I liked how espn's ticker was still saying Brady out for the season is "breaking news" yeah, like 8 hours ago it was breaking news.

Wheres Ditka?

That is a murderers row at QB right.

Ditka: (About JaMarcus Russell)He's gunna have to do this on the run now, I mean he can't sit around and watch anybody do it he's gotta do it on the move.

HUH?

"You got to sue the offensive line for non-support"... Does Ditka have experience there?

wtf is dinkin' it and dunkin' it

Greenberg is on a 15 second delay. Call me a masochist, but I'd rather listen to the game than watch it at this point. When the Raiders take the field, someone let me know. I'm sure that Greenberg and Ditka will fail to notice.

I'm still trying to account for Mike Golic's apparent lack of any schematic knowledge whatsoever of football. Do they keep concussion statistics? How many times did Golic's gourd get smashed?

I'm back, or for a little while at least. The rest of the game will determine how long I stay for.

Woooooo 17-0! Go McFadden!

How the hell are Golic and Greenberg "surprised" that the Raiders are punting on 4th and long? Are they watching the same game as everyone else?

WOW Ditka actually made a decent point about how the Raiders should go for it on 4th down.

"Again" Mike Golic's usual analysis:

"Again . . . blah . . . again . . . blah, blah . . . again . . . more blah . . again . . . additional blah . . . again."

The guy says "again" so often it's hilarious.

Punting for field position after you gave up lot's of yards and 17 points already. At least Mike Cubed questioned it a little.

Wow...the Raiders run D hasn't sucked? There's one improvement.

Ditka says all the Denver running backs can run. Oh good.

i don't think greeny know what a PBP announcer is supposed to do? describe the f'ing plays as they happen..

Mike Shannahan has decided to totally screw Fantasy owners. Three running backs!!

Ditka: (about Denver's RBs) They can all run.

Well, I guess that helps.

"Nobodys doing nothing" - Mike Golic.

I see that Golic was an English major.

"Opened up the playbook"--Didn't Ditka say that on the thrid play of the game!

Darrell Jackson is on the Broncos?

"Oh my god" - Ditka

The word "rookie" was used five times in thirty seconds.

I agree that the Raiders should have gone for it on 4th and 7, punting at that point was mindless. But how were they surprised to see the Raiders punt it away? From what we've seen so far, I'd say the Raiders have a better chance of scoring on defense.

It's a bad sign when you have less than twice as many rushing yards as penalty yards.

As of right now, the Raiders have 76 yards rushing and 39 yards screwing up.

I guess punting for field position forced the Broncos to go 93 yards on that drive. Hey better Cutler stats.

You could replace Golic with a retarded box turtle and no one would know the difference

"The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat on the Raiders sidelines". - Mike Greenberg

Very original Greeny, very original.

Ditka is atrocious. His mumbling from "oh boy" to "oh my God" to "Ahhhhhhhhh!" is the definition of awful announcing.

Dave, Dave & Dave >>> Mike, Mike & Mike

I think Winborn and Dummervill just cut blocked the linemen... I liked that Greenie just cried "ohh" for like the ninth time of the night.

They are still called the Raiderettes ? Very un-PC Al.

Forgive the delayed response, I fell asleep during the high quality action.

jfein - yeah, Greenberg is just obnoxious. Does anyone know why ESPN thinks that it's a good idea to put Mike Mike and Mike on the late game? Don't they have...anyone else?

" . . . have him deliver your wife a baby" was the comment coming back from the ad break around 12:18 ET with the video showing a scary guy with prongs on his shoulders and crazy face paint. Think it was Golic, but I'm not sure. Funny when they come back early from the break. The production on this late MNF game always is shoddy.

Prediction: Mike 3.0 will NEVER call a MNF game again.

"self-destruction, gang"- Mike Ditka

Where does Ditka get off praising Gene Upshaw? Here this character, who ripped his players for not playing hurt, trashed Upshaw up and down for the NFL disability benefits policy. Complete hypocrisy.

Golic's observation when Oakland forces itself into a 3rd and 22: "This is a defensive dream now."

NO--BEING UP 24 POINTS WITH 17 MINUTES TO GO IS A DEFENSIVE DREAM.

Why even have a late MNF game is you get crappy production and an "experiment" for an announcing team?

Golic: coach, is this a moment where you look for a glass half full type thing?

Ditka: blah blah players not working hard or something.

He should've just said something like: "No, you tell your players that they suck and the world is ending and crank up the AFI on the sideline." That would've entertained me. Borrrrrrrrring.

When there's fumblin' on the field, there's mumblin' in the booth. It sounds more like they're betting on which official will signal possession than attempting to discuss the game.

At this rate, this game is going degenerate into a Raider penalty fest, and then it will get real chippy. Golic and Greenie can then become indignant and overreact to the action on the field.

Are you kidding? They've overreacted to the action on the field ever since they spotted the Oakland cheerleaders 30 minutes before kickoff. Now it's time for them to just get bitter and complain about every occurrence in the game, driving ratings down to 0.0

Jay Cutler starts to scramble. What does our brilliant Golic have to say?

"Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy."

Thanks, you asshole.

YES!!! Oh boy 3 straight times... I mean you cant get better than this..

This is one of the worst booths. Greenberg can't call the plays, Golic offers no insight and they both defer to "Coach," who also offers nothing when he's not moaning and groaning "oh boy" over the play.

that is not a flattering shot of Al Davis. Wow.

I know you're going to hate me for this AA, but the Raiders went to the Dan Snyder school of building teams, and they are ending up with the same result. FAIL!!

I wonder how many diapers Al Davis went through in the first half?

Sorry, sorry, that was Ditka, not Golic. Sue me.

"They can toss up left, they can toss it right, they can run it up the middle". - Mike Ditka

Thanks for that analysis Mike. Now please, do us a favor, work on finishing that 6th cup of beer you're on.

If he's really on his six cup of beer, I'm jealous. Effing school nights. :P

I hope Greenberg doesn't develop Brent Musberger Syndrome in the final quarter of this game. Brent Musberger Syndrome is a phenomenon where an announcer reduces every game to a battle between coaches in which the players are totally irrelevant. This phenomenon is reportedly caused by an overwhelming desire to suck up to the men on the sidelines in the hopes of scoring dinner with them the next time ol' Brent is in their neck of the woods. Apparently it's working, as lately Musberger makes John Madden look like a midget.

Maybe Davis should have fired Kiffin...

how can the raiders be 3-1 in divisional games since 2003? Smooth Greenberg

No...I don't hate. I agree JFein.

Brent Musberger is terrible. I have no idea how that man has a job.

"Can't make chicken salad out of chicken noodle" - Mike Ditka

Never again should these 3 be allowed to call a game. I never thought I would miss Tony Kornheiser.

ESPN Breaking News: Mike Golic reportedly diagnosed with Brent Musberger Syndrome, nearly has a heart attack while explaining Raiders locker room politics.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy let's hope Shanahan runs up the score to 50-0 on this miserable franchise and their thug fans.

Another stellar point from Ditka:

"You can't make chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what."

What a dope.

Ditka: You can't make chicken salad out of chick you-know-what.

Just say it dude, no one's watching anymore

Goddamit, someone go up into the booth and slap all three of them. They were already HORRIBLE before they lost interest in talking about the game. Now it's all Al Davis and Lane Kiffin talk and they aren't saying anything about what's going on on the field.

Greenie... The damn screen in front of you said Madden was 33 and Greenie says 32.

"That's a great two yard run because there was nowhere to run." DITKA SHOOTS...HE SCORES.

LOL

The only thing more terrifying than the play-by-play in this game is that the three stooges in the booth probably have NO IDEA how horrible they sound.

"That is a great run...a great two-yard run right there."

"That's a great run right there. That's a great two yard run. That's (amazingly bad stutter) a great run because there was nowhere to run."

And ESPN cuts out for five seconds as the tech guys laugh their asses off and accidentally unplug their monitors.

"Jay Cutler's been the star" - Mike Greenberg"

Now I left for an hour, but haven't they been touting Eddie Royal as the star?

I wish the NFL would stop putting the Raiders in a primetime game every year. Their games are always so boring to watch since they always get blown out in primetime the last couple years

We've all been hit by a hurricane tonight, and that hurricane is named hurricane DITKA!!!!!

Ditka LOVES two-yard gains. Great two-yard run, great two-yard pass.

Who gave the Stooges the idea that psycho-analyzing every play makes for good television PBP? When Oakland makes a 4 yard completion with 2nd and Goal, you don't say "that's actually a good pass right there." Just say nothing. Talk about anything other than a meaningless 4 yard completion.

Nice TD catch by Ashley Lelie. That means he has about one TD left for the rest of the year.

Three "agains" from Golic is less than sixty seconds. The guy is priceless.

Ahhh, the great tease that is Ashley Lelie. Now we will drop two or three important passes and sulk on his routes.

Quizno's commercial, "Too many meatballs on the field? Penalty declined." Who made this commercial? Ditka? It makes absolutely no sense, and I'm not eating at Quizno's until the NFL season is over.

Greenberg: During the course of this season (Janikowski) will probably become the all time leading scorer this season.

You sure about that one buddy?

I actually started taking shots every time Golic says "Again." A ticket to this game probably would have been less expensive at this point.

anyone else hear one of those guys sucking his teeth? Ditka must have a pork shoulder stuck in there.

We had a Quizno's once up here near my college. It was too expensive for college students and it failed miserably.

Just now on the sideline report, Suzy Kolber looked like she had just been awakened from a nap. Not that I blame her or anything.

Suzy Kolber says Darren McFadden was "literally telling" the team he may be hurt.

Literally telling. How do the geniuses at ESPN hire these people.

what did ditka just say

Wilson threw three punches there, with no comment or replay. Talking to a broken-down coach is more important than the action.

I love that "Coach" thought Chris Johnson was a 4th round pick.

If you can't trade your whole draft for a RB, Ditka isn't interested in him

I have no idea HOW, but my brain is automatically tuning out EVERYTHING that Ditka says. I've had to rewind the game at least 5 or 6 times to catch what Ditka was saying. It's God's way of telling me that this man is not worth my time.

Golic... Why is he even in the booth? Other than the commercial bump (ordered by the truck) he is saying nothing.

Ditka: Watch this! Watch this!

I AM WATCHING YOU MORON!

Golic will say "again" at least ten more times during this game.

"Raiders down big in their own building".

Err...the game is being played outdoors, Greeny, not in a building.

Is the only reason these three are together is because ESPN thought it would be cute having a Mike and Mike and Mike broadcast to promote M&M? They could have taken half a dozen copentent college football announcers/annaylst and would have worked much better.

I know ESPN needs to pay for this monstrosity, but couldn't we just skip the commercial-kick off-commercial in the fourth quarter when it it is nearly 1:00 am on the East Coast?

"Watch this!" was pioneered by an original goof in the booth: Paul Maguire.

Could this be the WORST announcing performance EVER?

"You've got to go back to START ONE." What the hell Ditka?

Great production idea. Let's pan the crowd right after the Broncos Defense celebrates a 4th down stop. I saw at least four f-bombs and at least three birds.

Well, on the bright side, we had one entertaining football game tonight.

I feel really bad for the Raiders fans whenever the cameras show them. Some of these fans put A LOT MORE EFFORT into this game than their starting players did.

I wonder who that drag queen was behind Al Davis in the luxury box.

Ok, Golic has downshifted from "again" to multiple "you knows."

Another "in his own building" remark by Greenberg. Sheesh.

What the hell is Ditka talking about with this pathetic broken record of "you never see it coming" when it comes to blow outs?

Lammy...it's tough for them to top last year because Ditka's spent half of the game not talking into the microphone.

I will be shocked if ESPN tries the double header again. They have had two non-compelling games in a row and a joke for an announcing crew.

Prediction: The top story of every "Week X Recap" on ESPN this season will be "Tom Brady Still Out For Season."

I like Ditka, but he's out of his element here. Why the hell did espn put this both together after is stunk last year? my only explanation would be people would tune in to see this train wreck instead of watching the game.

I guess you can put me in that category.

That'll do it for me permanently for the night. It was the first time that I contributed regularlly to a live blog and I must say I enjoyed it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a throat that needs clearing...

Make sure to get that food out of your teeth too. Thanks for helping out J.

"I will be shocked if ESPN tries the double header again."

ESPN has no other choice because no one wants to play a Monday Night game Week 17 with the playoffs starting that same weekend.

"a good looking tight end"
Greeny

Mike Greenberg has a vagina.

Endearing moment of vintage Ditka Epic Fail footage. This broadcast crew's approval rating might have just surpassed Congress. It's a miracle.

I thought I was done, and they dragged me right back in. The 1950's Ditka footage and commentary is just awful. And Greenie's list of accolades just shows that Ditka peaked in the mid 80's.

the NFL just needs to take stand and refund ESPN a game check. Wow.

Ditka is drunk. there is no other explaination for his excitement when the raiders scored that last td.

Ditka hadn't had an eruption like that since he stopped taking Levitra.

Raider Nation erupts!

What Ditka said before that was incomprehensible.

Golic only had four "agains" inside ten minutes in the fourth. What a disappointment.

He did use "again" and "gang" in the same sentence near the end of the broadcast.

My brain hurts.

Goodnight.

They should have added emmitt smith as sideline reporter. that's the only thing that could have made this broadcast worse.

Ditka would never have a Super Bowl ring as a head coach if Buddy Ryan was not the Defensive Coordinator. The guy is a HOF player and totally overrated as a coach.

scoreboard wrong...41-14

41-14. That's all we Broncos fans care about right now. Yes, other than a few good lines from Golic, there are numerous other people who could do a better job on-air than Mike Greenberg. Why can't Brad Nessler do NFL occassionally, or Jim Durham. Durham is so underrated by the WWL. I'm sure you agree AA.