History of Monday Night Football The following article details the history of " Monday Night Football " , the weekly broadcast of National Football League games on U . S . television . Pre - 1970 . During the early 1960s , NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle envisioned the possibility of playing at least one game weekly during prime time for a greater TV audience . ( While the NFL had scheduled Saturday night games on the DuMont network in 1953 - 1954 , poor ratings and the dissolution of DuMont led to the series being eliminated by the time CBS took over the rights in 1956 . ) An early bid in 1964 to play on Friday nights was soundly defeated , with critics charging that such telecasts would damage the attendance at high school games . Undaunted , Rozelle decided to experiment with the concept of playing on Monday night , scheduling the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions for a game on September 28 , 1964 . While the game was not televised , it drew a sellout crowd of 59 , 203 to Tiger Stadium , the largest crowd ever to watch a professional football game in Detroit up to that point . Two years later , Rozelle would build on this success as the NFL began a four - year experiment of playing on Monday night , scheduling one game in prime time on CBS during the 1966 and 1967 seasons , and two contests during each of the next two years . NBC followed suit in 1968 and 1969 with games involving American Football League teams . During subsequent negotiations on a new television contract that would begin in 1970 ( coinciding with a merger between the NFL and AFL ) , Rozelle concentrated on signing a weekly Monday night deal with one of the three major networks . After sensing reluctance from both NBC and CBS in disturbing their regular programming schedules , Rozelle spoke with ABC . Despite the network ' s status as the lowest - rated network , ABC was also reluctant to enter the risky venture . Only after Rozelle used the threat of signing with the independent Hughes Sports Network , an entity bankrolled by reclusive businessman Howard Hughes , did ABC sign a contract for the scheduled games . Speculation was that had Rozelle signed with Hughes , many ABC affiliates would have pre - empted the network ' s Monday lineup in favor of the games , severely damaging potential ratings . 1970s . After the final contract for " Monday Night Football " was signed , ABC Sports producer Roone Arledge immediately saw possibilities for the new show . Setting out to create an entertainment " spectacle " as much as a simple sports broadcast , Arledge hired Chet Forte , who would serve as director of the program for over 22 years . Arledge also ordered twice the usual number of cameras to cover the game , expanded the regular two - man broadcasting booth to three and used extensive graphic design within the show as well as " instant replay . " Prior to 1978 , Monday night games were not scheduled in the final week ( Week 14 ) of the regular season . From 1974 – 77 , a Saturday night game was scheduled for Week 14 and televised live by ABC in lieu of a Monday night game . Jackson , Cosell , and Meredith . Looking for a lightning rod to garner attention , Arledge hired controversial New York sportscaster Howard Cosell as a commentator , along with veteran football play - by - play man Keith Jackson . Arledge had tried to lure Curt Gowdy and then Vin Scully to ABC for the " MNF " play - by - play role , but settled for Jackson after they proved unable to break existing contracts with NBC Sports and the Los Angeles Dodgers , respectively . Jack Buck was also considered , but when Arledge assistant Chuck Howard telephoned Buck with the job offer , Buck refused to respond due to anger at his treatment by ABC during an earlier stint with the network . Arledge ' s original choice for the third member of the trio , Frank Gifford , was unavailable since he was still under contract to CBS Sports . However , Gifford suggested former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Don Meredith , setting the stage for years of fireworks between the often - pompous Cosell and the laid - back Meredith . " Monday Night Football " first aired on ABC on September 21 , 1970 , with a game between the New York Jets and the Browns in Cleveland . Advertisers were charged $ 65 , 000 per minute by ABC during the clash , a cost that proved to be a bargain when the contest collected 33 percent of the viewing audience . The Browns defeated the Jets , 31 - 21 in a game which featured a 94 - yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Browns ' Homer Jones and was punctuated when Billy Andrews intercepted Joe Namath late in the fourth quarter and returned it 25 yards for the clinching touchdown . However , Cleveland viewers saw different programming on WEWS - TV , because of the NFL ' s blackout rules of the time ( this would apply for all games through the end of the 1972 season - beginning in 1973 , home games could be televised if they sold out 72 hours before kickoff ) . One of the trademarks of " Monday Night Football " is a music cue used during the opening teasers of each program , a Johnny Pearson composition entitled " Heavy Action " , originally a KPM production library cue ( and also used as the theme music for the BBC ' s " Superstars " series ) . " Monday Night Football " began using " Heavy Action " in 1978 . That success would continue over the course of the season , helping establish a phenomenon on Monday nights in the fall : Movie attendance dropped , bowling leagues shifted to Tuesday nights and a Seattle hospital established an unwritten rule of no births during games . Cosell ' s presence initially caused Henry Ford II , chairman of the Ford Motor Company , the show ' s main sponsor , to ask for his removal . ABC refused , and Ford had a change of heart once the show ' s ratings were made public . Cosell dodged another controversy when he appeared to be intoxicated on the air during the November 23 game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles . Already ill , Cosell drank at a promotional party prior to the game , then ended up vomiting on Don Meredith ' s cowboy boots near the end of the first half . Jackson and Meredith ended up announcing the rest of the contest . Cosell , Gifford , and Meredith . In 1971 , Gifford became available and Arledge brought him to ABC to serve as play - by - play announcer , replacing Jackson ( who returned to broadcasting college football for the network , which he continued to do for the next 35 seasons ) . The former New York Giant had been an NFL analyst for CBS during the 1960s but had never called play - by - play prior to joining " Monday Night Football " . In that capacity for " Monday Night Football " from 1971 - 1985 , Gifford was often criticized for his see - no - evil approach in regard to discussing the NFL , earning him the dubious nickname " Faultless Frank . " Regardless , Gifford would have the longest tenure of any broadcaster on the show , lasting until 1998 . Cosell ' s abrasive personality gave him enough recognition to host a live ABC variety show in the fall of 1975 . That show is remembered today only as a trivia question , as its title , " " Saturday Night Live " " , prevented a new late - night sketch comedy program on NBC from using that title until the ABC show was canceled . That seeming popularity was in contrast to the repeated criticisms in the media , as well as bar room contests in which winners were allowed to throw a brick through a television image of Cosell . After beginning with critical acclaim , Meredith began to take his weekly assignments less seriously , while also beginning an acting career . By 1973 , his motivation for the broadcasts seemed highly suspect , given incidents during a trio of contests . On October 29 , Meredith was drinking during the Buffalo Bills - Kansas City Chiefs game , which was preceded one week earlier by his pre - game analysis of the Denver Broncos – Oakland Raiders game : " " We ' re in the Mile High City and I sure am " " — a not - so - subtle reference to his use of marijuana at the time . Finally , during the Pittsburgh Steelers - Washington Redskins game on November 5 , he referred to U . S . President Richard Nixon as " Tricky Dick . " Cosell , Gifford , Williamson , and Karras . Meredith would be absent from " Monday Night Football " for a broadcasting and acting career on rival NBC from 1974 through 1976 . Fred Williamson , a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back nicknamed " The Hammer " for his often - brutal hits , was selected by ABC to replace Meredith in 1974 , but following a few pre - season broadcasts , proved so inarticulate that he was relieved of his duties prior to the start of the regular season , becoming the first " MNF " personality not to last an entire season ( much less no part of the regular season at all ) . Williamson was replaced by fellow Gary , Indiana native Alex Karras , formerly of the Detroit Lions . The highlight of Williamson ' s " MNF " career was probably at the introductory press conference where he quipped that he was hired to " " bring some color to the booth . " " Karras made his debut on September 16 , 1974 and immediately made an impact when he jokingly referred to Oakland Raiders ' defensive lineman Otis Sistrunk as having attended " The University of Mars . " That would essentially be the high point of Karras ' three - year tenure , with a developing movie career often distracting him from showing any improvement ( In reality , Sistrunk did not attend any college but played semi - pro ball before getting a tryout with the Raiders ; after Karras ' remark and for the rest of Sistrunk ' s time with the team the Raiders team guide listed his college alma mater as " The University of Mars " ) . Cosell , Gifford , Meredith , and Tarkenton . Meredith returned to the ABC booth in 1977 , but seemed to lack the enthusiasm that had marked his first stint from 1970 – 1973 . While the NFL moved to a 16 - week schedule in 1978 , Meredith was contractually obligated to work only 14 games , leaving Cosell and Gifford to work games as a duo or with newly - retired Fran Tarkenton beginning in 1979 . From 1977 through 1986 , ABC also aired occasional NFL games on Thursday , Saturday , and Sunday nights . Each of these telecasts would be billed by the network as a Special Thursday / Saturday / Sunday Night Edition of Monday Night Football . One of the more somber contests in the run of the series came on November 27 , 1978 when the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers . Earlier in the day , San Francisco mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk had been murdered at City Hall . Despite the complaints that followed , the NFL chose to play the game , a decision that mirrored the league ' s playing the weekend of the John F . Kennedy assassination 15 years earlier . The opening contest of the 1979 season saw a poignant moment as former New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley was introduced to a sellout crowd at the Patriots ' Schaefer Stadium . Stingley had been paralyzed in a preseason game the year before and was making his first visit to the stadium since the accident . 1980s . John Lennon tragedy . One of the most remembered moments in " Monday Night Football " history occurred on December 8 , 1980 , yet had nothing to do with the game or football in general . During a game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots , Howard Cosell broke the news of famed Beatle John Lennon ' s assassination , news that stunned a nationwide audience . Rest of 1980s . The 1982 television contract renewal also put ABC in the Super Bowl rotation for the first time , with Super Bowl XIX in 1985 . A second renewal of the television contract gave them XXII in 1988 . From 1983 through 1986 , ABC also aired a Friday night game in the final week ( Week 16 ) of the regular season in addition to the normal Monday night game . Cosell , Gifford , Meredith , and Simpson . Cosell continued to draw criticism during " Monday Night Football " with one of his offhand comments during the September 5 , 1983 game igniting a controversy and laying the groundwork for his departure at the end of that season . In a game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys , Cosell referred to Alvin Garrett , an African American wide receiver for the Redskins , as a " little monkey . " Cosell noted that Garrett ' s small stature , and not his race , was the basis for his comment , citing the fact that he had used the term to describe his grandchildren . Later , a special on Howard Cosell showed him calling Mike Adamle ( a white player ) a " little monkey . " Stung by the unrelenting barrage of remarks , Cosell claimed upon his departure from " Monday Night Football " that the NFL had become " a stagnant bore . " In Cosell ' s book , " I Never Played the Game " , he devoted an entire chapter ( " Monkey Business " ) to the Garrett episode . Also in " I Never Played the Game " , Cosell said that ABC should have had the right to choose its own " Monday Night " schedule . In his mind , " Monday Night Football " is what elevated the NFL in popularity over Major League Baseball . He felt this should have been ABC ' s reward for raising the level of the NFL ' s popularity . That same year , O . J . Simpson replaced Tarkenton as a fill - in when Meredith or Cosell , who also was a broadcaster for Major League Baseball ' s playoffs , was unavailable . The season would serve as a study in contrasts as one of the most exciting Monday night games ever was followed the next week by one of the most badly - played in the run of the series . On October 17 , 1983 , the highest scoring game in " Monday Night Football " history took place in the Green Bay Packers / Washington Redskins game , with the Packers winning the game by a 48 – 47 score . Seven days later , the New York Giants and St . Louis Cardinals played for more than four hours before settling for a 20 – 20 overtime tie , " MNF " ' s only OT tie to date . The deadlock had come after dropped touchdown passes by Cardinal wide receivers Willard Harrell and Roy Green and a trio of missed field goals by teammate Neil O ' Donoghue , including two in the final 63 seconds of the overtime period . Gifford , Meredith , and Simpson . When Cosell left prior to the start of the 1984 season , the trio of Gifford , Meredith and Simpson handled the duties . Cosell ' s departure seemed to have the greatest effect on Meredith , who many believed to be a poor analyst in his absence . Falling ratings also gave indications that much of the mystique that surrounded the weekly event had disappeared . Gifford , Simpson , and Namath . After the 1984 season , ABC replaced Meredith with Joe Namath the following year , with the quarterback making his debut in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game . In a coincidental twist , both Namath and Simpson were busy prior to the telecast with their induction into the shrine . One of the more grisly moments in " Monday Night Football " history occurred during a game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants on November 18 , 1985 , at RFK Stadium . Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann ' s career would end when Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor reached from behind to drag him down and Taylor fell heavily on the quarterback ’ s leg in the process . On the play , which viewers could see in a gruesome slow - motion replay , Theismann suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his lower right leg . The injury ended the playing career of Theismann , who had teamed with Gifford and Meredith on ABC ' s coverage of Super Bowl XIX in January 1985 . Two weeks after that painful memory , the series ' most watched contest took place as the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears were defeated by the Miami Dolphins , who had not lost to an NFC team at home since 1976 . That would turn out to be Chicago ' s only loss in 1985 . The show gained a Nielsen rating of 29 . 6 with a 46 share . Gifford and Michaels . Both Namath and Simpson would be replaced at the end of the 1985 NFL season , with critics noting their lack of journalistic skills in comparison to Cosell . In their place the following year came veteran broadcaster Al Michaels , who had previously anchored ABC ' s pregame coverage of Super Bowl XIX and had been since 1983 the lead play - by - play announcer of " Monday Night Baseball " . Michaels had also by this point , gained much notoriety at ABC for his 1980 " Miracle on Ice " broadcast . Michaels served as the play - by - play announcer , teaming with Gifford for a two - man booth in 1986 . During that season , the Miami Dolphins again made Monday night history with the biggest blowout in " Monday Night Football " history in a 45 - 3 rout of the then 10 - 1 New York Jets . ( The record was later tied and subsequently broken in 2005 ; see below . ) Also in 1986 , when Al Michaels became unavailable because he was calling Major League Baseball ' s League Championship Series , Frank Gifford moved up into the play - by - play spot while Lynn Swann filled - in as the color commentator . Gifford would once again call the play - by - play when Michaels was busy calling the World Series in 1987 and 1989 . Gifford , Michaels , and Dierdorf . In 1987 , Gifford and Michaels were joined by Dan Dierdorf , returning the series to its original concept of three announcers in the booth . The trio would last for 11 seasons through the conclusion of the 1997 season . In 1989 , television composer Edd Kalehoff created a new arrangement of Johnny Pearson ' s " Heavy Action " , by that time fully synonymous with the series . This more or less replaced an original composition by Charles Fox . Also debuting in 1989 was Hank Williams , Jr . in " All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night , " sung to the music of his 1984 hit " All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin ' Over Tonight . " 1990s . Along with the renewed television contract , ABC was awarded the telecast to Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XXIX , and the first round of NFL playoffs . The " Monday Night Football " team of announcers anchored the telecasts , except for the first of two wild card playoff games , where " ESPN ' s Sunday Night " NFL crew of Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann anchored that telecast . However , the original crew for one of the two wild card playoff games in 1990 and 1991 consisted of Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil ( both of whom did college football broadcasts for ABC during those two seasons ) . From 1990 until 2005 , ABC ' s " MNF " television package has included seventeen ( eighteen in 1992 and 1993 ) regular season games ( from 2003 until 2005 , a Thursday game and 16 Mondays — no game on Week 17 because of playoff preparation disadvantages ) , the first two wild card playoff games ( held on the first Saturday of the playoffs ) , and at times , the AFC – NFC Pro Bowl . 1994 . The October 17 , 1994 episode between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos featured a duel between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks , Joe Montana and John Elway . With 1 : 29 left to play in the game , Elway scored on a 4 - yard touchdown run to put the Broncos ahead 28 – 24 . But then Montana led the Chiefs on a 75 - yard drive to score the game - winning touchdown with just 8 seconds to play . The final score was Chiefs 31 , Broncos 28 . The October 31 , 1994 game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears is notable for a very windy / rainy game , which also featured the Crypt Keeper deliver the famous phase , and also remembered with a 36 yard TD run by Brett Favre , who had a sore hip that night . Later dubbed the Halloween Monsoon by Bear fans , the Packers crushed the Bears , 33 - 6 . 1995 . In the 1995 " MNF " regular season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at the New Jersey Meadowlands , Cowboys owner Jerry Jones controversially brought Nike chairman Phil Knight down to the sidelines , representing Jerry ' s individual deal with Nike , contrary to the NFL ' s policy of negotiating its marketing deals as a league . 1997 . In 1997 , ABC began using a scoring bug showing the game clock and score throughout the entire broadcast . Michaels , Dierdorf , and Esiason . In 1998 , Lesley Visser became the first female commentator on " Monday Night Football " . She had been the first female beat writer in the NFL when she covered the New England Patriots for the " Boston Globe " in the mid - 1970s , and was the first and only woman to handle a Super Bowl Trophy presentation when she was a sportscaster with CBS . Visser was followed by several women , notably Melissa Stark and Lisa Guerrero , on the sideline who were perceived as " eye candy " , none of whom affected the ratings . For the 1998 season , ABC pushed " Monday Night Football " back an hour ( it has usually aired at 9 : 00 p . m . EST ) . A special pregame show was created , titled " Monday Night Blast " and hosted by Chris Berman from the ESPN Zone restaurant in Baltimore . The game would start around 8 : 20 p . m . for this particular season . Despite leaving the booth , Frank Gifford stayed on one more year as a special contributor to the pregame show , usually presenting a single segment . A mildly infamous incident came during the final 1998 telecast when Dierdorf asked Michaels , prior to a halftime interview with Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie , " Are you gonna tell ' em how you ' re sick of all this B . C . [ Boston College ] stuff ? " Michaels ( thinking that they had gone into a commercial break and that his microphone was off ) replied , " No shit . " Nielsen numbers for the first 17 weeks of the 1998 TV season showed that " Monday Night Football " averaged a 13 . 9 rating , down 8 percent from 1997 ' s 15 . 0 — the previous standard in ratings futility . In actuality , " MNF " ratings had been hitting all - time record lows for the previous four years . Michaels and Esiason . Beginning in 1999 , " Monday Night Football " telecasts used a computer - generated yellow line to mark where a team needs to get a first down . ESPN had begun using it first . 1999 also saw the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game being moved from Saturday afternoon to Monday night . It would remain on Monday night through 2005 . Boomer Esiason replaced Gifford in 1998 , and Dierdorf left for a return to CBS in 1999 . Esiason ' s relationship with Michaels was questioned leading to his firing . Esiason and Michaels reportedly never got along , and it led to ABC firing Esiason shortly after calling Super Bowl XXXIV together . 2000s . Michaels , Fouts , and Miller . 2000 . Unexpectedly , Comedian Dennis Miller joined the cast in 2000 along with Dan Fouts . The move was ultimately regarded as a bust by many viewers and commentators . ABC briefly considered adding radio personality Rush Limbaugh before Miller was added to the broadcast team , despite having no prior sports broadcast experience . ( Limbaugh would instead be assigned as a commentator to " Sunday NFL Countdown " on sister station ESPN . ) Miller demonstrated a knowledge of the game and its personalities , although at times he tended to lapse into sometimes obscure analogy - riddled streams of consciousness similar to the " rants " of his standup comedy act . ABC even set up a Web page dedicated to explaining Miller ' s sometimes obscure pop culture references . In June 2000 , Lesley Visser ' s career suffered a highly publicized setback when she was famously bounced as the " Monday Night Football " sideline reporter for a less experienced , much younger woman and a man , who did not have as extensive journalistic credentials as Visser . " It was staggering to me , " Visser later recalled . However , she wound up returning to CBS Sports , philosophical as ever . " You can have a short career if it ' s based on looks and youth , " she said , " but legitimacy is what lasts . " Which ABC replaced her with both Melissa Stark and Eric Dickerson . This was part of the overhaul when ABC brought back Don Ohlmeyer to serve as producer , who installed Dennis Miller as an analyst ( for ultimately two unsuccessful seasons ) . She sued ABC Sports which were Howard Katz and Ohylmeyer . As previously mentioned , in 2000 , Don Ohlmeyer , the program ' s producer up until 1977 was brought back . After spending time at NBC , Ohlmeyer was lured out of retirement to spark interest and provide some vigor to the broadcast . Besides the on - air talent , Ohlmeyer ' s changes included clips of players introducing themselves , new graphics , and music . In another rather irreverent move , the scoring bug was seen to have nicknames for the teams , such as " Skins " and " Fins " ( for Redskins and Dolphins , respectively ) instead of their common abbreviations , WSH and MIA , respectively . On October 23 , 2000 , the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins competed in what is now known as " The Monday Night Miracle " Trailing 30 – 7 in the fourth quarter , Vinny Testaverde led the Jets to score 23 consecutive points to tie the game . After Miami scored another touchdown , Testaverde threw to offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott to tie the game at 37 - all . At 1 : 08 a . m . , Tuesday morning , John Hall kicked a field goal in overtime to win the game 40 – 37 . It was the second biggest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history and biggest comeback in Jets ' history . Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted the comeback at halftime , where he was appearing with the " MNF " crew for an upcoming movie . With the Jets already down by 20 points he said , " Wayne Chrebet will catch a pass and the Jets will win . They ' re a great team . " 2001 . The 2001 season of " MNF " featured a season - long campaign promoting the anticipated 20 , 000th point scored in " MNF " history . Broncos kicker Jason Elam completed the task with a field goal during a 38 – 28 loss at Oakland on November 5 . The three points also put Elam over 1 , 000 points for his career . In addition , the scoring bug went back to using the team abbreviations , as opposed to nicknames ( which were used in the previous season ) . Michaels and Madden . In 2002 , both Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts were dropped and John Madden joined Al Michaels in a two man booth . Madden was a coach for the Oakland Raiders , namesake of the seminal " Madden NFL " video game series , and successful broadcaster with the CBS and FOX networks for 21 years before joining " Monday Night Football " . 2002 . In 2002 , the broadcast debuted the " Horse Trailer " award , in which a picture of the game ' s top performer ( s ) is displayed , as chosen by the broadcasting crew . During the fourth quarter of a preseason game early that season , Madden was joking about doing some recording in the " Horse Trailer " , a term the producers used for one of the ABC production trucks . It was , in fact , a custom built trailer designed from the shell of a horse trailer , but inside housed sophisticated electronic equipment . By the first week of the regular season , an idea to decorate the plain white trailer with " MNF " decor , the entire " MNF " schedule , and a weekly MVP , was born . Immediately following each game , the winner ( s ) is chosen , and his picture is affixed to the trailer in the corresponding location . When Madden and Michaels went to NBC in 2006 , they debuted a similar feature , the " Rock Star " – the photo of the player of the game being attached to the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York . ( For the 2007 season , the " Horse Trailer " concept has been reinstated . ) Also , in 2002 , the commentators for the AFC wild card game were Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson . Jack Arute was the sideline reporter . After suffering through several years of dismal Pro Bowl ratings , ABC considered moving the game to Monday night . In February 2003 , Madden declined to serve as color commentator for the game in Hawaii , citing his fear of flying ; former " MNF " personality Dan Fouts took his place . The following year , the Pro Bowl remained on Sunday , but was moved to ABC ' s sister network , ESPN . 2003 . In 2003 , ABC and the NFL dropped the " Monday Night Football " game for the final week of the regular season . The move , which had been in effect for the first eight years of the broadcast ( 1970 – 1977 ) , was the result of declining ratings , as well as problems involved for potential playoff teams , as there was a potential of only four days rest between their final regular season game and first round playoff game . ABC replaced the telecast with an opening weekend Thursday night game , and in exchange ESPN got a Saturday night game on the final weekend . Also during the 2003 season , Lisa Guerrero decided to leave Fox Sports Net ' s " The Best Damn Sports Show Period " to join the " MNF " television crew as a sideline reporter ( replacing the pregnant Melissa Stark ) . Guerrero ' s performance on the broadcast was heavily criticized , and the following year ( also in an apparent move away from the " eye candy " concept ) ABC replaced her with longtime TV sports journalist Michele Tafoya . Lisa Guerrero defended herself by saying that the show hired her with the intention of going in a totally different direction with the job of sideline reporter — personality - driven and feature - driven — then discarded all of that and told her to just do the job in the usual fashion . She said that she never would have taken the job if she had known that they would change their minds like that . In 2005 , Michele Tafoya sat out much of the season while on maternity leave . In Tafoya ' s place came Sam Ryan . On the October 6 , 2003 , episode between the Colts and Buccaneers , Indianapolis was trailing 35 – 14 with 3 : 43 remaining . The Colts had returned a Tampa Bay kickoff 90 yard to the 11 yard line , setting up a quick score . The Colts recovered an onside kick and scored again to narrow the margin to 35 – 28 . They forced a Tampa Bay punt and with less than two minutes remaining , Manning led an 87 - yard drive to score the game - tying touchdown with 35 seconds left in regulation . In overtime , kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed a 40 - yard field goal , but Simeon Rice was called for a leaping penalty , a rarely - seen unsportsmanlike conduct infraction that penalizes a player for running and jumping to block a kick and landing on other players . Vanderjagt ' s subsequent kick was batted and hit the upright , but fell in good , winning the game for the Colts . Vanderjagt went on to become the second kicker in NFL history not to miss either a field goal or extra point in a single season after Gary Anderson , who accomplished the feat in the 1998 season as a member of the Minnesota Vikings . Vanderjagt did not miss a kick in the playoffs either , making him the first kicker to accomplish that feat ( Anderson missed a field goal in the 1998 - 99 NFC Championship Game ) . On December 22 , 2003 , Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre put on one of the most defining moments of his career ( while also ranking among his greatest game ever ) . The day before the contest against the Oakland Raiders , his father , Irvin , died suddenly of a heart attack . Favre elected to play , passing for four touchdowns in the first half , and 399 yards for the game in a 41 – 7 destruction of the Raiders ( receiving applause from the highly partisan " Raider Nation " ) . Afterwards , Brett said , 2004 . On November 15 , 2004 , controversy shrouded Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens when he appeared with popular TV actress Nicollette Sheridan ( of the new hit ABC series " Desperate Housewives " ) in an introductory skit which opened that evening ' s " MNF " telecast , in which Owens and the Eagles played the Cowboys at Texas Stadium . The skit was widely condemned as being sexually suggestive ( see video ) and ABC was forced to apologize for airing it ( the Eagles went on to win the game , 49 - 21 , with Owens catching three touchdown passes ) . However , on March 14 , 2005 , the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the skit did not violate decency standards , because it contained no outright nudity or foul language . Originally , John Madden was supposed to appear in the commercial . " The Monday Night Massacre " . On December 5 , 2005 , dubbed " The Monday Night Massacre " by NFL Films , the Seattle Seahawks shut out the Philadelphia Eagles 42 – 0 with three defensive touchdowns ( two interceptions , one fumble return ) to tie the then - largest margin of victory mark in " Monday Night Football " history and set the mark for the greatest margin of victory in a Monday night shutout , as well as setting the NFL record for scoring the most points with less than 200 yards of offense . Andre Dyson scored twice for the Seahawks defense , once on a 72 yard interception return and the other on a 25 yard fumble return , earning himself the " Horse Trailer Player of the Game " as well as NFC defensive player of the week . A fourth interception return by Michael Boulware fell just short of tying another Seahawks NFL record of four defensive scores in a single game , set during a 45 – 0 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984 . The defeat was the Eagles third worst in team history . The Eagles also lost their star RB Brian Westbrook due to an injury in this game . In addition , ABC used a time - score banner across the bottom of the screen . This was used for the network ' s final season of " MNF " through Super Bowl XL . The end of the ABC era . Despite high ratings , ABC lost millions of dollars on televising the games during the late 1990s and 2000s . Also , the NFL indicated that it wanted Sunday night to be the new night for its marquee game , because more people tend to watch TV on Sundays , and Sundays would be more conducive to flexible scheduling , a method by which some of the NFL ' s best games could be moved from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night on short notice . Given these factors , as well as the rise of ABC ' s ratings on Sunday night , and their wish of protecting their " Desperate Housewives " franchise ( which they knew would be costly ) , on April 18 , 2005 , ABC and the NFL announced the upcoming end of their 36 - year partnership , with " Monday Night Football " being aired on ESPN starting with the 2006 season , a move some Disney shareholders ( as well as NFL fans and purists ) have criticized . However , ESPN ' s ability to collect subscription fees from cable and satellite providers , in addition to selling commercials , made it more likely that ESPN could turn a profit on NFL telecasts , as opposed to ABC ' s heavy losses . The final ABC " Monday Night " broadcast was on December 26 , when the New York Jets hosted the New England Patriots , from Giants Stadium . Coincidentally , both the first and last ABC " Monday Night Football " telecast games ended with a score of 31 – 21 with the Jets on the losing end . Vinny Testaverde holds the distinction of throwing the last TD pass in ABC ' s " MNF " telecast history ; it was to wide receiver Laveranues Coles . Also , Testaverde ' s pass set an NFL record : most consecutive seasons with a touchdown pass , 19 seasons ( 1987 – 2005 ) . Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel in the last ABC " MNF " broadcast on 26 December 2005 set a record of note , becoming the first player to catch 2 touchdown passes and record a quarterback sack in the same game . The final play of the ABC era was a Pats kneeldown by 44 - year old reserve quarterback Doug Flutie . John Madden said at the show ' s ending : During its final NFL television contract , ABC was awarded the telecasts to Super Bowl XXXIV , Super Bowl XXXVII , and Super Bowl XL . With the end of ABC ' s contract , the Super Bowl XL broadcast was the network ' s final NFL telecast , at least for the foreseeable future . Move to ESPN . Starting in 2006 , ESPN began airing the Monday night games and NBC got ESPN ' s Sunday night package . The Sunday night game is now the " showcase " game of the week on the NFL schedule . While the ESPN broadcasts still have the " MNF " name and heritage , NBC ( like ABC ) is a broadcast network , whereas ESPN is a cable service not freely available to all Americans , though many ESPN games air on free broadcast TV in the home markets of each team . For that reason , NBC gained rights to the Thursday night season opening game , the wild card doubleheader that has traditionally aired on ABC , as well as a share of the rotating rights to the Super Bowl ( with CBS and Fox also in the mix ) . Tirico , Theismann , and Kornheiser . ESPN had initially stated that its " MNF " team would consist of Al Michaels and Joe Theismann in the booth with Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber serving as sideline reporters . However , on February 8 , 2006 , ESPN announced that former NBA studio host Mike Tirico would replace Michaels in the booth in 2006 , joined by Theismann , and Tony Kornheiser . ESPN announced the following day that it had " traded " the contract of Michaels to NBC to join Madden on their " Sunday Night Football " broadcast in exchange for some NBC Universal properties , including rights to Ryder Cup coverage , and the return of the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit ( a Walt Disney creation ) to ESPN parent The Walt Disney Company after nearly 80 years of Universal ownership . ESPN ' s first Monday night broadcast was during the preseason on Monday , August 14 , 2006 , when the Oakland Raiders visited the Minnesota Vikings , publicized as the return of Randy Moss to Minnesota for the first time since the Vikings traded him after the 2004 season . The telecast debuted with brand - new graphics , including a time - score box placed in the lower center of the screen ; a variation of the MNF graphics are now used on almost all ESPN / ABC sporting events . The first regular season " Monday Night Football " game to air on ESPN was on September 11 , 2006 . The game featured the visiting Minnesota Vikings at the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field . The Vikings won 19 – 16 . The September 25 edition of " Monday Night Football " highlighted the New Orleans Saints ' first game back in the Louisiana Superdome following Hurricane Katrina to take on the Atlanta Falcons . The game had a Super Bowl - like atmosphere with performances by the Goo Goo Dolls , U2 , and Green Day before the game . The NFL tapped producer Don Mischer and director Hamish Hamilton to produce the event . Former President George H . W . Bush handled the pregame coin toss . The Saints beat the Falcons 23 – 3 in what now ranks as one of the most - watched events in the history of cable television . ESPN ' s October 23 , 2006 telecast of the New York Giants – Dallas Cowboys drew the largest audience in the history of cable television at the time , besting the previous mark set by a 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot . An average of 16 , 028 , 000 viewers ( 12 . 8 rating ) watched as the Giants defeated the Cowboys , 36 – 22 . " ESPN ' s Monday Night Football " now accounts for eight of the ten biggest cable audiences in history . What would eventually be named the " NFL ' s comeback of the year " was played on " Monday Night Football " on October 16 . Late in the third quarter , the massive underdog Arizona Cardinals led the Chicago Bears 23 – 3 . Arizona seemed to have the game wrapped up , as rookie quarterback Matt Leinart was having a great day , and Arizona had forced 6 turnovers out of Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman . Chicago ' s defense then went on to score 14 points on fumble returns for touchdowns . With 2 : 58 left in the fourth quarter , and down 17 – 23 , Chicago ' s Devin Hester returned a punt for a touchdown to take a 24 – 23 lead . Matt Leinart then led the Cardinals down the field , only to have Neil Rackers miss a field goal , and Chicago went on to win . At the conclusion of the 2006 season , ESPN had managed to secure all of the cable television audience records . " Monday Night Football " and its surrounding shoulder programming are the most profitable franchise on cable television . Tirico , Jaworski , and Kornheiser . Analyst and former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski replaced Joe Theismann in the booth beginning with the 2007 season . Theismann was offered a prominent football analyst job with ESPN . 2007 . On December 3 , 2007 17 . 5 million people watched the undefeated New England Patriots defeat the Baltimore Ravens , 27 – 24 , breaking the previous record of 17 . 2 million for corporate sibling Disney Channel ' s showing of " High School Musical 2 " . Revamp after disappointing 2007 season . After experiencing low ratings and criticism about the production during the 2007 season , ESPN announced that long - time sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya would have reduced roles for the 2008 season . 2008 . As the 2008 season began , ESPN announced a new focus on covering the games as sporting events rather than as entertainment and cultural events . Among the changes are the removal of celebrity booth guests and a reduction in the number of sideline interviews . Tafoya and Kolber have been retained to conduct those interviews and file reports from the field . Also , ESPN replaced the aforementioned bottom center - screen time - score box ( which was used from 2006 to the 2008 preseason ) with a time - score banner across the bottom of the screen . The September 15 , 2008 Eagles - Cowboys game , with a 13 . 3 rating and 18 . 6 million viewers , set a new record for most watched cable TV program . 2008 election eve . On the night before the 2008 United States Presidential Election , studio host Chris Berman interviewed both major party candidates , John McCain and Barack Obama at halftime . The game featured the Washington Redskins losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers , 23 - 6 . Tirico , Jaworski , and Gruden . 2009 season . Tony Kornheiser stepped down for the 2009 season and was replaced by former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden . The rest of the team remained intact . The October 5 , 2009 Packers - Vikings game was the fourth ESPN " MNF " broadcast to become the most - watched program ever on a cable channel , with a 15 . 3 rating and 21 . 839 million viewers . The record stood until surpassed by the 2011 BCS National Championship Game on January 10 , 2011 . Secondary broadcast teams . Since the program ' s move to ESPN in 2006 , the network has broadcast two games in a doubleheader on the opening week of the season , with the second game using separate announcers and production staff that are not used for the rest of the schedule . On September 11 , 2006 , the announcers for the second game were Brad Nessler , Ron Jaworski , and Dick Vermeil . On September 10 , 2007 , the team of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic ( co - hosts of " Mike and Mike in the Morning " ) was used along with Mike Ditka . For both games , the sideline reporter was Bonnie Bernstein . The secondary team for September 8 , 2008 was again Mike Greenberg , Mike Golic and Mike Ditka with Suzy Kolber on the sidelines . On September 14 , 2009 Greenberg and Golic were joined by Steve Young , again with Kolber . On September 13 , 2010 , Nessler and Trent Dilfer teamed to call the second game , with Kolber again on the sidelines . Hank Williams Jr . controversy . On October 3 , 2011 , Hank Willams Jr . appeared on " Fox and Friends " and compared President Barack Obama to Speaker of the House John Boehner , referring to their golf match that they had in the summer . He referred to the two political figures golfing together was like Adolf Hitler and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu golfing together , stressing their philosophical and political differences . As a result , his opening theme was dropped from " Monday Night Football " permanently .