Monday Night Football

[TheBigA]

I'm watching Monday Night Football, and all of a sudden, it hits me: What are Chris Fowler & Kirk Herbstreet doing on Monday Night Football?

These guys typically call college football on Saturdays. So I did a search, and here's what I found:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...nday-night-football/1bwlbgfark411da5b7l18dvk1

Because ESPN is doing two games Monday night, they called on Chris & Kirk to do the first game.

 

[CTListener]

I'm watching Monday Night Football, and all of a sudden, it hits me: What are Chris Fowler & Kirk Herbstreet doing on Monday Night Football?

These guys typically call college football on Saturdays. So I did a search, and here's what I found:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...nday-night-football/1bwlbgfark411da5b7l18dvk1

Because ESPN is doing two games Monday night, they called on Chris & Kirk to do the first game.

These opening-week Monday doubleheaders are nothing new. How has ESPN handled the announcing assignments in previous years?

 

[TheBigA]

These opening-week Monday doubleheaders are nothing new. How has ESPN handled the announcing assignments in previous years?

Here's how the Sporting News explains it: "Steve Levy, Bob Griese and Louis Riddick, who called the back half of the 2019 Week 1 "MNF" doubleheader, were upgraded to the top team this season in replacement of Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland."

So that left a hole that was filled this week by Fowler & Herbstreet.

 

[Mr Tony]

These opening-week Monday doubleheaders are nothing new. How has ESPN handled the announcing assignments in previous years?

The last few years have been as such. Main crew usually called early game except in 2018
2018 it was Beth Mowins & Brian Griese for the early game. Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland for late game
2017 it was Sean McDonough & Jon Gruden for the early game. Beth Mowins, Rex Ryan and the infamous Sergio Dipp on the late game (Sergio just bombs it on air)
2016 it was Sean McDonough & Jon Gruden for the early game. Chris Berman & Steve Young for the late game
2015 it was Mike Tirico & Jon Gruden for early game. Chris Berman and Trent Dilfer for the late game

 

[Don CT]

I'd like to see them give Fowler and Herbstreet the main MNF gig. They have a great on air chemistry.

 

[TheBigA]

Monday night's game attracted fewer viewers than last year. This continues a downward trend for live sports in general:

https://apnews.com/79a1faa4da6028aaa10157edc5034630

ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” franchise was markedly down from last year. The opening game of Monday’s doubleheader, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, reached 10.8 million viewers, down from the 13.5 million who watched last year’s opener. For the second game, between Denver and Tennessee, 7.7 million people watched, down from 11 million last year.