What Went Wrong With MNF

[Tobal]

All these things have helped it's downfall here is one more.

The games have been terrible late in the yr, it used to be easier to predict the good teams. It's not now, who in the world wants to tune in to watch brett farve throw 7 interceptions in a game between 2 4-11 teams?

 

[Sarge]

The games have been terrible late in the yr, it used to be easier to predict the good teams. It's not now, who in the world wants to tune in to watch brett farve throw 7 interceptions in a game between 2 4-11 teams?

Good point.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think FA and player movement hurt MNF. In the past they could schedule the best teams to face each other now what looks to be a great game at the begining of the season is a dog later in the season. Before FA you knew who the good teams where before the season ever kicked off now teams rise and fall so quickly.

 

[notherbob]

Interesting range of ideas. I haven't watched it much in the last few years either.

I think Disney buying out ABC was the death knoll of MNF. Disney doesn't understand football or football fans, it understands entertainment. MNF is not WWF, but Disney continues to treat it as such. Maybe ESPN will understand, maybe not. They'll have to make it worth watching, just being football is good enough for the hardcore but not everyone. The question is do they try to appeal to the narrow hardcore and focus on it or try to broaden the product to appeal to a wider range of audience by adding more "appeal" to it, just like ABC?

I'm gonna miss it only a little as I don't have cable or disk or whatever and probably won't anytime soon, although the local county-coop phone company is installing some fiber-optic line and will eventually offer a combination telephone, internet and cable TV, even way out here in the middle of nowhere on a ranch in central Texas.

At least I will be getting the Sunday night games that are presently on ESPN.

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

All these things have helped it's downfall here is one more.

The games have been terrible late in the yr, it used to be easier to predict the good teams. It's not now, who in the world wants to tune in to watch brett farve throw 7 interceptions in a game between 2 4-11 teams?

I agree that horrible games have been the biggest effect on the ratings.

I do think you can judge at the begining of the year what the good match ups will be.
Some suit just says oh Brett Farve , I heard of him lets put him on all the time...

I think the suits that decide who is going to be on make their mind up simply off individual players and not teams and there lies the problem...

Another thing dose it matter ESPN / ABC same thing......
Will we still have Sunday night Football?

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree that horrible games have been the biggest effect on the ratings.

I do think you can judge at the begining of the year what the good match ups will be.
Some suit just says oh Brett Farve , I heard of him lets put him on all the time...

I think the suits that decide who is going to be on make their mind up simply off individual players and not teams and there lies the problem...

Another thing dose it matter ESPN / ABC same thing......
Will we still have Sunday night Football?

NBC will have Sunday Night Football or at least that is what I have heard. Madden signed with NBC to cover those games.

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

NBC will have Sunday Night Football or at least that is what I have heard. Madden signed with NBC to cover those games.

thanks,
I am glad NBC will have them

 

[silver]

The problem with MNF is that the schedule makers keep missing the surging teams. Look at last night's game: The Jets had no business on Monday Night. Yet since the schedule came out in march or whenever there's no way they know who will be good or bad in december. I would choose the Monday night game one week in advance to get the best matchup of the week. I don't think it would be that complicated. During the playoffs in Baseball they have games on a short notice all the time.

 

[Doomsday101]

The problem with MNF is that the schedule makers keep missing the surging teams. Look at last night's game: The Jets had no business on Monday Night. Yet since the schedule came out in march or whenever there's no way they know who will be good or bad in december. I would choose the Monday night game one week in advance to get the best matchup of the week. I don't think it would be that complicated. During the playoffs in Baseball they have games on a short notice all the time.

Thing is FOX and CBS are not going to want to give up a great matchup so that ABC (now ESPN) can get it. That is why they have to select the games before the season starts. Most of the teams who play on MNF do so because they were playoff teams last season or a team on the verge of playoffs

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

The problem with MNF is that the schedule makers keep missing the surging teams. Look at last night's game: The Jets had no business on Monday Night. Yet since the schedule came out in march or whenever there's no way they know who will be good or bad in december. I would choose the Monday night game one week in advance to get the best matchup of the week. I don't think it would be that complicated. During the playoffs in Baseball they have games on a short notice all the time.

I thought the Jets chances of having a playoff type year were not good.

Curtis Martin -Aging back
THe QB had surgery last year and did come back ,but was not the same .
Lost there RT..
There were many reasons to not put them on the Monday night game...

The Eagles now them I could understand ----Injuries destroyed them and there is No way to predict that many injuries...

As for the Jets I know Martin had a great year last year and I know the Jets had a good year last year ,but If going with the percentages????

Greenbay had NO buisness being on Monday night at all and I think they were on 3 times....

 

[MapleLeaf]

...but could I suggest another variable.

I was raised in the original Monday Night generation and in Canada getting the game was difficult feat so you regard my young friends and I serious diehards.

What has happened since I watched my first Monday Night game, well first I grew up, but not very much according to my wife. Second, I expanded my interests due to the overwhelming choices out there in the modern world.

Men also stopped making all the viewing decisions of the household and women became a serious marketers target.

Young boys had other choices that were much more MTV and tailored to the "attention deficit disorder" generation.

All these and other variables have conspired to make it easier for me to get into my football habit when I want and however I want and bail on it when the game is over, watch at another time when it is more convenient or just entertain myself with something else.

The truth is this game isn't for everybody. That's what the ABC execs are now beginning to learn. Football is a destination event and it belongs on cable where the serious advocates are able to search and view it. It doesn't have wide range appeal and when choices and convenience expanded many past captive viewers bolted

 

[DBoys]

Well they can't say anythng negative about the Cowboy MNF games over the last few years

 

[Doomsday101]

I thought the Jets chances of having a playoff type year were not good.

Curtis Martin -Aging back
THe QB had sugery last year and did come back ,but was not the same .
Lost there RT..
There were many reasons to not put them on the Monday night game...

The Eagles now them I could understand ----Injuries destroyed them and there is No way to predict that many injuries...

As for the Jets I know Martin had a great year last year and I know the Jets had a good year last year ,but If going with the percentages????

Greenbay had NO buisness being on Monday night at all and I think they were on 3 times....

GB was a division winner last year which is why they got 3 games, they also played in a division where not too many teams were being looked at as playoff contenders. MNF has used this same formula of picking match ups since MNF has been around. Which is why I think with FA it is hard to know who is going to be up and who is going to be down. I doubt many looked at the 5-11 Bears from last year and said "oh yeah this is a playoff team"

 

[silver]

Thing is FOX and CBS are not going to want to give up a great matchup so that ABC (now ESPN) can get it. That is why they have to select the games before the season starts. Most of the teams who play on MNF do so because they were playoff teams last season or a team on the verge of playoffs

I know that. That's why Monday Night is what it is. and if they can't negotiate that then the only one hurting is the NFL, because the fans lose interest.

 

[junk]

I don't think they have mentioned the time that it starts. It starts so late for east coast fans that you have to stay up until midnight to watch the games. Considering many people are up before 6 to go to work, it just doesn't fly.

Meanwhile, the west coast, who only have 4 teams and can't keep one in one of the largest markets in the country (LA) are the only ones who actually get a prime time game.

Move the time back an hour at least. That would help IMO.

 

[Echo9]

In the 70's to early 80's most TVs in America had ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, so Monday night meant that they had a good shot at better than 25% of all viewers.

Cable TV, satellite dishes and 200+ channels means any iffy viewers from before can watch something else and it shouldn't be too hard to find.

The watering down of the league did not help, either. The Monday game was usually a sure thing match up, because teams rarely went from good to awful or awful to good in one season, unlike today.

Lastly, no team could ever live up to the glory years, so in that regard it was never going to be as good. It was a lot like Saturday Night Live, subsequent years had their moments, but none matched the original cast.

DING!

we have a winner.

While other factors have played a part, nothing can compare to the fact that there used to be very few other options to choose from.

In a world where there are hundreds of choices, plus the ability to catch highlights at any given time along with the internet taking peoples time, ratings could never compare with the heyday.

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

GB was a division winner last year which is why they got 3 games, they also played in a division where not too many teams were being looked at as playoff contenders. MNF has used this same formula of picking match ups since MNF has been around. Which is why I think with FA it is hard to know who is going to be up and who is going to be down. I doubt many looked at the 5-11 Bears from last year and said "oh yeah this is a playoff team"

Greenbay lost 2 probowl quality offensive linemen and had a WR holding out...
I just think instead of looking to see if Brett Favre or M.VIck are playing , they should look at what is really there...

No one could be correct all the time ,but they could do better...

 

[Cowboy Junkie]

I don't think they have mentioned the time that it starts. It starts so late for east coast fans that you have to stay up until midnight to watch the games. Considering many people are up before 6 to go to work, it just doesn't fly.

Meanwhile, the west coast, who only have 4 teams and can't keep one in one of the largest markets in the country (LA) are the only ones who actually get a prime time game.

Move the time back an hour at least. That would help IMO.

I agree that I wish it would start an hour earlier , but it has always started at 9PM EST.

 

[silver]

DING!

we have a winner.

While other factors have played a part, nothing can compare to the fact that there used to be very few other options to choose from.

In a world where there are hundreds of choices, plus the ability to catch highlights at any given time along with the internet taking peoples time, ratings could never compare with the heyday.

The new generation of fans hardly ever watch a complete game. they rather watch sports center and have as much imput about the game the next day. sad.

 

[silver]

video games are also competition. i often tell my kids when i'm watchin football: hey, check out the graphics on this game. they look at me as if i'm crazy.