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The History of Monday Night Football with Ron Jaworski and Melissa Stark · NFL explained.

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  Speaker 1: Dot up work dot com takes the little lest favor
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  Speaker 1: to the left. The packers planning the gol long. That's
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  Speaker 1: Wilson scrambles to keep it along the game's final play.
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  Speaker 1: It's a littleton lock to the ends of which is
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  Speaker 1: Tys sit Titius. Who has who they to the fail?
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  Speaker 1: Mary Yes, Packers and Seahawks. It wasn't just a great game,
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  Speaker 1: it was a great Monday night game. And we'll have
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  Speaker 1: more on that one and just a bit welcome. The
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  Speaker 1: NFL explained it is the podcast where your love of
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  Speaker 1: football meets curiosity. I'm like, yeah, she's a d D king, Kaballa, Hi,
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  Speaker 1: everyone a d D Monday Night the focus. I hear
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: that football anthem, Are you ready for some football? That
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  Speaker 1: is the first thing that I think of that kind
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  Speaker 1: of reverberates inside of my skull when it comes to
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Monday Night football. What stands out for you? I'm gonna
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: hung up on this. You you're not going to sing that,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: You're just going to say it. Add this podcast. It's
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: early on. We haven't grown an audience to the point
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: where they hear me sing and then they will come back.
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  Speaker 1: So I think this is a good thing that you
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  Speaker 1: don't hear me saying, if you want to frame it
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  Speaker 1: that way. But ultimately, ultimately, Mike, everything is bigger when
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  Speaker 1: it happens on Monday Night. Look, think about Brett Farve
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  Speaker 1: playing after his father passed away. The legend of Brett Farve.
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  Speaker 1: It was what it was. But now you don't tell
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  Speaker 1: the story of the legend of Brett Farve without mentioning
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  Speaker 1: in that game, the fail Mary with Aaron Rodgers that
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  Speaker 1: ended a labor strife between the NFL and the Referees Association.
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  Speaker 1: If there's that lousy call on a Sunday afternoon, I
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  Speaker 1: don't know that that labor strife ends. And then I
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  Speaker 1: think about one of the greatest Monday night games that
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  Speaker 1: I was ever at myself last year, Ravens Brown's in Cleveland,
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  Speaker 1: when Lamar Jackson goes to the bathroom, or doesn't go
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  Speaker 1: to the bathroom, whatever it was. It turned into the
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  Speaker 1: biggest story in all of America. And again one o'clock
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  Speaker 1: Sunday afternoon. Don't think that any of those stories are
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: quite as big, Mike. No, you're right, there's so much
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  Speaker 1: juice the night energy. In fact, it's funny because you
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  Speaker 1: just highlighted the fail Mary game, and I know we
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: heard the highlight at the top of the show. Packers
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  Speaker 1: Seahawks twelve. One of the best parts about doing this
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: podcast is you get a text and you get to
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: hear from people that are listening to the show. And
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: one of my buddies actually has been listening since we
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: started this show, and he's Evan Moore and he actually
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: played for the Seahawks, and I told him, I said, hey, man, look,
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: we're actually doing a Monday night football episode, and I
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: wanted to get his take on the juice and what
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  Speaker 1: it's like on a Monday night and the energy. And
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  Speaker 1: he said, you know, I played in that Fail Mary game.
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  Speaker 1: And he's like, one of the things that people don't
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  Speaker 1: realize is back in the day of the NFL, at
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  Speaker 1: that point in when time expired and you you had
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  Speaker 1: the game winning touchdown, you actually had to go back
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  Speaker 1: onto the field to kick the p a T. Evan
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  Speaker 1: told me that they were in the locker room, Marshawn
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  Speaker 1: had just topped out of the shower, had a towel on,
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  Speaker 1: and someone said, hey, we gotta go and kick the
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  Speaker 1: p a T. Marshawn dead sprint into the tunnel, was
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  Speaker 1: ready to go out onto the football field a d
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  Speaker 1: D and be a part of it in a towel.
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  Speaker 1: So that would have been a major issue. And Evan
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  Speaker 1: and his team and said no, no no, no, no, Marshawn
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  Speaker 1: you gotta stay back in the locker room with that towel.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I'm having a feeling that that probably would
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: have been in violation of the NFL's uniform codes, because
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: you know that those things are really pretty strict. There's
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: an inspector every game checking everybody's shoes and socks and
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: cleats and all of that. No concern about where those
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: socks we're laying on on on those calves. Um. But
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  Speaker 1: I think the biggest question, at least for this episode
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: of d D is is why Monday night? Why do
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: we actually have football games on a Monday night. Well,
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: it's interesting, right because now here we are, we played
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: football on Thursday night, we played football on Sunday night. Heck,
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  Speaker 1: I was at a game on a Wednesday afternoon last year.
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  Speaker 1: This all really started, though, with Monday nights, and it
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  Speaker 1: is the brain child or was the brain child of
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  Speaker 1: the NFL Commissioner Pete Rosel. Pete Rosell obviously was around
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: at a time when television was exploding and Mike he
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  Speaker 1: started imagining the entire country sitting around their TVs watching
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  Speaker 1: one game together as a somewhat communal experience in the
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  Speaker 1: age before Twitter. Obviously, so he toyed with it. In
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  Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties, there was, you know, a game in
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  Speaker 1: prime time every so often, and Pete Roselle thought about
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  Speaker 1: potentially playing on a Friday night. But Friday didn't work, Mike,
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  Speaker 1: because that was high school football night, and obviously you
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  Speaker 1: can't mess around with high school football. And so it
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  Speaker 1: was in nineteen sixty four that he actually said, okay,
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  Speaker 1: let's try a Monday Night. There was a game between
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  Speaker 1: the Packers and the Lions at Detroitz Tiger Stadium. The
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  Speaker 1: game was actually not on TV, but it was a sellout.
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  Speaker 1: It was a grand affair. It was tremendous, and by
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: the verger of the NFL and a f L in
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  Speaker 1: nineteen seventy, the NFL and Pete Roselle had figured out, Okay,
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  Speaker 1: we're going to have one night game a week. It's
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  Speaker 1: going to be on Monday Night. It's going to be
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  Speaker 1: shown on only one network. And it turned into this
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  Speaker 1: tremendous this brand, this tremendous property. As you said, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: there's a song, there are songs that go just with
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  Speaker 1: Monday night football. The one fascinating wrinkle to all of
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: this we've got Netflix now, right, We got Amazon problem.
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  Speaker 1: We got all of these different ways in terms of
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: streaming platforms to go and get your television and your entertainment.
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  Speaker 1: But back then in the sixties, CBS, NBC, ABC, three
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: major networks. You're sitting there watching Ed Sullivan, Dar's Day,
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: you know, and and game shows things like that. That's
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  Speaker 1: what grabbed the attention of a lot of families. And
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  Speaker 1: it took this creative thinking you mentioned Roselle, you know,
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  Speaker 1: to create sort of this Monday night package a lot
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  Speaker 1: of those TV networks, though they weren't really having it
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: at the time, and it was really just we net
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: out at ABC saying okay, we'll take a flyer and
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: try to make this happen. And you also think about
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: just how big you mentioned the songs. Look, Ron Jaworski,
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: who was a part of that broadcast. Croom, Let's Stark
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: also part of that broadcast through They're gonna be joining
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: us a little bit later in this podcast to tell
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: us about their individual experiences around Monday night and why
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  Speaker 1: the game is so special on that particular evening. But
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: look the first regular season game. Cleveland Brown's art model
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  Speaker 1: and advertising executive. He's the type of guy that wanted
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  Speaker 1: to host that first game, saw the juice in the
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  Speaker 1: buzz that's there. But indeed you say to yourself, well,
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  Speaker 1: who's that opponent going to be? It's all about the Jets,
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  Speaker 1: right Broadway, Joe coming off of that Super Bowl went.
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  Speaker 1: It just made sense sort of funnel in that direction. Brown's,
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: by the way, just in case anyone was actually wondering,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: they defeated the Jets in that particular matchup. How about
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: this for a weird box score, a d D. The
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Brown scored a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, returned to
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: kick off for a touchdown. And how to pick six.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: I think if you're working that post game locker room
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: when it's over, I don't even know which direction you
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: want to actually lean in. Maybe avoid Joe Namath who
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: threw three interceptions in that particular game. But how about
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  Speaker 1: just like the differences in the broadcast itself, and you
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  Speaker 1: we almost take for granted Y d D when we
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  Speaker 1: watch Monday nights now and we have kind of grown
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  Speaker 1: up even as football fans. You almost take for granted
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  Speaker 1: the three and announcing booth right and the fact that
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  Speaker 1: you have that access. Well, it was Keith Jackson the
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  Speaker 1: legendary boy. I was kind of just I wish I
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: could do a great Keith Jackson invitation. I can't. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: Don Meredith comes to mind Howard Cosell in these iconic
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  Speaker 1: moments that that crew was able to give us but
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  Speaker 1: twice as many cameras a d D for that Monday
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  Speaker 1: Night game then we normally would have for any of
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  Speaker 1: the ones that were played on Sunday, which is credit
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  Speaker 1: to ABC that they recognized this is something that we
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: could produce in a different way. But you know, you
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  Speaker 1: mentioned Howard Cosell. That's probably one of the most iconic
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  Speaker 1: moments on Monday Night. He was the one that announced
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: and formed the American public during a live Monday night
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: football broadcast that John Lennon had been killed. I gotta
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: go back, and you're right, those seminal moments because you
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  Speaker 1: also saw Monday Night a d D. This convergence of
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  Speaker 1: not only the sport of football, which is entertaining, but
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  Speaker 1: sort of this Hollywood vibe, right because you would get
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  Speaker 1: appearances from movie stars and musicians, instant replay. You know,
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  Speaker 1: the first time you're seeing access on the field with
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  Speaker 1: sideline reporters doing interviews with players and coaches. I mean,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: that was sort of a new wrinkle into a lot
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: of the coverage that we were able to get over time.
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: It's amazing because Melissa's stark you mentioned earlier. She's a
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: very good friend of mine, and we've actually talked about
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: this at the intersection of culture that those football games,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: those Monday night games sort of transcend the regular football slate,
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: and even the casual fan is watching Monday Night Football
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: perhaps more closely than any other game. And I bet
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: she's got some good stories about that. Yeah, and no
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: she will, because you're right, that cross section of entertainment
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: and sport. I think that's why Monday Night Football has
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: thrived the way that it has. I mean, you mentioned
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: John Lennon and the fact that that news breaks and
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: co sells the one that delivers that to an audience.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: You know, you fast forward a few more years after that.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know if anyone you would have
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: told Pete Roselle when they were doing that deal in
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the sixties. Hey comes around seventeen seasons. It's the longest
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: primetime series in the history of network television. That's Monday
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Night Football, which, oh, by the way, just continues to
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: happen because we still have Monday Night Football. Do you
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: have a favorite Monday Night football voice? John Madden, Dennis Miller,
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: John Gruden. So to me, Miller is the one that
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: stands out because of how different that experiences. But my
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: childhood football soundtrack is John Madden. So it's hard for
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: me to not think about big games. I mean even
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: now right like people will like I hear Aikman in book, like,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: to me, that game sounds bigger because of that crow
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: as an example. But there are certain voices that resonate
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: more with me, and I don't know if it's because
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: I watched them and it's a generational type thing. It's
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: hard to argue with that. And I think it was
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: also the idea that John Madden was just this larger
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: than life figure that he wouldn't get on planes, that
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: he you know, just all of it. And again that
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: still goes back to this idea of Monday night football
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: being so big, and you think about the forethought of
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: a Pete Rosel to be able to see that the
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: insight of an art model to raise his hand and
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: say I want to be a part of that, and
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: that this many years later, that Monday Night football is
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: still It's obviously moved on to ESPN, and there are
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: two other nights a week that you do have this
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: individual primetime game, but there's still something about Monday Night.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: When you ask players, they tell you that they know
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Monday Night the entire league is watching them play. I mean,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: I've had this conversation repeatedly. A lot of guys say
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: that Sunday Night football, Well, you might be traveling from
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: an away game, or you might be having to spend
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: time with your wife for you know whatever. That. Yeah, sure,
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: you try to watch a Sunday night game, and you
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: try to watch a Thursday night game, but it's not
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: the same as Monday night when you are definitely tuned
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: in and you know everybody else has tuned in. Yeah,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: it's just all eyeballs on that particular product you mentioned.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: And I talked about this a little bit earlier with
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: network television. You touched on it now moving to cable television,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: but now it's you know, a couple of years in
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: a row, the most watched series on cable the last
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: four years is Monday Night Football a d D. You
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: and I both know we're passionate football fans. There's a
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: reason for that. The eyeballs, that juice, the energy whenever
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: you're talking about one of those night games, and just
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: how significant that is. Wow. Alright, Mike, just a few
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: little fun factoids about Monday night football. Do you know
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: which team has played the most on Monday Night Football? Um?
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: Off the top of my head. If I'm guests, and
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: I'll go Dallas Cowboys, America's team. Good guests, But it's
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: actually the Miami Dolphins. Can you guess what teams have
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: the most wins on Monday Night football? I can tell
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: you it's probably not the Miami Dolphins, and that would
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: be a good guess. Your forty Niners. Well, I mean
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: you live there. I know the Giants are your Giants.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: But anyway, the forty Niners and the Pittsburgh Steelers are
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: hide for the most wins on Monday Night. Here's the
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: last one. How many stadiums have made their official debut
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: on Monday Night Football? Eight? That was pretty close. Actually
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: seven is the correct answer. But a couple of weeks ago,
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: when the Raiders hosted Monday Night Football at Allegiance Stadium,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: it was sort of kind of a debut because they
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: weren't fans. A year ago. So even though this isn't
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: the first year of Allegian Stadium, it is the first
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: year of fans in Allegiance Stadium, And so that Raiders
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: Ravens game gets you kind of maybe sort of to eight. Yeah,
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: that's kind of if it's a tree falls in the
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: forest and no one's there to hear it, does the
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: treemate noise? I think it's the same. Maybe that's a
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: question for Ron Jaworski. What do you think. Yeah, that
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: that logic applies when fans are not in attendance. So
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: that's where I net out. We always talk about the
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: importance of those fans. Uh. So yes, and especially for
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: a Raiders fans. Are you're kidding me? Come on now
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: black all day? Uh? You mentioned Jaws, who really can
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: give us unique perspective on Monday Nights. In fact, the
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: first Monday night game that he ever watched, he was
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: in his dorm room. Little did he know he'd play
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: on Monday Nights and then be a part of the
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: broadcast crew. Ron Jaworski with unique perspective on the significance
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: of Monday night football that's still to come on, NFL
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  Speaker 1: more at www dot up work dot com. Narratives Sucking
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: ten w Eagles Joe Worski on sucond rape trace, He's
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: looking Hey fires look lookball complete the quick, He's Puny
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: Futty park Boy, Fonty five Party Plty five HOLI like
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  Speaker 1: quick touch fun by Las Prestok up a goal set
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  Speaker 1: up Click Fine beyond Oh Claude goals Bloker. Oh, there's
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: one thing that maybe I don't love more than anything
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: else other than hearing awesome calls and the throwback calls.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: And I'm sure Ron, some of the memories for you
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: that kind of just resonate when you hear a touchdown,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: those are the good moments. But Monday Night football that
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: is the focus of today's episode here on NFL Explain
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: and a D D You and I felt like maybe
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: the best person to talk to on this particular subject
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: is Ron because he played in some of these games
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: and then he's on a short list. It's a small
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: fraternity of people that have been able to say that
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: they've been in the broadcast booth from Monday Night Football. Ron,
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: you're one of those. Can't thank you enough for the
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: time you heard the touchdown call. Do you have any idea,
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: like I don't know. If you're a numbers guy and
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: focused in on your career, do you know your Monday
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Night record and some of your numbers surrounding those games?
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: I do not. I was never concerned about the numbers.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: I was concerned about finding a way to win, so
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: the numbers were relevant except the final score. Do you
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: want to know the numbers when we do have a
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: winning record on Monday Night and you do have more
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: touchdowns than picks on Monday Nights, Mike, I five and four,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: I believe with six touchdowns, six touchdowns, and we won't
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: mention the interceptions because in your memory, if you don't
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: remember them, then they never happened. Ron. That's the one
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: thing that that's become obvious, maybe that that's the starting point,
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: right like Monday Night Football. But d and I just
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: kind of talked about the history of the game. When
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: I say Monday night football. What's sort of the first
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: memory that comes to mind, Well, watching Monday night football.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: You know, I watched the first Monday night game between
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns in my
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: dorm room, killed call the Hall at Youngstown State University,
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: the first game. Obviously, I was playing ball all the
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: time in college, and it was just great to watch
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: more football, particularly on a Monday night. And at that time,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: you know, it grew from that to Monday Night football
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: being just a king. I'm you know, everybody watched Monday
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: night football from you know, Howard Cosal keep Jacks in
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Dandy Don, the whole fantastic early groups of Monday night football.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: You know, I stull remember a game when I was
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: playing with the l A. Rams on a Monday night
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: game that Howard Cosell had called the game and he
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: made it a kind when you're playing anyone here anything
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: obviously playing the game, but after the game, people said, well,
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: you know, Howard go Sell called you a young Joe Nameth.
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: You know that is really cool. Man called me a
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: young Joe Nameth. So you hear things from other people
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: because you know, you concern about what other people are
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: saying until the game's over. Well, you mentioned Joe Namis
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: and he actually played in that very first Monday night
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: game that you're referencing. When you heard there was going
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: to be a game in prime time on a weeknight,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: did it feel revolutionary? Did it feel like, wait a minute,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: this is complete messing up the week? A little bit? Absolutely?
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: I mean, when you think about football back then, now
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: that was nineteen seventy and I came in the NFL
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: ninety three. You know, there was ABC, NBC, CBS that
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: that was it. You know, in the prime time programming,
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: that's pretty much what you had to choose from. You know,
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: we're all in a different world right now where there's
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: so many choices that you have to watch any event.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: So it really was special Monday night football, you know
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: it was when you think, I think it was like
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: the ratings were through the roof, thirty million people every
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: Monday night watching games. So yeah, it was bigger and
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: probably better back then. We'll take us through that piece
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: of it too. When you were playing, there was no
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: Sunday night football, there was no Thursday night football. So
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: as a player putting on your uniform for Monday night
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: football in what ways, was that different than Sunday afternoon.
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: You knew everyone was going to be watching. All the
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: other games were played on Sunday. It was a Monday
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: night game. You know, if there were twenty eight teams
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: or thirty two teams, whatever the case may have been
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: back in the you know, the seventies, you knew every
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: one of your opponents was watching that game, and that
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: was your chance to show your wears. You know that, hey,
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: we're gonna show everyone around the league how good we are,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: or individually how good you are as an individual player.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: So clearly it was the focus, and not only the
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: fans across America, but the players and coaches as well.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: Ron you made reference to the fact that there was
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: only the three networks, ABC, NBC and CBS. Was there
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: something specific as a viewer or something that you were
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: told after you played in the game that was just
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: different about that broadcast compared to what they were normally getting. Yeah,
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: no question. When in fact, you know, when when the
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: schedule came out, you know you wanted to be on
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: Monday Night Football. I mean, there is absolutely no doubt
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: about a Careers were made on Monday Night Football. And
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: once you saw that schedule and you said you had
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: a Monday night game. It was one of those you
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: took the pen on circle, that one that you know,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: that's the one you want to have the big game on.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: You want to be at your best and in the
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: same vein, you don't want to have a clunker either,
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: because that's what people will remember about that game, because
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: that's people are watching all the other teams. They're watching
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: two particular teams and a particular player. So if you're
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: that particular player, you want to be sure you put
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: on a strong performance. We'll take us to when you
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: got to call those games, when you first got tapped
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: for that assignment to do the color, what went through
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: your head? Yeah, it was absolutely crazy. I'll give you
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: the exact scenario. At that time, I was the owner
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League and
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: and we were playing a game, and uh, that's when
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: I got notified that I was going to be asked
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: to do Monday Night Football. At halftime of that game,
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: and I was told Norby Williamson at the time, was
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: the coordinating producer. He was at the sole game and
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: he came late because his plane was delayed, So at halftime,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: he told me, you're going to get the deal for
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: Monday in football, but you can't tell anyone because you know,
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: Norby was very professional about as approach and Joe Thisan
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: was calling games with Korenheiser and Targo, and he said,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna meet with Joe personally and let him know that,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: you know, changes being made. So I totally reached. I
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: did the professionalism of Norby, and Joe handled very well
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: to this day. We still remained dear friends. But I
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: couldn't tell anybody. And my wife is sitting next to
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: me the game. I said, can I tell my wife?
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: And so I was able to tell him that was it.
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: So it took a couple of weeks before the word
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: actually had gotten out. Norby did it very professionally and said,
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: you know before it got out that I was gonna
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: call Monday at football. And you know, I could have
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: been more ecstatic to work with Mike di Rico, and
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: you know, it was kind of my mentor all along,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: and Tony Kornheiser, who I worked with for a couple
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: of years, and Jon Gruden. It was five remarkable years
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: of my life. And Chip Dean was a great director
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: and you know, all the people that were involved with it.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: You know, we're just we're first class and every way
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: you could have met. Jay Rothman was absolutely outstanding. And
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: the resources that ESPN then through at Monday night football,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: I mean, my god, we had more done people and
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: football teams have because they wanted to be right, and
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: we think we delivered a really good product. I was
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: very fortunately work with great people. The nerves that come
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: with that, though, I think all of us sort of
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: have that moment like you get an opportunity and it's
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: so big. This is like the sports world in this
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: country is focusing. I still remember watching you on a
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: lot of those process. I can't even imagine the chills
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: and the nerves that come with having to perform at
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: that level. Michael, you are so correct, and you know
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: I played in the NFL for septi years of players,
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: so you've kind of been through the nerves and you
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: learn how to control them and everything else. But I
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: still remember Hank Williams, you know, we are ready to
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: come on the air and I'm thinking, oh my god,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: you know, my family, I want my high school, college's
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: gonna be watching this Monday night football game and all
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: sudden Hank william starts seeing I ready push some football.
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: So you're listening to this, you're you know, you're ready
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: to go, and Tariko and Corner has there next to me,
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: and you know you're gonna get the go and Mike's
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: gonna welcome the Monday night football. But as the Hank
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: Williams song is playing, I'm like thinking, oh my god,
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: like twenty million people are when that red leg goes on,
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: are gonna see me, you know, And I'm just worried
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna go, like when Mike throws me, I go.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: It was probably one of the few times I can
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: honestly tell you I was very nervous in my life.
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: But once you got through that first minute, everything was
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: pretty smooth. Sailings, I worked with great people Roun. We
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: have met in many a press box and many of
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: the food room in fact. But you know, there was
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Sunday Night Football or Sunday Night Football was added in
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: the eighties, and of course Thursday Night Football was added
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: in two thousand six. I've been to a Wednesday game
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: last year. There was a Wednesday game and Tuesday game, right,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: so we have not played football all the time. What
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: is it about Monday night that still feels so magical
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: and it can't be diluted by all of these other
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: night games. I just think it's one game. It's one game.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: And of course was Sunday, you could have five or
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: six games being played at the same time. The late games,
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: he had a few games going on. I think the
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: fact that one game you have, you have no choice
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: either watch that game or you don't watch football. You
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: watch a baseball game, and I think most people will
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: prefer to watch football games. I would think they will.
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: I think the fact that it's one game game and
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: only you get the best production. You know, And we
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: were and I told people, if I showed you my
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: calendar during the Monday night footballs that season, we were
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: working ninety hours a week. And you know, you're around
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: a lot of the guys unit and the ladies. You
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: know how it is if you're gonna be good at
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: your craft and you're you're getting the game that everyone's
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: gonna watch. We got producers, we got directors, we got statisticians,
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: we got replay guys. Well, I mean we've got officials.
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: You've got the best of the best on your troop.
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: So that's what made it really exciting. You knew the
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: game was, you know, normally gonna be a good game
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: because people bring their best in the prime time game.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: You get the best talent covering the game. So it's
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: just great to be part of a show like that run.
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: As we're preparing for the show, I was we were
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: on an email chain and I had wrote this to
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: Adity and I said, Man, I'm really so excited to
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: talk to you, in particular because you understand that there's
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: a cultural relevance that comes with Monday night Football and
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: yet seventies eighties, I'm thirty nine, so you know, I
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: watched reruns of you know, Dar's Day Show with my
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: grandmother and ed Sell like, I understand it to a point,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: I didn't live it, though. How do you characterize the
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: cultural significance of Monday night Football? Yeah, I mean you
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: think of you know, when John Lennon got you know,
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: it was announced on Monday Night Football. There's so many
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: iconic things that happened, you know, that were relevant to
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: Monday Night Football, and very few times was you know,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: the game ever broken into her Howard Cosell breaking down
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: because he got that news, and you know, I mean
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: there's a lot of things that happened during Monday night
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: football actions. So I think there was also the interviews
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: with celebrities and superstars that came in the booth during
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: the game, So that added to it as well. And
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: it seemed like, you know, some of the stars that
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: played were either became sideline reporters or you know, even
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: guys like in the booth like myself, you know. So
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: it just added to the luster of Monday Night Football
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: and the iconic voices, the iconic personalities, the guests on
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: the show, the halftime show, pregame interviews, and the pregame
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: show spawned off of Monday Night Football. It used to
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: be a I think a half hour pregame show. Now
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: they're like, it seems like about five hours now, you know.
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: So it just it started a whole another culture. Okay,
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: I'm going to put you on the spot. That same
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: email chain that Michael is referring to. We all went
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: back and forth on our most iconic Monday Night moments, because,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: as you know, it's much bigger if it happens on
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: Monday night than if it happens at one pm on Sunday.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: So one of our producers just before you came on,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: was insisting it was Odell Beckham Jr. Making that catch
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: against Dallas. I'm arguing that it was Lamar Jackson running
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: out of the bathroom last year in Cleveland. Tell us,
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: when you think of Monday Night, what is either a
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: play that you witnessed or a play that you called
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: Monday Night moment. Yeah, I swore on Monday Night football.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: You may remember that. I didn't think I did, but
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: I think I did. Well, you're lucky we're not allowed
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: to air what you broadcast. It was slightly embarrassing, and
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: yet the time was very embarrassing because we went to
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: a break and Jay Roth, who says he gets in
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: my earnings jaws, I think you swore, and no, I didn't,
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: and I did say so that was it wasn't like
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: a band word, you know. And so now we're in
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: the break and Jay says, well, you gotta apologize, you know.
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: So when we came out of the break, the camera
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: was directly on me. There's this you know, when the
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: camera in the box, and I got Gruden and tarikco
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: next to me and they are like, they're like laughing,
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: and I got on and I gotta be very serious,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: ob I said an inappropriate word, and I said, I
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: have to apologize for an inappropriate word used during my
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: last play call. And I apologize those people I offended.
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: And at the same time, I'm being dead serious and
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: Mike and John are just like cracking up because I
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: gotta make this apology. So that was probably my most
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: embarrassing moment. But you know, hey, I made a mistake.
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: I got excited and in the course of the game,
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: and I I said, it's raw motion. You know your
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: is in the moment. How many of you I'll take
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: that another step because the next morning, my daughter, who
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: watches the games and all, that's just Howard Stern is
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: talking about you on the radio. So my daughter was
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: more impressed with that. Okay, but let's be fair. The
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: reason you said it is you were encouraging the quarterback
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: to get rid of the ball a little bit more quickly, right,
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: I mean it was reasonable advice. That is correct, And
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: actually Howard Stern said some refreshing comments, said, hey, that's
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: how Jaws does a game. He gets excited like he's playing.
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: So he backed me up, which is good. How many
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: of your old teammates or just people around the league
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: messaged you after um when it just came to your
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: apology because people know you right and and all of
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: a sudden, you're apologizing for an S bomb during the broadcast,
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: just because you're excited. I would imagine that you said
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: Toko and Company like they're kind of giggling while you're
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: having to make this apology. I would imagine your close friends,
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: your family, former teammates are sitting there laughing too. I'm
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: kind of surprised I didn't say anything worse, to be
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: honest with you. You know, I'm a football guy. You know,
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: I'm in seven years in NFL, four years of college,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: for years of high school. There's a lot of locker
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: room mach on this, you know, and words do come out,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: and I'm probably, uh, you know, maybe not always the
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: most appropriate user of the proper word. But I'm glad
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: it was only a simple negative comment. We're with you
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: there in a big way. Ron. We can't thank you
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: enough for giving us some time going down memory lane,
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: giving us some context on the significance of Monday night football,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: and even just seeing you and hearing your voice. You
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: can tell the joy that you have for not only
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: the support but the reference that you have for those
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: games and Monday Night football. So thank you so much
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: for sharing it with us. Hey, my pleasure. Good luck
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: to you guys, will be safe well. Thank you and
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: you too. We hope to see you soon. Thanks. Hi Mike.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: I have to tell you Jaws is really truly one
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: of the real gentlemen in the National Football League media world.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: And I say that from personal experience. My favorite Monday
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Night Football sideline reporter, Melissa's Stark, comes and joins us next. Now, look,
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: Melissa has covered just about everything there is to cover.
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: She was on NBC MSNBC. She's the mother of four children.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: She danced gamely at my wedding in every way possible,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: and she is really and truly one of my favorite people.
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: And I am pumped that she is coming to join us.
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: A deity. Was she on fire literally at your wedding?
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: There's a story in that, not at my wedding, but
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: there is a story to that, and I'm sure you'll
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: get it out of her. After the break, we'll talk
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: to Melissa about fires and other things. This podcast is
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: sponsored by Kindrel. Kindrel Designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: mission critical technology systems that the world depends on every day.
• 31:55
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• 31:59
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• 32:12
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• 32:16
  Speaker 1: Kendrell designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the mission critical technology
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: systems that the world depends on every day. Working side
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: by side with their customers, they imagine things differently by
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: forging new strategic partnerships, they unlock new possibilities, creating a
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: world powered by healthy digital systems, alive with opportunity, oxygen
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: to innovation, and energy to change the world. Kendrell the
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: Heart of Progress. Okay, Mike, this is like I say
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: it to my kids. It is treat time. Treat because
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: the fabulous, wonderful, brilliant Melissa's Stark is joining us. I
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: obviously talked about her a bit before the break, but
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: she hosted the Olympics for MSNBC from Beijing. She was
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: on The Today Show. She is now the most of
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: NFL Networks Emmy Award winning NFL three sixty. But for
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: a four year period two thousand to two thousand three,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: she was Monday Night Football sideline reporter, and she is
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: here to tell us all about that time period. So, Melissa,
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: when you were doing Monday Night football, there was no
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: Thursday night football. Monday Night Football was basically the biggest
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: show in town, right, It sure was. It was. Oh gosh,
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: it was so long ago. My gosh, it was twenty
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: years ago. But yes, it was literally the highest rated
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: show on television. And um, you know, I look back
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: and I kind of pinched myself because I was living
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: at the time. But now, you know, if if we
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: had social media and we had all these other things
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: in my own little small world, you know, would have
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: felt bigger. But it was huge. I mean, it was
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: the only thing under the lights, you know. Every I
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: would always talk to the athletes. I remember talking to
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: Jerry Rice and he gave the best quote. He's like,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: there was nothing like playing on Monday night under these
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: lights because we just there. There was no other night game.
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: So um, yeah, it was pretty unique and special. So
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: it seems like you at least have a sense now
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: the magnitude of the moment. But like you said, I mean,
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: you're in your mid twenties, you're doing sidelines. It's Monday
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: Night football in those moments, and it's kind of like
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: pre social media in a lot of ways. How did
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: you know it was big even in that moment. It's
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: funny you say that because and A D. D Can
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: attested this doing live shots and things like that on TV.
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: You're not thinking, oh my gosh, I'm going out to
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: twenty million viewers or I'm going out to five so
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: it's just you and a camera, right, But the night
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: felt huge. Obviously, working with legends like Al Michaels and
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: John Madden was huge. But I think the fact that
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: like Saturday Night Live did a spoof on us, it
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: was all the other things that, like my friends kind
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: of came up to me and said, wow, you know
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: you're big now, like you know they just did they
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: just did a skin on you on Saturday Live. Or
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: the fact that I was on the Madden Game. You know,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: all these younger kids knew my voice from from Madden
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: two thousand one or Madden two thousand too, whatever it
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: was at the time, So you know, you're living it
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: and I was young. I was just trying to be
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: one of the guy because there weren't that many women
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: in football at the time. And I kind of wish,
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: you know, now, with all my knowledge and my confidence
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: of being a mother and all that, like, I could
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: go back and do it. And I feel like I
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: know so much more about the world and everything, and
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: and maybe he could appreciate it. But at the time
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: it was just sort of overwhelming. And I'm here, I am,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: you know, twenty six years old in the spotlight, but
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: it was incredible. Listen, you just said something about how
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: Monday Night Football had sort of this cultural reach, these
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: cultural tentacles, well beyond just a football game. You were
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: there when there was kind of this reset and they
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: brought a comedian to the broadcast booth. Well, okay, so
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: basically it was donal Meyer, who was the legendary producer
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: who worked at NBC and kind of started Saturday Live.
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: Just a genius. He came back for a year to
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: revamp Monday Night Football, and his old deal was, let
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: me bring in five different voices, right, so he's got
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: al of course, he brings in Dan Fouls, who's you know,
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: the quarterback and and uh played by the analysts. Then
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: he thinks of bringing Dennis Miller probably from you know,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: Saturday at Live Days, and then Eric Dickerson. You bring
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: in a former player, put him down the sideline, and
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: then you know, the female voice and women viewership obviously
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: has grown through the years, but still at the time,
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: I mean, there were a lot of women who watched
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: Monday night Football just because it's more of a you know,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: a lot of women watched the Super Bowl. It's it
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: was more of like a kind of a spectacle, you know,
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: an event because it was the one night game. So
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: I was, Yes, I was very much a part of that,
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: and I was sort of thrown in there, you know,
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: at a young age. I mean, I'm so appreciative looking back,
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: I just again, I wish i'd sort of knew more
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: and all of that at the time. Did you feel
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: pressure because you just said it, Hey, not a ton
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: of females in football, and I can only imagine the
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: comments that you had to hear throughout the course of
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: your career, but certainly in a role that is as
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: high profile as that. Do you feel pressure as a
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: twenty six year old sideline reporter Monday night Football to say,
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: you know what I actually know what I'm talking about, right,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: you know, And I would try and downplay. I mean,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: obviously I was sort of representing the female voice in
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: Donald Meyer's eyes, but also, you know, not sigible about football.
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: But I kind of felt like I had to be
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: one of the guys. Like I would I wear contacts,
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: but i'd wear my glasses, I'd wear jeans for the
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: production meetings, like when I was around all the players.
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: I just sort of try and downplay my femininity. But
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: the funny thing is, and in DD knows this. Then
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: I went to go work at the Today Show and
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: then I'm with Katie Curk who's wearing like, you know,
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: the highest high heels if you've ever seen. That's all
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: about being female and embracing your femininity. So I go
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: from one extreme to the next where you sort of
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: feel like, okay, I can do this, And now it's
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: kind of come full circle where you know it's okay
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: to be a female and still be respected in football
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: and still dressed like a female, and you know all
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: of that. I mean, of course, there's a line to
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: be drawn. So it was definitely a fine line to walk,
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: and I definitely had people challenged me, and it was
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: early on, I would say more in other sports, you know,
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: Like I was covering a golf event and Jack Nicholas
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: said something, you know, sort of it was with Tiger
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: Woods and Sergio Garcia and people who are your you know,
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: this generation, you kind of get it, got the women
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: were part of things. And then Jack said something sort
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: of like, well you might be nice to look at,
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: but you're in my line, you know, something like that,
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh my gosh, um, but I digressed
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: for Monday night football. My point being it wasn't always
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: easy to be a female, you know, when you were
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: so young covering this, and now it's much more accepted
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: and commonplace. Well, Melissa, you know what you do make
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: a great transition right there. You have covered the Olympics,
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: You've been on the sideline at Super Bowls games in London.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: All of these big events tell us something about Monday
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: night football that just isn't matched anywhere else, or that
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: makes it simply unique. You know. I keep saying under
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: the lights, but like the energy at night and just
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: the fact when I did it, that it was the
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: one game at night that made it so special. Um.
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: I think working with legends and you mentioned the Olympics
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: and things like and I've worked with some incredible people,
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: but there was something about you know, John Madden and
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: riding in the Madden Cruiser, and and then just the
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: access that you have. I mean, granted we have great access,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: you know working at NFL, I working in the NFL,
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: or if you work at the ESPN or wherever, people
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: have access, but like you know, I could call any
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: college coach and anywhere. You know, hey, it's let's start
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: oneing up a boom. You know. It was just sort
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: of the name and the brand of it all was
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: just you know, above and beyond. We we can't let
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: the Madden Cruiser grow. I mean you've got on road
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: trips on the mad and Cruiser. Oh yeah, Oh, I
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: mean we went everywhere on like because because if we
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: travel with John, that was the only way to go.
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: So every production meeting we go to, every time, we
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: went out to dinner, and and then it was really
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: special because every usually the Christmas Games, they'd always give
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: us a Tampa game just because you know, it's outside
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: at night. They didn't want to totally freeze at night,
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: so we'd have one there. And my family lives near
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: the Sarasota area, and John has a house in Sarasota,
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: so my whole family would get on and we'd buy
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: the John down there. It was amazing and he's just,
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: you know, this larger than life figure but just as
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: down to earth and genuine as could be. And we're
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: just cruising along, you know, after the game. Can you
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: imagine if you had your kids then four kids riding
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: along in the Madden Cruiser. I always say that, I mean,
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: you know, now, my kids, can you know kind of
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: come down the field or do this and that, or
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: get a jersey signed, or come to a super Bowl,
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: but like to relive all of that would have been
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: absolutely amazing through their eyes. I can't even imagine. Just
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: really no, I did it like maddening cruiser. Um, Melissa,
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: is there is there a moment that stands out? I'm
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: sure there's probably a ton with you know, just kind
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: of hanging out with John and the entire crew. But
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: when I say Monday Night football is their memory that
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: does stick out maybe above the rest. Ironically, our first
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: season together, that first season with all the five people
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: and then it changed to just Al and John Madden
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: and me, But when we had everybody together. That was
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: I mean Al would even tell you our ratings were
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: through the roof, and we like to think that it
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: was because of the five of us. But we had
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: the best games. I mean, if you go back and
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: look at it, we might have had five or six
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: overtime games. We had the longest game in Monday night
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: football history. It was a viny testaverty was the Jets game.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: I mean, it just kept going and going and going.
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: We also had the Antonio Freeman catch, the you know,
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: Michael's like he did what. You know, it was pretty
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: cool just to be part of these um and you know,
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: not that I'm complaining, but a lot of times and
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: you guys have been there down on the sidelines, it's
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: not the best, you know, when you're a little raised up.
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: Like sometimes I'd be like, wait, what does that? When
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: I didn't see what happened, I got to run over
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: and interview this guy, you know, because you're down at
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: the ground level. But just the excitement of doing like
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: the postgame interviews kind of right afterwards, it's nothing that
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: you can really match. And then I fast forward in
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: this past year. I went to a few games during
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: COVID once they started opening a back up and no
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: fans and no sidelines, and you realize the difference of
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: the energy. I mean, and you guys understand that. I mean,
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: it was like night and day. So you realize how
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: much you appreciate those fans, how much you appreciate that atmosphere. Um, well,
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: I I do like my third game, my third game there,
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: so they would make me stand do my open right
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: near where the players weren't out of the tunnel, and
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: so like the pyrotechnics are going off, you know, as
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: they introduced the team shooting up and my sweater, the
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: back of my sweater caught on fire and I stepped
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: out of position and John's like, get back in position.
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: We're coming to you in three seconds. And so I
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: had to do my report and the thing was kind
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: of smoldering in the back for like fixing seconds. So
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: that was certainly pretty memorable and like, you know, one
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: of those treacherous things that you experienced on the job.
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: But it was, you know, there are a lot of
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: you know, just incredible, you know, Michael Vick. It's just
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: I'm just trying to think back to all these guys,
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: and it was just Tom Brady, like in the opener
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: the in in Gillette. I just it was just incredible
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: because you know, it's a lot of these guys who
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: were either retired now or you know, Tom Brady is
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: not retired obviously, but you know, to follow him through
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: his career and to start back then, you know, and
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: to cover Pro Bowl. We didn't we so if you
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: did one in a football, you did the Pro Bowl.
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: So you've got a Wii for two weeks at the
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: one of the season. Talk about incredible because you guys
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: are making me take walk down memory lane and like
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: how amazing it was. Yeah, you know, experience is wasted
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: on the young, right, Melissa totally, who wouldn't sign up
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: for that now? So so so appreciate. This is that
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: smoldering sweater in Canton. You know what, I still have it.
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: It's so funny. I still have it. Uhh. Yeah, I
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: gotta pack you up, but I kept it for you know,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: for memory's stake. Yes, exactly. I'm so glad to talk
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: to you guys the best any time. Yeah, you guys
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: are awesome. Well, thank you, thank you so much and
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: we will definitely talk to you soon. Okay, good, thanks
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: take care guys. Fine, So Mike none of that is fake.
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: That is exactly how Melissa talks all the time. Super
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: high energy and st dot it with four kids, four teenagers,
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: can you imagine and still have that energy. But I'll
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: tell you this, listening to her makes me so hungry
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: to be back on a Monday night football sideline. Why
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: not just the energy that's there, You're right. Look, I mean,
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: I know we've spent this entire episode talking about the
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: history of the game, why the game actually is played
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: on a Monday night, and then of course some of
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: those memorable moments, and there are so many moments that
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: we weren't even able to touch upon. But there's one
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: thing that's abundantly clear. I am never going to forget
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: Melissa telling us that she was on fire right before
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: she was about to do a live hit on television,
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: and that she still has the sweater, that she still
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: has the sweater. Oh gosh, Well, you know what, Mike,
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: this one has been a lot of fun. It's been
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: a weird trip down memory lane. And I can't say
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: that I ever really wondered why football was played on
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: Monday night. It just felt like the thing that had
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: to be done. Well, I think you just like this
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: episode a lot because you get to catch up with
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: a couple of your buddies in dwarf Sky and Melissa,
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: so appreciate their time and hanging out with us on
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: this podcast. But don't forget we want to make sure
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: that your rate your review follow us. The NFL explained
• 44:43
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• 44:47
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