Remember when we all use to look forward to Monday night? How we all looked forward to that big game that capped off the weekend? Remember when we used to hope that our favorite team would play on Monday night, simply because of the prestige of winning on Monday night?
Well, that was a very different time. Back when Monday Night Football was not only available to those who have cable. Back when the great voices of Howard Cosell, and later Al Michaels and John Madden, were calling the games. Back when some of the greatest games of the year were played on Monday Night. Why, oh why, did MNF switch over to ESPN?
Now, we're stuck with lousy announcers. Mike Tirico? Bless his heart, he tries so hard. But he's just not cut out to commentate what used to be the sports worlds' most prestigious regular-season event. Ron Jaworski offers some great football insight on Sportscenter, but I can't take 3 straight hours of him.
And finally, the sole reason Monday Night Football has lost so much prestige: 1 Tony Kornheiser. Every time that man opens his mouth, I cringe. "What stupid thing is he going to say next?", I wonder to myself. He's gone as far as to dwell over Bill Belichek's shirt, saying, "It looks like he got that shirt at an army-surplus store for fifty cents." Tony, who cares? Shut up about the shirt, and let the fans watch some football. Kornheiser also seems to pick one player from every game that he's just going to shove down the throat of the people until they, or his co-workers, get sick of it. For example, Kornheiser mentioned Brett Favre's name so many times in the first half of the first game of '08, that Mike Tirico limited him to five mentions of Favre's name in the second half of that game. Even now, the other announcers still hate hearing his name.
In the Vikings-Saints game, it was Reggie Bush who was a victim of Kornheiseritis. Kornheiser constantly used Bush's poor play as the reason the Saints were losing. After a couple of punt returns for touchdowns for Bush, Adrian Peterson had an eight-yard run, to which Kornheiser said, "It looks like Adrian Peterson has been inspired by Reggie Bush." Give me a break. Peterson? Inspired by Bush? If Tony Kornheiser gets paid to annoy the general public, the man needs a raise.
It doesn't help that MNF is now on cable. There are a lot of people who simply don't get ESPN. The games on Monday night are just shy of relevant. But the real reason Monday Night Football has lost its prestige? Look no further than the man with the beard.
Keywords: NFL football
