Monday, September 11, 2006
Sunday Night Football is MNF
I'm sure I am not the only one who is confused.
Monday Night Football is Monday Night Football, right?
Not really.
Sunday Night Football is MNF. At least, as far as I can tell.
What is MNF, anyway?
Start with Al Michaels. He's been an announcer on MNF since 1986. That's twenty years. He knew Howard Cossell. He was on MNF when the show was still a big ratings grabber.
In recent years, John Madden has been a big part of MNF. So when you turn on NBC on Sunday Night and see that duo hosting a game, it automatically feels like MNF. The Sunday Night show even had a has-been musician doing the opening theme, just like MNF used to have when it was on Mondays.
A Monday Night Football double-header? That sounds like a bunch of ESPN hype.
And speaking of ESPN... Mike Tirico. Suzy Kolber. Joe Theismann. It's Sunday Night Football.
There's more to being a big event than selling and plastering the name MNF on an ESPN show.
NBC has really inherited MNF. Sorry, ESPN.
Monday Night Football is Monday Night Football, right?
Not really.
Sunday Night Football is MNF. At least, as far as I can tell.
What is MNF, anyway?
Start with Al Michaels. He's been an announcer on MNF since 1986. That's twenty years. He knew Howard Cossell. He was on MNF when the show was still a big ratings grabber.
In recent years, John Madden has been a big part of MNF. So when you turn on NBC on Sunday Night and see that duo hosting a game, it automatically feels like MNF. The Sunday Night show even had a has-been musician doing the opening theme, just like MNF used to have when it was on Mondays.
A Monday Night Football double-header? That sounds like a bunch of ESPN hype.
And speaking of ESPN... Mike Tirico. Suzy Kolber. Joe Theismann. It's Sunday Night Football.
There's more to being a big event than selling and plastering the name MNF on an ESPN show.
NBC has really inherited MNF. Sorry, ESPN.
Manning v. Manning
I am so glad this horror is over. And I am doubly glad it was in Week One, so the media couldn't make it the complete focus of their coverage for a week. There were too many other stories, and the mere fact of meaningful football being played to distract everyone from concentrating on Manning v. Manning.
I may be in the minority, but I'm not too terribly worried about the prospects of these two teams playing each other in the Super Bowl anytime soon, either.
I may be in the minority, but I'm not too terribly worried about the prospects of these two teams playing each other in the Super Bowl anytime soon, either.
Week One observations
The Jets are going to win a lot of games if Pennington and Coles can hook up like they did today. Three-hundred yards passing for the rusty quarterback, half of them to Coles. I could see this team making the playoffs.
The Giants and Dolphins both look over-rated.
Kansas City looks an awful lot like Buffalo did when their Super Bowl window closed several years ago. I know Trent Green had a concussion, but even before that their offense looked awful, especially in the red zone. Late in the game, Green became their whole offense, leading up to the injury.
The Bengals have learned how to win tough games. Even though we will see that this was not a good Kansas City team by their record in a month, it was still a tough win to get on the road for the Bengals. Cincinnati's offense missed T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Still, the game was played in the rain so the poor offensive numbers are not that surprising.
Adding Vinateri and losing Edgerrin James may be the biggest trade-up of the off-season for the Colts.
Baltimore is now frightening with a real, quality NFL quarterback.
Nobody beats Jacksonville in the six or seven games a year that Fred Taylor plays.
I'm not sold on the Bears offense; I watched the Bengals light the Green Bay defense up for 40+ points on a Monday Night exhibition game, and now this 26-0 shutout. I want to see if Grossman can throw the ball against Seattle in a few weeks. The Bears should be undefeated going into that game.
Twenty-seven points is a lot to give up in a win. Yet Arizona got it done against the lowly 49'ers today. That kind of defensive performance will work against most of the teams in their division, but it sets them up as a likely Wild Card because they will not be able to beat Seattle giving up almost three-hundred yards passing and a hundred rushing.
The Giants and Dolphins both look over-rated.
Kansas City looks an awful lot like Buffalo did when their Super Bowl window closed several years ago. I know Trent Green had a concussion, but even before that their offense looked awful, especially in the red zone. Late in the game, Green became their whole offense, leading up to the injury.
The Bengals have learned how to win tough games. Even though we will see that this was not a good Kansas City team by their record in a month, it was still a tough win to get on the road for the Bengals. Cincinnati's offense missed T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Still, the game was played in the rain so the poor offensive numbers are not that surprising.
Adding Vinateri and losing Edgerrin James may be the biggest trade-up of the off-season for the Colts.
Baltimore is now frightening with a real, quality NFL quarterback.
Nobody beats Jacksonville in the six or seven games a year that Fred Taylor plays.
I'm not sold on the Bears offense; I watched the Bengals light the Green Bay defense up for 40+ points on a Monday Night exhibition game, and now this 26-0 shutout. I want to see if Grossman can throw the ball against Seattle in a few weeks. The Bears should be undefeated going into that game.
Twenty-seven points is a lot to give up in a win. Yet Arizona got it done against the lowly 49'ers today. That kind of defensive performance will work against most of the teams in their division, but it sets them up as a likely Wild Card because they will not be able to beat Seattle giving up almost three-hundred yards passing and a hundred rushing.
