We'll be live blogging all of the action here and at 12SD tonight. Here are your particulars....

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: PIT -3, O/U 41

We'll be live blogging all of the action here and at 12SD tonight. Drew Brees and the high flying Saints are hosting Matty Ice and the Atlanta Falcons Here are your particulars....

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: NO -11.5, O/U 55.5

We'll be live blogging all of the action here and at 12SD tonight. Yes I am a Redskins fan, so you'll probably see my fly of the chain at some point this evening. Here are your particulars....

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: PHI -9, O/U 38

We'll be live blogging all of the action here and at 12SD tonight. I'll be in and out for most of the game, but shouldn't slow down the fun. Here are your particulars....

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: NYJ -3, O/U 36

Tonight's game is supposed to set all sorts of cable ratings records, and we'll be live blogging all of the action here and at 12SD tonight. Below are the particulars, and the ratings from ESPN's largest Monday night broadcasts. Get your predictions in and I'll see you at 8:30 for the game!

Eagles-Cowboys (9/15/08): 18,608,000
Patriots-Ravens (12/03/07): 17,522,000
Giants-Cowboys (10/23/06): 16,028,000
Panthers-Cowboys (09/28/09): 15,705,000
Falcons-Saints (09/25/06): 14,999,000

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: MINNESOTA -5, O/U 46

And thanks to Bodog, we even have some awesome prop bets for the game as well....

- How many times will Brett Favre’s wife Deanna be shown on TV during the Broadcast of Monday Night Football Week 4 of the 2009 NFL Regular Season? (Over/Under: 1.5)
- Brett Favre – Total Passing Yards Week 4 vs. the Green Bay Packers (Over/Under: 205.5)
- Brett Favre – Total TD Passes Week 4 vs. the Green Bay Packers (Over 1.5: +110/Under 1.5: -150)
- Brett Favre – Total Interceptions Yards Week 4 vs. the Green Bay Packers (Over/Under: 1)

We'll be doing some more live blogging tonight over at 12StepDrop. It's Peyton vs. the Widcat O tonight, and while it's not the most exciting game ever, there is certainly some fantasy implication. We'll get going right around 8:30pm, but in the meantime....let's get those predictions!!!

Indianapolis at Miami (ESPN, 8:30pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
Line: IND -3, O/U 41

We'll be doing some more live blogging tonight over at 12StepDrop. Brady's back and Jon Gruden makes his official debut on Monday Night Football. Not only that, but we have a second game as well! I'm sure there are a lot of fantasy games hanging in the balance, so bring your "A" material! We'll get going right around 7pm, but in the meantime....let's get those predictions!!!

Buffalo at New England (ESPN, 7pm)- Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden
San Diego at Oakland (ESPN, 10:15pm)- Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic, Steve Young

Lines: NE -13, O/U 47.5 - SD -10, O/U 42.5

One of the more fun things about the MNF booth over the past few years, was the love/hate relationship between Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser. Whether you thought Tony was good or not was irrelevant, because he knew how to get under Jaws' skin, and every time he did so, it was pretty funny. Well now Jon Gruden is in the booth, and after a pretty good debut last night, the Coach didn't hold anything back after Jaws said he didn't like the Vick signing by the Eagles. Here's the clip....

I obviously agree with Gruden, and while I was skeptical of his hiring at first, it seems like this trio really could work out. The producers of MNF always wanted three different perspectives in the booth, with Tirico providing the images, Jaws providing the stats and analysis and Kornheiser providing the angles. And while those three perspectives didn't gel, replacing the writer's slant with a coach's slant, looks like a winner. Especially when you have a story like the Vick signing that will bring up many different emotions and opinions.

Jaws Jumps The Shark on the Vick Idea, ESPN Video (NESW Sports)

I said this last year, and I'll say it again. The Monday Night Football broadcast last season wasn't all that bad. Sure it had its moments, and Tony Kornheiser still didn't belong in the booth, but it wasn't the worst combination of announcers in the NFL. With that said, Tony Kornheiser is continuing his quest to make you think that he did belong today, and now he's using comparisons to other NFL analysts to prove his point. Via TSB....

"And this was great to hear, because I think most of the criticism is from people who don’t play themselves but who insist that football be mystified. Everything else has to be demystified in life, except football. These dopes want it mystified, and they want nothing but third-level and fourth-level Xs and OS. Which, if anybody has ever been around a football game--you don’t have to have played it--you know right away that it’s impossible to know. Because there are 22 moving parts. Nobody knows exactly what’s going on until they indeed look at the film. So to find out that people liked my work was very, very good for me."

"Last year, that was a really good football broadcast," he said. "It was really good. Jaworski and I have obvious rapport, that’s just obvious to anybody who paid attention to the show. And I really REALLY liked the show last year, and thought it was as good as ANY football game being broadcast, and believe me, I watched them all. I had to suffer through Brian Baldinger just like everybody else did."

While I'd like to disagree with him, he's actually close to being right this time. I wouldn't call it a "really good football broadcast", but it certainly wasn't the worst. The trio improved immensely from year two to three, and while I still think Tony wasn't the man for the job, he did the best with his abilities. And yes, I think we can all agree Brian Balldinger is god awful.

Kornheiser Feels the Love After Leaving MNF (The Sporting Blog)

I always find the transition to broadcasting for ex-players and coaches to be a fascinating, yet usually a dreadful, endeavor. Most think they can step right in and contribute right away, but much like a rookie year in the league, they learn they are sadly mistaken. Those who can contribute right away, are the players that don't hold out and get to camp as soon as possible (see: Sanchez, Mark).

This seems to be the case for Jon Gruden, who is not only getting to know his boothmates already, but even got a crash course in production at the NBA Finals of all places. Via the Orlando Sentinel....

"We wanted him to see the nerve center and get a really good idea of how a producer and director and crew really work," ESPN Producer Jay Rothman said of Gruden, who will replace Tony Kornheiser in the MNF lineup. "Basketball, obviously, is a different animal because of the continuous action, but seeing the inner-workings of the production — with the communication back-and-forth between the truck — is part of the crash course we're trying to give him heading to the fall."

Tirico put it this way: "I can say, without equivocation, that Jon's approach to learning how we do things is the most intense I've ever seen from a newbie in broadcasting."

Rothman seconded that notion. In one of their initial meetings, Gruden pulled his producer aside.

"He told me, if he was going to do this, he wanted to be great and told me not to hesitate to hold back — 'Rip me to shreds,' he said — if I needed to," Rothman recalled. "Who wouldn't want to work with someone like that?"

Next week, "Jaws" will be in Tampa to hole up with Gruden at his St. Pete Times Forum office and watch tape — "Cut-Up Heaven" for both men, no doubt — in preparation for a series of mock broadcasts at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., in July.

Now that's what I'm talking about. Everyone is fully aware of Gruden's tendency to stay up all night as a Coach, and it's refreshing to see him taking the same approach to broadcasting. Maybe the guy won't just be hanging around for a year or two, after all.

Chucky training for new job (Orlando Sentinel)

What in the world just happened? Tony Kornheiser has been replaced in the Monday Night Football booth by former NFL Coach John Gruden. Seriously. I'm not kidding. The cause appears to be the schedule, and the fact that Tony is afraid of flying, but either way the PTIer has decided to call it quits....

Former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden is joining ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The dynamic, outspoken and often fiery Gruden will join commentators Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski in the booth when sports television’s signature series kicks off its 40th season this fall. Gruden will also contribute analysis throughout the year on ESPN Radio and other platforms, in addition to being a part of ESPN’s 2010 Pro Bowl telecast and Super Bowl and NFL Draft coverage.

Gruden replaces Tony Kornheiser, who has decided to step down after three years in the Monday Night Football booth.

“I would like to thank Tony Kornheiser for his many contributions to Monday Night Football the past three years,” said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. “He has been a big reason for the show’s success on ESPN. Pardon the Interruption is one of ESPN’s most important franchises and fans will continue to see Tony on the show and involved in other future ESPN projects for many years to come.”

Kornheiser added: “I am totally grateful for the MNF opportunity that I truly enjoyed the last three seasons. I feel we got better each year. My fear of planes is legendary and sadly true. When I looked at the upcoming schedule it was the perfect storm that would've frequently moved me from the bus to the air. I kept looking at the schedule the past month and wanted to find a way to quietly extricate myself. If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden. He is the two things you most want -- smart and funny -- and has the two things I don't -- good hair and a tan. I love PTI and am looking forward to continuing to yammer and yodel with Wilbon until the end of time.”

Man, now that is a complete and utter shocker right there. I obviously think that Kornheiser wasn't the right person for the job, but like he said, each year he got better. Some moments were still unbearable last season, but the three were finally starting to get it right. As far as Gruden goes, I enjoyed him on the NFL Network, and it's definitely a good hire, but I question his dedication. It's no secret that he wants to go back to coaching, and this could quickly become a one or two year fill-in.

Why they wouldn't go with someone proven like Matt Millen is beyond me, but good luck to them. Maybe this is finally the combination they've been looking for.

(Via ESPN PR)

The past few years, we've been blessed with two opening night Monday Games by ESPN, and this year will be no different. Not only are they giving us two great games this year, but in the first game, they've set themselves up with quite possibly two of the most polarizing characters in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills, and newly acquired Terrell Owens will be heading to New England, to take on the Patriots, in Tom Brady's first game back from the knee injury that sidelined him all of last season.

Via ESPN....

Monday Night Football will kick off its 40th season with two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady expected to make his highly-anticipated return to the field when the New England Patriots host wide receiver Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills in the first game of a nationally televised ESPN doubleheader on Monday, September 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, followed by the San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders in a matchup of AFC West rivals at 10:15 p.m.

The Patriots finished with an 11-5 record in 2008 despite losing Brady to a season-ending knee injury in their opening game. In 2007, Brady was named the NFL MVP after leading the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 regular season record and a Super Bowl appearance. The AFC East rival Bills will make their season debut with a revamped offense featuring Owens, the dynamic All Pro wide receiver who signed as a free agent earlier this month. ESPN’s MNF commentator team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser will call the game.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson will lead the Chargers against the Raiders in Oakland in the second game. San Diego won the AFC West a year ago and advanced to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. The Chargers and Raiders also played in ESPN’s inaugural season-opening MNF doubleheader in 2006. The ESPN commentators who will call the game will be announced later this offseason.

The Bills-Patriots is obviously a good matchup, but the Raiders? I know it's tough to find a West Coast game during the first week of the season, but there has to be something better than that one. Either way, it should be a good opening Monday Night, and this release also signifies a few other things. First, that the Cowboys "New Stadium Game" will end up as the first game of the Sunday Night season on NBC (Titans-Steelers are rumored to be the Thursday Night Opener), and second, that Mike, Mike and Mike, won't be calling the second game.

Update: Here is your full Kickoff Weekend schedule, plus the Thanksgiving Day action, via the NFL....

Thursday, September 24th- Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers (NBC, 8:30pm)
Sunday, September 25th- Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (NBC, 8:30pm)
Monday, September 26th- Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (ESPN, 7pm)/San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (ESPN, 10:30pm)
Thursday, November 26th (Thanksgiving Day)- Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (FOX, 12:30pm)/Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys (CBS, 4:15pm)/New York Giants at Denver Broncos (NFL-N, 8:20pm)

It should never be surprising if a woman beats a man at anything, but it should be even less surprising if that woman is challenging, Jeff Van Gundy. The ESPN analyst decided to challenge the Spurs' training facility known as the hill, and more specifically sideline reporter Nancy Lieberman, and was destroyed on the uphill climb. Of course ESPN decided to highlight it during the Lakers-Spurs game last night....

I'm with Mark Jackson on this one. The fake punch at the end, to display a fake sense of disgust, was just too obvious in that clip. The most surprising thing about that whole video is that we learned Jeff Van Gundy has a "trainer". Really? I think you should have probably fired him months before that clip.

I figured since most of you wouldn't be staying up until almost midnight, checking out Dickie V's trip to the NBA, that I would pull some of the more entertaining clips for you. Here is your Heat-Nugs/Dickie V game in just 5 minutes and 30 seconds!

While I thought the swap was cheesy on the surface, both teams did a pretty solid job. The simple fact that the crews had to prepare more than they normally would showed, and Dick Vitale actually had something to talk about other than Duke and UNC (I kid....well, not really). I still don't see what the point of a College announcer heading to the Pros would be, but the NBA guys could gain some knowledge by doing both contests. Just look at the job Dan Shulman is doing calling both. Plus, neither Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy had ever been to Cameron Indoor! How is that even possible, as much as they've been around the Sport?

All in all, it was a fun thing to do for a night, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. For Dickie V to call an a game in the league he first broke into broadcasting, before he retires, isn't a bad thing at all. And that retirement could be coming sooner than we all think.

After the third year of Monday Night Football on ESPN, the trio of Tirico, Jaworski and Kornheiser have definitely improved in the booth, but there are still some things that bother both myself and the masses. Kornheiser doesn't seem to annoy everyone as much as in years past, and is starting to settle into his role, but some of his tangents and on-air "articles" remain over-the-top. The constant Brett Favre talk through the first five games or so was unnecessary, and it took a chastising from Tirico to finally make him stop.

Other than that, the only other thing the trio suffered from was a set of terrible games. But even with some stinkers, Monday Night Football was the most watched program on cable this past year. Via ESPN PR....

ESPN’s third season of Monday Night Football was the most-watched series on cable television in 2008, set an all-time cable viewership record for the third straight year and drew the year’s three biggest cable household audiences and 13 of the top 15. In three seasons on ESPN, Monday Night Football has registered seven of the top 10 all-time biggest household audiences in cable history, led by the Eagles-Cowboys telecast on September 15, which attracted cable’s largest household audience ever (an average of 12,953,000 million homes).

ESPN’s 17 Monday Night Football telecasts in 2008 averaged a 8.9 rating, representing an average of 8,679,000 households (11,962,000 viewers – P2+), increases of 3%, 5% and 7%, respectively, vs. 2007 (8.6; 8,277,000 and 11,230,000). MNF ended on a particularly strong note with last night’s Chicago Bears’ 20-17 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers delivering a 9.8 rating, representing an average of 9,582,000 households (13,803,000 viewers – P2+). The game ranks as the third-largest household audience on cable this year.

The numbers don't lie, and for those of you expecting or wanting a change, aren't going to be getting it anytime soon. I know we poke fun at the trio each Monday night, but they're slowly getting better each season and each broadcast. If it ain't entirely broken, I'm sure ESPN feels no need to fix it. And they honestly shouldn't mess with what's working (for the most part) at this point.

That's not to say that there weren't some funny moments and quotes throughout the year, so what I've done is come up with a top ten set of quotes, and a compilation video of clips I've saved throughout the year. We've got Tony apologizing for a comment on Hispanic Heritage Day, Emmitt being Emmitt (Plaxico Berries, Rites of Patches and more) and Kat Deluna butchering the National Anthem. So buckle up and enjoy your 2008 Monday Night Football Season in just eight short minutes!



10. "Hi Brett, Hi Diana."- Mike Tirico during the Week One Packers-Vikings matchup

9. "This is not a Buccaneer team that's built to come from behind." - Jaws
"But they have, on the road. 3 times." - Mike Tirico

8. "Does that mean that, Delhomme, he went to Jarrett?" - Tony Kornheiser

7. "Great play calling, I can't tell you anything else. Very hard."- Mike Ditka

6. "The good thing about being short is that everyone else is tall...."- Emmitt Smith

5. "They were dooing for Deuce McAllister."- Mike Tirico
"Dooing?"- Tony Kornheiser
"Deucing."- Mike Tirico

4. "We put the focus on Favre because people like me are in love with him."- Tony Kornheiser

3. "That's exactly the kind of pass Favre would have thrown. Does it remind you of him at all?"- Tony Kornheiser
"Yes, but you've got to let it go, Tony."- Ron Jaworski
"I'm going to put a Favre moratorium on the Second Half. You only get five mentions!"- Mike Tirico

2. "I took high school Spanish, either he said he's not going to be caught, or please pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow." - Tony Kornheiser
"I said something before which I shouldn't have said, I apologize for it. Not my first mistake, undoubtedly won't be my last, but a 100% apology."- Tony Kornheiser

1. "This kid has obviously not earned his rites of patches in the locker room."- Emmitt Smith
____________________

Thanks again to all of you who took the time to join in on the live-blogs each Monday Night, and sorry for bailing near the end of the season (there was good reason, but I don't want to bore you with the details).

I have a little year in review piece going up for Monday Night Football later in the day, but MDS of Fanhouse got the chance to sit down with Mike Tirico before last night's game to talk about the crew's third year in the booth. Tirico answers questions about his preparation, and Jaws' Xs and Os, but more importantly....does Tony Kornheiser mention Brett Favre too many times?

Great interview, but that camera sure is close. I kid, I kid. I also think that's as good of a booth breakdown as you're ever going to get. I'm not saying whether the three succeed in their preparation, but you can definitely tell that's the direction they're going on gameday.

ESPN's Mike Tirico Discusses His Preparation and Working With Jaws and Tony (Fanhouse)

I have no idea why they're doing this, but ESPN is going to flip-flop announcing crews for their pair of January 7th Basketball games. The team of Mike Tirico, Mark Jackson and Jeff Gundy will be moved to the Duke-Davidson game at 7pm and then Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale will be on the Nuggets Heat game at 9pm. Via USA Today....

NBA announcers Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Mike Tirico will call Duke-Davidson, followed by Dick Vitale — who called ESPN NBA games in the early 1980s — and Dan Shulman on a Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat NBA game. ESPN executive Norby Williamson says it's "a natural progression to make connections between college and the NBA. We try to cultivate basketball fans." So, can we expect more on-air swaps? "We never say no to anything," he says.

I guess in theory it's a good idea, but it just seems a bit hokey to me. NBA announcers could benefit from hanging around the College game a bit, and checking out potential draft picks, but I really don't see what the point of Vitale calling an NBA game.

ESPN Announcers Will Trade Places (USA Today)

Earlier in the night, Steve Young took on ESPN by calling the network "dumb", but it was his professionalism when battling thrown cups that really impressed me. Here is Young avoiding a plastic cup thrown at him during the postgame and not missing a beat during his analysis....

I'm not condoning the act in the least, but if you're going to be the douchebag that throws an object at someone, at least hit them with it. Although, skipping it across the camera might actually be more impressive. Here is the rest of your Monday Nighter in quotes via FARN....

"He took the Frankfurt Galaxy to the World Bowl, which I suppose made him All-World." - Tony Kornheiser on Jake Delhomme

"You think Tampa Bay remembers they lost by 24 points in the first game?" - Tony Kornheiser forgetting that it was Carolina that lost by 24 to Tampa Bay

"That was my homework assignment for the week." - Mike Tirico on learning Spanish.

"He's rumbling, bumbling, stumbling down the field." - Jaws channeling his inner Berman

"That's how you stroke it up in there as a linebacker." - Jaws

"That gets you a graduate degree at the Troy Polamalu School of Making Interceptions." - Tony Kornheiser

"Those markers are the real ones." - Mike Tirico on the sideline markers.

"This is not a Buccaneer team that's built to come from behind." - Jaws
"But they have, on the road. 3 times." - Mike Tirico

"You have to score once to score twice, but you have to score twice." - Tony Kornheiser

"Does that mean that, Delhomme, he went to Jarrett?" - Tony Kornheiser

Ugh.

Great pull by those involved in Monday Night Football to get Drew Rosenhaus for an in-booth halftime interview, but they might have wanted to get a pre-interview in before asking him about his client Plaxico Burress on live television.

The questions were great, and I understand that there are a few things that Rosenhaus can't talk about, but good lord that was pointless. Those are six minutes I won't be getting back. I also going to have some trouble erasing the memory of that "Andrew Dice Clay"-like leather jacket that Rosenhaus was sporting. Did "Member's Only" have a Black Friday sale that I wasn't made aware of?

Who: Packers at Saints
Where: The Superdome
Spreads: Packers -1.5, O/U 52
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser

Monday Night Countdown Segments:

ESPN the Magazine's "For Love or The Game:" Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian

Saints running back Reggie Bush and his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, reality TV star - will be the subject of Monday's "For Love or The Game," a Countdown segment that pairs a player or coach with a family member or girlfriend and a teammate to find out which person knows more about him. Kardashian, who stars on the E! reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, will battle Bush's teammate Bobby McCray to see who really knows Bush better.

“Soundtracks:” Charles Woodson

In his 11th year in the NFL, Charles Woodson remains one of the league's top cornerbacks - tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with five. Woodson is wired for in-game sound in this week's edition of "Soundtracks."

EA Sports Virtual Playbook: Packers Quarterback Aaron Rogers

In EA Sports Virtual Playbook, Jackson breaks down how Aaron Rodgers' quick slants could create problems for the Saints defense.

AA's Prediction:

Due to not being able to move a weekly engagement away from Monday nights, I'll probably be going with open threads the rest of the season unless something changes. I'll be recording and checking in later tonight with vids though, so if you have anything to share, feel free to do so in the comments.

Saints 31 - Packers 24