Monday Night Football

Monday Night Football is a television broadcast of one of the premier National Football League games of the week. It airs live on the ABC television network in the United States on Monday nights during the NFL season, and is one of the most popular shows on American television, particularly among men. Monday Night Football (often informally abbreviated as MNF) is currently the second-longest-running prime time show on American television, after CBS's 60 Minutes.

1970s

In 1971, seeking even more star power than he already possessed, ABC Sports president Roone Arledge dropped Keith Jackson, who returned to broadcasting college football for ABC, in favor of the more attractive ex New York Giant star Frank Gifford. Gifford had been an NFL announcer for CBS during the 1960s but never a play-by-play man prior to joining Monday Night Football. Over the course of his 15+ year stint as the play-by-play man for Monday Night Football, Gifford constantly bungled names, got the score wrong, and confused teams. On one occassion, Gifford confused a player who had scored a touchdown with another former player who had died a couple of years earlier. On another, he mistakenly identified a player with another former player who was arrested on charges of sexual misconduct (former Oakland Raiders receiver Warren Wells). Regardless, Frank Gifford, who left the program in 1998, began the longest tenure of any broadcaster on the show.

Related Topics:
1971 - ABC Sports - College football - New York Giant - Frank Gifford - CBS - 1960s - Play-by-play - Oakland Raiders - Warren Wells - 1998

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From 1974 through 1976, Don Meredith was absent from Monday Night Football for a broadcasting career on rival NBC and to pursue an acting career. In 1974, Fred Williamson was selected by ABC to replace Meredith. Williamson was used on a few pre-season broadcasts, but proved so inarticulate that he was relieved of his duties at the beginning of the regular season, becoming the first MNF personality not to endure for the entire season. Williamson was soon replaced by fellow Gary, Indiana native Alex Karras.

Related Topics:
1974 - 1976 - NBC - Fred Williamson - Gary, Indiana - Alex Karras

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