For three decades after MNF started it was an event NFL fans wouldn't miss. Nationally televised. Prime time. Excited fans. Howard Cosell. The game was often in the top five of weekly Nielsen ratings.

So I'm sitting here tonight with the game on for background noise as I'm doing other things. I asked myself why I had it on in the first place. I know one of the announcers is Witten but have no clue who his partner is. It seems the Sunday night game is now a bigger deal than MNF. I know it's all about exposure, money and the network television deals but the Monday games just don't have the same buzz and excitement they used to. I think I'll turn on the radio.

SNF is the bigger game now, by ratings, quality of game, quality of announcers or any other standard. The NFL gave SNF the ability to flex the best Sunday game to their broadcast each week, so they never get stuck with the duds of MNF who have to predict matchups far in advance.

 

[phillybillyreprise]

MNF started in the early 70’s. That’s almost 50 years ago. I can remember that I didn’t have a TV but could listen to the ABC station on the radio. Tuesday morning, the game was the topic of conversation around the water cooler. Am I that old? Yep.

 

[CoastFan]

For three decades after MNF started it was an event NFL fans wouldn't miss. Nationally televised. Prime time. Excited fans. Howard Cosell. The game was often in the top five of weekly Nielsen ratings.

So I'm sitting here tonight with the game on for background noise as I'm doing other things. I asked myself why I had it on in the first place. I know one of the announcers is Witten but have no clue who his partner is. It seems the Sunday night game is now a bigger deal than MNF. I know it's all about exposure, money and the network television deals but the Monday games just don't have the same buzz and excitement they used to. I think I'll turn on the radio.

Howard Cosell...It's hard to recreate his iconic voice, but if your memory allows...
It was he who forever memorialized the name "Linebacker U" with Penn State. That bit of football history should always be remembered by Penn State fans.

 

[Woodpecker]

MNF started in the early 70’s. That’s almost 50 years ago. I can remember that I didn’t have a TV but could listen to the ABC station on the radio. Tuesday morning, the game was the topic of conversation around the water cooler. Am I that old? Yep.

I'm with you. I was in high school when MNF started and it was an EVENT for me and my friends - we'd get together in someone's basement with food and drink (soda, of course) and just pig out on it. OK, so we couldn't get girls

 

[Elwood Blues]

It's a bad production now. Witten is always and booger is terrible. sunday night football is better.

If you meant to say Witten is "average" and Booger is terrible - I agree. Maybe Witten will get better. I remember thinking Collinsworth was just so-so when he started, and now I think he's really good. ESPN has been trying to force Booger down our throats (sorry for unpleasant imagery) for 3-4 years now. Always thought he was pretty awful. Maybe I can't get past the name. Funny how they strap him to that little car and make him ride back and forth on the sidelines all game. That's just goofy.

 

[Nittany_9]

On the East Coast, I’m just not staying up until midnight to watch the game. I used to watch the first half and now I don’t even tune in.

 

[Obliviax]

Totally agree.

As background, a problem with our capitalist culture is the need to improve. I am not sure that anything could have been done to improve MNF from days gone by. However, the need to improve often has created the need for change for change's sake.

Specific to MNF, or NFL football in general, so much has changed around it:

• Cable has created a fractured delivery system of entertainment. At the heart of MNF, was that there were three or four outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox).
• Cable broken down physical barriers. So a viewer is no longer locked into a regional team.
• Football, especially NFL football, is now ubiquitous. you can get NFL football 7x24x365. You can watch on the telly, over cable, get is streamed or whatever. So "Monday Night" is no more special than any other night.
• Non-NFL football is also a threat. The college game, in terms of production and value, is on a par (often better) than the NFL. The "production" is no longer a differentiator. High school is improving every day. In addition, other forms of competition are starting to encroach as well. Gaming and X-games for are examples.

IMHO, the biggest problem with MFN is that they've lost sight of the notion that the game is the event. The pregame, the announcers thinking they are funny/entertaining, the ridiculous 15 seconds of Suzy Kolber and crew at halftime, the idiotic singing at halftime, the late night for EST viewers...it all just ends up being football noise with no differentiation and distracting events. They are trying to be football, the view, the voice and miss universe pageant all in one. It doesn't work.

 

[LaJolla Lion]

It's just a very vanilla team calling the MNF games. I don't get caught up on who is calling a game as they all are a bunch of walking recycled cliches. I liked Chucky quite a bit as at least he caught my ear ever now and then. Witten is a super person, but he's vanilla in the booth. Booger breaks down the game a bit, but it's nothing earth shattering.

 

[PSU Dave]

when Cosell was broadcasting there were 2 games on sunday at 1 and 4. And Monday Night Football. And you had 3 channels. There was maybe one or two college games on Saturday.

Now starting on Tuesday night i can watch college football. and Thursday night NFL, and Friday night college, and Saturday i can watch college for 12+ straight hours. then sunday i can watch 3 games and if i want can watch with no commercials on red zone. and then by Monday night, after 6 straight days of football including if i want 12 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday, I can put on Monday night football. Or I can turn on one of the other 400 channels when there is a commercial and forget to turn it back.

Let's not forget how exciting New Year's Day was when it meant football was on the entire day. The only day of the year that happened.

Like everything else, it's all about $ and Greed.

 

[Grant Green]

Da

If you meant to say Witten is "average" and Booger is terrible - I agree. Maybe Witten will get better. I remember thinking Collinsworth was just so-so when he started, and now I think he's really good. ESPN has been trying to force Booger down our throats (sorry for unpleasant imagery) for 3-4 years now. Always thought he was pretty awful. Maybe I can't get past the name. Funny how they strap him to that little car and make him ride back and forth on the sidelines all game. That's just goofy.

Damn auto correct. Meant to say Witten is awkward

 

[BBrown]

If you meant to say Witten is "average" and Booger is terrible - I agree. Maybe Witten will get better. I remember thinking Collinsworth was just so-so when he started, and now I think he's really good. ESPN has been trying to force Booger down our throats (sorry for unpleasant imagery) for 3-4 years now. Always thought he was pretty awful. Maybe I can't get past the name. Funny how they strap him to that little car and make him ride back and forth on the sidelines all game. That's just goofy.

Yea apparently MNF didn't learn their lesson a few years ago when they had 3 people in the booth (1 too many).
So now they just moved Booger to some stupid contraption on the sideline and he can add his "insight".
And Witten is pretty bad.

 

[Obliviax]

Yea apparently MNF didn't learn their lesson a few years ago when they had 3 people in the booth (1 too many).
So now they just moved Booger to some stupid contraption on the sideline and he can add his "insight".
And Witten is pretty bad.

LOL...that pope mobile for football players is ridonculous. Then, Booger's comments are so preplanned are read off of a telepromter that it makes an already stupid idea worse.

 

[Op2]

Totally agree.

As background, a problem with our capitalist culture is the need to improve. I am not sure that anything could have been done to improve MNF from days gone by. However, the need to improve often has created the need for change for change's sake.

Specific to MNF, or NFL football in general, so much has changed around it:

• Cable has created a fractured delivery system of entertainment. At the heart of MNF, was that there were three or four outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox).
• Cable broken down physical barriers. So a viewer is no longer locked into a regional team.
• Football, especially NFL football, is now ubiquitous. you can get NFL football 7x24x365. You can watch on the telly, over cable, get is streamed or whatever. So "Monday Night" is no more special than any other night.
• Non-NFL football is also a threat. The college game, in terms of production and value, is on a par (often better) than the NFL. The "production" is no longer a differentiator. High school is improving every day. In addition, other forms of competition are starting to encroach as well. Gaming and X-games for are examples.

IMHO, the biggest problem with MFN is that they've lost sight of the notion that the game is the event. The pregame, the announcers thinking they are funny/entertaining, the ridiculous 15 seconds of Suzy Kolber and crew at halftime, the idiotic singing at halftime, the late night for EST viewers...it all just ends up being football noise with no differentiation and distracting events. They are trying to be football, the view, the voice and miss universe pageant all in one. It doesn't work.

Oversaturation is a problem but also, I don't know how many others say the extra stuff if overshadowing the game but I completely agree with you. All the extra junk just turns me off. I never watch the halftime show anymore. And even during the game when an interesting play happens and you want to see a replay of it, half the time they go to some feature about the right tackles uncle that has opened a bait shop or some such nonsense.

I was watching some of the NFL game on NFL Network last week and there were commercials for a morning show on NFL Network, stuff like "Start off your day with the NFL Network" and they show these studios and all these ex-jocks backslapping each other and all this stuff and I'm thinking, are there people that actually want to get up in the morning and first thing watch this junk? Maybe there are but it's not me.

I love watching football but I can do without 95% of the stuff around it they try to sell us.

 

[auxgym]

Howard Cosell...It's hard to recreate his iconic voice, but if your memory allows...
It was he who forever memorialized the name "Linebacker U" with Penn State. That bit of football history should always be remembered by Penn State fans.

Another amazing part of the early Monday night football with Howard Cosell was the highlights from the previous day with Howard making the call ("loooooking for THAT MAN"). I can remember negotiations to stay up and watch because highlights were so rare back then.

 

[PS4814]

Now starting on Tuesday night i can watch college football. and Thursday night NFL, and Friday night college, and Saturday i can watch college for 12+ straight hours. then sunday i can watch 3 games and if i want can watch with no commercials on red zone. and then by Monday night, after 6 straight days of football including if i want 12 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday, I can put on Monday night football. Or I can turn on one of the other 400 channels when there is a commercial and forget to turn it back.

On the East Coast, I’m just not staying up until midnight to watch the game. I used to watch the first half and now I don’t even tune in.

A combination of both of these arguments pretty much sums up my feelings on the topic. Plus with games being streamed on services like Amazon Prime / Twitter etc. it dilutes the product even more.

And lord help the NFL when they finally pull the trigger and put an NFL team in London b/c there won't be a sizable chunk of Americans willing to watch a game at 9:30am as evidenced by the TV ratings being the lowest of any games during the weeks they were played.

 

[Dixi]

For three decades after MNF started it was an event NFL fans wouldn't miss. Nationally televised. Prime time. Excited fans. Howard Cosell. The game was often in the top five of weekly Nielsen ratings.

These ratings were certainly a result of limited viewing options, but my recollection is folks didn't watch MNF for Howard Cosell. When I was a kid my Dad and all my Dad's friends couldn't stand him. I recall a company marketing a foam brick specifically for viewers to throw at their TVs when he was on screen. Give the choice, my Dad always turned off the TV sound and listened to the game via local AM radio whenever Cosell was doing games. In today's environment, I'd be surprised if someone as obnoxious would last more than a season.

 

[Obliviax]

These ratings were certainly a result of limited viewing options, but my recollection is folks didn't watch MNF for Howard Cosell. When I was a kid my Dad and all my Dad's friends couldn't stand him. I recall a company marketing a foam brick specifically for viewers to throw at their TVs when he was on screen. Give the choice, my Dad always turned off the TV sound and listened to the game via local AM radio whenever Cosell was doing games. In today's environment, I'd be surprised if someone as obnoxious would last more than a season.

its true. I recall all of that. there was always this notion that Howard was the guy everyone loved to hate. Perhaps he was the first to perfect that craft in media today (Think Kardashians).

 

[Cletus11]

i have never watched a football game because of the announcers. Not sure I ever turned one off due to announcers either. There are some I like more than others and some that I think are bad (Joe Buck, hated Tim McCarver for baseball and actually would not watch a game he announced, hated Billy Packer for basketball). I don't think that Booger or Witten are that bad. Witten has gotten a little better from the start of the year and it is his first time in the booth. He is better than some, worse than others, generally about average I would say. Ratings are not moving the dial because of announcer at all. Ratings move week to week based on the quality of the game and the fanbase of teams playing. Year to year based on other dynamics talked about on these boards for many years.

 

[2020 is Our Year]

It’s called ESPN goal line.

ESPN Goalline isn't nearly as well done. I'm guessing you know that.

 

[PSUdraw]

I think it has alot to do with the schedule they have as these games are more like the 5th or 6th option games on paper where it used to be the best or 2nd best game on paper each week. Atleast when you have division games on it has some more meaning then a random Cowboys vs Jets or something like that game.

 

[Nitwit]

RedZone has also hurt viewership IMO. RedZone is 1000x better than watching a full game especially when "your" team isn't involved. It allows you to keep up with all the games while and as the games process you see less and less of the blowouts. It's honestly difficult to remember the days when we only had at most 2 games on at time. And it wasn't that long ago. If only RedZone existed for college football instead of having to flip between the games. RedZone is perfect for those with ADD/ADHD.

The gamblers love it too. MNF was originally popular because it gave gamblers who lost on the weekend a way to try to get back to break even.​