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MNF: Once the best, now the worst show on TV


PromoTheRobot

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4 hours ago, row_33 said:

it was always overrated, we only had 3 channels and 3 newspapers of record and they dictated whatever narrative they chose

 

 

 

There were also standards of what was required to be considered a news outlet, prior to deregulation of the FCC. In many ways the information was superior.

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6 minutes ago, NickelCity said:

 

There were also standards of what was required to be considered a news outlet, prior to deregulation of the FCC. In many ways the information was superior.

 

yup

 

so ABC came up with this and then told us how it was the most amazing thing ever, almost cured every disease known to man

 

mediocre MNF football games and Muhammad Ali carrying some load for 15 rounds... nothing was better than that ever, all on ABC

 

 

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6 hours ago, Aireskoi said:

They should get this game back on ABC and get new announcers.  I haven't watched MNF in years, I just listen to one of the teams radio broadcast online.


it’s all Disney so not sure being on ABC would make a difference.  ESPN can change the announcers...

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33 minutes ago, row_33 said:

 

yup

 

so ABC came up with this and then told us how it was the most amazing thing ever, almost cured every disease known to man

 

mediocre MNF football games and Muhammad Ali carrying some load for 15 rounds... nothing was better than that ever, all on ABC

 

 

Roone Arledge always thought a lot more of his products than the rest of us did.

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Let's address the elephant in the room.  It's on ESPN!!! ESPN is on Cable.  People are dropping cable by the millions, particularly young people.  That means no one can watch the game anymore.  

 

You lose that 18-35 demographic and you are toast. 

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Lamar Jackson could've farted in Joe Tessitore's egg salad sandwich and the guy would've thanked him for it. I agree with others that feel the announcers need to be unbiased but there are narratives to be pushed. These guys run production meetings and outline their talking points and probably get told to focus a certain amount of time and attention towards certain players and situations. It's lame. 

 

I actually can't stand listening to most of them. Al Davis on SNF is my guy and I used to not mind Collinsworth until he turned into a PFF shill and acts like every other play is the most incredible display of strength and skill he's ever seen. I wanted to throw a bowling pin at Rich Gannon this past Sunday. I wouldn't mind if Adam Archuleta had a bad taco and had to deal with the Hershey squirts for 72 hours. Even the hometown guy John Murphy I can't stand. He just doesn't sound good. I haven't heard much of Eric Wood but he seems to be doing well. Most games I keep the volume low and try not to pay attention to the commentary. 

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Sounds shallow - but for me some of it is just missing the sound of an iconic broadcasting voice, separate even from what they are saying

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I used to love listening to Al Michaels, Dan Diedorf and Frank Gifford. 

 

Since we're on the subject, what the hell is wrong with all the announcers now? Is it just me thinking everything was better in my youth, or are they all sh*t now? 

 

I like Romo, I like Michaels and don't actually mind Collinsworth. 

 

I miss guys like Enberg and Summerall. There must be some really talented guys doing college football radio or something. Where the hell are the talent spotters? It's like they just want guys to call the games now. With football games being 3 hours long they have all those stories and drama that develop over the course of a game. You need people who can explain the drama, people who can fill in the blanks during stoppages and time-outs, people who can make a game fun even when it's a blowout or a punt fest.

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5 hours ago, IDBillzFan said:

We've gotten to the point in my house as I turn on MNF that my wife will inevitably ask "Are you going to spend the next three hours bitching about the announcers again?"

 

Even the ref in the booth is handled poorly because he suddenly jumps in with some incredibly obvious comment, but they never intro him like every other broadcast. "Let's bring in Gene to give us his thoughts on that call." The MNF ref almost has to comment on a ball placement because it's like the booth forgets him, and he feels like he needs to say something to earn his paycheck.

 

We need another Cosell.
 

That wig was a great interviewer

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I do take exception to one comment in the article:

 

Quote

No other broadcast misses a play as consistently as Monday Night Football

 

Dude has obviously never watched any Bills broadcast this year

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6 hours ago, row_33 said:

it was always overrated, we only had 3 channels and 3 newspapers of record and they dictated whatever narrative they chose

 

 

Right. If you’re old enough to recall the early days of Gifford-Meredith-Cosell, you’ll understand that there never were any glory days of MNF. It was popular because it was the first time we had evening football, and given that there were 3 networks ABC had to market to appeal to a wider base than hardcore football fans. Hence, the “entertainment” value of the announcers. The real problem now is that Monday night is for the most part for crap games nobody cares about. ESPN doesn’t really know what kind of show to put on now with this lame product. 

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2 hours ago, IDBillzFan said:

I so despise today's culture. With a passion.

While Cosell made it known it wasn't meant as racial slur. Still, many at that time took it as a very profound racial slur. Although Cosell didn't get fired for that remark he took so much heat for it that I think he eventually left MNF because of it. 

 

At this period in time he would have gotten fired for saying that.  

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The biggest problem is that MNF has become just another game.  Roone Arledge understood that to draw a prime-time audience, you needed women and non-fans.  The NFL has gotten arrogant and complacent, and no longer even attempts to broaden the audience by humanizing the game.  Cosell and Meredith were part of the sideshow, but you also learned something about football along the way.  It's what made MNF king of fall primetime.  Say what you want about cable, more channels, blah blah blah.  Bottom line is that MNF is not broadcast in the way it used to be, hence the ratings plunge.  

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2 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

The biggest problem is that MNF has become just another game.  Roone Arledge understood that to draw a prime-time audience, you needed women and non-fans.  The NFL has gotten arrogant and complacent, and no longer even attempts to broaden the audience by humanizing the game.  Cosell and Meredith were part of the sideshow, but you also learned something about football along the way.  It's what made MNF king of fall primetime.  Say what you want about cable, more channels, blah blah blah.  Bottom line is that MNF is not broadcast in the way it used to be, hence the ratings plunge.  

 

Roone knew it was all you had to watch at the time for sports

 

they put the screws to viewers until the last 10 years with the basic monopoly on viewing

 

CBS used to get away with 2 Matlock and Columbo episodes and call them "Movie Specials"

 

they ran the Matlock/Columbo Movie Special when the NBA Final games were playing and showed the games at 1 or 2 in the morning well into the 1980s...

 

CTV and CBC wouldn't show the first period of the Hockey Night in Canada game for a long time, screw the fans over, one night a brawl caused a major delay and fans got to tune in only 5 minutes into the game

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, thronethinker said:

Tessitore was awful Monday night. Every time Lamar Jackson touched the ball Tessitore was screaming like a drunken woman at a wedding. The crew should be unbiased and give you facts and insight, not emotional theatrics. 

Could not agree more.  Dude yells like that every Monday night.  Gets old to listen to.

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53 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Right. If you’re old enough to recall the early days of Gifford-Meredith-Cosell, you’ll understand that there never were any glory days of MNF. It was popular because it was the first time we had evening football, and given that there were 3 networks ABC had to market to appeal to a wider base than hardcore football fans. Hence, the “entertainment” value of the announcers. The real problem now is that Monday night is for the most part for crap games nobody cares about. ESPN doesn’t really know what kind of show to put on now with this lame product. 

 

I don't think the crap games thing has been true this year as much. There have been 3 or 4 good MNF games. 

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10 hours ago, thronethinker said:

Tessitore was awful Monday night. Every time Lamar Jackson touched the ball Tessitore was screaming like a drunken woman at a wedding. The crew should be unbiased and give you facts and insight, not emotional theatrics. 

 

the emotional theatrics were ridiculous.  Yes, Lamar is having a great season, but these guys were way over the top about it.  Even when Green Bay had the ball, it was 50% Jackson talk.  

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