It is time for MNF to go quietly into the night

[SSoup]

I wonder if people, not fans of the two teams playing, are "footballed out" by Monday..

The NFL tanked Monday Night Football because they wanted to introduce flex scheduling to allow for good-looking games (that they didn't realize would be a good game back in the spring when they released the schedules) to be moved into the big primetime slot.

But it's not feasible for flex Sunday games to Monday (for logistical reasons, and to not ruin plans made by ticket-buyers). It's only feasible to flex a game to a slot a few hours later.

So the big showcase primetime game had to be on Sunday night instead of Monday night. It makes sense. People forget, but flex scheduling was sorely needed due to how unpredictable the league became.

It's fair to ask why the NFL keeps MNF around now that it's become embarrassingly bad. But the reality is that it makes them money, no matter how bad and embarrassing it is. The money-grubbers in the NFL are all about expanding, not retracting. They're not gonna abandon a night of the week.

 

[Brax]

They keep trying to inflate a flat tire and there are just some ideas that have an expiration date. I believe this is one of them.

Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland are trying too hard and I believe it's been impressed on them that this is a desperate situation. ESPN is bleeding from the jugular because of the rights fees and now that the NFL has turned on them and decided to put better games on TNF, this has run it's course.

I grew up with MNF, it was indeed special to me for many years and actually allowed me to get my wife interested by created indigenous dishes for the team we were rooting for but after 10 years, even that went to rest.

When MNF was born, there weren't Thursday college games or NFL ones, the number of college games were 1/3 of what they are today and I wonder if people, not fans of the two teams playing, are "footballed out" by Monday.

I was looking forward to listening to Witten do these games because he is one of my favorite Cowboys ever but he is just terrible as an analyst and I turned the audio off and just put on some tunes for the DEN-KC game. He is actually detracting from the game.

Sometimes, you have an old friend that you've loved dearly, like a good pet, and it becomes evident that it is time to end their suffering. This needs to end.

You want to fix MNF, put good games on it instead of on NFL network, and start the games at 7:00 ET . or at 8:00 sharp. The NFL is greedy they try and put the best games on Sunday night (these start to late also) and Thursday with a rare good game on Monday. $$$$$ that what it is all about.

 

[atlantacowboy]

They need to start the games an hour earlier. Fact is that the bulk of NFL viewership is in the eastern and central time zones. The viewership numbers take a nose dive after halftime of the these weeknight games..

 

[Redball Express]

Nothing is like you thought it was when you were a kid. I used to think my house I grew up,in was huge...... it was tiny.

Yeah..

And I used to take showers with my Dad as a kid after we played golf at the club and wondered if I would ever be as big as him.

Things appear bigger than they are sometimes.

 

[CyberB0b]

You want to fix MNF, put good games on it instead of on NFL network, and start the games at 7:00 ET . or at 8:00 sharp. The NFL is greedy they try and put the best games on Sunday night (these start to late also) and Thursday with a rare good game on Monday. $$$$$ that what it is all about.

Maybe the NFL wants it to die.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Still not as bad as Dennis Miller.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Still not as bad as Dennis Miller.

That actually happened. In case some of you quickly repressed that memory.

As you should have

 

[northerncowboynation]

They keep trying to inflate a flat tire and there are just some ideas that have an expiration date. I believe this is one of them.

Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland are trying too hard and I believe it's been impressed on them that this is a desperate situation. ESPN is bleeding from the jugular because of the rights fees and now that the NFL has turned on them and decided to put better games on TNF, this has run it's course.

I grew up with MNF, it was indeed special to me for many years and actually allowed me to get my wife interested by created indigenous dishes for the team we were rooting for but after 10 years, even that went to rest.

When MNF was born, there weren't Thursday college games or NFL ones, the number of college games were 1/3 of what they are today and I wonder if people, not fans of the two teams playing, are "footballed out" by Monday.

I was looking forward to listening to Witten do these games because he is one of my favorite Cowboys ever but he is just terrible as an analyst and I turned the audio off and just put on some tunes for the DEN-KC game. He is actually detracting from the game.

Sometimes, you have an old friend that you've loved dearly, like a good pet, and it becomes evident that it is time to end their suffering. This needs to end.

MNF went quietly into the night about 5 years ago for me. I watched like 5 minutes last night, couldn't handle Witten or Booger's inane chat. Same last week. Then again I only watch Cowboy games in their entirety so I'm poor analyst too

 

[iceberg]

You nailed it.

This isn't like MNF like I remember it.

Quite frankly it's awful.

And yeah Witten's horrible. His partner isn't anything to write home about either.

this is the sad part. love witten the player/person but he's painful to listen to.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I would say that Monday Night Football is my least favorite game of the week but as long as it's a decent matchup I will still watch. Last night was a very exciting game especially the second half. The hype on Mahomes Is For Real, he was doing things that no first-year starter should be able to. His arm is stronger than just about anyone I have ever seen and some of the throws he made were just ridiculous.

As far as the announcers go, I think they are all pretty much terrible outside of Romo. Romo still has that little kid excitedness in his voice and is more insightful that just about any of the other announcers. I miss the days of John Madden, Pat Summerall, Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, and some of the other greats. too often these guys are just talking to talk, like they feel any dead air is a bad thing which is really just the opposite.

As far as it goes, I never understood why ESPN thought he would be a great pick. Whenever he used to be interviewed I always thought it was like paint drying listening to him. He is a nice guy, and I'm sure someone that would be fun to talk football with in a bar, but they're really just is not any charisma there. Not sure if anyone else noticed it, but last night he was trying to predict a la Romo and it just felt so forced and awkward. He is one of my all-time favorite players, but I think his time had passed. I don't think he would be doing anything better than what Swaim is right now and the savings in salary is significant.

 

[Colombiacowboy]

What MNF needs is Garrett, hope they offer him a job

All joking aside, Garrett would probably be an excellent broadcaster. He is calm, claps at everything and is eloquent.

 

[TheBigEasy]

There's only one person that can save MNF and it's my fav...Verne Lundquist. I'm definitely not a fan of SEC football but I enjoyed watching their games because of Verne. The day he steps away from the 16th hole @ Augusta, will be a sad day for all golf/sports fans.

'YES SIIIIIRRRRRR!!!!'

 

[McKDaddy]

Sunday Night football has way more of the feel that MNF back in the day used to bring. I don't really like the half time garbage on any network anymore but I definitely have preferred Sunday Night Football to MNF the last few years. Usually better games too for some reason.

certainly better announcers

 

[McKDaddy]

If they need to dump it, you could say Jason Witten had a big part in that decision.

I love him to death, but the guy is awful.

I guess he thought he could be like his BFF in Romo, but sadly, not.

Maybe Romo was carrying him all along ....

 

[CowboysRule]

The game last night was good. The announcing was terrible. I don't know why it has been so hard in recent years for ESPN to find decent announcers. I try to only watch Monday Night Football but last night's game had big fantasy implications for me as I have way too many Chief players on my team (Mahomes, Hunt, and Hill...I won).

I seem to be in the minority here in that I actually like Michaels and Collinsworth. Romo is also cool to listen to. Witten just talks and talks and talks and it gets annoying. He also looks super awkward when they show him standing in the booth talking to the other guy. It looked like he wanted to eat him or something. Maybe it was just due to the height difference. Booger MacFarland should not be asked to speak...ever.

 

[McKDaddy]

I would say that Monday Night Football is my least favorite game of the week but as long as it's a decent matchup I will still watch. Last night was a very exciting game especially the second half. The hype on Mahomes Is For Real, he was doing things that no first-year starter should be able to. His arm is stronger than just about anyone I have ever seen and some of the throws he made were just ridiculous.

As far as the announcers go, I think they are all pretty much terrible outside of Romo. Romo still has that little kid excitedness in his voice and is more insightful that just about any of the other announcers. I miss the days of John Madden, Pat Summerall, Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, and some of the other greats. too often these guys are just talking to talk, like they feel any dead air is a bad thing which is really just the opposite.

As far as it goes, I never understood why ESPN thought he would be a great pick. Whenever he used to be interviewed I always thought it was like paint drying listening to him. He is a nice guy, and I'm sure someone that would be fun to talk football with in a bar, but they're really just is not any charisma there. Not sure if anyone else noticed it, but last night he was trying to predict a la Romo and it just felt so forced and awkward. He is one of my all-time favorite players, but I think his time had passed. I don't think he would be doing anything better than what Swaim is right now and the savings in salary is significant.

pretty much agree with everything except i puked in my mouth when you mentioned Madden. First announcer i ever developed a full on dislike for. (not as a person but the nonsensical **** he would spew.)

 

[uvaballa]

Witten is getting roasted. Doubt he makes it past this year.

http://dailysnark.com/fans-are-already-calling-on-espn-to-replace-jason-witten-in-the-mnf-booth/

 

[Blackrain]

Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Dandy Don made it an event to look forward to . They were the best of the best and it didn't hurt that football was actually a great game back then along with the Cowboys being at there best . OJ and Joe Namath being on was a hoot Sheesh !!! They were pretty bad .

Now it depends on the game for me . Only guy I really like to listen to now is Tony I think he dose the best Job by far .

 

[conner01]

Idk I have no problem with MNF and usually watch it every week

If it’s good teams
I’m watching
The league as a whole is fairly mediocre by design and with few exceptions about a 500 league
Some like the days of dominate teams and missbthat
I actually enjoyed last night game
The chiefs are fun to watch to me

 

[hornitosmonster]

You all complaining about MNF when it's the entire NFL that's an inferior product when compared to what we grew up with